Canucks Insider Podcast Episode 24: Tre Kronor with Nils Höglander, Nils Åman, and Wilson Björck

Canucks Insider Podcast Episode 24: Tre Kronor with Nils Höglander, Nils Åman, and Wilson Björck

He was drafted in the second round of the 2019 draft by the Vancouver Conucks at Rogers Arena. He has scored 58 goals and added 57 assists through 293 games with the Canucks. He is Neils Huglander and he joins us here today on the Conucks Insider podcast. Joining us here, Neils Huglander on the Conucks Insider podcast. Hogs, good to have you on here. How was the uh season looking back now? you have a little bit of a slow start to the season, but I know you felt really good about the second half of your year and how you changed. Was there anything that changed in your game or did things just start bouncing your way? How do you kind of describe the season that you had? I mean, I think Yeah, I think I had a little bit rougher start this year, but it was tough, too. I mean, I got got scratched couple games. I didn’t play I played didn’t play a lot and but it’s always go up and down, I think. like every player has go up and down in the in the air and the courier. So, um but I felt I was keep doing the the good things over and over again and um it took longer time than I expected, but it feels felt like end of the year it turned around and felt like I had a good good end of the year. How does it feel when you’re playing your game? like is there a way that you feel confident in or is there something you need to be doing every game to to know that you’re playing to your style? I mean my game is a lot of energy and play hard and like play around the around the net and the corners. So that’s that’s what I need to keep do to play to be in the lineup and and play more. So um maybe wasn’t there in the start of the year but I felt like I find find the the half end of there. So, um, yeah, I was I was happy I could turn it around. Mhm. What, uh, what does the coaching staff play in in that role? I kind of, you know, getting the best out of you. Uh, what is it about the staff that you like and what do they kind of do to you to help you become a better player? I mean, when I was struggling, they all were all over me about stuffs and that’s good, too. Like, they they care, so that’s I love that. But, um, um, I mean, they they was trying to help me out and then, I mean, at the end, it worked out. So, Um, yeah, all credit to them and they they really want wanted it to turn around, too. So, um, yeah, they they did a good job. I think some of the credit needs to go to you because nobody’s on the ice before you. It feels like every practice and you’re the guy who stays out late. Um, I guess I guess just like the question there is why like why are you trying to put in so much extra time? Do you just love being on the ice or like what is it about the extra work? Because it seems like you’re one of the guys who does it really more than anybody. Yeah, I mean it’s it’s part of the warm-up, too. to be out there early for be prepared for practice. But I mean, if you shoot some extra puck before practice, it’s hopefully it’s going to help in the game. Like, if you get those pucks around the net or tip a puck in that it could be a big goal at the end. So, um I mean, that’s that’s what I’m trying to think about when I’m out there. And you’re more of a veteran, I guess, at this point. You’re not the young guy in the league anymore. What is it like when when the 20-year-olds are coming in now and you’re kind of the guy showing them the way after you just two years ago were the guy that never wanted the show? I don’t know. Feels like I’m pretty young still. But um yeah, I mean it’s fun when they they came in. It feels like they always have a lot of energy and I love the guys who have energy. So it’s fun to to have the young guys coming in. I mean we had a lot of them this year. So, um, a lot of fun and I know there has to be a lot of motivation for a lot of guys after the season that just happened and not making the playoffs. You’ve seen what it’s like in Vancouver when playoff hockey is on. So, how do you kind of describe the off seasonason and the approach and just the motivation that you guys all have to to get back to playing hockey next year? Yeah, I mean, just look back what we had last year. That was my most fun year I ever had when we was in the playoff. I mean, it was unreal to play with that energy and that crowd we had. So, that’s something I could look back for this off season and and trying to to push for next year. And I know like the city of Vancouver has kind of become a little bit of a second home for you, but your home back in Sweden, we heard that Neil Zan is going to come visit you in your small little town. What’s what’s the town visit going to be like when you’re showing him around your your little town? Yeah, I don’t know. Hopefully, he can can show up this time. I asked him last year, too, but he never showed up. So, Um, yeah, it’s going to be be fun if he he can come and and see see where I live. When we asked him, he said he just knows there’s a lake. So, what else are you going