Players Only: Rasmus Dahlin start of season, his time in Buffalo

Players Only: Rasmus Dahlin start of season, his time in Buffalo

You’re a strong. All right. Right. Hey, you know what, man? We got another strong performer here in Players Only. We got the Buffalo Sabres Captain Rasmus Darene. We appreciate you coming by. Second time on Players Only. Veteran of the Show, right? Veteran of the show. Due for another bump. I know. Another bump. Another players only bump. I want to ask you, uh, big win last night for you guys. Uh, big win against one of the hottest teams in the NHL in the Detroit Red Wings. Can you uh maybe take us through uh how you guys have turned this thing around? Uh you didn’t listen to us knuckleheads up here saying what’s going on with Buffalo the first three games. You guys have gone three and one since then. Yeah, I mean uh all the noise outside kind of helped us. Uh honestly kind of brought us together. Um made us come together as a group and um really dig in and and and play better this last the last whatever four or five games. Uh we found we found something new now. You know, uh the team’s making a little noise, uh Rasmuse, but uh you on a personal level are making a little noise here early in the season as well. Um got into it with a uh you know, an Eastern Division rival. Um Brad Marian, you want to take us behind that? What what’s what’s going on with you and Marshy? It’s just battles out there. Um, I gave him a kind of kind of a whack there, uh, right before this happened and pisses him off and you know, stuff like that. This happens all the time and I feel like just because it was him, it kind of blew up, but it just this stuff happens all the time and I I don’t I don’t see anything crazy about it. Well, the one thing you don’t see a whole lot is somebody scuffing up, roughing up your helmet. Were you able to use that? Were you able to wear your helmet again after that or did he uh did he just kind of demolish it on you? Uh no, they fixed it up pretty quick. Just the straps. It was it was a quick fix. Oh, no. That was obvious. Made it round. I mean, all he’s doing is he’s messing with messing with the trainers. The trainers got to go scrambling trying to put his helmet back together. But, uh no, that was kind of a what we thought is maybe a funny moment. Um talk about maybe the uh the pressure. Do you feel pressure there? I mean, you’re the leader on this team. I mean, every year we just talk about how great Buffalo is with the fan base, man. We want to see you guys getting in the playoffs. What are you guys feeling coming in this year? Yeah, there there’s always pressure. Um, especially in this city. Um, you know, it is what it is. We can’t we can’t focus on what happened in the past. This it’s a new year. Um, a new a lot of opportunities. Uh we see it as as something good. We uh we got to do this. This is this is our time now. You know, a big win last night over, you know, an an Atlantic Division rival and you really ended up, you know, ending a fiveame streak for these guys, as hot as Detroit has been so far this year. Is that game for you, Rasmus, and your group, is that a bit of a measuring stick for you guys just in terms of where your game is at? It’s early in the season. It’s hard to say, but um you know, division games, it’s it’s always super important. Um you know, we’ve had uh we’ve had a lot of battles against this team now the last whatever three years and um you know, it’s always tight. Uh we knew that coming into this game. We knew they were hot. So, uh we really had to bring our agame, which we did. So, uh I was really happy uh the way we played uh the way we came out and uh we we played a rock solid game for for 60 minutes. It was it was a big game for us. So, I I want to ask you about a fellow defenseman, a young defenseman coming in the league like you were at one point, still young player, but uh Matthew Schaefer for the Islanders. He’s a lot of talk is about him. So, I just want to ask you from your vantage point when you came over and you debuted in the NHL. What was what was going through your mind? Like how was it how were you able to play your game but also try to get up to speed? Like what what were some of the things you struggled with? Uh yeah, it took honestly it took me a couple years to to find my game in this league. I was I came from Sweden, a little different uh bigger ice, uh different way of how to play the game. So it it took me it took me a bit to uh to get used to it and uh everything that comes with it, you know, language, the culture and all that. It was it was challenging, but eventually you found a way and it you were talking about Matthew there. He’s it seems like he he loves it and uh he’s playing great. It’s it’s fun to watch. Would you agree with this um Ras M? You know, I just I contrast the two skating positions, right? Trying