New Red Wings prospect and 2022 draft pick Anton Johansson spoke with HockeyNews.se’s Karl Trogens about being drafted by the Red Wings with the 105th pick in Friday’s draft. Here’s a rough translation of their conversation:
Drafted by the Red Wings: “My family has never heard me as quiet as I was then”
Leksands IF junior defenseman Anton Johansson’s ice hockey career is pointing straight up. He started last season with Leksand’s J18 team and finished it in the SHL. With patience and love for the sport, the 18-year-old was rewarded by being drafted by the Detroit Red Wings in the 5th round of the 2022 NHL Draft.
“I tried to soak it in but it really didn’t happen,” said the Leksand defenseman to HockeyNews.se.
Leskand defenseman Anton Johansson couldn’t have had a better start to his summer. The 18-year-old prospect started last season with Leksand’s J18 team, with the goal of being able to participate and skate in J20 games. Johansson took the opportunity when he played in the J20 so well that he was promoted to the men’s team for games in the SHL.
“I’ve had an incredible development. I didn’t think that I was going to start on the J18 team and finish in the SHL at the beginning of the season. With patience and hard work, it paid off,” says Johansson to HockeyNews.se.
Detroit head European scout Hakan Andersson is known for priortizing Swedes and he got his nose in the homework, and made contact with Johansson with two months left in the season. Despite a good talk with Andersson, it didn’t occur to him that it was the Detroit Red Wings that would draft him.
“I was over at Arizona’s combine camp in Toronto at the beginning of June, where the interview with them felt incredibly good. Arizona had a lot of choices and got in touch just before the draft. Montreal was also in the picture. But I’m incredibly happy with Detroit. Just walking in the draft feels completely incomparable,” says Johansson.
Tell us about your draft experience?
“At first, I sat with my family, and then my friends came over later in the evening, after it happened. It was completely sick!”
Anton Johansson was lying on the sofa at home watching when he heard his father, Thomas “Tjomme” Johansson say: “Leksand? Is there anyone else from Leksand who’s eligible? No?”
Then the family waited for the name to pop up on the screen–Anton Johansson drafted 105th overall in the 4th round by the Detroit Red Wings.
“My first thoughts were joyful. I love hockey and want to go as far as possible, so it was pure joy. After the message came, my parents said that they’d never seen me as quiet as then. I really couldn’t take it in,” says Johansson.
The Detroit Red Wings’ summer camp begins today, but Johansson was told that he didn’t need to stress about a flight, but instead stay at home and train and keep in touch with the long-established NHL team.
For the Leksand defenseman, training with Leksands’ J20 team awaits this summer, and he feels no stress at all about his future.
“I don’t feel any stress about it, I remember what happened last season. the patience I had then, I have to find it again.”
What kind of patience do you mean?
“I’ve gotten to a level where I see other younger people step up, and get the feel for that. Despite the competition, I felt no stress when I was staying with the J18 team. It helped me a lot in terms of my development,” says Johansson to HockeyNews.se.