to show him in your hometown? It’s a lot of things. Hide hide and spot. So, I got to take him around. Right on. So, with an offseason approach, what is uh what does your workout group look like? Do you skate with other NHLers? Do you just skate at home or or what’s your kind of offseason training look like? And is there other guys that you work out with? I mean workout I do the workout kind of with myself and have have some friends around that join me a couple times but when the start skating I actually have Marcus Person and and Carson skating together so three guys from the team skating together so that’s I think that’s a big big part too that we we we skate together. That’s awesome. And I I think watching Lenus come in and kind of change his game from especially coming from the SHL to the NHL has been interesting. Um is it something that you evaluate in the offseason of what you want to change with your game? Because I think Lenus is a good example of I remember watching him in the SHL and all he did was take one-times and now he’s a guy who grinds it out in the corners. Um how do you look back at the season and kind of evaluate what you want to work on? Is there a process do you do there or do you talk with the coaches or how do you kind of look back and be like, “Okay, this is where I want to get better.” I mean, I got to talk to the coach about to be more work on my game more like the system wise. I mean, I have that that quickness, that grind in me. It’s more like to take the other step. For me, it’s to be um like a more system guy, like know the system better, know the when I going to make a play or no, I think that’s that’s the biggest part for me to to move forward for um yeah, next year. What’s your favorite thing about playing in this market in a Canadian market in Vancouver and the fans, you know, what’s what’s your favorite thing about being a Vancouver Can? I mean, the patient every everyone has feels like everyone knows about the team, everyone knows about the hockey, so um I love it and it’s it’s great. It’s awesome. And going back to Sweden a little bit, your off season. Um I guess just like working out and kind of preparing is obviously huge, but you brought up a couple of the things of like learning the systems and the mental side. How do you work on that in the summer? Like is it is it conversations with certain people? Are you watching film by yourself or like how do you kind of evaluate that part and the specific parts that you said you want to work on? I mean it’s going to be it’s going to be a lot of video like they’re going to put video be for me and like watch like the system wise my where they’re going to go to make to make plays and even when I’m stepping on the ice again it’s going to be it’s going to work on it. So, um I think it’s going to help my my game way way more. What’s your favorite city to visit on the road during the season? Do you have a favorite spot now? You’ve been around a couple years now. You do. Good question. Feels like um like Florida. Go to Florida. It’s always hot when we go there, so that’s good. Get away from the rain a little bit. Yeah. Uh what about when you’re out for dinner? If you see one appetizer on the menu, you have to order it every time. Do you have a certain food that you’re like, “Oh, I have to get that if it’s on the menu.” I don’t know. That’s a good question. Um, I like the tuna tatar. Oh, yeah. That’s that’s the thing I really like. Right. So, tuna fish. We got to talk fishing hogs brought up. So, what what’s the summer going to look like for your fishing? Cuz I know um you’re still wanting to get some of that sturgeon fishing done here in BC, but what what’s the home fishing look like for you? Is that the lake that you’re going to be showing Neil Aman? You guys going to do some fishing? Yeah, I’m going to show him around. Hopefully, he can catch a fish. And I don’t never know if he done that before, but um yeah, I mean be on the lake and just fish. It’s just relaxing and and just take it easy. So, how much time do you spend just, you know, out in the wilderness and kind of, you know, experiencing the outdoors a little bit in your summer? I feel like that’s something that it sounds like you like to do a lot of in the offseason, just kind of getting outside and enjoying it. Yeah, I mean, I love to be outside and where I’m from, too, it’s just that’s what you do there up up north. So, um, yeah, my just love to be be outside and do things outside. So, um, yeah, it’s kind of excited to go home now and rest for a little bit and then come back even stronger. I want to ask about the the four nations that happened this year and getting a chance to watch Sweden compete. The Olympics are just around the corner. What does it do for kind of like, you know, showing support for your own country? Like, what was it like to kind of see that tournament happen again and just see like Sweden compete? Like, just as a Swede, is it were you watching every game? like how was your kind of experience with the Four Nations and watching it and and just seeing that come back? Yeah, I mean I think the Four Nations tournament