to make the jump from amateur to to the NHL level as a forward. Very different than trying to make that jump as a defender. Like the pace of the game, it’s coming at you and you there are more people more places to hide when you’re a forward, but it’s easier to be exposed as a defender. Would you agree the transition is harder at your position? Kind of impressive the way that uh that Schaefer’s making that transition. Is that fair to say? Yeah, for sure. Uh I I I think it’s harder for a defenseman to come in the league. Uh now it doesn’t look like that uh the way he’s playing. Uh but normally it takes it takes honestly a while to to get used to it. uh you come in the league and you’re uh you’re playing against McDavid, you’re playing against all these top forwards that there’s blows by you or make the play like it’s it’s a lot going on in defensively and um it it takes a while to get used to it. That’s for sure. Uh I got to ask you about the Olympics. I mean I I can’t wait for what we saw at Foreign Nations and what it what it meant really. I mean I don’t know globally. I don’t know when you talk to family and friends back home in Sweden, but in the States, I mean, you saw it. It was it was pretty nuts how it was received. How excited are you and how much did you think about it in the in the offseason? Oh, uh for the Olympics, I can’t wait uh you know, it’s it’s it’s a dream. I I played Olympics once. Uh can’t call it a real Olympics, though. Uh but I I’ve seen what it’s about. I’ve seen the village. have seen all that. It’s there’s nothing better honestly. Uh and then also be able to play against the best. Um it’s it’s going to be unbelievable. And uh friends and family already booked their tickets and everybody’s just waiting for it to to happen. Honestly, that’s great. Uh coming up next for you and your Sabres, uh a home and home with another Atlantic Division rival, the Leafs. um looking forward to seeing a whole lot of Matthews and Knander in the upcoming two games and what’s that rivalry rivalry mean to to your group? Yeah, same there. Another division game. It’s it’s it’s huge. Four points here coming up. We’re playing a backtoback. So, uh you know, it’s always fun to play those guys. Uh you always learn something new, I feel like, playing against them. Uh it’s going to be good. I uh I’m excited. We we’re going to have to uh to bring our ingame. That’s for sure. So, kind of big news uh for you guys just with UPL kind of getting off that conditioning assignment. Uh what is what will he mean to get back uh with the boys and get back in between the pipes? Yeah, it’s that’s our guy. Uh we need him and he’s such a big part of our our room. uh he brings such uh such a calm vibe to uh to the games and um you know having him back it’s it’s key for us. Rasmus away from the game you’ve started the Dalene Foundation. Can you tell us a little bit more about um what the foundation means and what it means to you personally? Yeah, I mean um it’s it’s about helping other people. Um it’s about uh bringing joy to uh whoever’s life and uh just just help around the community. Um it’s a it’s a big part of uh me and my fiance’s life. Yeah, really impressive. Talk to me about, you know, you can just see the images. You know, the inference there is the connection between you and these great Sabres fans. We remark about it all the time. How important, you know, is the connection between you and these great fans in Buffalo who are so hungry for, you know, a postseason appearance? Yeah, it’s, you know, they they show love every single day and uh for us to just be able to uh to go out in the community just here and there, that’s that’s the least we can do. Uh and I love doing it. uh just hang out with with all the the people around the town and um everything from um hospitalized PE patients to uh you know anything. I just I just love hanging out with people and uh bring some joy. Uh so we’re going to transition to to a fun part. You did this last time. What were you thinking? But before we do, I I got to ask you this. Um it was made public uh a health scare with your fiance Carolina. We just want to check in. Everything good? How’s she feeling? Yeah, she’s doing uh she’s doing way better. Um it was uh she went through a lot this summer. Um near death experience. So uh that she is doing this well right now. It’s it’s remarkable and just shows how uh how much of a warrior she is and um yeah, she is she’s something else. That’s for sure. Well, sounds like an absolute trooper. Uh we appreciate you giving us a little bit of an update there and and we’ll be thinking about her. Um and we’re going to get to this part. Uh what were you thinking? We did this with you before so we had to find a couple different categories. Hopefully we are not being repetitive here. But this is uh you obviously remember this one, right? Yeah. It’s my first