Interview w/ San Jose Sharks star William Eklund

Interview w/ San Jose Sharks star William Eklund

Thank you for listening to Dropping the Gloves with John Scott. Yeah. Good morning everybody. Welcome to another episode of Dropping the Gloves. We got I like it’s a young superstar. Um it’s okay for me to say that. William Ecklund of the San Jose Sharks is joining us. William, all the way from Stockholm. How you doing, bud? Yeah, I’m doing great. You know, enjoying the weather here in Sweden. It’s actually good weather for once. So, you know, sitting inside now doing this podcast, but it’s it’s it’s really good. And you notice if you’re watching on YouTube, he’s flexing cuz he puts the cameras up. You can see the giant windows. He’s got like 20 foot windows behind him in his house and he’s just like, it almost looks like he’s looking down on me in the interview, which is fine, but he does it on purpose, just so you know, because he wants to dominate. Is that why, William? Yeah, you said it. You took it. No, it’s not. No, it is. Why? He He knows he’s better than me. That’s fine. Like, he’s 22 years old. He’s playing in the show. Just signed a big ticket. Three years. It’s got to feel good, right? You sit back, you have a maybe a beer or a vodka. You’re like, damn, I just signed a big deal. Your first big deal. How cool was that to sign that contract? It was really cool. You know, it’s surreal to be honest, like to sign those that contract. And yeah, for my family, too. So, it was really cool. So, I’m really happy. It was a big big year for your family, your brother. I was actually looking, he just got drafted, 16th overall by the Islanders, and I was going back and checking his stats playing for what is it? How do you say the Jardan? Ugardan. Yeah. He’s better than you are. Yeah. Like, he’s better. Do you guys go back and forth with with the competition? Because he’s a couple years younger. His team just won the championship. You couldn’t do that. He’s got more points. You were drafted a little higher. But does he does he rub it in your face saying, “Willie, I’m better than you, bro.” Like, that’s it. He’s going to make more in his entry-level contract. That’s what I’m trying, you know, he’s he’s trying to rub it out in my, you know, in my face, but I’m just giving it back to him with the with the draft. So, it’s I’m saying I’m seven, he’s 16, so he can’t really say anything yet. So, we’ll see what he does here in the future. Were you in Greer’s ear before the draft saying, “Hey, you got number two. Maybe trade down, get my brother, we could be on a line together.” Did you ever did that ever that thought come across your mind? Like, I could play with my brother. We could be like the Hughes brothers. You know, you think about it, but to be honest, it’s like a really slim chance. Like, it’s so many teams going to want a player, and if you want a player, you you get him. And it’s so many good players coming in. So, you know, he was just happy to get drafted and then that’s what he should be. And I was just happy for him to be honest. You’re not going to hold out like the other Swedish brothers, the uh Sadine brothers, and say we’re not coming over unless we’re drafted by the same team. That never happened. No, you got to be you got to be as good as them, though. You don’t have that kind of pull. No, I don’t have that pull. So, almost, man. Last year, 58 points, 17 goals, 41 assists, playing with to Foley and Celibbrini. What was that like? Because obviously your rookie year, you played great, but then you get that line together and it just clicked. I saw you guys play a few times. I was in town for the jumbo retirement. We got to play. See guys, I think you played Carolina, somebody, but you played well. You won the game. You guys clicked. You guys were the main offensive cog on that team. How does that feel? Who’s Who’s the trigger man? Who’s the guy who’s driving the net? How does that line work? Because you’re all different hockey players. Yeah, I would say so too. You know, I would say, you know, obviously veteran presence in in toe. He’s he’s really good at just putting the puck in the net. I’ve never seen anything like it to be honest. He’s just finds the way to get it in the net and that’s what he does well for our team and, you know, it’s a lot of a lot of things you can say about Mac, but he’s he’s driving, you know, the team sometimes most of the night. So, you know, he’s driving the bus and me, I’m just just trying to be there and be a good compliment to those two guys and sometimes I manage to, you know, score some points. So, I’m just happy to play with those guys and trying to do good as I can. You’re just so humble. Just happy to be here. I’m just I’m just along for the ride. Those guys are dragging me up and down the ice. So, it’s it’s a faceoff play in the offensive zone. Are you taking the shot? Let’s be honest, because Defo is going to the net. Where what’s your what’s your perfect faceoff play? Perfect one? Yeah. You know, I know I know Mac loves loves to take the puck after faceoffs because he wanted to win it himself and I take it and sometimes when I go from the boards I go right to the net and he just takes it and you know either he slings it to the net or finds me back door and I find to fold the back door again or something like that. But uh those plays are usually when we a lot in circulation. So something like that, I would say. I don’t know exactly, but something