Via Red Wings Prospects on Twitter, HockeySverige’s Ronnie Ronnqvist spoke with Red Wings defenseman Albert Johansson’s father, Roger, recently. Roger Johansson is an NHL veteran, so he can discuss his son’s success from a unique perspective.
Breakthrough is here: “Dad, my time is coming”
It’s taken time, but now Albert Johansson has had his breakthrough in the NHL. For Hockeysverige.se, his father, the big alumnus, Roger Johansson, talks about the trip to Detroit:
“It’s very strong to keep your head up above water through adversity at this time.
Albert Johansson’s come a long way in Grand Rapids for two seasons, and now has the chance to play in the NHL with Detroit. An impressive and patient journey that has taken him to where he is today.
“First of all, he has a talent and believed in himself almost all the time,” says dad Roger, a former NHL player, when hockeysverige.se asks him what has taken his son all the way to the NHL.
“He joined the SHL already when he was very, very young (17 years old). I don’t think he got to play in his first six games, but he just said, ‘Dad, my time is coming.'”
“After that, he had a good trip. Now that he’s been over to Grand Rapids, they of course had a plan for him and he completed it. There was no panic when he hadn’t been called up.
“He was called up once. That same night, he broke his hand. Then that chance went on. He has always been training well.”
He has performed summertime training together with a number of NHL players.
“These are a bunch of NHL guys in Karlstad who are connected to Joel Eriksson Ek, who’s in the lead and runs this group. Anders Lee, Oskar Bäck, Albert, Rasmus Asplund and Fabian Zetterlund. Even Jonas Brodin is there sometimes. Marcus Johansson has been there. There they will then learn to compete even in the summer and measure themselves with the best.What do you see as Albert’s strength on the ice?
“His gig, the skating and the first pass.”
“I wasn’t as flashy.“
Can you see similarities between both of you in the style of play?
“I don’t know. I’m told that I was a ‘dunker’ who just blocked shots,” laughs Roger Johansson, who continues:
“I think I was also a decent two-way defenseman. Then I wasn’t as flashy, moving and good on the blades. I had to compensate that with a very hard effort, blocking shots and getting in the way.”
Two tough seasons in Grand Rapids without stressing himself to get the chance in Detroit shows the mental strength of Albert Johansson.
“It’s very strong to keep your head up above water in the adversity. I remember my first season. I was in and out of the team, no one spoke directly to me, and I had to train hard.”
“Some days it’s tough, but it may also be the days that make you very hardened so that when you get the chance later, you will be ready.”
You’ve played in the NHL yourself, have you been able to back him up and give him advice how he can handle the time in the AHL?“We’re just talking about being patient and exercising well. We know that all the guys who come up in the SHL are not as strong as seasoned foxes. It will take a year to get there.”
“The NHL is another level. Sure, there are a lot of good players in the AHL and they are also strong. But now he comes up to the absolute best players who are big, strong and fast. It takes a year to get the muscles on the body needed to take another step.”
Albert Johansson has had his breakthrough in the NHL
Albert Johansson has played 22 games in the NHL, and registered 1 goal and a total of 3 points.
“His season has been okay, I think. Absolutely okay. I don’t know if Detroit has a plan for him to do things in his first season. There’s so much politics. Detroit has older players who are in their final seasons. What do they think about it? That’s where you have to sit calmly in the boat: I’ll take the chances I get and make the best of it. Then gradually take more chances once I get the chance out on the ice, but in a humble way.”
Do you feel that he has developed enough that he is mature to take the step into the NHL seriously?
“He’s on his way. That journey is going on right now. We were there at Christmas. Then Detroit got their new coach (Todd McLellan replaced Derek Lalonde). Detroit played three games. Albert got to be a game warm-up when we were there, but not even a second on the ice, which was a bit of a shame.”
“We went home, the team has gone well and he’s played in the last 5 games. He gets a little more confidence all the time, and does it pretty well. Now he plays with Simon Edvinsson, two young guys, and they seem stable. It’s really just about being grateful and taking it ‘day by day.'”
What do you think about his future in Detroit’s organization?
“Every young guy wants to sign a new contract, but that can go very, very fast. Today, he’s in Detroit, but we don’t know how they think. Maybe tomorrow he’s somewhere else.”
“At the one point I was also traded, before I thought I couldn’t be traded. Then there was a pang of discomfort and a boom,” laughs Roger Johansson, who continues:
“It’s the bigger Swedish names that are on the wallpaper to be trending right now, and it’s something to have with you.”
Father and son in the NHL: “Sure, it’s a bit cool”
You are a former player, but above all a dad to Albert, what are your feelings around him getting all the way to the NHL?
“It’s a bit cool because there aren’t that many Swedes where both father and son have played in the league.”
Michael Nylander, William and Alexander. Ulf Dahlén and Jonathan. Robert Burakovsky and André. Jan Erixon and Tim. Pär and Christian Djoos. Peter and Rasmus Andersson. Kent and Robert Nilsson. Niklas and Lias Andersson. Ulf and Philip Samuelsson. Thomas Steen and Alexander.
“Micke and Elias Lindholm… So it’s a bit cool. If I were to say otherwise, I would be lying.”
“I’m also proud. Hopefully it will be a long journey [for him], but it’s still up to him to do the job and then have some flow. Get confidence, be injury-free and deliver every day,” concludes Roger Johansson.
