Blomquist is the head goalie coach at the hockey high school in Luleå and is in charge of the club's junior goalies, working closely with Gusten Törnqvist, head of the men's team.
After her own playing career, she has worked at the SM-gold club for 14 years, and for four years she trained first Filip Gustavsson, 27, and then Jesper Wallstedt, 23.
From high school hockey to the A team, on to the NHL and now to the star-studded Olympic tournament in Milan.
"That's what I find fun, trying to find the talents and qualities that are interesting when they are very young and all the way up. To raise them both as goalkeepers and a little bit into people with sensible values and priorities," she says.
The only woman
Linda Blomquist is one of the few women who is a goalkeeper coach - but in Luleå two out of three are female as Maria Omberg is responsible for the women's team.
She herself shrugs her shoulders a little over the fact.
"Right now I'm the only one (in Sweden) working on the men's side. I think it's a bigger deal for everyone else than for us; my goalkeepers probably don't think about it," says Blomquist.
Just over a week ago, Linda Blomquist was in Minneapolis with Törnqvist and greeted her mentees, who are now one of the NHL's hottest goaltending pairs on one of the league's top teams.
"We have a collaboration with the goalkeeper coach there, watched the training and have spent time with Filip and Jesper," she says.
“Good place in life”
What shape will they be in for the Olympics?
"They are in good shape and in a good place both in life and in the team. They had a streak in the fall where they took turns keeping a clean sheet, since then the team has changed their game a bit, so they have had to concede a few more goals, but they continue to win and stick to their game. So it will be really exciting," says Blomquist.
They are competing both with each other and with New Jersey veteran Jacob Markström, 36, for the spot as the number one goalie for Tre Kronor in Milan. In terms of NHL statistics this season, Gustavsson and Wallstedt are just ahead of Markström.
Gustavsson played in the Four Nations last year and was a near-certain pick for the Olympic squad.
Found the flow this summer
Wallstedt has had his big breakthrough in the NHL after a tough season last year in the minor league AHL.
The recipe for finding the right form was to go up to Blomquist in Luleå this summer.
"Filip trains with us every summer, he's close to Skellefteå, and Minnesota's goalie coach knows that, so he suggested to Jesper that he go up too. We talked through what changes he wanted to make in his game, to find his way back to the basics a little bit and to the game that got him there," says Linda Blomquist.
Since then, success has been a fact.
Filip Gustavsson.
Age: 27.
Club: Minnesota.
Number of NHL seasons: Sixth.
Statistics this season: 35 starts – 20 wins – 90.7 save percentage.
Jesper Wallstedt.
Age: 23.
Club: Minnesota.
Number of NHL seasons: First.
Statistics this season: 23 starts – 14 wins – 91.4 save percentage.
Jacob Markstrom.
Age: 36.
Club: New Jersey.
Number of NHL seasons: 16th.
Statistics this season: 29 starts – 15 wins – 88.2 save percentage.