like that. Well, cuz you can’t really go back to the defense cuz Ferraro would just turn it over and it would be a busted play. So, do you purposely just don’t give it back to the Dmen in the offensive zone because it’s just, you know, plays die when it goes back to those guys. No, I can’t say that. No, I’m not saying that. Yo, we I don’t know. We just have some You don’t have to say anything. No, it’s fine. It’s fine. I listen, I was a defenseman and I played with high-end forwards and they would tell me like, “Hey, bro, we’re not giving it back to you.” So, just just be ready if it does by accident come back to you because I know how the forwards are. But, all right. You mention I mentioned the Jumbo retirement. I was there. Jumbo’s around you guys a lot. You’re a young kid on this team that’s obviously I hate the word rebuilding as something. You’re an NHL team. You’re in it to win it. You’re not winning just yet. You see jumbo, you see the jersey raised to the rafters. Does that give you guys some kind of boost? I know it’s stupid and you have to say yes, but does it do anything to you guys honestly because you see all the great players on the ice? You have Dan Bole, Joe Pavvelski, John Scott, Joe Thornton. Does it do anything to see those legends on the ice or is it just like whatever, get it over with. Let’s get to the game. Especially John Scott, right? It was crazy. I was there. Yeah, it’s crazy, you know, being a couple in the All-Star game every piece. So, don’t forget to be in Danny Heatley, baby. Yeah. Yeah, you can’t. No, but obviously it means a lot, you know, like you can joke all you want, but you know, seeing Jumbo around and just seeing his face every day and he’s laughing coming into the ring when he’s makes you in a good mood, you know, sometimes we struggle as a team, but he was always trying to, you know, be there in a good mood and just be a guy who’s around the team a little bit. So, um, and yeah, I think it’s important for all of those guys to see him around. Yeah. Does he still jump on the bike and take his clothes off and he’s up there with his compress compression shorts just getting a lather on? He is. Yeah. I I’ll never forget him. That that was his before every practice just up by your bike and he would get a huge lather going. Probably an hour on the bike before practice, but just in his little compression shorts. It was amazing. And he’s 40ome years old now and he’s still doing it. Yeah. He’s so ripped, too. Like he’s still going. So, yeah, he’s got to do what he does, I guess. Not bad. All right, so I want to talk about when you first got drafted, obviously seventh overall, go to camp, make the team at a camp, William, like you’re on the team, play eight games, play good, get sent down. Obviously, we know why. for contract reasons. The next year, go to camp, make the team, nine games, played great, get sent down, contract. They want to they want to keep your EC ELC. We know this. You know this. Everybody knows this. They want to keep you under control. It’s got to it’s got to sting a little bit, right? Because you you put up decent points. You had four points in nine games. You had three points in eight games. Did you ever have conversations with Mike and he like obviously said, “Hey, listen. We’re not there yet. We’re going to send you down, get you some experience, play more with the Barracuda.” But inside, did that burn a little fire under your under your uh gut a little bit? Yeah, you can’t lie about that. I was pissed. Yeah. Two years in a row. Like that’s got to suck. Did he do it like right at the ninth game? Like, “Hey, William, it’s time.” Did you ever like did he tell you beforehand? No. like I I got, you know, they were in the ninth game after that game probably. That was my f I had Doug Wilson that year, my first year. So, they sent me back to Sweden that year. Uh, but I kind of had a feeling what’s going to happen because obviously with the contact situation and stuff, but I was still like, you can’t say you’re pissed. If you’re not say you’re pissed, you’re not you’re not a, you know, competitor. You want to be out there. You want to play with the best. So, uh, you know, I I was just I had to suck that up and, you know, go home and play. And then the same thing happened the year after, but you get you get to stay in San Jose anyways, play with the Barracuda. That probably was that bittersweet because you go to the Barracuda, you played good, like point per game, you had a good season. Did you look at it like, okay, next year’s my year, or were you like just a little annoyed? H, yes and no. I think the AHL year maybe was good for me in some term looking back to it but also like right there and in that situation I always wanted to play. I thought I was good enough to play and um but you know it’s it’s a lot of business decisions you know you got to see from perspective too but you know you always want to play you can’t lie by that you want to play every night you want to be an 82 game player so that’s what I wanted to be. How was it like with the Barracuda cuz you play in the same city you play in the same rink. Did you get a chance to play with the big team? Were you around the Sharks or was it completely two different teams? It’s it’s I would say two different teams. Like it’s you’re in the same building, but it’s really far from each other. I would say you know how that is built at the rink complex and stuff like it’s it’s a little