Proud moment for Borgström’s parents
Center adds more talent to position
SUNRISE — On Saturday evening, in section 105, row15 of the BB&T Center, Kim Borgström unlocked his iPhone to make a phone call. To do so, he looked past a pair of images barely a week old, one installed as his lock screen, the other as his background. One photo originated from Ottawa; the other, from Sunrise.
Both were of his son, Henrik Borgström, the Florida Panthers’ floppy-haired, longarmed top prospect who joined the team two weeks ago. Kim and his wife, Sari, were finishing a week-long trip from Helsinki to South Florida to watch Henrik play in the NHL, a journey complete with a trip to see the alligators in the Everglades and a jaunt to the beach.
But they hadn’t seen Henrik play in any of the first three games of Florida’s final homestand of the season, as coach Bob Boughner opted to sit him as a healthy scratch. When Kim and Sari arrived at the BB&T Center ahead of the Panthers’ 4-3 win over Buffalo on Saturday, they were hopeful he would play, but unsure of his status.
During warmups, Henrik skated with Florida’s third line. Kim was unconvinced. But once
warmups ended and the playing rosters were finalized, Henrik’s name was on Florida’s. Kim needed to make a phone call to Finland. It was 6:55 p.m. in Sunrise and 1:55 a.m. in the Borgströms’ native Finland.
“I have to wake upmy brother and Niki’s brothers, too,” Kim shouted.
To family and friends, Henrik is known as Niki.
For Kim and Sari, the occasion was a special one.
The last time they watched Henrik play in person was five weeks prior while hewas still in college at Denver. Henrik played two seasons with the Pioneers, becoming one of the best players in college hockey after hewas drafted in the first round by the Panthers in 2016 with the 23rd pick. In 77 NCAA games, Henrik had 45 goals and 50 assists, and he was one of three finalists for the Hobey Baker Award given to the best college hockey player.
A lot changed in the 35 days since his parents watched Henrik face Miami (Ohio) in Denver’s final series of the regular season. His dreams of back-to-back national championships were dashed with a NCAA tournament loss. He chose to leave college after his sophomore season and signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the Panthers. Hemade his NHL debut three days later. Then he waited to introduce himself to the Panthers faithful at home. He did on Saturday. As Henrik walked through the bright red lights and manufactured fog in the corner of the rink, Kim rose out of his seat. He pressed record on his phone to capture the moment that he would finally see his son play in theworld’s best league.
“He is our baby,” Kim said. “It’s a big honor to see him there.”
Henrik didn’t always draw scouts’ attention. When he was 15 years old, he measured just 5 foot 5. In the next two years, he sprouted up to 6 foot 3. But the growth spurt was too rapid for Henrik’s body and he suffered through back problems. He couldn’t play hockey for three months as his draft stock withered, and he was restricted to biking to stay in shape. He went undrafted in 2015, the first year hewas eligible to be selected.
The next season, when Henrik played for HIKF’s U-20 team in the Finnish junior league, things were different. Kim estimated 120 scouts came to see Henrik. He finished with 29 goals and 26 assists in 40 games in a season that truly opened Kim and Sari’s eyes to Henrik’s potential.
Henrik’s talent was apparent through his childhood. Along with his younger brothers Linus and Axel, he would play floorball nearly every day. He carried a mini stick around the house to work on his stick-handling. He watched TV with a stick in his hand. He copied moves from NHL players he saw on YouTube.
Henrik would even beg his parents to get him his own skates.
“When hewas two years old, every morning, I would read the newspaper and hewas with me,” Sari said. “Every page I turned, he said ‘Mom, when’s dad going to buy me by own Bauers?’ ”
With the expectations placed on Henrik, it can be tough to remember he’s a 20 year old who is just two weeks into his new job. A month ago, he was a college student who called hometo Europe sparingly. Nowhe’s a NHL player who retreats to his hotel room to watch “Friends” reruns and Liiga games.
Before he scored his first NHL goal Sunday in Boston, Henrik acknowledged that he needed to adjust to the NHL.
“Guys are bigger, stronger,” Henrik said. “During faceoffs and things like that, you just got to be more ready all the time and tougher on your stick and stuff like that.”
Kim and Sari were not concerned about the massive expectations placed on Henrik, who earned the nickname The Artist during college because of his creativity with the puck. The Panthers are counting on him to add scoring depth and fatten the franchise’s glut of skilled centers behind Aleksander Barkov and Vincent Trocheck.
“I know he’s going to do his best,” Kim said. “I have seen two, three times when he has went to new teams, it just takes him three games, five games, maximum 10 games, and he’s good. He gets relaxed.”
As the first period of Saturday’s game wound down, Henrik hopped on the ice to take an offensive zone draw for Florida. About 200 feet away, Kim sat in section 105, row 15 and leaned in.
“It’s a little weird to see your son down there.”