was a great tournament and watch even like Sweden in that tournament was fun to watch and they just said Olympics coming up next year. It’s um I mean it’s going to it’s fun to watch and hopefully one day I can can make the team too and and play for them. So um yeah, I’m was fun. With the season going the way it did, I’m sure there’s a lot of excitement just looking into next year. Um, how do you kind of look at next year? Like I think looking back at this year, and I know you haven’t had a ton of time to evaluate what happened this year, but with next year, what needs to happen for this team to be back in the playoffs? What do you think some some things that this group needs to focus on in the offseason? I mean, it was everyone knows there were a lot of movements this year with with players and we got trades and and a lot of rumors around the the group. So, um I think when everything settles down a little bit, we can we can focus better and I mean um now when we didn’t make the playoffs, everyone going to be excited for going for next season and really wants that that playoff run we had last year. So, um I think everyone going to have a big off season and come back. It’s going to be big part for next season. Mhm. You brought up Marcus Patterson, the guy that you skate with in the summer. When he gets traded here, it seems like he’s just been a huge boost to the defense core and also in the room just as a leader. Yeah. Wonder if you can speak to kind of the leadership side of him coming in. He’s a guy that seems like he quickly became a pretty popular guy in the room. Uh what is it like adding Marcus to this group and I guess a guy that you would have known a little bit before he got here? I Yeah, I mean he’s great. He’s a great guy and felt like right away when we traded him felt like this going to be good for us and he took the leadership almost right away. I mean it’s pretty hard too when you new to a team like that but he he did it right away and that’s the person he is too. So um it was great for us. Nice. And looking back at this year for yourself what were you proud of in your own season? Like when you look back at the year was there anything that sticks out where you’re like okay I did that well. I was happy with what I did in this way. It doesn’t even have to be a part of your game or just how it developed. What do you look back on on the season and be like, you know, I was happy with it. Yeah. I mean, I the tough start I had. I got to think back. I’m I’m pretty proud that I turned it around. It’s not wasn’t that easy to do. felt like I had a lot of games I was struggling and no energy and couldn’t really play my game and felt like I was keep grinding and and did the small things over and over again and I didn’t really quit. So one thing has to be that I I turned it out around at the end. Is it more because the way you speak about it sounds like it’s a physical thing but I have to feel like the mental side is a big part as well. Did you kind of think it was like a little bit of both when you started to kind of turn it around or was it about Yeah. one more than the other? I mean, it’s it’s confidence, too. When you don’t produce, when you don’t play good, you lose your confidence. And it’s it’s like going to trend down. So, you got to turn that trend. That’s what I think I’m I’m proud that I could do. Part of it. What are you most excited about uh when you go home? What’s the thing that you’re most excited about for the for the summer here? Um, a lot of things. No, it’s just nice to to go home and rest, I think. Refresh my my mind and and see friends and family again. So, um, nothing too crazy. Just go home and relax. What is it like in your hometown when you show up? I feel like must be a pretty popular guy when you come to town, eh? I don’t know. My family probably going to be pretty happy that I’m back. So, um, yeah, I’m excited for that. That’s awesome. And aside from that, just getting back to Sweden. Um, what’s the one food, Swedish food that you’re excited to get back and eat? Um, I like I like like the kebab. Yeah, the kebab we have is pretty good. So, that’s probably the first meal I’m going to have. And did I hear there’s a kebab pizza as well? That’s a big thing. That’s a big thing. Yeah, that’s probably what I’m going to have when I’m I’m landing in Stockholm soon as you land. Yeah. Uh you’ve been here for a few years and you’ve been with Patty O’Neal for a little while and we got to see him kind of wrap up his career this past season and the moments were so fun when he was you know spinning the towels at the end in his final game. What’s he been like uh like the trainers and we don’t really hear a lot of players kind of talk about what they mean to the players but what was it like kind of seeing him get to kind of experience a moment for him when we feel like trainers they don’t really get a lot of big moments but for him it was pretty cool to see the way he’s going out. Yeah. And I think it was that good that we did that too. I mean the 45 years has been here like that’s a long time. So um I mean yeah they do a great job for us. I don’t