Johan Franzén saw the chance to clearly mark Sidney Crosby during the World Cup 2006. Then he took it and turned the big star upside down.
– Didn’t matter, he says.
Johan Franzén was one of many in the crowd of Swedes who represented the Detroit Red Wings during the 00s. Together with, among others, Nicklas Lidström, Henrik Zetterberg and Tomas Holmström, he lifted the Stanley Cup trophy, and celebrated great success with Tre Kronor.
Suffered from multiple injuries
But Johan Franzén’s career was marred by several injuries, especially towards the end. He suffered several concussions and was unable to play hockey in the final years of his contract with the Red Wings.
After several concussions, Franzén was finally forced to end his career and that with an impressive track record. He has a World Cup gold and a Stanley Cup victory at home on the trophy shelf. He won the gold with Three Crowns in 2006 in Latvia and he has a clear memory of the semi-final match against Canada and a certain Sidney Crosby.
“Sent his feet to the ceiling”
When there were only a few seconds left in the match, and Tre Kronor was leading 5-4, Johan Franzén clearly wanted to mark against Crosby.
– I remember when I faced Sidney Crosby in the semi-finals. There were six or seven seconds left in the game. Then I took the club around his legs and sent his feet up towards the ceiling, says Franzén to Hockey Sweden and continues:
– I thought that now I can be expelled, it doesn’t matter. In any case, he (Crosby) should have no chance.
Tre Kronor then won the final against the Czech Republic with a clear 4–0, and thus won both the Olympics and the WC in the same year.
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