goal, right? Yeah. Got that right. You got that right in the right in the blue paint. Yeah. It’s uh it’s one of those uh moments you will never forget and uh I even remember what happened prior to that and it was just it was just a good moment. I uh I’ll never forget that. That’s Can you uh just the way that one develops? That’s a pretty aggressive play. You’re up deep in the attack. Do you remember what you saw that really led you to kind of for the light to come on? Hey, uh I I need to activate here. There’s a there’s a good scoring chance coming. Do you remember that how that played out? Yeah. I I also that was the way I played uh back in the days. I I didn’t care about what could happen. Uh so I I kind of saw him just driving the net and I just want to be there for a rebound and and Skinny made a great play and it was wide open net. Right on. We’ve got a uh kind of a different circumstance for you here. Dur different setting alto together. What were you thinking in this particular instance Rasmus? Uh just just going with the flow. Uh having a great day uh in Switzerland uh during my camp with a lot of teammates. Uh summertime, anything can happen. It was probably some beers deep. So it was a good moment. Sounds awesome. You know what, buddy? Uh judging off your hat, I’m just letting you know I was beers deep, too, with the Ryder Cup because you guys took it to us. So congrats on that. But I You’re also a fan of uh of tennis. You’re at Wimbledon in 2023. That’s pretty sick experience, right? Yeah, that was unbelievable. Uh especially to uh be able to share the moment with my dad and my brother. Um yeah, we had some unbelievable tickets to uh the final. It was Jookovic against Alcaras. And that’s also one of those moments you’ll never forget. That’s that’s awesome. We got a uh we got another setting for you here. It’s uh maybe a little more on the fashion side of things. Looking uh looking pretty styles. Looking pretty styles, my friend. That’s some that’s a suit I would not choose nowadays. You would not? No, I kind of grew up now. Uh but yeah, I it was a ballsy move, but I I don’t mind it, but I wouldn’t do it again. Looks pretty sharp. Looks pretty sharp. Listen, while we’re on the subject, um, new dress code policy in the NHL for for the guys today, what are your thoughts and what are what’s what’s typical for you? What are you kind of wearing to the rink now? Um, see some crazy outfits. Uh, it’s fun. Uh it’s it’s funny to see guys uh pulling off some crazy stuff, but I feel like uh first three four games you were kind of trying hard with outfits, but now it’s just jeans and a hoodie honestly. Um it’s kind of slowed down. if so you don’t have to say who it was unless you want to of course uh have a little fun but has has there been someone that’s come to the to the rink and you’re like come on like come on we’re not doing that has there been one like that uh not not that crazy yet uh but Tom Thompson he uh he hired a stylist and he’s all in. I I love it. Oh, I like that. Outstanding. We got to get some Thompson uh suits on here. Some some pre pregame apparel. We’ll we’ll work that in. We got a little uh Buffalo Bisons here. First pitch. Lefty. Love it. Yeah, Lefty. That was uh I think the year I got drafted. Um that’s the minor team to the Jays, right? So, uh I’m fired up. Good luck to your Jays. Good luck to your Jays. I got to ask you, I’ve been in that position before. Are you a little bit nervous as you’re standing there on the mound throwing that pitch like I don’t want to scuff this in the dirt. I don’t want to, you know, miss the catcher by 20 feet. I had a lot of nerves. The one only time I did it. Yeah. Uh I was nervous for sure. Uh more of the interview right after cuz uh my English was shaky back in the days, right? No, I that uh it is but we we’ve all done that. It’s like uh it is because you don’t want to be embarrassed, but you don’t want to like I mean, dude, I I showed up a half an hour early to warm up my hand, warm up my arm. I showed up a half an hour earlier. I’m not going to be I’m not going to miss that catch. One chance at that. Uh we got one more. One more here for you. What were you thinking here? Uh wow. Uh proud moment. Uh that was the day I got number 26. Um it was it was uh I think the whole week uh was just unbelievable. Um this is like a week after I got drafted. So um probably one of the best weeks in my life. Well, it’s uh it’s been fun watching you grow from that day to now and uh an absolute horse on the back end. Uh best of luck to you, your Buffalo Sabers. Tell my boy Jason Zooker I said hello as well if you don’t mind. We’ll do for sure. Thanks Rasmus. Thank you. Paste.

Buffalo Sabres’ defensemen Rasmus Dahlin joins NHL Now’s Players Only to discuss the first month of the season, his years in Buffalo and more.

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