Rogle BK’s website’s Peter Ekholm wrote an article in which he spoke with the SHL team’s 5 World Junior Championship participants, all of whom won a Bronze Medal with Team Sweden on Saturday night.
Two of those participants were Red Wings prospects–Theodor Niederbach and William Wallinder–so here’s a rough translation of the article:
Sjodin the scorer–WJC bronze for the Junior Crowns
Five Rogle players helped Sweden to World Junior Championship Bronze in Canada. Linus Sjodin scored one of the goals in the Junior Crowns’ 3-1 victory against the Czech Republic overnight Sunday.
“I got in a good position and then it was just a matter of hitting it there,” says Sjodin.
When the bronze game between Sweden and the Czech Republic was stood and weighed at the end of the third period, Sjodin stepped forward. The Rogle forward took off on the right wing, drove into William Wallinder’s precise chip-in and put the puck hard over the goaltender’s right shoulder. That goal meant 3-1 to Sweden, a lead that the Junior Crowns did not relinquish.
“Wallinder got the puck in his own zone and stepped up. I felt like I could go past their defenseman, and Walle puts a perfect chip up to me. I got in a good position and then it was just a matter of slamming it there. It was really nice,” says Sjodin.
For Sjodin, Calle Clang, Theodor Niederbach and Daniel Ljungman, the season could not have gotten off to a better start.
“It feels fantastically good. We were aiming for a medal. Now it wasn’t gold, but we have to settle for a bronze now,” says Wallinder.
“We were aiming for the gold, but unfortunately it wasn’t enough all the way. But I’d rather take a bronze medal than fourth place, of course,” says Sjodin.
Both Sjodin and Wallinder were taking part in their first WJC tournaments. Sjodin’s goal was his only point in the tournament. For Wallinder, it was a total of three assists, but also a lot of playing time both five-on-five and on the penalty kill. The defenseman averaged 16:03 per game.
“I give myself an absolute passing grade. I’m happy with my defensive game, maybe I should have been a little more offensive, but overall, I’m happy,” says Wallinder.
Wallinder has not been in Angelholm since mid-July. First, he attended the Detroit Red Wings’ development camp because he’d been drafted by the team; then he stayed in the United States and trained on his own before the WJC team gathered in Edmonton in early August. Getting to start the 2022-2023 season with a bronze medal in the WJC gives him a boost for his future.
“It strengthens my self-confidence ahead of the season, and gives me a good feeling when we come home to Rogle. It’s definitely good to finish with a win over here.”
The Swedish Rogle gang is now preparing to travel home to Sweden and Angelholm on Sunday. Then begins the next part of the season, and preparations for Rogle’s CHL premiere on September 1st and 3rd, away against the Polish team Katowice, and the Hungarian team Fehevar. The fact that five Rogle players have now gone and now won bronze, Sjodin believes, can have a positive effect before the re-start in Angelholm.
“We’ll get together a little more, the five of us who got to win this together with the rest of the team. I think it’s good and useful for this season,” says Sjodin.
Note that, on the Swedish team, Rogle’s assistant sports manager Hampus Sjostrom also worked as Team Manager, and Rogle’s media and communications manager, Peter Ekholm, worked as media manager.
