Erik Gustafsson Joins the Detroit Red Wings

Erik Gustafsson Joins the Detroit Red Wings

hey Eric uh just curious what Drew you to Detroit and what made you want to sign here no obviously uh the background uh the history of this club uh it’s uh you know my favorite defenseman growing up Nick lrom uh played here and U it’s obviously a big organization great organization so uh I was very happy they uh they called my agent and uh uh we can get the deal done I’m very happy to be a part of this team I think you had some familiarity with Patrick Kane and Alex De Brink it did you go to either of those two guys to kind of get their feel for the situation or did they recruit you at all uh not really it was a pretty fast uh turnaround uh signing this deal uh uh I’ve been talking to him afterwards now but uh I’m very happy to be be back with them uh playing in the same team as them they’re very skilled guys uh it’s not fun to play against them so it’s a very fun to be in the same team again and then last thing for me that background you’re at is pretty unreal where are you right now I’m back home in Sweden uh uh I was just saying hopefully it’s not start starting to rain here uh but no I always go back home uh see family and friends so it’s night to be home um I do my work up back here too uh but it’s always nice to come home and see U parents family and friends and all that thank you welcome to Detroit thank you Ted yeah welcome to Detroit Eric what’s July 1 like for I mean you’ve been through it before is it a kind of a lot of nerves that day or what’s July 1 like for a free agent uh just like you said I’ve been through this uh process uh a lot uh but no it’s it’s ner a little nerve rcking but uh obviously uh uh I knew kind of which team was interested to sign me before uh uh but uh obviously when when the day hits uh it’s it’s a little nerve-wracking but uh I’m very happy to uh to be signed in the Detroit uh like I said before with all the history uh with all the sweets going there uh I’ve been talking to Cromwell too and it’s uh it’s uh it’s fun to be a part of this team but it’s it’s always not not rcking going uh going through the July 1 the last one I mean you guys played them a lot last year how did you guys see the wings when you played them what kind of team did you see uh very skilled um um like we saw last year they they just missed the playoff but I think U with the skill and uh the group we have I think we can uh U take another step this year uh uh it’s obviously it’s going to be fun to see Kaner back here too it’s going to be fun to be in the same team as him again but I’m I’m just looking forward to this uh this year thanks for this Eric and Sir yeah hi Eric uh I don’t know how much you’ve talked yet to the uh to the coach Steve but as far as your role goes but I know they need a power play guy uh just talk about your uh throughout your career uh how much you’ve played on the power play and what you feel that you could bring to that specialty um no I I haven’t talked too much with him uh obviously it’s hard to speak here when I’m I’m different time zones and stuff like that but uh uh no uh I mean I have been playing the power play I don’t know how for how how long but ever since I came over here uh but uh it’s something that I like to to do and something I’m my game is I like to run it the blue line and trying to give the puck to the forward um or shoot the puck and try to uh create lanes and stuff like that uh uh I’m justed uh trying to get out there and score a goal I’m I feel very confidence and playing the power play and stuff like that too so it’s uh I don’t know what’s going to happen but hopefully uh I can get an opportunity and see see what’s going on uh besides uh Patrick and uh and and Alex uh do you know anybody else uh on the team very well not very well but I played with shro and Petri in Montreal uh I got traded there from Philadelphia and we we had a good run with Montreal so I know those guys from there uh great guys uh leaders and um it’s uh I’m very glad to be back with them too because they’re great guys too um other than that I’m not not too uh familiar with the guys but uh uh I met the sweds uh one or two times but uh not more than that so uh it’s about the the four guys I I I met in the past um I think all the other guys I I I’ve been playing with Talbot the goalie uh in Calgary too um but other than that no just having played with so many teams throughout your career how much of a challenge has that been uh just kind of getting assimilated to a to a new team uh just so often and and what are the challenges there uh I don’t know uh it’s it’s like you said it’s been uh a lot of teams but uh it’s always fun to to get an opportunity a new team too as um original six team too uh all the history and uh great fans and uh it’s uh I’m just looking forward to this opportunity uh I always loved the playing in uh Detroit uh because of the fan base and stuff like that so uh uh it’s always a challenge to come in as a new guy but um I think whatever whatever you do to make the opportunity when you come into a new team uh but uh I’m just very excited for this U this year and and uh this opportunity thanks Eric thanks Bob Duff yeah Eric if I I could follow up on that uh you know you’ve done this a lot as ansar said uh are there tricks you kind of learn that make the transition easier or is every experience different I think every experience is are different uh it’s uh I don’t want to come in and be talking be the voice in the room right away but uh uh but it’s uh something you have to learn and something you have to read of too but I I just heard great stuff from uh teammates and uh all those guys in the in Detroit right now and the organization so uh I don’t know what else to say but I’m uh I’m very excited for this opportunity and coming over and start the season the Red Wings have always had a a great history with Swedish players when you were younger you did you follow the Red Wings at all yes I did uh like I said my favorite Dem man when I grown up was Nick lrom so uh uh back in the day when uh and Cromwell was playing too I was working out with him in Sweden so I know him uh and but yeah I was for sure follow up with the red Red Wings uh when they had a lot of sweets uh so it’s it’s fun to be a part of it thank you elain and then last question will be Daniela hi Eric you mentioned you talk to Nicholas cronwell uh about signing here is it a case where like you you signed and then immediately reached out to him or kind of how did that come about yeah no I signed and then then we kind of talked a little bit uh it wasn’t too much uh but um I signed and then I thought U we kind of texted each other and uh nothing more than that uh but uh uh so like I said before I worked out with him uh for a couple of years so uh uh and he’s a part of the team too so it’s going to be fun to see him again and uh uh see uh what can happen but uh no uh it’s uh it’s always fun to uh be a part of a great organization did he did he tell you anything like just hey you’re gonna or what I guess what was this message to you after you told him you were signed here no he was just very happy I was a part of the organization uh that I signed here uh uh that’s was about it and we didn’t talk too much but uh uh we said we going to meet up later and uh talk thank you all right last question Daniela hi Eric welcome um quick one for you just obviously you don’t know who you’ll be paired with yet but knowing that you have the potential to play with some really talented young defenseman like moris cider and Simon Edinson who came up last year just what do you look forward to about that and how do you feel you can help them develop their game well like you said I I hadn’t seen too much of this uh the big site but uh uh more as de cider I always loved his game uh all around defenseman great skater uh got a great shot uh so it’s gonna be fun to see those uh guys uh on a daily basis uh what I can learn learn them I don’t know uh uh just uh maybe some offensive stuff uh maybe power play and stuff like that but uh uh what I’ve seen from them uh they have a lot they have a lot of skill uh uh it’s going to be fun to see they uh reach another Lev this year thank you all right thanks Eric and thanks everyone we’ll uh go ahead and hop on the cam Zoom now but thanks for joining us

Red Wings newest defenseman, Erik Gustafsson, speaks with the media following joining the team via free agency on July 1, 2024