The Athletic’s Sarah Jean Maher wrote a superb article about Team Sweden captain and Red Wings prospect defenseman Axel Sandin Pellikka, whose father, Janne, has made the trip to Ottawa to cheer on his son as Sweden aims to earn World Championship gold:
Sandin Pellikka is well on his way to repeating as the tournament’s top defenseman but says he isn’t interested in personal triumphs. He’s only focused on winning his country’s third-ever gold medal and first since 2012 — this time as captain, an “honor” he’s taking very seriously.
“I’m here to win a championship with the team. Nothing personal,” he said.
Sandin Pellikka loves to score goals and looks up to fellow Swedish defenseman and goal scorer Erik Karlsson, but Skelleftea general manager Erik Forssell has also seen firsthand how Sandin Pellikka’s defensive play one-on-one has improved over the past two seasons. He’s also taken note of how much his confidence has grown.
“When he came into the league two years ago, age 17,” Forssell said, “his skating and how he moves the puck, handles the puck, stood out right away, and that is obviously what makes him a very special player. But the last two years he has really improved that defensive play and now being one of the best.
“He’s confident and he believes in himself. And I think that’s a very valuable asset as a player in the team because when games are tough and tight, there’s a lot of pressure. Having players that can be confident is very, very important. “
Continued (paywall)