further from each other but you see each other sometimes like you could see you know the guys coming off to practice and stuff like sometimes and like I want to be there. So, it’s it gets your it gets your motivation up a little bit, too. Like, you get you want to be there so bad. You see your friends, you’re like, I wish, Fabian, I want to be with you. I’m sorry I’m not there yet. Maybe next year. But anyways, moving on. So, you make the Sharks. You’re a rookie. You play 82 games. You play great. You play last year. You play great. You sign a new contract. What I want to talk about is you you’re not a you know a tough guy, you know, but last year you got into a hell of a fight. You’re playing and this prick Eli Tolainan at the end of the game in Seattle, he starts shoving you, puts his hand up in your face and you said enough is enough and you beat his doors off. Was is did you know that you had that in your bag that you could do that William? Because it was it was amazing. Uh, I don’t know. I had I had one fight in the AHL actually the year before. Yeah. And that was I that was pretty like big. So, and I learned learned from that like go don’t go after too big a guys. But, you know, obviously it was like just the end of the game and it was just it’s been a chirpy game all over and it’s a lot of like bad move on our team and it was and you know enough was enough and I don’t know he’s just I’m not a fighter obviously but he’s tried to get in there and do something and this time yeah we both brought the gloves it was a good fight you know. Is that why Mike had to go out and get Ryan Reeves because he saw you and he didn’t want you doing that too much. Were you relieved when you when you you saw that they brought Revo in? It was going to be fun for sure seeing him coming in. I mean, you know, it’s almost having him on the team is going to be good. Looking at international wise, obviously you’re a Sweden kid. I played with a bunch of Swedes before we came out. I was talking about Douglas Murray, Stal Brook, I believe it was Ymerson. I played with Fins, too. Ky Vu and Backrom and these guys, antiatin. Why is it that Swedes seem like they’re fun? They’re cool. They’re outgoing. They’re just chill guys to hang out with. But the Fins are boring and reserved and almost robotic. Is there something in Scandinavia where like you go to Sweden and you’re instantly cool and then you go to Finland and you’re super boring? I don’t know. We’ve been having that rivalry for a long time, too, though. So it’s it’s obviously always fun to meet like I always you know connect with really good with fins when I whenever I talk with them or everything but also when you play each other it’s like the biggest rival ever and you just you know on the ice you ate each other when you play each other so I don’t know too much about that but I always connect really good. So you’re not going to go to Helsinki for a vacation at all? No I wouldn’t do that. So you you you’ve you’ve played with these guys. You’re having a good thing. You’re back home. Last year, was it tough because speaking of Swedes, you were good friends with Fabian Fabian Zedling. We had him on the team on the show last year, I believe, maybe the year before. He gets dealt to Ottawa. Was that the first real NHL business moment? Because at the time, listen, you’re a young kid. Everything’s going good. You’re scoring points. you’re getting used to the, you know, the NHL game. And then all of a sudden, one of your best players gets dealt, I think you were close with. You play video games, all this stuff. You probably eat with them all the time, speak Swedish together all the time, I would imagine. How tough was that for him being dealt? That was tough. You know, like I said, it was obviously my first like I would say that business decision like it was it was a tough period when you know you you meet a lot of friends and players. becomes your friends and that year, you know, I play with a lot of players through my two years here. You know, a lot of players that my friends today too are have been dealt. But it’s always tough because it’s a you know, it’s a human side of it too. You know, you you play with these guys. You you get friends with them and obviously me and Seth, we we hang out every day cuz he was single, I’m single, so he we were just, you know, hanging out, making food, playing video games and stuff. And all of a sudden, it’s it’s that’s that part of it is gone. you’re still friends, you’re still really good, but it’s it’s tough to to go from that reality and how how the business really works, but I and I get the business, but it’s at the same time it’s tough. How is the the life in San Jose? Because obviously it’s it’s a complete culture shock coming from Stockholm, Sweden to San I live in San Jose. It it’s it’s a big city. Was it difficult coming there? You’re a 19-year-old kid. You’re coming to this city by yourself. How hard was it to adjust to just a living in California and b getting Is is the hockey prep different compared to the Swedish League too because I imagine there’s a lot more going on in San Jose. It’s it’s Yeah, it’s different for sure. Yeah, it’s like I don’t know what to say but it’s two different side of the world and you it’s nine times nine hours in time difference and you know you come there and it’s hot pretty much sun every day and here is in the winters and you know fall it’s pretty dark every day and this know sports