This Week in Media Transcripts: Team Sweden’s ‘Canucks’ Line
By Vanessa Jang
7 years agoThe World Cup of Hockey has started, but the hype obviously cannot be compared to that of the Olympics and World Championships. Despite the tournament being exclusive to NHL players, Gary Bettman has made it known that he hopes to expand the game of hockey throughout the nations. He recently said, “This is an attempt to create a hockey-only international event that will generate an enormous following and make a significant statement which is good for hockey all over the world.”
Team Sweden enters the tournament with arguably the deepest defense core in the tournament, which will compliment the smarts, speed, and skill of the forward group. One guarantee is that Vancouver’s presence will most definitely be felt on the team. Daniel and Henrik Sedin, Loui Eriksson, and Jacob Markstrom will be lacing up the skates for their home country, something that they have all done on multiple occasions.
Sweden is currently 1-0-1 in exhibition play, but face Team Europe in their final exhibition game on Wednesday. In their two games against Finland, Loui Eriksson has three goals, while each Sedin twin has two assists. The team has a solid balance of youth and veterans, with the likes of Gabriel Landeskog, Mattias Ekholm, and Filip Forsberg playing under the guidance of Niklas Hjalmarsson, Niklas Kronwall, and of course, the Sedin twins. Henrik and Daniel are wearing the ‘C’ and ‘A’ for Sweden in this tournament, something that neither twin has done internationally. Navigate to Jeff Veillette’s piece on that headline by clicking here. Henrik was an easy choice to be named captain as he has the respect of everyone on the star-studded team.
Victor Hedman on Henrik Sedin: “He was the natural choice when [Zetterberg] wasn’t able to go. He’s the captain in Vancouver. He’s a born leader, him and his brother lead by example and Henrik is going to do a tremendous job. He’s used to all the attention Canada brings, and we’ll follow him. Being from the same hometown as him, seeing him train in the summer, and the way he prepares himself every year is something you admire. It’ll be a lot of fun to have him as captain and follow his lead.”
Sweden head coach Rikard Gronberg on Henrik: “His experience is invaluable in a tournament like this. He’s been around and had success nationally as well as in the NHL. For me and the rest of the staff, it was pretty easy for him to be the guy.”
Canucks fans got their first glimpse at their potential top line on Thursday when Loui Eriksson played alongside the Sedins. If you were unaware, the Sedins and Eriksson have an impressive history, playing together when Sweden won the gold medal at the 2013 World Championships. The former Boston Bruin produced at a point-per-game pace, Henrik had 9 points in 4 games, and Daniel averaged 1.5 PPG. The three carried the team in the gold medal game, with Eriksson scoring two goals and the Sedins assisting on both. If you thought that was just luck, think again. The chemistry between the three appears to be natural and established, so do not be surprised if the ‘Canucks’ line sticks for the duration of the tournament.
Rikard Gronberg on Eriksson with the Sedins: “[Their chemistry from the World Championships] is a pretty big part of [them playing together now]. I think those guys are thinking hockey alike. I think they like to play with each other and they feed off each other. It’s a great combination.”
Henrik Sedin on Eriksson: “It should be a great fit. [Eriksson] is a really smart player. You can tell right away when you step on the ice with him that he seems to find the right spots. We know where he’s going to be. None of us are super-fast skaters or strong in the corners. We try to rely on our smarts and being in the right spot, so it’s fun to play with a guy like that.”
Daniel Sedin on Eriksson: “This [tournament] is perfect for us to create that chemistry. The media in Sweden is making a big deal out of us playing with Loui, too. You never know with line combinations, but having him with the Vancouver Canucks, I’m excited. When you play with him, you realize how good of a player he is.
In Sweden’s 3-2 OT loss to Finland on Thursday, Eriksson scored the 1-1 tying goal and, not surprisingly, Daniel was given an assist.
In their 6-3 victory on Saturday, Eriksson scored twice, Henrik had two assists, and Daniel had one helper. The trio have been leading Sweden’s top power-play unit, and it has looked very good so far.
There is a preconceived notion that almost any player can have success with the twins, and that may or may not be true. When you look back at all of the players who have skated alongside the brothers, most of the combinations panned out fairly well. Trent Klatt, Alex Burrows, Radim Vrbata, and Jannik Hansen are all different players, yet they were each able to produce. When you think about the Sedins, you think smart. Although Daniel was the more prominent scorer out of the two, the general consensus is that they would like an even more prominent scorer to play alongside them. This is where Eriksson comes in. When you read what Henrik has to say about Eriksson, that should get you excited. Eriksson may not have the supernatural abilities that the twins share, but his smarts and finishing ability should be the perfect compliment to their game. Rikard Gronberg knows it, the Daniel and Henrik Sedin know it, and Canucks fans will be all too familiar with it once the NHL season commences.
Henrik Sedin: “He’s a smart player and that’s all we’ve really asked for since Day 1. A lot of people think we need a big strong guy that plays with us, but you look as Burrows, same thing. He’s smart. He finds the right spot. He’s good on the forecheck, turns the puck over and creates those kinds of chances for us. That’s what Loui does.
I will leave you with some tidbits of the Sedin-Sedin-Eriksson line. The trio looks very good together, so expect much, much more of this in the coming years.
Loui Eriksson: “It feels pretty easy to play with them when you know how to play with them.”
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