According to Detroit Hockey Now’s Bob Duff, Swedish SHL team Farjestads BK was so depleted on defense recently that they enlisted both a player who skates for its junior team, an NHL prospect, and one Albert Johansson to fill out FBK’s “D” during a recent preseason practice:
Johansson, Noel Fransen, who’s heading to play for the Carolina Hurricanes this season, and teenager Tom Bjurman donned their gear to fill out the Färjestad blueline brigade for practice.
“It’s great to have eight defenders in training,” [Farjestads BK coach Cam] Abbott told Swedish website Värmlands Folkblad.
Färjestad is without injured defenders Magnus Nygren and Axel Bergkvist. Måns Gudmundsson is away on a national team assignment. The club also lost Cal Foote. They’d signed the former NHL defenseman. However, fan unrest over Foote’s involvement in the Hockey Canada sexual assault court case led to the club voiding Foote’s contract two days after signing him.