business too it’s very different the American sports till to to Europe sports I would say sometimes so it was different for sure but it’s you know I enjoy the life in San Jose so much so I’m not going to say anything bad. But no, it’s great. I I love Santana. I love living there. I live just outside of the nice neighborhoods. Where you Where are you living in San What’s your address? Tell me right now. Where did you Did you buy a big mansion yet? No, no, no. I’m in Campbell. Okay. So So I’m pretty close to like Yeah. Danton Campbell. And it’s a great area. No, it’s like Yeah, it’s like seven minutes from Santaro. So I like it a lot. I’ve been there for like my three years I’ve been in San Jose. Do you buy something right away or do you just rent? No, no. I used to rent rent to the same spot every year. And well, now you’re probably gonna have to buy buy jumbles. So, I don’t think I could even imagine those. That’s a lot of money. What are you driving? Cuz when I went to San Jose, I ditched my SUV. I got a Camaro SS convertible and I zipped around town. It was fantastic. What are What’s in your garage right now? Uh BMW uh X3M. That’s terri. What? Come on. That’s like a mom car. No, it’s not. Yes, it is. It’s like a It’s like a kitty getter. Let’s go to the school to pick up the kids. Are we going to get something fun or No. Are you just going to just drive the SUV forever? I like my SUV, so I drive Volvo here in Sweden. So, do you? Cuz I’m about to go buy a Volvo tomorrow. Are you serious? What kind of Volvo? Yeah. X XC60. So, it’s just SUV again. Yeah. I love my SUVs. How many car seats you got in the back? You got some booster seats for the kids. You drive them to to summer camp and stuff. I got three back there. It’s my brothers, you know. So, I got to get That’s I actually went to Stockholm with my whole family a few years ago cuz my brother-in-law worked there for Spotify, I think, or something. I brought my whole family. I have I have eight kids. And so, we were getting the dirtiest looks going around public transportation because people don’t have kids in Stockholm. It was so bizarre. They were giving me like the They’re like, “Are these all your kids? What’s wrong with you?” I was like, “Bro, they’re just kids.” It was so bizarre. Really? Yeah. It was so weird. I thought I thought I was going to be loved bringing these kids into this beautiful city and they were just like, “Get out of our town.” I was like, “Fine, Stockholm, beat it.” I I went to Norway. We went to Norway for a week because I couldn’t take it anymore. Not friendly at all. Why Why is that, William? I have no clue. You know, I I haven’t met them. Maybe. I don’t know. Yeah. Not good. Do you get noticed back home now? Now that you’re a superstar, obviously, you know, playing there, growing up there, playing the juniors, and you make the senior team, then you go to the NHL, that’s a big deal. Or there not a lot of Swedes in the NHL anymore. Do you come home and everyone’s like, “That’s William Ecklund. Oh my gosh.” Signing autographs and stuff. I don’t know. If you go to kids camp and stuff, yeah, sometimes you get recognized there, but I I wouldn’t say I get so much, you know. I I think my brother too, he he gets more than me. Well, yeah, because he’s better. Yeah. And also he plays on that, you know, the Stockholm team, they they recognize you so much. Like when I play at home here, you you get I get recognized more. Now it’s like you’re gone there in US and it’s not the same, you know? It’s Well, he won the championship, too. Like you you didn’t win the championship. You’re now. So I’m I’m old news. I’m old news. Well, that might change because listen, I I don’t want to put the cart before the horse. And that’s a saying in North America where you get ahead of yourselves. The Olympics, William. Six months away. Less than six months away. Have you heard of this tournament? I haven’t heard of it. Yeah. Okay. You got Carlson, you got Erikson, Forsber, you got Kempy, you got Landiskog making a return. Knander, Person, Lindholm. Oh, and William Ecklund making an appearance. Oh boy. Oh boy. That’s exciting. Are are you you obviously know it’s it’s on the horizon. You are you are projected to be on the roster of forwards. Anything can happen in the next four months to the start of the season. How excited are you to potentially put on the Trey Croners. I like that pronunciation too. H That’s right. It’s you know it’s obviously one of the biggest thing you can do in in any sport I would say. Yeah. like Olympics like especially play for your team, play for home your home country. It’s I don’t know pretty surreal if you get the chance to do it. So that’s for sure one of my goals this year to to do and it’s you know yeah I want to be there. Oh yeah, I know. I I don’t know what that question even does because you’re you’re going to say the answer is like yeah I want to play on the team dummy. It is what it is. It’s just exciting because you you are this time two years ago. Would you ever have thought like, “Holy hell, like I I could be on the Olympic roster playing with all these great players.” Not a chance you would have thought that being 20 years old, right? Oh, to be honest, no. Yeah. Not. What have you done in the last two years to get so much better because like yes, you’re a good player, but geez, like you’re William, like you’re a budding superstar. I don’t know. I just I’ve been working like really hard. I guess it’s