Expressen’s Gunnar Nordstrom spoke with Red Wings free agent signing Robert Hagg about his decision to join the Red Wings a little later in the free agency signing period. What follows is roughly translated from Swedish:
Hagg excited about the challenge in Detroit
Los Angeles. Our Swedish NHL professionals are starting to arrive in Canada and the USA ahead of the 2022-2023 NHL season.
The holiday season at home in Sweden is over or coming to an end.
The NHL teams will start their training camps on September 20th or 21st.
One of the Swedes who traveled across the Atlantic last week was Robert Hagg, 27, who chose to sign with the Detroit Red Wings this summer.
“I’m very excited and have always liked playing here as an opponent. The Red Wings are a long-standing team in the league,”says Robert to SportExpressen.
He arrived in Detroit on Monday and has spent the week getting an apartment in the suburb of Royal Oak and familiarizing himself with Little Caesars Arena.
“I go in every morning and train in the gym and then go on the ice. I feel healthy and fresh and have had a good summer at home in Uppsala. There’s nothing to complain about.
He and his partner Klara got married in mid-August in front of family and friends at Krusenberg Herrgard by Lake Malaren. Several former teammates from the Philadelphia Flyers, whom Hagg represented for five years, were present.
Last season, he split time playing between the Buffalo Sabres and Florida Panthers.
When Robert Hagg became an unrestricted free agent this past summer, Detroit Red Wings legendary star center and now general manager Steve Yzerman called.
“The Red Wings have a young and exciting team, so I’m looking forward to a fun season. We all have a lot to play for and I’m really looking forward to this challenge,” says Robert.
Among the young new stars are the Swede Lucas Raymond and the German defender Moritz Seider, with whom you’ll now be teammates?
“Yes, they’re both fantastic talents. After all, Seider took the league by storm in his rookie season, and won the Calder Trophy, and Lucas was also successful.
Now 19-year-old Simon Edvinsson from Frolunda is also coming to the training camp to fight for a spot? Are you ready to mentor him if needed?
“Absolutely. I’m happy to share what I’ve learned during my years as a defenseman in the league.”
Which Red Wings players do you already know?
“Mark Pysyk is also new this autumn, and I had him as a defensive partner in Buffalo during the season. Now he’s injured, so he won’t play until the end of this year [2022] from what I’ve heard. Ben Chiarot was one of my teammates in Florida at the end of last season, so I also know him from before.
Robert Hagg signed a 1-year contract worth $800,000 (approximately 8.5 million Swedish Krona) on July 25th.
He’s spent seven seasons in North america, where his adventure started in the AHL with the Flyers’ farm team, the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, in the 2014-15 season.
Since then, Hagg has played in 300 games in the NHL, and posted 56 points, 14 goals and 42 assists.
Detroit also has Swedes Oskar Sundqvist, 28, Gustav Lindstrom, 23, Jonatan Berggren, 22, Elmer Soderblom, 21, Pontus Andreasson, 24, Albert Johansson, 21, Victor Brattstrom, 25 [and Edvinsson, 19] under contract.
