Las vigas. When they saw all the Lamborghinis parked outside the Vegas Golden Knights practice room early in the morning, Leo Carlson and three of the top talents invited to this year’s Stanley Cup Final realized:
It is an interesting existence that awaits them in the best league in the world….
– But the great thing is meeting players like William Karlsson and Patrick Hornqvist, says the 18-year-old from Värmland to Sportbildet.
Every spring, the NHL makes sure that the young talent expected to be first in the following summer’s draft is invited to one of the Stanley Cup Finals to give them a little glimpse of what to expect when they sign their first contracts in the best league in the world.
This year, this group consisting of Conor Bedard, Will Smith (not to be confused with the star of the movie…), Adam Fantelli and Sweden’s Leo Carlson thus got to watch the second round between the Vegas Golden Knights and the Florida Panthers at T-Mobile Stadium in Las Vegas tonight.
– I’ve watched matches with NHL teams in the world before, but it doesn’t really matter. This is my first NHL game in North America, and I feel good because it’s a final game, says Leo as we meet him in the corridors under the vaults of the huge stands.
But even more exciting was the study visit to the Golden Knights’ training facility in Summerlin a few hours before the game. There they got to see each of the finalists prepare for the Finals – and gained insight into the comfortable existence that awaits those who make it to the NHL.
– When we saw all the Lamborghinis parked outside the hall…it was a welcome NHL moment, Will Smith smiled.
Extravagance also made an impression on Assad.
– I noticed that the Golden Knights had two of their own chefs who cooked food for them after training. It was something a little special, he smiled.
And here we thought that the general manager of Orebro took care of this kind of convenience …
However, the young man from Värmland is the happiest because he has met his compatriots William Carlson and Patrick Hornqvist.
– It was interesting to talk to them. They were very nice and quiet a few hours before the final, he says.
Do they have any tips?
– No, they mostly wished me well and said I should keep doing what I’ve done so far.
“Wild Bill” Carlson exchanged views from the meeting with him.
– Yes, it looks very nice, Leo. I’ve read about him in the media and know his amazing talent and it was fun to talk a bit and I wish him well,” says the Golden Knights star.
He was impressed that you have two chefs.
– Heh, was that so?
Yes, they don’t have that in Orebro.
– Haha, no, there is a slight difference.
During Tuesday, Liu and the other talent travel to Buffalo for auditions and interviews during the so-called “NHL Draft Combine.” Then, at the end of June, the actual draft follows in Nashville. Then the young Swede is expected to finish third – in which case he ends up in the Columbus Blue Jackets.
– We’ll see what happens, but I’ve only heard good things about Columbus, he says.