a boring boring answer, but it’s just like I’ve been so I’ve been think I’ve been so consistent with what what I do. I mean just trusting my the process. I guess it’s just just a bro boring boring answer. It is this is a boring interview. Like just the truth like it’s just been been like that. And you know it’s it’s the same with my you know me and my brother we be just going at each other and I think if you we love to compete against each other and we love to compete so that’s what it comes from really. Is there a good group there in Stockholm for you guys to train with and skate with who who is around because like I just listed off all these guys and obviously Sweden doesn’t have that many big cities so is there a good group of guys you train with in the summer? Yeah, espats person is there. It’s a lot of a lot of good players. Past night was there, too. And it’s it’s been a Yeah, it’s been a really good group of of guys skating. So, yeah, get intense. You get star struck at all when these guys walk in the room or you just are you pass that because you’re one of the group now. You’re one of the boys. I don’t know. It’s still pretty cool to play with those guys. Yeah. What’s your ideal? So, just say, let’s just let’s just play what if. So, fast forward six months. You got your Olympic gear. You’re going you’re going to the games. The coach comes up. Just say the coach is Peter Forsber. Whatever. Yeah. He says, “William, who do you want to play with? Who who’s your centerman? Who’s your right winger? What’s the first line look like if you’re on the left side?” “If I’m on the left side, yeah. I like a really good center in Erikson E. I think he’s so good all around. Wow. Like it’s Yeah. One of my favorite players to watch. Uh and obviously would be really cool to play with Neilander. No kidding. That’s an interesting You got There’s so many good players that you got to pick and you pick Eric SK. Does he get under undervalued I think in the in the NHL? Yeah, for sure. He’s he’s so good in every every aspect of the game. I say he’s like he always plays top line too, you know, and yeah, he’s he’s just a really good hockey player. What can what can you say? No, you can’t say anything more. He’s fantastic. So, the Sharks, two full seasons you’ve been there, last place both years. By like a country mile, by a by a long margin, but everybody and their brother says, “Oh, they’re having so much fun. Everything’s great. Look at look at how good the the attitude is and then they contrast it to Chicago. Oh, Chicago, same boat. Everybody’s negative. Does it ever irk you that everybody’s okay with you guys losing or is it okay because you know you’re going to get better? Because I’ve been in a rebuilding team and it’s like, “Yeah, it’s fun. We’re going to get better, but we’re still losing.” What’s the the locker room like, William? It’s not okay at all, to be honest. Yeah. Like it’s it’s never okay to lose. Like obviously we we’ve been losing but I don’t think that you know any of us I know any of us hasn’t you know liked the situation. We we hate losing. We have a lot of guys there who want to win and want to compete and make the playoffs and you know that’s that’s where our mentality is every time. But, you know, with those this last two years, we’ve been we’ve been fighting a lot and we like this last year we lost a lot of games by one or two goals in the last period and we I feel like, you know, we’re we’re so many games where we’re just there and it it’s frustrating enough that we scared. We just got to get over the hump and, you know, get those wins because this is the only thing that counts to be honest. Yeah. What’s it like playing with Celibbrini this past year because all the press and all the crap? I was in Chicago working for the Hawks when Baddard got into the league and it was nuts, man. Like it was hundreds of reporters. The poor kid couldn’t like take a leak without someone being over his shoulder be like, “Oh, look at look at the way you pee. Isn’t that interesting?” Was it the same with Celabbrini in San Jose? Because the guy was just like everybody was watching and you were playing on his line. Was he seemed to be okay with it? He is. He’s such a mature guy like you know he’s he feels he like he’s been handling the pressure all his life to be honest like sometimes I’m like how can you handle all these guys who want your autograph after like you come into the hotel at like 3 4 a.m. and this guy standing just screaming at him and sign my autograph and it’s like yeah you know it’s sometimes I’m like how do you handle this but he’s such a mature guy and you know humble kid so he you know he just goes to work next day and does his thing and comes out and kills it so he’s he’s been a great player for us do you guys enjoy each other’s company you and Smitty and Graph like is it a tight group or you guys just don’t like each We hate each other. That’s what I thought. It’s You can see it on the ice. No. Yeah, exactly. No, we I think we we all enjoy know, you know, comedy. It’s It’s fun to to hang out with those guys, you know, obviously those guys coming from college. It’s fun to to be around them and, you know, it’s it’s really fun to to not be the youngest guy. No kidding. You’re 22 years old and you’re almost a vet on this team with some of these guys. It’s crazy. Obviously, everybody knows you’re a geek who plays video games. Is there anything else you do that’s fun that you go outside