Updated on 21.32 | Posted on 21.31
Jönköping. Hermann Leff was at the Husqvarna Garden for the first time as an SHL player.
He was also his biggest fan – his brother Harry, his grandmother Anita, his uncle Christian and his mother Anna Liv.
– There are many similarities between Herman and Stefan, the same body language and movements, says Anna Lev.
It was a special match at Husqvarna Park on Thursday evening, with the HV71 team winning 3-2 over Örebro.
But above all, it was also emotional, especially since Herman Leif, son of Stefan Leif, returned to Jönköping with Örebro in the SHL. Hermann played his junior hockey with Örebro away from his home in Jönköping, but now he has been called up to the first team and has had the experience of a well-filled HV arena that very much breathes life with memory and love for Father Stefan.
The second match lifted Stefan Lev’s shirt
Also in attendance were the rest of Liv’s family, mother Anna and little brother Harry, 15, as well as grandmother Anita and Stefan’s brother, Hermann’s uncle, Christian.
They sat on the long side above the players’ booths to support Herrmann and see the uniqueness of Leaf in the hometown of HV71. It is not common for Anna Liv to go to hockey these days.
– I watch the matches in which Hermann plays, but other than that this arena is somewhat associated with special feelings for me. This is only my second game in the SHL since lifting Stefan’s jersey in 2012.
Now it was the proud Leaf family that followed Herman onto the ice during warmups and into the booth during the game in a support role.
– I think Hermann had the same feelings that I had before and during the match, and as I said I was nervous. But Herman is definitely calmer.
1/2Photo: Thomas Ross.
See the similarities with Stefan
According to Anna, Stefan and Anna’s son becoming a goalkeeper was inevitable.
-He always wanted to be like that. It was taken for granted from day one, and in hockey terms it was probably a good thing to continue his career in Örebro, which he chose himself. But there is still a long way to go, says mother Anna, describing the similarities between father and son:
– Same body language and movements.
The HV crowd also got a chance to pay tribute to Hermann when he was zoomed into the media cube and the crowd responded with a standing ovation that made the goalkeeper smile sweetly and perhaps feel a little warm inside.
Little brother Harry is a staunch supporter of HV and is himself a successful floor striker at Jönköping IK. He knows what he dreams about:
– Chill with your brother on the ice. I’m on the HV71 and it was fun to see it on the HV71 one day.