It was an exciting opening round in the SHL. Montreal Canadiens prospect Filip Eriksson stood out for Luleå with an impressive three goals and one assist. For the returning Nicklas Bäckström, it was a less enjoyable Saturday as Brynäs fell 7–4 at home to Växjö.
Brynäs IF 4 – Växjö Lakers 7
It was a high-scoring affair as Nicklas Bäckström made his return to the SHL and Brynäs after 18 years in the NHL. The game was close for two periods before Växjö pulled away in the third and secured a 7–4 win. Brynäs’ new goaltender Colin Delia had a tough outing, finishing with a save percentage of just 65%.
“You don’t want
to learn these lessons in a home opener and lose 7–4. But that’s life. You just
have to move on,” Delia said after his first game in the SHL.
Nicklas Bäckström Ready for a New Chapter in the SHL
Nicklas Bäckström continues his
preparations for the SHL opener on Saturday. On Tuesday, the SHL held its
annual media day, where Bäckström was in the spotlight.
Djurgårdens IF 5 – Skellefteå AIK 4
Djurgården had a fun return to the SHL. In their season opener, they defeated Skellefteå 5–4 after breaking a 2–2 tie and jumping out to a 5–2 lead in the third period. Skellefteå scored twice in the final minutes, but it wasn’t enough to complete the comeback.
“Magical day.
It’s a day I’ve been looking forward to for a long time. Now it’s here and I
think the team is putting in a really good effort. First game back, it goes
back and forth a bit, but we stick together and fight all the way through,”
said Djurgården’s new signing Jesper Pettersson to TV4 after the game.
Magnus Hellberg Aiming for a Fresh Start as He Returns to Sweden and Djurgården
There’s been lots of attention on Nicklas
Bäckström’s SHL comeback this upcoming season. Behind him, Magnus Hellberg is
looming as one of the biggest signings ahead of the season.
Frölunda HC 2 – Linköpings HC 1
Frölunda won their season opener against Linköping after Jacob Peterson made it 1–0 on an assist from Max Friberg. Linköping tied the game at 1–1 in the second period, but Frölunda secured the win in the third thanks to a goal from Arttu Ruotsalainen.
“It feels really good to get a win. We started the game well, got the puck deep on them and created quite a lot of chances. In the second period we had some things to work on. They created a lot and we got a bit stressed. Then I think it’s strong that we played a good third period. Overall, it’s nice to have a good first game,” says Frölunda’s Jacob Peterson after the game.
Luleå HF 5 – Malmö Redhawks 0
Reigning champions Luleå got off to a strong start to the new season. In their opener, they defeated Malmö 5–0 at home after scoring three goals in the first period. At the center of it all was Montreal Canadiens prospect Filip Eriksson, who recorded three goals and one assist for Luleå. Malmö were not pleased with the performance, something captain Fredrik Händemark made clear after the game.
“It was a real slap in the face from start to finish. I think we were far too passive both with and without the puck. A 5–0 score speaks for itself,” says Malmö’s captain Fredrik Händemark.
Leksands IF 3- Timrå IK 2
Leksand have been
predicted to finish near the bottom of the SHL after facing financial
difficulties over the summer. Oskar Lang opened the scoring in the first period. In the second,
Leksand extended their lead to 3–1, with the eventual game-winning goal coming
from Red Wings prospect Anton Johansson. Johansson played 11 AHL games at the
end of last season, recording 5 assists, and is on loan from Detroit to Leksand
this year.
Hentrik Zetterberg Returns Home to Timrå in the SHL
Detroit Red Wings legend Henrik Zetterberg
is back in hockey. The 2008 Stanley Cup and Conn Smythe Trophy winner has taken
on an advisory role with his former club Timrå IK in Sweden’s SHL.
HV71 3 – Örebro HK 4
HV71 have not won a season opener since 2017, and this year’s premiere did not break that streak. Although Jonathan Ang tied the game with four minutes remaining, it wasn’t enough. Just a minute later, Patrik Puistola scored to make it 4–3 for Örebro, and the visitors took all three points.
“We had 40 minutes that were so-so and 20 minutes that were really good. We’ve talked a lot about playing to win, and that’s what we did in the last period,” says Örebro forward Patrik Karlqvist.
Färjestad BK 2 – Rögle BK 3 (OT)
Färjestad’s new head coach Jörgen Jönsson has Rögle as his youth club, but spent most of his active career with Färjestad, winning five championships with the team. His return to Karlstad was less joyful, as Färjestad were forced to play the entire overtime period shorthanded and Rögle secured a 3–2 win.
“Really tough
that we didn’t come away with the win. I still think we played an okay game,
but we have some things to work on,” says Färjestad forward Per Åslund to TV4.