Sens’ Claesson happy to be home
Fredrik Claesson is spending a lot of time playing tour guide in his hometown.
The Ottawa Senators defenceman grew up only 20 minutes from the Ericsson Globe, where the Senators will take on the Colorado Avalanche in back-to-back games this weekend. And he doesn’t live far from the rink when he comes home for the summer.
So he was happy to show a group of reporters where he grew up over a coffee on the club’s off-day.
“Now that we’re here, I’m super excited and it’s really fun to go back to see my family and friends and show you guys around Stockholm,” said Claesson.
Claesson has an apartment downtown where he makes his home when he’s not in Ottawa. He’s proud of Sweden’s capital city, which is why this excursion is all so special to him. He’ll head to his apartment Thursday and then focus on getting ready for the games.
This is the first time the NHL has ventured overseas at this time of year, and that’s why Claesson is so thrilled.
“It’s a great thing to play in Stockholm, especially for the kids, so they can see NHL hockey up close,” Claesson said.
He grew up playing the game and was a goalie when he was kid, but opted to become a defenceman because Claesson played on outdoor rinks, didn’t face many shots and got too cold. It was a crisp and cool Wednesday in Stockholm.
“When I was young, we were playing outside a lot. I started off as a goalie, but I was just freezing, so that’s why I quit playing goalie,” Claesson said. “But now I’m here (as a defenceman) and I’m happy.”
Of course, the six-hour time change hasn’t been easy for Claesson or his teammates. Coach Guy Boucher gave the players a day off so they could get to see the city, but also wanted them to try to get some rest because these are important games on the weekend.
The Senators held a team dinner near their hotel Tuesday night after their visit to the Canadian Embassy to end what had been a long travel day after taking a red-eye from Ottawa to Stockholm.
“It’s tough for them to fly over here, with the jet lag and stuff, but I think, at the end, they will appreciate it,” said Claesson.
There shouldn’t be any shortage of Claesson jerseys in the Globe on the weekend because he has to buy 25 tickets for friends and family.
“I don’t know the prices of the tickets yet, but there’s probably going to be a bunch of people in the stands that I know, so it’s going to be fun,” Claesson said.
He predicts there will be more Ottawa fans in the building.
“I could see more (Senators) fans because of (star defenceman Erik) Karlsson,” said Claesson. “He’s huge over here.”