The inaugural meeting.
The occasional high angst in Swedish ice hockey meant that it often imitated the world’s leading National Hockey League, especially when it came to expression.
The hold became a “contract,” said “Game 7” that retracted Game 7 (playoff games) and completely normal trade breaks are called “Power Breaks.”
Oddly enough, no one bothered to move a preseason meeting across the Atlantic, but the preseason meeting is still called a preseason meeting and not “preseason media appointments.”
The inaugural meeting took place many years ago, exactly when it was first arranged I won’t mention it, but a search of Aftonbladet’s solid photo archive found a photo from 1987 where, among others, Freddie Lindfors, LJ Jansson, Corey Lundmark and Lacey Falk were present.
On Wednesday, a slew of ice hockey players, coaches, journalists, representatives of referees, leagues, TV and radio companies headed to a hotel next to the Globe to eat rolls and hard caramel, which has a certain laxative effect.
Pearlskog is alive – right?
Surveys are taken, polls are reported, SM Gold winners and SHL underdogs are nominated.
It was, on the whole, a very interesting event.
I ended up next to Robert Berleskog, one of the few in the room who might have been present at that inaugural meeting in 1987, and exclaimed with glee:
– Perlskog, you’re alive!
No, it’s just my ghost, you see.
Perlskog will be commentating on SHL ice hockey again, on “radio” again, for the new Sportscom audio player.
After slightly controlled questions were asked on stage, the gathering turned into a mingling as evening paper reporters and local newspaper emissaries scurried around like fists to satisfy the editors’ endless craving for poll answers.
Others, like me, had to sneak in and watch.
Peter “Förbunds-Foppa” Forsberg needed half a second to contact the other SSK members in the room – SVT-Dusan and Robert Tennisberg.
The Dahlen siblings have been spoken to, but I really hope their relationship extends beyond the warm welcome at the opening meeting and that they also see each other at Christmas.
Radiosport’s Magnus Wahlmann and Per Svartvadet chatted for a while with Matthias Carlin and Svartvadet, who must have met Carlin on the pavement in Örnsköldsvik 200 times since May, and seemed as curious as you are when you’re waiting for a late train.
Lark with crossed arms
Just sneaking in the canister of compressed gas that read “We feel good in advance” and “If we could be injury free for that…” was fun and rewarding, here and there I could stop and see where the meeting and conversation ended. I.
At Växjö’s absent-minded sporting director Evertsson, I instead talked about Alvesta’s supporter culture with Växjö’s assistant sporting director Patrick Hall and Joel Pearson, kids’ activities and Saturday tips with Jon Knuts and got a quick review of the Women’s Hockey Collective Agreement by the players’ Seiko Association.
Christer Larking stood with his arms crossed as only Christer Larking could stand with his arms crossed, and he told us that he sits in the operating room every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, probably with his arms crossed, watching everything that happens in the SHL arenas.
I asked him if he had a hard time dealing with the criticism the umpire and the operating room often received, but he explained that 30 years as an elite referee and waiter at the busy Hamburger Boerse had given him some calluses.
I contacted Hanna Olsson to see if Frölunda could become the first federation in Swedish ice hockey history to win the double, SM gold on the men’s and women’s sides in the same year, but mostly talked to her to hear about the strongest ice on the ice. Hockey Gothenburg I’ve heard it since the last time I met Patrick Karenback.
Olsson, who grew up in Halsø in Okero municipality, started playing ice hockey at Skärgårdens SK and after touring finally got a sensible ice hockey team to move home to.
Frölunda’s first year in the SDHL looks, up front, like one of the most interesting topics of the season.
No smoke hung in the air
In the SHL, during the British summer already, a lot of talk is not about who wins, but who gets out.
I’ve often thought of any World Series in which the drop would be the big draw, but I can’t think of any.
Not in the English Premier League, not in the Italian league, not even in the Dutch league or in the elite volleyball league, and certainly not in the National Hockey League (because no team is relegated) is the great interest in the players.
This is where SHL is unique.
From experience, Modu, Malmö and Linköping appear to be in a wrinkle.
Now, as a reader, you might be wondering, what exactly did I get out of this introductory meeting?
The question is justified.
No big scoop here, no cape hanging in the air, some nice surveys and interviews will come to you, but you get the big win later.
Because by looking at each other in that cheerful way, shaking hands, looking into each other’s eyes, drinking unlimited cups of coffee and taking home a deck of SHL cards, the deal is done.
A tacit agreement that from September 14th and seven months to come, the evening newspaper gossip, TV dossiers, players, coaches, referees, and SHL referees can unite with each other as much as possible.
I look forward to it very much.