NHL Draft - Forsberg: 'Swedish players are getting better and better every year' - 06-22-12
For many hockey fans, particularly those in Sweden, the name "Forsberg" means quite a bit.
For Leksands IF winger Filip Forsberg, in addition to it being his own name, it's the name of his hero, Swedish legend Peter Forsberg.
The two are not related by blood, but they share an ability to produce offense.In 45 internatonal games, Filip Forsberg has scored 38 points.
Many have ranked Filip Forsberg as a top five pick in this draft. Regardless of how high he is selected, he will be part of a trend in recent years which has seen a surge in Swedish players being selected in the first round. Last year, six out of the 30 picks in the first round were Swedish.
Yesterday, he talked about hockey in his country and adjusting to the North American game.
Are there any fellow Swedish players you look up to?
"Coming up are some new Swedish players like (Capitals forward Nicklas Backstrom) and (Senators defenseman) Erik Karlsson. But for me, Peter (Forsberg) will always be the guy."
Is it bittersweet to see so many great Swedish players like Peter Forsberg, Markus Naslund and Nicklas Lidstrom retiring in recent years?
"Of course it’s kind of sad but everything comes to an end. They have been all very good hockey players. They have been meaning very much for Swedish hockey and the NHL during their careers."
In recent years, many Swedish players have been chosen high in the draft. Why have those numbers improved?
"Swedish hockey is getting much better. Some years ago, maybe the player wasn’t ready right after the draft. But as you see with (Avalanche forward Gabriel) Landeskog, he won the Calder Trophy (Wednesday). The Swedish players are getting better and better every year."
Were you ever a fan of former Penguins defenseman and fellow Swede Ulf Samuelsson?
"I know him. He lives in my hometown in the summers. I’ve been practicing with him and his sons in the summer. I like Ulf a lot. He’s a good guy."
How much of an adjustment will it be going from a wider ice surface in Europe to the smaller rinks in North America?
"When you’re playing, you don’t think about it actually. It may be a bit better for me because I’m an offensively skilled guy. I can use the (smaller) ice to create, to ues my hands. I think that could be a good transition for me."
(Photo: Justin K. Aller/Getty Images)