Jönköping. At 37 years old, Anton Sterleman is the second-oldest player in the SHL.
In his first match in Sweden in 17 seasons, he played 25.36 minutes.
– I have regained the joy of hockey, says the right-handed defender after the 3-2 penalty shootout loss to Linköping.
Anton Strålman was at the center of HV71 events at the SHL premiere.
He played in the first backfield duo with Bobby Nardella, on the power play and in the box play.
He was noticed all the time on the pitch for his shots on goal, his tackles, and winning close matches.
His playing time of 25.36 minutes was the most of the match, with fellow fullback Bobby Nardella coming in second with a time of 23.06 minutes.
-I want to participate in all parts of the ice and I think I was in this match. I thought I helped create chances and defend in my area. There was too much good to take, says Anton Sterleman.
I got the desire again
How does the body feel after that walk in the first game of the season?
-He’s tired now, but he just needs to rest tomorrow. We have a whole week before the next match where we can practice more things. The body holds up and I think it’s fun. It’s just a matter of leadership.
It was a successful 16 seasons in the NHL, but the ending was tough because of the way he was treated by the Boston Bruins.
-It feels very special to be back. Especially when there is such an atmosphere and so much emotion on the ice. It’s great to be a part of this again. It is played on a large rink where you can spend time with a disc jockey and in front of an audience singing and playing rock music. The NHL is special in another way, says Anton Sterleman.
The dream became a nightmare
What had been a dream with the intense atmosphere of the sold-out arena and the intense game on the ice, ended up being a nightmare for the team and him.
– It’s very difficult and disappointing when it’s a game you should have won, it’s just a point. We did everything to win the match. It hurts, but that’s hockey, says Anton Sterleman.
First, he was involved in preparatory work until the score was 1-0 by Jonas Nattinen and when there were just over six minutes remaining in the third period, he was on the ice when Radan Lenk made it 2-1 on a power play.
Linköping tied the score at 2-2 with 54 seconds left and after the goalkeeper was taken off when scorer Sebastian Strandberg crossed him.
-I’m happy with everything, it’s just the latest change. I couldn’t reach my mark and then sat in the box. You can make a perfect match until the last minute, but then you’ll be unsatisfied anyway. When you analyze a match, the mistakes are bigger than the things you do well, says Anton Sterleman.
Three great home games
As one of ten new acquisitions, he is however optimistic about the future of the HV71.
– Regardless of the result, it was fantastic, and had everything a hockey match can offer. It was a good, fun hockey game, and it’s unfortunate that we could have done better. It’s a great group of players, we have a good atmosphere and we play with each other. We showed we have character today and worked hard throughout. “It’s just another missing point, but based on what we showed today, we’ll go far,” says Anton Sterleman.
HV71’s season begins with three successive home matches, first between top classic rivals Linköping and Färjestad next Thursday and then the Smålands derby against Oscarshamn next Saturday.
Only Johannes Salmonsson in Oscarshamn is older in the SHL as he was born earlier than 1986, but he did not play in the first round.