Here are the latest key bits of news relating to Swedish Hockey League teams early in pre-season. Click on the team name to be taken to their team page where you can find out more info, including Team Line-Up charts.
Växjö Lakers
Växjö started their season in the way they want to continue: by lifting a trophy. They have their eyes on much bigger prizes than the Red Bull Salute pre-season tournament, but if you’re in it you may as well win it!
Växjö defeated Red Bull Munich and Zurich Lions in two games that sounded like excellent warm-up exercises. That has extra value for the Lakers given that their season begins early, on 5 September, due to their involvement in the Champions Hockey League.
The Final against Zurich included a remarkable turnaround. Växjö recovered from an 0-3 deficit to with 4-3 in Overtime. Head Coach Jörgen Jönsson gave special praise to the forward line of Dylan McLaughlin, Hugo Gustafsson and Emil Sylvegård, so we’ll see if that’s a combination he favours when the ‘real’ games begin.
HV71
HV have had a good few days, winning three games in a row and picking up the Svenska Spel Trophy. The latter came courtesy of a shoot-out victory over Malmö Redhawks. Oliwer Kaski finished it with a neat little move:
Skellefteå
We noted back on 28 July that Axel Sandin-Pellikka would be staying with Skellefteå for the coming season, rather than moving to the AHL. It’s now been confirmed by Norran that he will be with the team for the whole of the pre-season too.
It’s customary for top prospects to go to North America to be part of their NHL team’s training camp for the first couple of weeks of September. In Sandin-Pellikka’s case, he and the Detroit Red Wings have taken the pragmatic decision for him to stay in Sweden instead.
That not only gives the defensemen more time to prepare with his teammates ahead of the SHL season, it also means he will be available to the team for their Champions Hockey League games in early September.
Detroit’s other prospect with Skellefteå, Michael Brandsegg-Nygård, will still be part of the training camp. That’s understandable given that he was their First Round selection in the NHL draft earlier this summer.
Leksand
Leksand announced on Monday afternoon that Marek Hrivík will be absent from their early pre-season games. The good news is that there is no injury involved.
Hrivík will be part of Slovakia’s team for their Olympic qualifying tournament at the end of August, so will rejoin Leksand in early September.
Leksand teammate Peter Cehlarik will not be part of the Slovakia squad.
