The SHL’s website posted a profile of Red Wings prospect Jonatan Berggren, and it’s in English:
Born in Uppsala and having spent his entire life in Enköping, representing Enköpings SK, Jonatan Berggren moved to Skellefteå at the age of 15. Normally, players tend to move for hockeygymnasium (literally translated to hockey high school) at the age of 16 but there’s a story to his early move. With young Mr. Berggren playing between one and five years above his age, this resulted in a spot of trouble. Where would he play?
“It was almost a sealed deal that I was going to Västerås to play there but I got a call from Fredrik Öberg, U18 coach in Skellefteå at the time. He asked me if I wanted to come up and check things out for the hockey high school in the following year.”
Berggren and his older brother went and after a day in Skellefteå, it was all set. And not only that: Berggren didn’t want to wait. He wanted to move right away, moving to finish elementary school, by completing ninth grade, in Skellefteå.
“Everything felt perfect. We called Öberg, asking him if I could move right away and he put it all together. Me playing here today is all thanks to him. I got his number as well, 48. So that’s a perfect, nice little story, I think.” he says with a fond voice, adding that homesickness has got the best of him from time to time. But looking back, and looking forward to what might come, he doesn’t regret anything. Having been drafted by the Detroit Red Wings, he knows he is on the right path.
“Of course! Playing in the NHL is something I’ve been thinking about, and dreaming of since I started playing. And now I’m closer to realising that dream than ever. It’s all about that final push. And if I think about all the work I’ve put in to be able to try to make that push…It has all been worth it.”
Update: The Free Press’s Helene St. James also took note of the interview:
The Wings drafted Berggren (5-foot-11, 183 pounds) 33rd overall in 2018, seeing the winger as a nice package of speed and skill, especially adapt at making plays. He spent most of the 2017-18 season in the J20 Superelit (Sweden’s top junior league) but appeared in 10 games at the SHL level. He played in only 16 games in 2018-19 because of a lower-back injury. Last season he was sidelined by shoulder surgery, though he was able to play for Sweden at the World Junior Championship, helping them capture the bronze medal.
Berggren’s 19 points rank third in the SHL.
“I’m trying to get to the net more,” he said. “But I had a good start to the season and I’ve been able to build off of that. To me, last season was important. I got a receipt that I could play at this level and do my things.”
With the NHL still trying to sort out the logistics of staging a season as COVID-19 ravages North America(the starting target date remains Jan. 1), Berggren is in a good spot starring in the SHL. He could be looking at coming over for the 2021-22 season.
