Islanders Marcus Hogberg Shares Touching Story On Why He Returned Home To Sweden & Why He’s Back
Marcus Hogberg tells Stefen Rosner the reason why he returned home following the 2020-21 season
EAST MEADOW, NY -- It was a bit of a shock when the New York Islanders announced on May 7 that they had signed goaltender Marcus Hogberg to a two-year deal.
The Islanders needed goaltending depth, but Hogberg had not played in the NHL since the 2020-21 season.
His stats over a three-year period with Linkopings HC in the Swedish Elite League were solid, but the NHL is a different animal.
What was likely intriguing to the Islanders was that Hogberg did have NHL experience, which does make a difference, playing three seasons with the Ottawa Senators (2018-2021), who drafted him in the third round (No. 78) in the 2013 NHL Draft.
In 42 games and 35 starts for Ottawa, Hogberg owned a 3.39 GAA with an .894 SV%.
Hogberg did not make the Islanders out of camp, and behind a shaky Bridgeport Islanders team, his numbers weren't stellar, posting a 3.26 GAA with an .898 SV% in 11 games.
But at the NHL level this season, Hogberg, the question mark, has turned into Hogberg, the answer, as he's done a magnificent job when called up in the absence of Semyon Varlamov.
Through four appearances this season and two starts, he's turned aside 76 of 80 shots he's faced for a .950 SV% and a 1.56 GAA.
It makes you wonder. Why did Hogberg, at age 26, decide to return home to Sweden?
“I think it's everything, how I played in Ottawa and everything with my dad," Hogberg told The Hockey News.
Hogberg's father, Peter, had a brain tumor. Despite having surgery to remove it, his father sadly passed away shortly after.
"His surgery was right before COVID hit," Hogberg recalled. "I played a game -- I think it was like Detroit at home -- and then the day after, I flew back to Sweden to see my dad before surgery. And then he said, like, a day or two before surgery, ‘go back and play again. I want that'. So, that was nice that he chose what I should do.
"The surgery went well, but they said that it was like a really, really aggressive brain tumor. After that, we knew that my dad was not gonna live, and then Coronavirus came, and, of course, I got sick, so I didn't have time to go back."
After Hogberg left quarantine, he got on the first flight back to Sweden.
"He passed away the same day I traveled back to Sweden. So, that was tough," Hogberg shared.
As one can expect, losing his father made playing hockey ultra difficult.
"To lose my dad was really, really hard, and I was not myself," Hogberg said. "I didn't really talk about the feelings and how everything went. So, I think that's maybe why I didn't play like myself my last year in Ottawa.
"So we decided as a family to go back home, and I just tried to find myself again, not just on the ice but off the ice. So, I felt like being closer to my friends and my family and building myself up as a goalie again was the right decision. I'm really happy that we made that decision."
One can only imagine how proud his dad would be, seeing him not only get back to the NHL and continue to live his childhood dream but get back in the win column after he turned aside 21 of 22 shots in a spot start against the Utah Hockey Club on Saturday night with Ilya Sorokin sick.
"I'm happy that he's always with me," Hogberg said. "I have his name on my helmet."
Hogberg's journey back to the NHL actually wasn't really up to him.
"I'm really happy that the Islanders reached out to me," Hogberg said. "Because it's just a good organization up here and also in Bridgeport. We get treated well and all that stuff. So, I'm really happy to be here.”
Hogberg also shared that the Islanders were the only team that reached out to him.
On Tuesday night, Hogberg will have a full circle moment.
With Sorokin still not feeling 100%, Islanders head coach Patrick Roy is turning to the 30-year-old against the team that drafted him.
"It's fun. I'm just going to try to enjoy the moment, be ready, and just have some fun," Hogberg said. "I was there for a couple of years, and I know some guys on that side still on the team, so it should be fun."