TIMRÅ. A unique constellation driving Timrå’s major investment in SHL.
Father Anthony Carlsson is head coach and son Anton Lander is captain.
It is a wonderful carrot to do this together for the club closest to us, says Anton Lander.
Ante Karlsson took charge and saved Timra from remaining in the SHL with a 4-0 scoreline in the qualifying matches against Djurgården.
Anton Lander He shared winning the Swiss league with Zug around the same time.
After that, the father and son were reunited at home in Timra as the two leading figures in the team.
For me, this situation is only normal. Anton is back after many years abroad and he is a captain, he has been a captain in all the teams he has played for over the years. It was quite natural for this whole group to make the decision to appoint him as captain, for me the situation is not strange at all, says Ante-Carlson.
– For me, it is clearly a special case, but so far we have dealt with it very well. We will be able to benefit from it more than negatively. It might be a little easier to talk about, but we try to keep it separate when it comes to the ice rink and beyond. Because I still want to maintain the connection that he is my father as he helps him in everyday life. That way, the season is also in pre-season, but since Daddy is entering it, things have gone normally anyway, says Anton Lander.
“The wife and mother will suffer.”
Have you been able to give up ice hockey completely after that as a father and son in everyday life outside of ice hockey?
– I think so, Anton has his family with two great-grandchildren. When we hang out, I don’t think there’s much ice hockey, it’s father, son, grandfather, and grandson. I don’t think there are any such problems. We have a lot of hockey talk at work and the structure we follow is completely different. When I’m at Anton’s house doing carpentry and playing soccer with the grandkids, we don’t think much about playing. We’ll see how you feel in February, says Ante Carlson, I can only answer how you feel now.
– And then it’s like always, I’ve always called my dad and asked for tips during the season, both in North America and around Europe. When he sees matches, he gives input as well as tips and advice. I want to keep this part too. There is a lot of talk about hockey in the family, it’s the hockey family where that is our biggest advantage. My wife and mom suffer a lot sometimes when there is a lot of hockey, but anything is possible in hockey that is talked about at the time. There shouldn’t be any problems, but it’s hard to predict the future as we face all kinds of situations that can never be predicted, says Anton Lander.
Season 1 together
Although they both have a long background in Timrå, this is the first time that Anton Lander has Anton Lander’s father as a coach.
– Now it’s been a few weeks, but it’s a direct and clear command. He tries to be in close contact with the players and I think that works well. I still want to be on the team and talk some bullshit about the coach, as it is every day on every team. I’ve been very clear about that with the other players, I’m one of them but we’re managing it with the coaches. Anton Lander says: I am on the players side.
Anton Lander returned after six seasons at Edmonton Oilers, two seasons at Pars Kazan, two seasons at Lokomotiv Yaroslavl and one season at Zug.
The now 31-year-old center won the Swiss League title with Pars Kazan and won the Swiss League with Zug.
Trey Kronor drove at the Beijing Olympics in February and also played at the 2018 Olympics in Pyeongchang.
Anton is one of all the guys that came home, what I feel for Anton is that he’s been out for a long time for eleven seasons and he’s been on the winning side. He has a lot of experience and is a very skilled ice hockey player. As a player, he has the ability to bring the group into everyday life to work hard and do the right things. Ante-Carlson says he’s leading the group where we’re going, he’s grateful to have us as coach.
“It’s my big dream”
This is the first time 53-year-old Ante Carlson has entered a season as the only head coach at the elite level.
Last season, he shared the main responsibility with Frederic Anderson at Timra, but became the only coach before the playoffs.
– In the fourth match there, when Timra won, the mother was visiting Switzerland and the wife was in Sweden for the little sister’s bachelor party. Mom and I sat in the apartment, opened a small bottle of champagne and celebrated, and you were taken for dad and Timra. Then I sent a text message to the wife; “We are moving home,” says Anton Lander.
Can you describe why you are coming back now and what Timra means to you?
There is a lot of positivity about the club and I want to be part of that journey. I think I’ve been very clear all these years that Timra is the club I would like to play for in Sweden. It’s our home when my wife and I are here from out of town, it’s where we want to live and I want to play. Timrå has given me education and shaped me into the person I am with all the leaders and my colleagues over the years. I went to school here behind the ice rink and spent a lot of time here in the corners. Before I left, I didn’t have much of a role in the team, but there was more to see and learn. My big dream is to stand there as a winner with Timrå. We know it’s a long road with many ups and downs along the way, but somewhere we have to have that goal to climb and take steps every year.
Strong comeback to the quartet homeland
Just like all the teams in the SHL, Timrå has prepared strong for the upcoming season.
Former fan favorite Kimmo Kapanen is the new sporting director after Kent “Nubben” Norberg who switched to HV71.
What stands out in the squad are returning offensive players Anton Lander (31 years old, parent club Timra, three-year contract), Jonathan Dahlin (24 years old, raised in Timra from the age of 17, five-year contract), Emil Peterson (28 years old, club Mother Sundsvall, five-year contract) and Anton Wieden (29-year-old, five-year contract, parent club Onji).
– Now I have it all from the start and it feels very inspiring. It’s going to be a really fun league, it’s going to be almost like a closing season with all the returnees and the HV71 well prepared as a newcomer. The quality of SHL is much better than last season. We also have players like Jeremy Boyce and Jacob Blomqvist, “Jack” has had his best seasons here for a long time. We have good depth in the group and great energy. The guys of the right age chose to go home rather than go to another SHL team. Ante Carlsson says there are many players who have come to Timrå and have thrived despite being 32 years old.
Qualifiers are a requirement for both the office and the players, we want to end up somewhere there. I totally buy that claim photo. All the clubs seem very happy with their teams. Anton Lander says those who can come together as a team and play as a team, will be the key.
“Loves Timra”
What does it mean to you that Jonathan Dahlin is officially over in the week leading up to the SHL premiere?
– He is a fantastically skilled hockey player, who can decide the match for himself. He is stubborn and unique in his way of playing. He has a good sense of play and an honest hand. Then he has a big heart for this club, he loves Timrå. Antti Carlsson says there are many people who advocate hard work, structure, and fun that apply here.
In recent years, he made an incredible amount for the club and was a fantastically great hockey player. I think he has a lot to teach in attack, not many people have the skills that he has. Anton Lander says he joins the team with a big Timra heart.
How do you think about continuing to play Tre Kronor in the future, Anton?
– I will always say yes if I am selected, it is a great pleasure and an honor to play for the national team. It is completely in my thoughts if the whole body. My main focus is on Timrå and I think that’s where you should be on your mind too, when a question comes up it’s always very interesting. For WC camp last spring, I chose to decline because of the focus with Timrå. I’ve already missed a few weeks of pre-season. I felt it was an important season to come for the club and for myself. I wanted to focus on that and prepare for what’s to come.
Ante Karlsson also has a background as an assistant coach at Södertälje and Färjestad, where he replaced Mats Waltin as head coach during the season.
At the SHL premiere on Saturday 17th September, Frölunda awaits in Scandinavia in Gothenburg.
Home opener in Medelpad since Thursday 22nd September against Linköping.
