Red Wings free agent signing Mathias Brome spoke with HockeyNews.se’s Mattias Persson regarding his imminent journey over to North America to attempt to earn an NHL spot with the Red Wings. What follows is roughly translated from Swedish:
Mathias Brome ready for NHL hunt: “Will really put down everything I can”
Throughout the autumn, Mathias Brome has been waiting to receive the message.
On Saturday night, the news came–and already on Monday morning, the forward goes over to Detroit in order to break into the NHL.
“I will really give everything I can to experience my dream,” he says to HockeyNews.se.
After last year’s success, Mathias Brome’s dream of signing an NHL contract came true when he signed with the Detroit Red Wings on April 30th, 2020.
Then came the coronavirus pandemic, and it washed over the world and hockey, which meant that the start of the NHL season had to be postponed to the future. Instead, Brome was loaned to Orebro to get playing time and there he has continued to be successful during the autumn.
On Saturday night, however, the news came that it was time to leave to go over to Detroit and prepare for the NHL camp in January.
When HockeyNews.se reaches Brome, it’s with mixed feelings that he says goodbye.
“It’s clear that it’s emotional to leave Orebro, where I enjoyed myself very much, but at the same time, this is what I’ve been looking forward to all the time since I signed my contract. I’m expectant and very charged to go over,” he says.
Throughout the autumn, he’s been waiting to receive information from the NHL team, but despite the fact that one by one, players in the same situation have left the SHL, Mathias Brome hadn’t heard anything–until now.
“It’s clear that it was special. I’ve grown very much mentally over having to disconnect [the delay]. Living in the present and not having to think about the NHL, or so on, has probably been the most difficult, but there I think I have succeeded well. I’m very happy about how I’ve played in Orebro, and I can take it with me now when I go over,” he says.
How do you assess your chances of making the team?
“It’s very difficult to answer a question like that. But I will do everything in my power to show that I really should have a jersey. I will really give up everything I can to experience my dream. That’s probably what I can say.”
If, contrary to expectations, you don’t take a spot. Do you want to go home then, or would you imagine continuing on?
“No, I’ve said it all the time…That now that I will go over, I go there to experience the dream. If I end up in the AHL, you have to rub on there and show that you are going up. I have no thoughts of going home, should that occur.”
Mathias Brome is on his way to Arlanda [airport] during the interview, and he will take off early Monday morning. After that, Christmas celebrations await in quarantine.
“When I arrive, I will be quarantined for ten days, that is what has been said now from the beginning. I do not know if it helps that I’ve already had the coronavirus and have antibodies, but it doesn’t help to go out, it’s probably not much that’s open now over Christmas anyway. It’s a bit special of course,” he says.
What do you think about Orebro’s chances in the SHL without you?
“We had a very good autumn, a good first part of the season. We are very satisfied. I think we kept an even level at the beginning of the season, and stayed away from the long loss streaks that we had last season. At the same time, there’s half the season left, but I see that Orebro has very great chances of being at the top [of the league].”
Brome’s stay in Orebro is thus over for this time. During his 75 games for the team, he has posted 63 points, of which 21 were goals and 42 were assists. Saturday’s 6-1 loss against Frolunda was the forward’s last appearance with the team.
