Mats Olander participated in the Döbelnsgatan fire by Vasaparken in Stockholm.
The 68-year-old AIK icon had to fight for his life to get out of the burning home gym.
– It was like sudden death in the truest sense of the word, emerging victorious from the battle, he says.
On Sunday, a fire occurred at the property, located in Vasastan, in central Stockholm.
He told Hockeysverige through journalist Ronnie Rönnkvist that Mats Olander was one of the victims.
The ice hockey player lives in a third-floor apartment but was in the building’s gym when the fire broke out.
– It was like a hockey match, it was so cool. It was very quick decisions, I acted rather than thought. It was like a hockey derby in Hovet against Djurgården and overtime, ‘Now it’s time to do something here’. I won the match and it was the best match I’ve ever played. It is not wise, when death knocks at the door, you need to know what to do quickly. It was a shock, Mats Olander tells Sportbladet.
Soot and smoke in the stairwell
It was mid-afternoon when he was at the home gym exercising.
– It’s a small gym on the ground floor with no windows, a dungeon-like unit. I did exercises in a traction machine and pulled, then it started to smell burnt and I thought it was the traction machine. It smelled more and more, and when it stopped and stood, black smoke billowed through the mailbox, says Mats Olander.
He soon realizes that there is a fire outside and he needs to respond immediately in a dramatic second dram.
– I took a deep breath and pulled the iron away. It’s a ten meter corridor then the gate straight to the right five meters diagonally down. I somehow programmed everything in my head. Because it was jet black with soot. I fumbled for the handle and happened to gasp from the tension. In the end I got the handle, it was very lucky. Outside it was like a war scene and action was everywhere. Among other things, the firefighters pulled out a couple and three children who were apparently stuck in the elevator, says Mats Olander.
“I know what the hell happened.”
He did go outside in the street with some soot in his trachea, but it was a mentally overwhelming experience.
– I hardly succeeded. It was a near death experience. When I came out I felt, “Oh my God, I’m alive.” If I had stayed, I don’t know what would have happened. I thought rationally and became an escape behavior. I did it without thinking and just walked away. Maybe it’s about attitude, I’m used to playing under pressure and have to work. I felt my athletic nervousness start to kick in again. I acted rather than reacted. It was like a match moment for me. I’m still in very good shape, for older people who have difficulty walking it was even more difficult, says Mats Olander.
Hospital staff immediately gave him an oxygen mask and he had to go by ambulance to Karolinska Hospital.
– I shook but felt fine, the doctor said there was a little bit of black in the oral cavity. The hospital was at full capacity, ten or twelve people were waiting for me and everything went off course. The fire department and hospital staff were greatly coordinated. Those who complain about healthcare in Sweden should shut up, it’s service and knowledge. The fact that there are not enough resources is another matter, says Mats Olander.
Played at Tre Kronor
He had to spend the night in the hospital and now lives with a friend.
– Things went better than expected. Whenever I smell smoke in my apartment, I feel uncomfortable, but I have to process that away. It’s good to talk to yourself and others who are listening. The apartment is not habitable yet, they broke down my security door to see if anyone was there. The door is completely broken down and can only be locked with a padlock from the outside. There is a slight smell of smoke in the apartment, but the ground floor is completely burned out. It’s the kind of thing that happens in a house in a city with so many different people, someone might have a candle on and not notice anything. It’s better to live in your house in the woods, says Mats Olander.
As a pensioner, Mats Olander works as a disc jockey in various contexts, and on Friday he will play on the swinging rack in Hovet after the match against Modo.
Of course I follow AIK and I’m there for the matches. I think hockey is fun and thrives on fans and former players. There is only AIK for me, maybe Kiruna AIF then like Börje Salming. Other than that, says Mats Olander, golf is the most important factor for getting the nerve to compete.
Born and raised in Kiruna, he played adult hockey from 1970 to 1993 mainly for AIK, Boden and Rögle.
Mats Olander has credentials as a three-time World Cup player.
In addition, he was a coach and coach from 1988 to 2013, when he was, among other things, assistant captain of the Latvian national team Kore Lindström.