Danish center Oscar Mølgaard was a second-round draft pick of the Seattle Kraken last summer following his rookie season with Swedish club HV71 and his first IIHF World Championship. This season, he’s entering his second World Championship following a season where he put up 21 points in 50 SHL games. He spoke about his season and what comes next for him after Denmark’s opening 5-1 win over Austria.
At 19, this is already your second World Championship. How is it different from your first?
“I would say I came in here this year knowing what this is all about. I think that’s an advantage for me. There are some good players here and you need to think fast and play fast. I really love playing here.”
How did your season in Sweden go?
“It started off pretty slow and we got a new coach after 12 games, but the new coach gave me the opportunity to play on the second line, on the power play and to kill penalties too. So I was playing a lot and you get some pretty valuable experience playing in those situations. It turned out to be a pretty good year and hopefully, I can keep it going next year.”
Connor Bedard spent some time with HV71 a few years ago. Did you meet him there? |
“I met him once. He was there the year before me but I went there to practise while he was there. I got to talk to him and he’s a nice guy. Unbelievable hockey player too.”
You were drafted by Seattle last summer. Do you keep in close contact with the club?
“Yeah, I talk to them a lot. You know, the former Danish hockey player Frans Nielsen is working for them as a scout, so I talk to him once or twice a week and he sends me clips. I really appreciate that.”
Does he give you tips on penalty shots?
“Yeah, he was really good at them,” he laughed. “The way he played, the way he battled, he was so smart with the puck. He was my idol growing up so I try to do the same things he did and I just listen to everything he’s got to say.”
Nielsen is retired now, but what about some of the veterans on this Danish team?
“It’s just unbelievable playing with guys like Oliver Lauridsen and Patrick Russell. Those guys have been in the good leagues for years, and they’ve got that experience that I might need, so I just try to learn as much as I can from them.”
What kinds of things do you learn from them?
“They’ve told me that the mental thing is the hardest part. You can always get better at the hockey stuff but you’ve got to be strong in your head, and that’s what I’m trying to work on the most. To keep going when things aren’t going my way and work hard every day.”
Coming up you’ve got some games against NHL players, starting with Canada tomorrow.
“I know and I’m looking forward to seeing some of those NHL guys up close. Watch and learn from them. Canada, Finland, the Czechs, the Swiss, they all have good teams here. Those are the teams you’ve gotta beat if you want to get into the playoffs. It’s a big challenge but a lot of fun too.”