Djurgården beat AIK 5-2 before Globben ran out of steam at midday hockey.
In the stands, there was a rare parade of Djurgård legends who supported their team.
– It’s great that they came here and showed their support and that we can win against them, says Captain Markus Kreuger.
Niklas Kronwall has been featured on the jumbotron several times during the Stockholm derby.
The former linebacker stood and cheered with his arms in the air at goals and made the tackles.
Even 32-year-old Marcus Kruger has been touched by the legends presence despite his Stanley Cup titles.
– There were rumors in the dressing room before the match that Mats Sundin was coming. He’s a childhood idol, obviously, says Marcus Kruger.
“trying to make them proud”
How about a proven strong lineup of Djurgård legends and profiles in the stands: Håkan Södergren, Tommy Söderström, Hardy Nilsson, Mikael Johansson, Rolf Ridderwall, Douglas Murray, Mikael Tellqvist, Fredrik “Linkan” Bremberg, Nichlas Falk, Dick Axelsson, Christopher Ottoson, Christian “Vempen” Eklund, Mikael Nord, Sophie Johansson, Peter Ronqvist, Hjalmar Ekdal, and Niklas Kronwall.
– It’s great that so many of them are here and play for them. Some of these things I went to see as a kid. I remember getting tickets to my derby for Christmas from my aunt and when I managed to catch a disc. They’re the people I looked up to, and now I’m playing opposite them and trying to make them as proud as I can be. It feels great, they were my role models and their support means a lot to us,” says Markus Kruger.
When Bjorn Nord posted the team photo from the stands on Twitter, JustD member Gurra G replied: “Oh my gosh! My whole youth summed up in one photo…”.
Also in the booth are former greats Johan Garbinlov, Markus Ragnarsson and Michael Holmqvist.
Goosebumps during matches
Djurgården also won the first derby of the season in Hockeyallsvenskan with a score of 5-4 on 2 November.
– Both of these derby so far have been magical. I got goosebumps a few times during matches, and it’s rare when I’m playing. I may have been bad at it before, but now I’m trying to stop for a second and enjoy it and enjoy it. Markus Kruger says you are still interested in matches.
Already on Thursday evening, Djurgården and AIK meet in the third derby of the season in Globen.