Breaking News!

Bengt-Åke Gustafsson just announced Sweden's roster to the Karjala Cup tournament (the Finnish leg of the European Hockey Tour, four yearly tournaments in which Sweden, Finland, the Czech Rep and Russia square off) which takes place Nov 8th - 11th. One of the names that no one was expecting: Peter Forsberg!

OK, so he's been practicing on ice with Modo for a month or so, but not played any games. Apparently he wants to test himself against some real opposition...

Not a bad team Sweden has btw... Kenny Jönsson, Mattias Weinhandl, Nils Ekman, Daniel Tjärnqvist... they all play at home these days.

Jackpot for SVT that holds the TV rights to these games that normally don't get a lot of attention. Now everyone will be glued to the screen to see if he's fit for fight or not.

Well Per I've been reading most of your articles with extreme interest and was wondering if you had any SOLID evidence on his NHL preferences?

Ottawa seems very positive on him, Detroit has an Interest as well. As if either of these teams really need him. Then again this is Forsberg who will be able to pick and choose where he decides to Park.

Either of these teams will be well over the talent level of most teams as they are today should he play .
I would assume that he would chose between the 2 because of the talent they both offer and Forsberg would then be able to play the game as he sees fit. Meaning he could play at a moderate level until needed.

What a weapon he would add to the Nucks but out here in the east no Rumour exists of his desire or preference.
This is mostly media hype and bears not truth.

Well, most rumors I have heard seem to indicate that Forsberg would like to play with a contender that has a lewgtimate shot at the Cup.

As it stands very very early, taht wouldn't seem to include the Canucks but most definately would include the Sens and Wings both of whom have Swedes on their teams.

We keep hearing he'd be great with Naslund and that would put us over the top. But where would he put the Sens or the Wings.

Can you imagine a line of Zetterberg, Datsyuk and Forsberg or moving parts of Heatley, Alfredsson, Spezza and Forsberg.


If I was Foppa, I think I would choose one of those destinations unless I had a great desire to play alongside and help naslund, (et al our Swedes) win a Cup.

Each day that passes I think less and less of the possibility of Forsberg landing here or maybe that's just my way of preparing for the disappopintment that I think is coming.

Could not agree more. One more thing to keep in mind is the travel schedule. An eastern based club will be much easier on him than will Vancouver. I would love to see him here but like you i fear the disappointment.

One could only hope

So not fair if he goes to Detroit or Ottawa

Well, he is being very secretive. The one statement he has made is that he has not ruled out any NHL team, which is probably not true. I'm sure there must be a handful that he'd never consider.

There are supposedly about a dozen NHL teams that have contacted him. Judging from the media it would seem that Ottawa and Detroit are front runners, but Philly and Colorado have also been mentioned, and are logical options if he wants to reunite with some friends. Gagne was visiting him at his home this summer. Shrug.
I believe Vancouver would be an option if they seemed a contender. At the moment I'm not sure they are very convincing...

Anyway, I really have no idea where he'll end up. Playing three games vs Russia, Finland and the Czechs will be a great opportunity to showcase what he has got, and if things look good I'm sure he'll sit down and discuss details with some NHL GM right away, so it's not impossible we'll know his decision before the end of November.

I'd love to see him play in Vancover, but I'm afraid we may not be top of the list for him right now.
We'll just have to cross our fingers and hope his loyalty with fellow Modo alumni Näslund, Sedin and Sedin wins out.

Translated an article:

First Karjala – then the NHL
A Foppa longing for vindication – the NHL scouts will come

Peter Forsberg will make his long awaited comeback on prime time.
With #21 on the back of a Three Crowns jersey, live on good old SVT.
It doesn’t get better than this.

Live sports history where millions of people get the opportunity to see Foppa’s first strides back toward the NHL.

I would have liked to see Bengt-Åke Gustafsson’s face when he answered his cell phone with Foppa on the line. A world class superstar calling in person to ask if he can participate in Karjala Cup. That has never happened before.

A tournament that normally is a yawn nobody cares for is suddenly red hot.
Not just in Sweden but across the Atlantic as well.

I can guarantee that NHL scouts will fill an entire section during the three games in Jönköping and Helsinki. Just to watch one man play. That’s how hot Foppa is over there. And especially a healthy Foppa.

Just that he’s doing this shows that his foot surgery this summer finally went well.

Leif Swärd and his team of Gothenburg doctors have saved many a career. It was he who finally rid Christian Olsson of the foot problems that kept him out of the triple jump pit for nearly two long years. And it was he who got Wayne Rooney’s foot in order for the last World Cup. And now Foppa who criss-crossed the North American continent to visit foot specialists last season.

No setbacks in practice
If there is one thing I’ve learnt it’s that feet seems to be an athlete’s most complicated body parts. Loads of tiny bones, yarns of tendons and bursae that can’t wait to get inflamed and sore. A knee is child’s play in comparison.

But now Foppa’s foot seems to be whole and several weeks of practice with Modo has not caused any setback of any kind from what I understand. Thus time for the next step.

The national team is a life saver for Foppa since he cannot play in any European league. That would close the door to the NHL this season. And thus it is true what I’ve stated all along:
Foppa’s goal is is not to play in Modo in the SEL, it is to get back to the NHL and win a third Stanley Cup.

After a couple of tough NHL seasons he wants to show what he’s really about.
He wants revenge.

I thought he’d be back n the NHL some time after Xmas, but if he does well in the three games of Karjala Cup I have a hard time finding any reason why he should wait that long.

I believe in Ottawa
The question where he’ll play is harder. It will of course be for a team he believes has a good chance to bring home the Stanley Cup. I’ve all along believed it will be Ottawa, because it is the right size of town and not as fanatical about hockey as Toronto or Montreal. And in my eyes the best NHL team there is right now.

The next question is who he’ll play with at Karjala Cup. Bent-Åke Gustafsson has of course already decided this, but is silent as always.
One possibility is on a line with Russian pro Nils Ekman and a rightshooter like Fredrik Warg or Patric Hörnqvist.
I doubt that Bengt-Åke would want to plit the new radar duo Tony Mårtensson/Mattias Weinhandl. Otherwise Weinhandl worked really well next to Foppa during the lockout season in Modo (where btw Warg also got some ice time with Foppa early on).
But we’ll just have to wait and see. Bengt-Åke tends to surprise but usually gets it right.

Mats Wennerholm
Aftonbladet 2007-10-30