After seven seasons in North America – 172 NHL games for Anaheim and Ottawa and 252 games in the AHL – he chose to move back to Europe and play in Switzerland and Rapperswil-Jona for last season.
But it was only six games before a blow to the SC joint meant surgery and six months of convalescence. By then, the injuries had succeeded each other after the move.
It started in the preseason with my groin, then I got a hamstring injury that kept me out for two weeks, then I had to have surgery on my SC joint, it was a tough season, he says after a training session with Tre Kronor.
Unusual injury
The SC joint is where the collarbone and breastbone join together.
"It's a fairly uncommon injury," the doctor said. "Most often it's the AC joint or you break your collarbone, but I was unlucky because the SC joint is difficult, you have to have surgery, you can't tape it, you have to have surgery and it has to grow back together, so it was six months of rehab," he says.
So the joy of being back on the ice is palpable. There have been 11 points (5 goals + 6 assists) in 22 games with the top team Rapperswil-Jona so far.
Jacob Larsson had his breakthrough in Frölunda where he won a Swedish championship and two Champions League titles before moving to Anaheim, who drafted him in the first round.
Four from the little club
He is from Småland, from the hockey nest of Ljungby, and has Troja as his parent club. A total of four players in the men's and women's national teams, both of which are based in Ängelholm during the week, come from there – in addition to Larsson, also goalkeeper Arvid Holm, Rögle, and forwards Linus Johansson, Färjestad, and Thea Johansson, University of Minnesota-Duluth.
Not bad for a city with a little over 28,000 inhabitants.
"It's awesome, fun for Troja and Ljungby. It's a small town, all my friends played hockey growing up, there's not much else to do," he says.
When he makes his national team debut on Thursday night against the Czech Republic, it will be with his parents in the stands.
It's an hour from Ljungby, so mom and dad are coming down. It's going to be fun, I'm really excited. It's an honor to play for Tre Kronor and represent your country, he says.
Goran Sundberg/TT
Facts: Men's national team season
TT
November 3-9: Finland Hockey Games (Ängelholm/Tampere). Matches: 6/11: Czech Republic (Ängelholm), 8/11: Switzerland (Tampere), 9/11: Finland (Tampere).
December 8-14: Swiss Hockey Games (Zurich).
February 6-22: Olympics (Milan).
April 27-May 3: Czech Hockey Games (Jönköping/Czech Republic).
May 4-10: Beijer Hockey Games (Ängelholm).
May 15-31: WC (Zürich/Fribourg).
