Anton Forsberg played great for Ottawa at the Globe.
In the stands, Joachim Jordansson — Charlotte’s manager Pirelli — sat ready to change into goalie gear in case the reigning Senators champion got injured.
– He says it’s a very strange story.
We take it from the beginning:
Last Thursday, Joachim Jordaensson was on site in Amsterdam during a concert with former Eurovision winners, where Charlotte Pirelli – who he manages – performed.
The next day, he went to the Avicii Arena in Stockholm to watch the game between the Detroit Red Wings and the Toronto Maple Leafs, accompanied by former NHL goaltender Jonas “Monstret” Gustavsson.
-I’ve been a good friend of Jonas since childhood, so I was there with him. Then, that evening there, the Ottawa Senators suddenly realized they needed an extra goalie for tomorrow, Jordanson says.
Ottawa enters the picture here because its Finnish goaltender, Joonas Korpisalo, is injured and will not be available for Saturday’s game against the Minnesota Wild.
“Call me this morning”
The NHL club then needed, somewhat urgently, to notify its so-called “emergency backup” if the team suffered another goalie injury before or during Saturday’s game.
– They asked Jonas first, but he couldn’t. Then Ottawa’s goalkeeping coach called me at 8:30 this morning and asked if I could play, said Jordanson – who agreed.
That’s why he took a seat in the Globe stands during the Ottawa-Minnesota meeting as well, so he could step in if necessary.
– I drank more than one beer during yesterday’s match, I can say. But today, of course, it has become zero.
The 38-year-old hockey player’s resume isn’t particularly extensive — Jordansson has been guarding the penalty box in Division II for nearly 20 years — but he actually puts in goalie protection every now and then.
-I participate in something at Ritorp every week and there are really good players there. I had a good warm-up there anyway,” say Mats Sundin and Robert Nilsson, among others.
Also contacted by Toronto
Jordanson brought his goalie pads to the Globe and had his name printed on an Ottawa Senators jersey “just in case.”
But there was no more goalie injury, but instead Anton Forsberg – after all the most used among the NHL pillars – played superbly in the penalty area and allowed only one assist. Ottawa won 2-1 on penalties.
However, Jordansson will also be present at Globe Stadium on Sunday, when the Toronto Maple Leafs and Minnesota Wild meet in the final NHL game on Swedish ice at this time.
– Yes, Toronto called us today on our way here, so I’ll be their emergency backup tomorrow too. “I was judged” even before my first NHL game, Jordanson says.
