Leo Carlsson is ranked second in the NHL draft this summer and has been compared to Mats Sundin.
He himself takes it in stride and doesn’t rush him, in the same way he doesn’t worry about interviews despite his speech difficulties.
– Stuttering is part of me, it must be so, and this is just something to talk about, says the Örebro striker.
Leo Carlsson has received a lot of attention in the SHL and Junior Crowns for his on-ice magic.
He is challenging and powerful with the puck, at the same time becoming more physical and aggressive in his game.
The thing that comes in conversations with him is joy and calmness.
It’s funny that people think he’s good and ice hockey must be fun for him.
– It must be fun, playing hockey has given me everything to get to where I am now. Leo Carlson says it doesn’t work for me at all if I don’t have fun when I play.
compared to “sudden”
Featured clips replace each other on social media and it has become a norm to compare him to Mats Sundin.
– It’s crazy fun, it’s just awesome. He is one of the best Swedish players in ice hockey history. I’ve seen clips of him playing, he was a big attack with good wrists. Obviously, I understand that comparisons can be made, but he’s a few steps ahead, says Leo Carlson.
In the SHL, NHL scouts flocked to the stands in a way Örebro had never experienced before.
– It’s not something I can think about, because if I think about it, it will only affect me negatively. I just try to be calm, says Leo Carlson, and then it works out the best way, and it doesn’t help in any way that you’re too busy.
“Fun people think I’m good.”
In the various draft rankings in existence, Leo Carlson is second only to Canadian super talent Conor Bedard.
– It’s just a confidence booster, but I don’t think I’m the best. It’s fun when people think I’m good, because it can’t be hard in any way. In order for me to continue to develop, it is important for me to play for the team and win matches. Leo Carlsson says the most important thing is to stay in the present moment and focus on the next training and next match all the time.
The dream when you’ve got it far is of course the NHL.
– The goal and goal is to play in the National Hockey League, but then I wouldn’t be so disappointed if I didn’t establish myself there. The SHL and Hockeyallsvenskan are still good leagues that are fun to play in. It’s not a failure to play there, and not many people get hockey as a job. “I just want to keep playing hockey and having fun,” says Leo Carlson.
Don’t bother stuttering
As much as he’s concerned about hockey and resurrection, it’s about his stutter.
I’ve stuttered since I was little and for as long as I can remember. At middle school age I started to think a little bit about why this is happening and what other people think, and then it was more difficult. I wasn’t bullied for it or anything like that, I just don’t care anymore and it’s not my thing anymore, says Leo Carlson.
There is no confirmed diagnosis of stuttering and he did not feel the need for help.
I went to a speech teacher once when I was twelve, but I never really cared what caused it and didn’t think it was a problem at the time. So it only happened once. Just like my father and grandmother, I speak quickly, which can cause me to pick up and stumble on words. I obviously don’t want to do this and try not to, but I have no other choice, says Leo Carlson.
From the start, he had no problem getting interviews with Sportbladet or C More.
– I’m used to these interviews now, and I think they will continue. I always intend to stand up and not hesitate to do so. Stuttering is not something I think about myself that I can’t take away. It’s a part of me, and it’s just as good as it gets. It has to be that way, Leo Carlson says, and it’s just a matter of keeping talking about it.
Coming of age at the first show
Now that he’s teaming with JVM with Tegan Jr., a lot of focus is on Leo Carlsson as the biggest star of the team.
– I don’t feel the pressure that people might think, that there are just expectations of me that give me self-confidence and make me want to continue on this path. Nothing negative at all. It’s exciting to play on a mini rink for the first time, the way I think fast and I like small surfaces, it suits me well. As Leo Carlson says it’s my first time in North America.
For him, games with little crowns are also something different from SHL.
– Of course it will be easier. The speed is almost the same, but it is not an organized and controlled game system. The defensive game is not disciplined and you will get more distance. Leo Karlsson says: I started the season, it depended a lot on my ability to participate in the match from the Junior crown in the Finnish championship behind me.
Being born on Boxing Day, December 26, means a life of hockey as the years turn on the ice.
Last season, Leo Karlsson celebrated his 17th birthday with a game away to Luleå for Örebro.
And now he’s celebrating 18 years since the JVM premiere of Teagan Jr. in Halifax.
