Yesterday, Hockeysverige.se reported that Red Wings prospect Michael Brandsegg-Nygard still expects to end up playing for Skelleftea AIK of the SHL after participating in the Red Wings’ training camp this fall.
Today, Brandsegg-Nygard speaks with Hockeysverige.se’s Uffe Bodin regarding a prank committed by his World Championship teammates on Team Norway this past spring (what follows is roughly translated from Swedish):
Michael Brandsegg-Nygard about Zuccarello and Thoresen’s practical joke
Don’t leave your hotel room unattended if you’re at the World Championship with Mats Zuccarello and Patrick Thoresen. That lesson was learned by new SHL duo Michael Brandsegg-Nygard and Stian Solberg during the World Championship in the Czech Republic last spring.
“They didn’t say anything until we were at the airport on the way home,” says Brandsegg-Nygard about the practical joke he was subjected to by the two veterans.
During the hockey World Championship in the Czech Republic last spring, junior players Michael Brandsegg-Nygard and Stian Solberg earned the opportunity to debut next to seasoned veterans like Mats Zuccarello and Patrick Thoresen. It was a big moment for the two 18-year-olds who grew up with the Norwegian stars as role models.
What did they learn about the two pros?
A lot. But, perhaps above all, despite their age, they still have the minds of children.
For hockeysverige.se, Brandsegg-Nygard talks about how the duo got into his and Solberg’s hotel room, and subjected them to a practical joke.
“Me and Stian were downtown in Prague. Then Mats and Thoresen bought blue cheese. The kind of cheese that smells absolutely awful. Then they took small pieces and placed them around the room. When we got back it smelled so damn bad.
Brandsegg-Nygard was convinced that it was the room’s air conditioner that was malfunctioning, and he started looking into it.
“I thought it smelled like when you haven’t changed the filter on the car’s AC. Mats and Thoresen thought it was unbelievable because they knew it was the cheese when I was sure it was the AC.
A lot. But perhaps above all, despite their age, they still have a child’s mind.
Had to change rooms
The duo ended up having to change rooms.
“We went down to reception and had the owner come up with two caretakers who started examining the fridge and lots of stuff. In the end they said that we should switch rooms,” he says, laughing.
And it was only after the tournament that the truth came out.
“They didn’t say anything until we were at the airport on our way home.”
Brandsegg-Nygard sees it as a good lesson for what may happen in the NHL, where this kind of stuff between teammates is a part of everyday life.
“Then you can take it, I think,” he says, smiling.
All jokes aside, he has immense respect for the veteran duo.
“It meant a lot to be able to play with them. It was fun to get to know ‘Zucca’ as well. You may have seen him at home in the rink in Oslo and heard so much about him. So I really liked just being able to talk with him, and playing with him, of course.”
