Training Camp 2025 | Oliver Bjorkstrand 9.20.25

The last time many fans saw you skate was last season. So now you’re back on the ice following that injury. Can you tell us what went into your rehab? Um yeah, I don’t know. I mean, uh team hair took great care of me. Uh a lot of rehab here. Uh didn’t go back for the summer before I was cleared. So, um yeah, took care of that. But throughout the summer, it’s just building strength back in my my left leg and um yeah, getting that more even with my right one. So, I feel good. It’s been it’s been a good summer and haven’t had any bumps in the road so far. So, um it’s all positive since the since the injury. Building strength exactly. How do you go about doing that? Um putting some weights on on the bars and stuff. Yeah, I know. Uh you know, you worked the small muscles up. Um you know, the strength and conditioning team here, uh I did the program, so it was a lot of focused on um you know, my left uh left leg and getting it back. But no, I mean, once you get the, uh, mobility back, um, range of motion and all those things, uh, and I was cleared, I could pretty much do any type of workouts. So, nothing too special, um, than I’ve done before. So, just, uh, just getting in the gym and getting, uh, back at it. And, how long did that process take for you? You know, I mean, was it, you know, um, into June or I mean, getting cleared? Uh, I don’t know. Um, if we go playoff terms, maybe late second round, third, maybe I was probably cleared, but of course, like, not that I had my full strength back. Um, but I I I think around then is what I consider. I was clear to do um any type of exercise. So, um, that’s the best I can give you right now. So, did you go into that thinking like, hey, if we get to second round? The goal. The goal was Yeah. Yeah. The goal was to get back. Uh it’s it’s hard uh with this type of injury kind of knowing exactly um what week he could be back, but um no, the goal was for sure uh to try to find a way to get back in if we kept advancing. So um yeah. And then in terms of your your offseason prep, did that really did anything with the injury affect that or did you feel like you were able to kind of have that strength and everything that you needed to to to prepare for the season and the summer? No, when it happened and when I got cleared, I think um I had a plenty of time to get in get back into the gym and have a normal uh summer working out. Um so yeah, I can’t use that as an excuse. Yeah. And Oliver, how much different did you feel stepping onto the ice for training camp with this team versus when you came here after the trade last season? No, a lot more comfortable. You got to get to know the guys, the coaching staff, what they’re about, the culture here. So stepping back is um a lot easier just right off the bat. So feel very comfortable. Um obviously they got a great thing going on here. So it’s uh yeah a lot lot easier this time. Do you think either it was helpful for you or helpful for the team that this team does look very similar to how it did at the end of last year? Yeah, I think that’s that’s a that’s a benefit. Um you know, so not really many changes at all. So um yeah, not not a lot of stuff uh went on this summer. So the group is great and uh obviously really excited about uh having this group again this year. Having been here now, you know, I mean, what maybe have you learned about this this group of of guys? I every every every room is different, right? But, you know, this specific group, is there anything that, you know, kind of stands out to you now now more than maybe when you first got here? Um, no. I mean, I it’s an organization and a group that’s won. So, um, you know, Seattle was a new team. We hadn’t won in Columbus when I played there. Um, you know, they they’ve never won before. So, I think just the the winning mentality to that extent is maybe a little bit different. Obviously, every team wants to win, but they’ve done it here. Uh the coaching staff, the GM has done it. Um and a lot of the players have won. So, um yeah, you can learn a lot from that and and kind of what what that culture means. So, just kind of going back to your injury a little bit, was there anything that maybe you learned about yourself? We’ve heard the stories about, you know, going from a day where, you know, you’re sore to all of a sudden you’re needing surgery, right? I mean, like, was there anything that you learned more about about yourself having having gone through through that? Um, I don’t know. I have to think more about that one. Um, no. I mean, it it happened very quickly. Uh, so from one moment you had nothing wrong with you and then within 4 hours you’re getting surgery. So, um, yeah, it’s a lot to take in. I think just you maybe learn how to handle that situation, but really like anything can happen any day. So, you kind of just got to take it uh, yeah, day by day or hour by hour. But um I learned from it but nothing major I can think of right now. You can only minute by minute. Yeah. Minute by minute. It was minute by minute and then so but no it’s uh yeah through life you learn a lot of things and that’s definitely one of them I’ve learned something from.

Oliver Bjorkstrand speaks to media after day three of Training Camp.

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