think people realize how much they do like every time we we have a we land like on the road they always go up and pack pack up the bags and early in the morning. So they they do more than people think they do. So, um, yeah, 45 years for Patty, that’s that’s a grind, but a really good guy have around in the team. So, um, I’m proud for Patty. With um, yourself away from the rink, is there a moment that sticks out this year? Has a favorite moment for you, whether it was just hanging out with the guys or on the road or at home? Is there one moment that sticks out? It’s kind of the most fun this season. I don’t know. or feels like it’s always every day is kind of fun when it come to the rank, but I don’t know if I have any standout point. It’s a hard question. Yeah. I think is that is that just the approach? It feels like you you have so much fun every time you’re here. So for you to be able to get to the rink, like is this your favorite place just in the world just to be at the rink and be playing hockey? Yeah, I guess like that’s what everyone dream about to come and play NHL. I’m here now so I got to enjoy it and and the teammates we have now. It’s great. So, it’s it’s fun to just just be around all the guys every day. What is it like? Like, we touched on it a little bit with the young guys coming in. How much do you try and help these young guys, especially the Swedes coming in like Lucky and and Junior? I don’t even know if he likes that nickname or not, but DPD, I like that one. With with the young guys, like how how do you help them now that you’ve kind of been around for a couple years and seen the NHL? How do you try and help these young guys? Because it’s such a I feel like they probably get here and they’re like, “Oh, you know, it’s a lot to take in.” It is. And I just remember my first year it was hard to to get get into the group like talk to players and talk to like coaches and everything kind of nervous but just try to help them to be to be comfortable like if you’re comfortable it’s way easier to be a better player too. So I mean to just help them with that it’s a big part. Yeah. Well I wish you a good summer. I hope you have some fun back home and I hope there are some fish on the line for you at some point in the summer and getting back your hometown. Have a good time with Neil when he comes and hangs out with you hopefully this year. Yeah, wish you the best of the offseason and uh we’re excited to see you in the fall for training camp. Yep. Thank you. Thank you. He was drafted in the sixth round of the 2020 draft by the Colorado Avalanche and signed with the Canucks as a free agent in the summer of 2022. He has played in 130 NHL games since joining the Canucks. Neils Oman is our guest today on the Conucks Insider podcast. All right, joining us here, Neils Oman joins us on the show. How are you? Make it all. Good. Good to hear. Excited to get you on the pod here and uh hear about your season a little bit. I think I I just wanted to start with yourself and you know, you get more NHL games and more experience underneath your belt. Um what did you think kind of looking back at this season how your game kind of improved and continued to make yourself into kind of a better NHLer? Yeah, of course. But I I didn’t play a lot of games this year, maybe 19 or something and I was down in Absford and did uh play a lot there and play like offensive stuff and power play and stuff. So I think think that helped me a lot when I when I got back up here in the in the end of the season and then unfortunately I got injured. So that’s kind of sucked cuz I thought I played a pretty I had some a couple of good games coming up there and then got injured. So yeah. Yeah. Saw a lot of your play down at Abbottzford and you know looks like you’re really developing that two-way game. I saw a lot of confidence in your offense as well just kind of watching you play down there and you brought that up a little bit. What is it about the AHL and getting that time that really helps you because you know when you’re in the NHL and you’re playing there go down to the A. It feels like you were really developing and that’s kind of what that league is for. So how did you kind of look at your time in the AHL and how you developed because it looked like you had a ton of confidence when you were playing down there. Yeah, of course. It’s like of course when you play a lot, it’s build builds a lot of confidence and yeah, it helps a lot to and the coaching staff down there is is great too. And I mean it’s it’s just uh yeah, it’s hard to like Yeah, I don’t know. Yeah, hard to put into words. I see. I think it’s hard. How much do you spend time on just kind of being a guy who can be so trusted defensively? Is that something that you really take pride in being at the NHL level? Yeah, of course. And like that’s kind of what you have to do to like buy a role and like try to cuz I’m not like I’m never going to be like the most skilled guy on the ice and I’m just trying to work hard and yes, just be good defensively and yeah. So, how do you kind of approach the offseason now? I know obviously you want to