other than play hockey? Because in San Jose, like I had a wife and kids when I was there, so we would go to the beach, we’d go to the mountains, we’d go to the desert. We tried to do a lot. Do you just go to the rink, go home, shut the blinds, and play FIFA all the time, or do you actually go outside sometimes? I actually do go outside. I need some sun sometimes too. So, uh I do I do I have a lot of family coming over and stuff, friends. So, we always I usually always end up doing something either going there or even go like to the beach. Santa Cruz is Yeah. Is it 25 minutes away? Yeah. And you go there. It’s so beautiful. So, you I always end up doing something I would say or like some days you’re so tired you don’t do anything. But usually I I want to do something at least go to the beach or dinner or something. So, you’re not a complete introvert geek who does nothing because I get worried about you guys, you know? You gota you got to get out and live life. You got to just, you know, and you’re a Swede. If you were a Finn, I’d be very very worried, but I think you’ll be okay. You’ll be okay. Now, living living in San Jose, obviously, your your first two years weren’t great. Mike Greer has been an unbelievable GM. I feel like he should have won GM of the year this past season for what he did. He sees you guys losing. He goes out this off season. and he gets Orlov Swed Clingberg, you get a backup goalie, Nadulkovich, who could be a starter, you get Skinner, Ley, you get God, Kurishv, who’s a good underrated forward who could play in the top six easily. And then Ryan Reeves, that’s nine guys, William, that’s going to step into this roster and play. Do you feel any pressure to win now? Because you you’re you’re one of the top guys of this team. You’re a leader. Do you feel pressure now that Greer’s been like, “Okay, we got our draft picks. You guys have got a couple years under your belt. It’s time to win. You feel it now? Yeah, more and more. Yeah, I do. It’s It’s time. Like it’s, you know, he’s been doing a really good job obviously this off season drafting and getting players in. And it’s up to a lot of guys now to to to show up more and be, you know, be better. Yeah, that’s a lot lot for me, too. You know, I need to be better. I need to look myself into the mirror. What can I do better for us to win? And, you know, we need to get those wins and that’s the only thing that counts. So, yeah, I am. All right. So, there is pressure. So, what happens this year when I come to San Jose, which I will because I think gosh, I think I think Pavs is getting his jersey retired. So, I’ll be there because I’m going to be invited. I just I’m a leech who just goes everywhere. What are the expectations then, William, this year? Because you can’t go from here to Stanley Cup contender. That’s outrageous. But what’s what are small goals for this team? Small goals is just getting I don’t know. It’s so hard to tell. Yeah. Right. The the West is so strong. The teams you play are so difficult. Yeah. Yeah. So, I would say like, you know, we need obviously more wins and we need we need to be like at least looking, you know, we got to be looking at the playoff spot. Be in the hunt at the deadline. Maybe be in the hunt. We want to be at the in the hunt. We want to be there and you know looking at the wild card maybe and you know obviously win as many games as possible but realistic goal is to just be in that hunt and be ready for you know anything can happen if you if you stay in the hunt for a while you you can go on a heater you never know so hell yeah you know that’s what we want to be I think it’s possible but when you look at the west we you mentioned how strong it is you’re playing like the Kings are strong the you got Colorado you got Edmonton you have all these high-end teams is it crazy to roll into you know, Edmonton and then you’re you’re playing the majority of your minutes versus McDavid. You you roll into Colorado. It’s like, holy I’m playing against McKinnon and all these high-end guys. Is that crazy? You go to Dallas, you go to Vegas, and other teams are keying on you. What’s that like? Because you you’re right in the battle with these high-end guys. It’s the most fun ever. Is it really? Is it pressure? Because listen, they would hide me. I would play five minutes versus the other team’s worst line. Like, don’t screw it up. Just don’t touch the puck. You You have to do stuff. Is it There’s no pressure. You just love it. I do love it because it’s so fun. Play those those guys. It’s just what you dream of really. It’s just you can’t Yeah. If if McDavid gets speed, it’s not that fun. But if you, you know, if you play those guys every night, then it’s that’s what you want to do really. You want to Yeah. play as much as you can. So, I can’t I I love it a lot. Who’s harder to play against? Because you see obviously the speed of McDavid, you see McKinnon, the strength, and then you got the more composed plays of guys in Vegas with with the Carlson’s or the Hurdles or the Eles who are just allaround skill. Who do you think is the difficult guy to play against? Like obvious answer is like Well, it’s McDavid. The obvious answer. Yeah, it’s the obvious answer. But like playing a guy like Barco or like a guy like that, it’s like he does everything right out there. Like he’s just so hard to play against. Especially if you go toe-to-toe with a guy like that and you know you battle it out. It’s just doesn’t