Tre Kronor and Sam Hallam started the season as winners with a 3-1 victory over the Czech Republic on Thursday in Ängelholm in the Finnish Euro Hockey Tour tournament.
In contrast to last season when most things went against the national team.
The losses were stacked up in the Euro Hockey Tour, Tre Kronor missed the final in the star tournament Four Nations and the home World Cup ended with a bronze medal after the Swedes were eliminated in the semifinals against the USA.
So it's a season of revenge.
“Built a relationship”
Then Sam Hallam says goodbye after four years and returns to club hockey and a well-paid coaching job at the top Swiss club Genève-Servette. Although it was his own choice, he feels a certain sadness.
"We have built a relationship with a lot of players and feel proud to represent Tre Kronor. It is sad to leave the group of players," says 46-year-old Hallam.
His successor will be Rikard Grönborg, who achieved success with two straight World Cup gold medals in 2017 and 2018.
Surprised he's coming back?
No, I could be attracted by the same trip. Rikard has been involved in club team activities and has done well for a number of seasons, he is probably an even better coach now than when he was in Tre Kronor last time, says Hallam about Grönborg, who since leaving the national team has spent four seasons in Switzerland and three in Finnish Tappara from Tampere.
“The hockey family is small”
Tre Kronor will play their two remaining matches in the Finnish tournament (on Saturday against Switzerland and on Sunday against Finland) in Tampere.
"I'll probably send a text message and see if he's in town. We usually try to see each other, if you're there you try to see each other, the hockey family is small," says Hallam.
With the NHL players back in the Olympics, Hallam will be working with two parallel national teams during the season, an NHL national team and a European-based one.
Something he also got to try last year.
"While we are trying to give this week one hundred percent effort, it is clear that the Olympics are there daily. I also have Alexander Steen and Josef Boumedienne there who are only working towards the Olympics," says Hallam.
He was on an eleven-day scouting trip to North America a couple of weeks ago and will be taking another turn in January.
The first six players in the Olympic squad were presented in June and the rest of the squad will be announced in early January.
November 3–9: Finland Hockey Games (Ängelholm/Tampere). Matches: 6/11: Czech Republic (Ängelholm) 3–1, 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).
15–31 May: WC (Zurich/Fribourg).