work out, you want to be able to get on the ice and all these things, but is there a specific part that now you’ve had a couple years here in North America, you kind of know is it a little bit different this summer for you than maybe the past couple? Yeah, maybe a little bit, but mostly mostly the same like trying to get like bigger and stronger of course and faster like be trying to get better at everything. But yeah, like I know now how the game is going right now and like you have to be like strong in the battles and around the corners and yeah, all that stuff. So it makes makes it easier to like know to what to do in the summer. So that’s Yeah, that’s nice. Yeah, I have to imagine like when you first get to North America, it’s such a different game and you played your game in the but you jumped right into the NHL kind of coming from the SHL. That must have been a crazy kind of switch for you. How different do you feel just kind of like being comfortable in the NHL this year? Was it something that kind of not as much of a surprise, I guess? Yeah, of course. It helps when you you’re putting in the you got a lot of games like the first year and the second year and then it’s it makes it a lot of easier and you got some like you build up confidence and yeah, I don’t know. It’s hard. Yeah. With working with Daniel and Henrik Sadine, I know the Swedes seem to all love it. So, what was it like just getting a chance to work with them? And like what did you know about them and kind of when you’re a kid growing up? Were you watching them? Like what was it like kind of getting a chance now to work with them on the daily? It seems like all you guys just love to work with these team. Yeah, that’s like so crazy when you’re looking back when you were young and like watching them play and they were so so good players and now you’re able to like they teaching you stuff and like all this. Yeah, it’s just crazy to think about. And what’s it like for you? I know you’re still so young, but there’s guys that are younger than you now coming in with Leki and DPD and these guys. Do you get to be a little bit of like a a veteran older guy to these young guys? Like they come in, they’re 20 years old. I have to imagine like you’re the vet compared to these guys. Yeah, I know. I know. But yeah, they doing a great job and they’re so so nice outside the ice, too. So, it’s makes it a lot easier. And I just trying to help. They they had a lot of questions this first year. So, I was just trying to be nice and help them a lot. Who were some of the guys that helped you when you first came here to North America? Like obviously it’s a whole new continent. You’re moving into a new place. Who were some of the guys that like helped you and now you’re kind of passing it on from what you learned, I guess. Yeah, it was like of course we had a lot of swim. I come up here and we had Pey helped me a lot. Hogs was here and uh O. Yeah, I think those those are the biggest part. Right on. And for your summer, what are the plans for you when you head back? Uh I know you think you’re heading back to Sweden here pretty quick. And what does kind of the workouts look like? Like do you get other NHLers? Do you work with a coach over there? Like what’s the kind of setup I guess for the offseason training for you? Yeah, first this first couple of weeks I have to do like like a rehab for my shoulder. So that’s that’s a big part to get that that 100% and then after that I got like a really good group of guys that I played with in Lexon in my Swedish Swedish team. So, I’m just trying to work hard and uh battle with those guys. What are you going to miss most about just being here in Vancouver and playing with the Conucks, being around the guys? Like, what are you going to miss most when you head home? Yeah, I mean, all of it. Like, the guys are so so nice and it’s so fun to be around here and practice with them and play. So, is it’s kind of sad the the season ended so quick. So, but yeah. What do you think about the fan base? how they’ve taken to you here in Vancouver. What do you what can you say about what they’re like and obviously getting to experience playoffs last year and everything that happened? Like I mean, what’s it been like just being a Kuck here and being in the city of Vancouver? Yeah, it’s crazy to think about the fan base and all that stuff. I I had a good My team in Sweden was like pretty big like fan base, but this is like a whole new level. It’s crazy like the fans it’s always packed in the arena and yeah, it’s just nice to play for them. It’s awesome. When you’re on the road and you guys are heading out for a dinner, who’s your favorite three guys to go with dinner with when you’re on the road? You got to build your perfect table here. Perfect table. It’s easy to say when now when Carly was up, it’s me, me, Hogs, and Carly. We went went out a lot, but yeah, I would say those two. Yeah, cuz they’re some of the guys that you’ve worked out with in the offseason, right? Like Carly, I think, is someone that you spent some time with in the summer. And Hogs as well. I know you guys have kind of get there. So