do anything wrong in a game, I’d say. Is it because of the defense, right? He’s just in your pocket all the time. Yeah. Yeah, he’s also so good offensively like you, you know, he scores those goals, he scores points and he still shuts you down in the defense sometimes. So guys like that, it’s just so hard to play against. So you would rather play against an all all offensive guy versus a Bararkov or even a Crosby or McKinnon or these types of players? Hard to tell. You know, both of obviously you’re playing against him, William. You’re you’re you’re the guy now. I guess like playing against Yeah. like a barcore or something like that. It’s It’s really hard because you’re so good in both s songs. It’s crazy. What about a D? Because you’re going against a D man. Would you rather go, you know, a threeon two versus like a Mar and a the skilled guys or would you rather go against like a a Headman, the bigger dudes? Who’s harder to go around? That’s such a hard question. I know. Isn’t it good? I Slaving is is one of the toughest guys I think. Slaving. Yeah. He’s Why? He’s so big and he takes space away. His skates really good, too. Like he’s You think you have him and you don’t. So, he’s just right on you. Yeah. And it’s in your pocket. So, it’s he’s really good. Really good defenseman. So, guys like that, it’s really hard to play against. What’s your guys’ play when you’re entering the zone? Because you obviously Mlin wants to puck because that he always wants to puck. What is your go-to player? Is to fully drive the net. Are you supporting Mlin underneath? Are you what what you getting space on the far side? Yeah, like obviously Mack he he likes to depends where he’s going, but he likes to we we like to go in a quick quick rush. If he he and me got me got speed, I think it’s I think we’re in a good good position cuz we always got to be, you know, fast on the on counterattacks. And if he gets on the wing or I get on the wing, the other guy usually just crashes the net and you know try to open something up maybe for toe cuz obviously want to shoot. Yeah. Cuz he got really good shots. So uh if he gets it, yeah, you should score. So that’s the that’s the ideal one. But uh usually doesn’t happen that way, but ideal one is that then you score. Do you guys ever get pissed at each other? Because listen, I played with high-end guys like Taser and Kane and Sharp and Hosa in Chicago and they would just scream at each other on the bench like just you like cuss each other out and then after the game they’d be perfectly fine. Do you are you guys have that relationship where you come off the ice and you go Mlin, what the hell were you thinking like trying to beat those two guys? I’m wide open. Give me the damn puck. Haven’t got that many. Not yet. I think I think that will come though. Okay, good. I think that that will come more and more this year and I hope it does because it’s a good thing like he goes after me and I go after him. We go after each other because we want to be better. So you need that I think. How’s the practices like? Is it competitive? Yeah, he’s he’s good. He’s really good. Who’s the like cuz we I had Ferrara on the show too. Do you just absolutely roast him in practice because he’s supposed to be the guy and do you Mlin just pick him apart? I don’t know. He’s he’s he’s hard to play against in the corners too. He goes so hard with the cross checks, you know. Oh, he goes hard in practice, too. I like that cuz you can give it back to me a little bit. It’s fun. Which teams do you love playing against? Because obviously you’re in the West, you have Anaheim, you have LA, you’re up and down that coast. Is there one team or a couple teams you’re like, “Yeah, you get up playing those guys.” Like when I was there, it was LA. We had that big rivalry. Who’s your big rivalry now that you’re in San Jose? I like playing as an aim. Ah, it’s it’s fun because it’s they have pretty young young group of guys, too. I think we have a pretty young group of guys too and uh I don’t know. I always like playing and it’s fun. Is that is that the team you’re kind of gauging yourself against? Because you mentioned young guys. They got Gochce, they got Carlson, McTavic, you guys have your young core. Is it like a race, a comparison to see who can take that next step? Obviously, you don’t talk to each other, but you you watch the the standings. So, is that who you’re kind of measuring yourself against? Anaheim, those pricks over in Anaheim? I don’t know. We just trying to, you know, when you go out and set it, I feel like it’s something more than I don’t know. It’s just you really want to win that game and it’s it’s for us it’s a big big game and we want to we want to win that game. So, if you’re going to fight one guy in the NHL, is it now your brother or who else would you rather fight in the NHL if you had a chance to drop the mits with? I don’t think my mom and dad would be so happy. Your brother would beat your doors off probably. Like from what I’ve seen, the guy’s a stud. Absolute stud. Yeah, he is a stud, but he’s we go, you know, he’s been beat up all his little shallow for me, you know. So, no fighting, no fighting at all. Who Who’s the the hardest in your opinion? Now, you’ve been around the block, you played against all these guys. Who’s the most skilled guy just pure skills you’ve played against? I know Barov is allaround talent, defense, offense. McDavid is a burner. Who’s got the best hands where