Originally published on EuroReport.com in 1999 By Lucas Aykroyd For many years, the name “Naslund” and NHL success were synonymous with just one player: Mats Naslund, the Montreal Canadiens star of the 1980s. But that changed in 1998-99. Markus Naslund of the Vancouver Canucks enjoyed a breakout season, going 36-30-66 in 80 games to lead […]

Originally published on EuroReport.com in 2000 By Lucas Aykroyd “Autumn time, and the livin’ is easy…” Markus Naslund couldn’t be faulted for singing a variation on the old standard. Until 1998-99, not much came easy for him. But that breakout season with 36 goals and 30 assists keyed him to similar success last year (27-38-65), […]

Originally published on EuroReport.com in 2000 By Lucas Aykroyd You might be surprised to learn that the person Markus Naslund would most like to meet is legendary boxer George Foreman. Maybe you shouldn’t be. The Swedish winger’s Vancouver Canucks are demonstrating a remarkable counterpunch as they hit the final stretch leading to the playoffs, and […]

Originally published in Rinkside in 2007 By Lucas Aykroyd The North Shore Mountains provide an imposing backdrop for Mattias Ohlund’s adopted home of Vancouver, Canada. They could also serve as a symbol for the strength and consistency that the veteran Swedish defenseman has brought to the Canucks since his NHL rookie campaign of 1997-98. Whether […]

Originally published in Rinkside in 2006 By Lucas Aykroyd July 22, 2005 was a historic day for the future of international hockey. The new Collective Bargaining Agreement between the NHL and NHLPA was ratified then, and it included a clause stipulating that the League would make its players available to participate in both the 2006 […]

Originally published on EuroReport.com in 2001 By Lucas Aykroyd Before Nicklas Lidstrom joined the Detroit Red Wings in 1991, he spent time studying to become an engineer. That must have influenced his style of play. The 30-year-old defenseman from Vasteras, Sweden approaches hockey with mathematical precision, whether completing an outlet pass in his own zone […]

Originally published on EuroReport.com in 2000 By Lucas Aykroyd Some NHL players resort to easy clichés when assessing their personal performance: “I don’t think too much about it, just gotta put the team first, take it shift by shift.” Others, like Patric Kjellberg of the Nashville Predators, take a more straightforward, honest approach. “I don’t […]

Originally published on EuroReport.com in 2001 By Lucas Aykroyd “Sensational,” “slick,” and “savvy” are terms often applied to the Sedin twins. However, in recent weeks, “struggling,” “slowing down,” and “searching for answers” have been bandied about. Fortunately, Vancouver’s heralded Swedish rookie duo hasn’t been expected to do all the scoring, as they might on an […]

Originally published in Michigan Hockey in 2004 By Lucas Aykroyd For NHL teams, succeeding in the annual NHL Entry Draft can be as risky as investing in precious metals on the stock market. Fortunately for the Detroit Red Wings, Hakan Andersson has proven his worth by consistently assembling a great portfolio of prospects. As Detroit’s […]

Originally published in the 2007 NHL Yearbook By Lucas Aykroyd A Swedish proverb says: “Shared joy is a double joy; shared sorrow is half a sorrow.” Those words ring true for longtime Swedish hockey fans, because they had to console one another frequently before celebrating the “double joy” of 2006, when their national team became […]