they’re part of that group that you kind of mentioned that you No, they are actually not in that group but the but uh they are up north in Scolapsio and practice there. So we just get some time together like a week or so to just practice just to see each other. Yeah. So when you’re building that perfect table for a dinner, what’s your favorite meal? Like is there something when you see on a menu you’re like I got to order that every time I see it on a menu? Uh hard. It’s so many good. That’s a hard question. Yeah, it’s really hard. I like a lot of foods, but probably just a really good steak. That’s That’s good. How do you like it? Uh, probably a medium rare. Medium rare. Okay, good choice. Uh, do you have a favorite memory off the ice this season for you that you kind of look back and whether it was something that you’re going to remember forever or just having the most fun like away from the rink, whether it’s with the guys or anything like away from the ice, what was the kind of big memory that sticks out from this season for you? That’s hard. Maybe we had of course fourth we had a lot of like team dinners. That’s that’s nice to get get the team going. And I would say probably we had a rookie party in New York. That was nice to see all the rookies and do do their stuff. Again, you’re not the rookie anymore. You get to be on the other side of things, right? That’s more nice. Um if you’re stuck on a deserted island, who’s the guy that you would survive with the longest? any teammate of yours that you trust the most in a in a deserted island situation. Who’s going to be the best there for you? I would probably say Hogs. He he lives up up in the woods in Sweden, so he would probably do fine. Have you ever visited him up there? Like I hear about this place where he lives and it’s just like up in the middle of nowhere. There’s like barely any roads to get to. Have you ever thought about going up and visiting him up there or anything? I haven’t been there yet, but we’re planning on me coming this summer, too. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So, what are you kind of expecting from going up to this tiny town of people and you guys are going to be superstars when you show up there or what? Yeah, probably. I actually don’t know. I know he has a lake there that that is he’s fishing a lot. So, we’re probably doing that. When you get back to Sweden, is there a Swedish food that you’re excited to get back and eat cuz I’m I don’t know. I don’t see a lot of Swedish food around Vancouver. So, is there something that’s like a home dish that you’re excited for? Yeah, it’s a lot a lot of good things, but probably my grandpa always makes some Swedish meatballs. Those those are great. That’s good. Are you Are you able to find Swedish meatballs here? Like, do you make them yourself? Do you get the recipe from your grandpa or anything? Or you just You can make them make them yourself, but it’s it’s not the same thing, I guess. How are you as a cook? Have you had to kind of develop that over here or do you eat out a lot? What do you What do you think? Uh, I’m doing I would say I’m doing both, but yeah, it’s just easy to go out and eat sometimes, too. Anybody on the team that’s a good cook? Any other Swedes like able to cook up some some classic Swedish dishes? No, I think Pety Pet is pretty good. Yeah, I keep hearing about Pety. Seems like he’s a grill master. Like, he’s really taken to cooking, I guess. Yeah, it’s good. That’s awesome. Um, well, Neils, appreciate you jumping on the pod here and uh coming on for the first time. Wish you the best of luck in the offseason here. We’re excited to to see you guys come back. I guess I just wanted to finally close out with this last question for you guys and the way the season went, not making the playoffs. You take this into the offseason. What’s the motivation for this group to get back to it after you saw what the playoffs were like last year, disappointment this year? How motivated are you guys going into the offseason for what you can accomplish next year? Yeah, of course. When I got to play play some playoffs games last year, I know what what the playoffs is about and like that is what you like working for the whole season. It’s and it’s just sucks when you you’re not can be able to play those games. So it’s it’s like you get a good motivation to do do that next season. So yeah, that’s awesome. Well, tax me for the interview here and appreciate it and uh have a good offseason. Enjoy yourself in the summer. Thank you so much. He is fresh off winning a J20 championship and being drafted in the fifth round of the 2025 NHL entry draft. He had a big year in the J20 this past season putting up 28 goals and 39 assists for 67 points in 43 games with Jurgen. Wilson Bork is our guest today on the Conucks Insider podcast. Val Coleman Tila did. Thank you. Is that okay? That was okay. Wilson, excited to get you on the show here today. Looking back at your last season, you guys had a great team and just watching you guys go to the championship. How much fun was last year for you? So much fun. It was so much fun. is just to play