Red Wings prospect Michael Brandsegg-Nygard conducted a behind-the-paywall interview with Norran’s Mille Dybro, and Hockeysverige.se provides us a peek behind said paywall as Brandsegg-Nygard prepares to embark upon a month-long schedule of training camp and exhibition games with his SHL team, Skelleftea AIK:
Michael Brandsegg-Nygard believes he’ll play SHL games with Skelleftea AIK
Skelleftea AIK or the Detroit Red Wings? It’s a question for which there is no answer for Michael Brandsegg-Nygard so far. But now the Norwegian prospect says he believes he’ll play in the SHL.
“I think I will play here,” he says to Norran.
Michael Brandsegg-Nygard made history at the NHL Draft in June by becoming the first Norwegian to ever be selected in the first round. That’s when the Detroit Red Wings picked the Oslo native as the 15th overall player.
The Red Wings signed the forward to a three-year rookie contract shortly thereafter. Thusly, they gained power over the player. This means that Skelleftea AIK, who recruited the 18-year-old from Mora IK, is politely forced to wait for an announcement as to what applies.
“I don’t think that the contract makes that much of a difference for us, but I both believe and hope that he will play for us next season. These are the indications that we’ve also received,” said general manager Erik Forssell to Norran earlier this summer.
Brandsegg-Nygard goes to Detroit
When Skelleftea stepped onto the ice today for their first practice of the season, Brandsegg-Nygard was there. Afterward, he told Norran that he will go to Detroit [for training camp] and will thus miss some games, but that, like Forssell, he’s focused on returning to Vasterbotten for the SHL season with the reigning SHL champions.
“I’m going over for camp, but I think I’ll play here. I want to battle for SHL gold.”
Brandsegg-Nygard posted 18 points (8 goals plus 10 assists) in 46 games for the HockeyAllsvenskan with Mora last year. He followed that up with a fine playoff slate where he accounted for 10 points (4 goals plus 6 assists) in 12 games. The Norwegian also managed to make his World Championship debut and had 5 points (3 goals plus 2 assists) in 7 World Championship games at the tournament in the Czech Republic.
