It came as a shock to many people when the San Jose Sharks traded Fabian Zetterlund to the Ottawa Senators at last season’s trade deadline.
The story of how he and his best friend, current Sharks forward William Eklund, found out is well reported. The two were hanging out and, after stepping out of a sauna, received two calls.
One from Washington Capitals d-man Rasmus Sandin, and the other from Sharks GM Mike Grier about the trade.
Zetterlund and the Senators will visit the San Jose Sharks for the first time since that trade. Eklund told SHD that he and his former teammate will get together for dinner on Friday evening.
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The NHL Trade Deadline is a time when players can feel the most chaos. Zetterlund had to uproot his entire life in San Jose and move it across the continent to a new country as fast as he could.
“Everything happened so quick. I got that call and didn’t really think that much,” Zetterlund told reporters on Friday. “It was just go home and pack my stuff. My phone was ringing the whole day. [I was] trying to prepare for the next thing to do. It happens so quick, so you can’t really put in a word for it.”
Eklund took the San Jose Sharks’ trade of Zetterlund hard. The two were inseparable and very quickly built a strong bond the moment the Sharks acquired Zetterlund from the New Jersey Devils.
“Of course, it’s sad to leave one of your best brothers. At the end of the day, it’s business too,” Zetterlund said. “It’s not the last time we’re going to see each other. We grew from that. We were hanging out in the summer a couple of times, too.”
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Eklund and Zetterlund are both hopefuls to play for Team Sweden at the 2026 Winter Olympics. While Eklund might have a better chance to make it given his strong start to the season, Zetterlund said it would be a dream come true if both made it.
“It would be exciting. It will be one of the coolest experiences in my life to play the Olympics,” Zetterlund said. “If I am there and he’s there, that would be great. I hope Sweden wins.”
Zetterlund said he and Eklund try to talk as much as possible, but with a condensed schedule and a time zone difference, it can be difficult.
Friday’s game will also mark the first time Zetterlund will go against San Jose Sharks star Macklin Celebrini. The Senators forward says he knows how to defend the 19-year-old phenom and will share his knowledge with his team.
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“I know how [to defend him]. But I will tell a lot of guys that too on our team,” Zetterlund laughed. “Players like him, you’ve got to be close to. You have to take away time and space from him.
We know he can shoot. He can do it all out there. So we’re just gonna be close to him.”
Neither Zetterlund nor Eklund would say where they would be going to dinner, but they are both excited to see one another.
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