with my brother. That’s been part of that have been fun and just you know we we played with each other for like three years. So yeah, so much fun. Yeah, that’s cool. And I know we were talking about this and the sadines were some guys that you guys kind of looked up to. Um getting a chance to go on the ice for development camp and be with the sadines. How cool was that for you? Super cool. Super cool. Yeah. And as I said, I play with my brother, so I we always want to be compared like in the setting, but it’s it’s pretty hard to be compared to them, but you know. Yes. So you had four sets of brothers on the team that you just played in. No twins though, right? Was no twins. But did everybody think that they were the Sydines out there? All the Swedish guys? I mean, no. Um, no. No. We tried we tried to be humble. So yeah, fair enough. Well, you guys were a humble you guys were a humble team, but you guys played so well together last year and there was so much chemistry and what we were talking about was that you guys have some of you guys skated together for like 10 years. So is it kind of like is it sad to like get to the end now and not be with some of those guys? Yeah, of course. But you know, you will always have the like the connection with people you really like. Yeah. And I know and I know for you um you’re coming over to the NCAA. Um what led you to choose to do that and how excited are you to play for Colorado next year? Well, I think I think that’s a good step to like to try the American style hockey and just to go on a smaller rink. And yeah, and I I don’t really want to like stay in your garden and and then get traded to a lower division team. Uh so I I kind of want to be in one place and just be better be better every day. Yeah, it’s kind of cool because you’ll know where you’re going to be and and where you’re going to sit. Um, what do you know about NCAA hockey though? Like what are you what are you excited about about it? Actually, I was I’m so new into it, so um I barely know which division it is, but um but I’m just super excited. Uh and I think it will be so fun. Yeah. And I think when we were talking, you said that you grew a little bit going into last season. and you grew some centimeters, you told me, which a lot of people call inches over here. But I knew what you were saying. Um, when you gained a little bit of size and a little bit of strength, how did that help you? Because you had a great year this past year offensively compared to two years ago. Well, it helped me a lot a lot. I think uh just with the like uh the gym the gym u and uh I don’t know what to say but I think it helped me a lot and I you know to take my strength into the ice and just getting faster getting stronger the puck and uh to get more time with the puck uh passed me a lot. What was what was it like? Like I looked at some of the scores of your guys’ team in the playoffs and like you guys must have been having a lot of fun in the last what’s it like when that team was like going 100% and being it felt like perfect. You guys must have had some perfect games. Yeah. Yeah, we had perfect game but sometimes we also played bad you know every team played bad. Uh so we we lost first game I don’t know if you know but we lost first game to regular. Yeah. Um which which was hard you know to lose the first game but then after that game we said to each other like now now it’s time so and then we didn’t lose a game. That’s awesome. Yeah. No. And some of the scores I saw some of the scores you guys were you guys had a really good playoff. Exactly. Um like we hear this from a lot of the Swedes when when you are waiting there on draft day and Vancouver Canucks comes up like was that pretty exciting for you or what was it like? Super exciting. I always I knew every Swedish Swedish player here and uh the history that have in Vancouver there are many Swedes and yeah it’s super cool to be a part of it like yeah that’s awesome. Yeah with um with your game and I think I saw this a lot two years ago when I was watching some of the tape in your game. Um it feels like forchecking is really important to you like you do you do a really good job of forchecking and then the points kind of came this past season. Um, so how do you stay like uh you know not being a skill guy because I feel like you’re kind of a guy that likes to get in there a little bit. Yeah, I love I love being I love hitting and and just the skating and the wing pups. That’s that’s what I do. I love that. Yeah. And I think going to the net too, like I watched a lot of your goals u from the right side. Is that where you played on the power play all of last year? Just like one-times. You played on the right side. What do you like about playing that position? Um, last season I liked it because I had my brother on the other side. Yeah. Far away from me. Far away. Yeah. Uh, but you know, I I say that I’m I’m the I’m best when I have the puck. Uh, and and in that position, I have the puck a lot. Uh, so yeah, that’s just it. Yeah. So, I think um wanted to ask if you’re training a little bit different like to prepare for the NCAA. Are you