The national team captain of Three Crowns is heading to North America on Friday to prepare for the Four Nations.
He leaves a national team where he selected the players and has been following them during the week on home ground in Stockholm. To lead a star-studded team, the one that plays the major tournament Four Nations in Montreal and Boston.
Two Three Crowns who in a couple of months will become one in the home World Championship in Stockholm.
Considering the World Championship, it's optimal, we get the chance to work with double teams of high quality. Then it has required a lot of work, a lot of coordination, it has been some intense weeks, so it's damn fun that we're underway. Then it will be nice to get to North America and enter that bubble, he says.
"Has the capacity"
Three Crowns always go for the win.
So also now in Four Nations.
We know that we have the capacity, regardless of whether it's a Beijer, a World Championship, a Four Nations or the Olympic Games. Then we have respect for both the opponents and what is required of us, says Hallam.
History, however, speaks against Three Crowns. In the five Canada Cup and three World Cup tournaments played on North American soil, Sweden has never taken home the final victory.
Will you strike from behind?
If you're sober and fact-based and look at the number of players and practitioners, it's clear that Canada and now also the USA are about ten times larger than us. So that aspect exists, he says and continues:
But when you get to the competition, that aspect disappears. A player who earns 10 million dollars is not twice as good as one who earns 5. If we make sure to do the right things and push the margins to our side, there's a possibility.
Great World Championship interest
After the party in North America, a World Championship party awaits at home.
For the first time in twelve years, Three Crowns will play the World Championship in front of their home crowd. The last time, in 2013, it was gold.
Sam Hallam has, with regard to Four Nations, made more scouting trips to the NHL with his colleagues than usual.
He already promises a Swedish star team for the World Championship. The interest from NHL players is great.
I think we saw that already last year at the World Championship. Stockholm itself attracts a bit extra, but we had no problem getting top players from the NHL last year in Ostrava. I experience the same thing this year.
+ Ongoing: Beijer Hockey Games (Stockholm).
Remaining matches: Switzerland (Saturday, 16.00), Finland (Sunday, 16.00).
+ 13-21/2 Four Nations (Montreal/Boston).
Sweden's matches: 13/2 Canada (02.00), 15/2 Finland (19.00), 18/2 USA (02.00), 21/2 possible final (02.00).
+ 9-25/5 World Championship (Stockholm/Herning).
Sweden's group stage matches: 9/5 Slovakia, 10/5 Austria, 12/5 Finland, 14/5 Latvia, 16/5 Slovenia, 17/5 France, 20/5 Canada.