it’s just like like a dad souk where it’s just like damn man like you are a magician? Who’s that? I could really like someone I look up to who’s I’ve been watching from my childhood too. Really close cuz I grew up with his brother in my in here in Sweden. Yes. Brat. No way. So we we went in the same school from like first grade to ninth grade and you know I was at his place all the time. You know, obviously seeing Yesper when he was he falls he fell in the draft and he how pissed he was and how he kind is such an underrated great player in the NHL and you know just seeing him what he’s done all every day and how he’s been getting this good you know I see some so close you know obviously we with his brother and me being so close and I saw him work so hard every day and I I when I see him sometimes when we skate in the summers just like holy He’s crazy. So skilled. So skilled. You mentioned these Swedes that don’t really get kind of the love that they should with Eric SK and Jesper Brad because they’re kind of overshadowed by Capri off and then in obviously New Jersey you got Hughes and Gearshshire. So interesting. You got these sleeper picks. You’re obviously you’re trying to make the Olympic team. I get it because you’re naming all these Swedes and they were like, “Oh, they’re great. They’re the best players.” Obviously I love them. But all right, a couple more then I’ll let you go. this season. You you say you’re always working. What is one thing that you’re not good at that that you’re trying to get better at? Like what what do you go to the gym and you’re like, I I got to work on my backhand, you know? I got to work on this. Like what are you trying to get better at? My shooting has always been a thing for me. Like it I would say growing up I was always a pass first guy. And when you have that pass first mentality in your head, it’s it’s a mental thing. you you know if you look for pass pass pass pass pass pass pass pass pass pass pass pass pass pass pass pass pass pass pass pass pass pass pass pass pass pass pass pass pass pass pass pass pass pass pass pass pass pass pass pass passes but then it’s it became so predictable for the defenseman to play against so that’s something I’ve been trying to work on you know pick my you know pick my corners and trying to be better at at shooting and where to shoot and when to shoot and you know it’s getting better and better that’s it getting better and better but that’s it okay I didn’t know you were done you stopped it so quick I was like he’s going to elaborate but he didn’t okay what is your biggest strength then as player? Is it just your vision? Is it your just all around play? Like what what is William Ecklan just so good at? Uh my my vision, I would say. Yeah. Oh, it’s so good, isn’t it? What? You got 2020 vision? It’s crazy. Imagine listeners what it would be like to be William Ecklan where you just know where guys are going to be and then it just it just happens. I get the puck, I have to stare at it, make sure it’s on my stick and look up and I can only see like that much tunnel vision. It’s crazy. So when you score though? You scored instead. I score. Yeah, I saw your goal in the All-Star game. Two goals in the All-Star game. Don’t you forget it, buddy boy. Yeah. MVP, buddy. Yeah, that’s right. Yeah. So, you got your season coming up. You’re going to move to San Jose. You got the big contract. Do you know that you’re the longest contracted player for the San Jose Sharks now? You got a three-year deal. I didn’t know that. Nobody has a longer deal. It’s crazy. So, this coming off season, there’s a ton of like insane UFAs. San Jose is going to have a ton of money to spend because everybody is the the end of their deal. Like Skinner’s gone, Grunstone’s gone, Reeves is gone, Dandria’s gone, Kurishv’s gone, Wenberg’s gone. They’re all UFAS who could potentially leave. And that’s just the Fors group. All your defense are gone other than Orlov who signed a two-year deal. Do you I don’t know because it’s fun to play what if. But if we had this interview next year, you could be playing with some insane superstar talent to go along with you and Smitty and Mlin. Do you ever think about that or you just like stay focused on this season? Cuz Yeah. You You’re not the GM. Exactly. No, I I didn’t even know I was the longest contributed guy. So stupid. It’s crazy. That’s how much I know. But yeah, I I don’t know. It’s so far away. I don’t know. I’m that guy who just looks the next month. I don’t know. Yeah. No, that’s good to be. But anyways, is there any advice you have for me that that I can do better, William? Just be you. Okay. Is that it? Just be myself. I can do that. All right, William. I love it. We got to work on getting you a nice car for a single guy and then I think you’ll be you’ll be set in San Jose. But I appreciate you being here, man. Um I don’t want to take up any more of your time. You go enjoy the night, have a good dinner in Sweden, and hopefully I’ll uh I’ll see you in San Jose this year, my man. Thank you. Yeah, thank you very much. Appreciate it. All right, William Ecklund, everybody, superstar of the San Jose Starks. Cheers, everybody. Have a good one. Thank you for listening to Dro Sky. Yeah.

William and I talk the Sharks, playing with Celebrini, Smirth, Toffoli. Taking the next step, his epic fights, terrible cars and how much better his brother is at life then him.

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