training a little bit different this summer? Like how is it going for you? Um yeah, not not so much difference between last and yeah. Um, but maybe I’ve been focusing on more like explosive things uh to I know it’s a small rink and I think I I think it’s important to be more explosive. Uh, so I kind of have focused on that more. That’s awesome. Okay. I asked all the Swedes this question when they were leaving here at the end of our season. They said, “What’s the one Swedish food that you’re most excited to eat?” So, I need to ask you, you just came from Sweden. What’s the best food in Sweden? If somebody if I’m going to go visit Sweden and I need to eat something, what should be the thing I have to eat? I would like to see meatballs, but I so bored. Um I don’t know. You should try out toast. Okay, tell me what that is. It it’s it’s like um it’s bread that you have uh uh you’ve been like stick it up a little bit uh and then you put uh shrimps I think it’s called. Yeah. Shrimps up on it and uh uh with a like a mix with some good stuff. Okay. I don’t really know. I’m not a chef. Okay. It sounds good. It’s awesome. I I really love it. all the uh I asked Neils Huglander and Marcus Patterson and both of them said donaire pizza which like I feel like we don’t have that here like we don’t really have donaire pizza but that’s a big thing in Sweden too pizza yeah it’s a big thing but um I think pizza is worse in Sweden really yeah but uh I love pizza and I think I’m more of a nice eater when I eat pizza and yeah little bit little bit better than the pizza I feel you um what do you know about kind of the Swedes here on the Vancouver Cox like is it kind of cool to know that you’re joining some of the guys like Huglander and Person and Person all three of us a lot of P. Yeah. Um yeah, super cool. Um I I would like to get to know them of course but uh yeah, they’re awesome players and just just be able to trade with them someday. Yeah, be awesome. It’s pretty cool. Um I think for you now um with the NCAA coming up um how does it kind of look for you? How do you feel like going to like this is going to be a whole different world for you? How how do you feel going into that? It’s a lot. Yeah, it’s pretty scary actually. Yeah. Um but also again uh super excited to just to to be in other country and to be with other people. Uh maybe not think in the same way that sweets do and yeah just I’m just I’m curious. Yeah. Yeah. Totally. Well, it’s exciting, right? Like it’s really exciting. I’m super excited and curious and just a little scary. Yeah. Okay. Um what’s your favorite Swedish movie? Because I’ve seen What’s the I’ve seen the Christmas one. That’s uh there’s some weird Christmas Swedish movies and I I did a story on it with some of the Swedes here and they were telling me about this crazy Swedish uh Christmas movie. Yeah. H I’m I’m a big movie guy, so yeah, I watch a lot of movies, but it’s a hard question, but uh I don’t need to think. Yeah, I like the Christmas movie as well, but Oh, I don’t know. Sooner sooner grease. Okay, sounds good. What about like any North like is there what’s the funniest movie you’ve ever seen? What’s What’s which one makes you laugh all the time? Yeah, I love the Adam Sandler movies. I watch on the flight here, I watched I think it was called uh Oh, I lost the name, but yeah, all Adam Sandler. So, yeah. Have you seen like some of the older ones or cuz you’re so young, like have you looked Have you looked back at some of the old stuff that he did? Maybe. Maybe I am. But, uh, Grown-Ups is the favorite. Yeah, that’s a good one. Obviously, a great one. Um, so just kind of wrapping up here, I think looking back and you’ve had some time at development camp and getting a chance to talk to all these coaches and guys like that have had so much NHL games, like how cool was that for you to just be on the ice and like these guys had thousands of NHL games played for you to be able to learn from them? What was it like just talking to these guys? Yeah, super cool also. Super cool. And uh when I got drafted uh the first the first matches was from from the settings. So and I was just what the how cool was that? And uh yeah and when I first met them they seem like super nice guys. Yeah was so welcoming and yeah it so cool. and to today I got some tips and feedback from uh Daniel uh and like that’s I’ve yeah it’s like a dream coming true. That’s awesome. Well, we’re excited to see you get down to Colorado and and play down there and experience NCAA hockey. Though it’s a little scary, it’s going to be really exciting to watch you anyways. Uh and I’m going to try and close this out in Swedish, okay? So bear with me here. I will go with you. Toxamik for Oh, that’s good. That awesome. All right, Wilson, thanks so much for joining us here on the podcast and best of luck, man. Thank you.

Chris Faber is joined by Nils Höglander, Nils Åman, and Wilson Björck. We hear from Höglander and Åman about their seasons and how they want to bounce back this coming year. Then, we get to know 2025 fifth-round pick Wilson Björck.

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