The 2021/22 Champions Hockey League season begins later today and four-time champions Frölunda Gothenburg are ready for the tough test that awaits them in this season’s Group Stage, clutch forward Nicklas Lasu said.
Lasu, now 31 years of age, is a three-time CHL Champion having been part of Frölunda’s title winning teams in 2015/16, 2016/17, and 2019/20.
Frölunda emerged victorious in the last CHL game to be played, the 2019/20 Final against Mountfield HK, and the Mölndal native said that he was looking forward to his team's return to the European stage after a 16-month hiatus.
“It’s been a long time since we’ve played CHL games. The CHL has always been the kickstarter of the season for us, so we’re really excited for everything to start, hopefully with fans too, of course,” Lasu said.
Lasu has established himself as one of the premier two-way centres in Europe, a player who is equally good at both ends of the ice. He also has an inate ability to grab important games by the scruff of the neck.
In the 2016/17 Final, Lasu scored the overtime winner as Frölunda emerged victorious over Sparta Prague, cementing his name in history.
He also played a vital role in the Gothenburg club’s run to the 2019/20 CHL title, becoming the hero in Frölunda’s Round of 16 match up against Swedish rival Färjestad Karlstad.
Frölunda lost the first leg of the aggregate-score contest 6-3 on the road, setting up a nail-biting clash at the Frölundaborg.
With two periods in the books, Frölunda held a 4-2 lead on the night; still one goal behind on aggregate.
That all changed when Lasu netted his first goal of the night at 47:20. It would take him less than nine minutes to complete his hat-trick, turning the tie on its head and handing Frölunda a legendary victory.
According to Lasu, Frölunda’s long history of success in the Champions Hockey League means that many on the team have the belief that they can turn around any game, no matter the score.
“We have a good organisation and we have a couple of players who know how to win and how small the margins are to do it. In 2019/20, we came back several times in the Playoffs,” Lasu said, referring to the Gothenburg club's come from behind wins against EHC Biel-Bienne and Luleå Hockey in the Quarter-Finals and Semi-Finals, respectively.
Frölunda won their first CHL title in the 2015/16 season, one year after they squandered a 2-0 lead to lose the first ever CHL Final against Swedish rivals Luleå.
When asked for his views on why the Gothenburg club has been so successful in the Champions Hockey League, Lasu said that his team simply has the hunger and desire to win.
“We really want to win. I remember the first one we won. It was something special for so many guys because we had never won anything big before. We got a little feeling about how it felt to be a champion, and after that, it is something we now chase every year,” he said.
Frölunda’s performance in the SHL last season was, by their high standards, disappointing. The team finished seventh in the regular season table, and despite making it through the play-in, the Gothenburg side was swept by fellow CHL side Rögle Ängelholm in the playoff quarter-finals.
Lasu said that optimism was high in the locker room this offseason, adding that new signings such as goaltender Matt Tomkins and Czech forward Michael Špaček were fitting in well.
“We have some new guys and some ‘old new guys’ that we had before. It’s always a challenge to get everybody on the same page … We feel like we have a lot of energy, especially considering how everything ended for us last season. We will, of course, practice and be ready for the Champions Hockey League,” he said.
Perhaps the most notable of the “old new guys” rejoining Frölunda is four-time CHL Champion and the league’s top point scorer Ryan Lasch, who signed a three-year contract this offseason.
Along with Lasch, several of Frölunda’s top young players are looking to impress this season.
Simon Edvinsson, the sixth overall pick in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft, is likely to play a major role on the Gothenburg club’s blueline this season, and young forwards Karl Henriksson, Daniel Torgersson, and Elmer Söderblom are continuing to grow into their roles.
Lasu said that having the presence of long-time captain Joel Lundqvist in the locker room was a huge asset when it comes to helping Frölunda’s young talent adapt to the rigours of top-level professional hockey.
“I just look back on my own career. We had a guy like Joel Lundqvist at the start, and now we have maybe a couple of more experienced guys, and still have Joel on our side. It’s a benefit for us to have that core group and people, who in different ways, help the team. Hopefully it makes it easier for the younger kids to follow,” he remarked.
"We’re going to be ready when we play in the Group Stage"Nicklas Lasu
As Frölunda look to win a fifth CHL title, their road to the Playoffs will not be easy.
The Gothenburg club finds itself in a group with Swiss powerhouse ZSC Lions Zurich, returning Finnish giants IFK Helsinki, and BK Mladá Boleslav from the Czech Republic, a team that offers a stern test for any CHL club.
“We have an extremely big challenge in the Group Stage with three big teams, teams we have played before, but we know that we have to play our best to advance,” Lasu said.
Despite the challenge that lies ahead, Lasu said that he was once again looking forward to playing on the European stage, adding that Frölund will, most certainly, be ready.
“It’s exciting to play against other teams like we do in the Champions Hockey League. It’s going to be really nice to start everything and we’re going to be ready when we play in the Group Stage,” he concluded.