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Sweden vs. Europe: When national tradition meets a made-up team

TORONTO, ON - SEPTEMBER 19: Zdeno Chara #33 of Team Europe celebrates a second period goal while playing Team Czech Republic during the World Cup of Hockey at the Air Canada Center on September 19, 2016 in Toronto, Canada. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
TORONTO, ON - SEPTEMBER 19: Zdeno Chara #33 of Team Europe celebrates a second period goal while playing Team Czech Republic during the World Cup of Hockey at the Air Canada Center on September 19, 2016 in Toronto, Canada. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)

TORONTO – Team Europe coach Ralph Krueger says when he walks into their locker room, “I don’t see any flags.” Just members of several different nations, playing together in an international hockey tournament for a common goal.

This is, of course, in stark contrast with their opponents in the World Cup of Hockey semifinals on Sunday afternoon, whose locker room is adorned with a large Swedish flag and whose players proudly wear the Tre Kronor, even as they strive for the same goal.

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This is the difference between playing for Sweden, a traditional hockey powerhouse, and Team Europe, a team which, in ‘hockey years,’ was basically invented five minutes ago. This is the difference between playing for a nation whose medals are expected to match the gold of their uniforms, and a team the NHL invented because Slovakia would have been demolished in the World Cup and because Anze Kopitar of Slovenia had to get into this tournament somehow.

Where the differences end is in the World Cup standings: Despite their disparate pedigrees, Sweden and Team Europe are both one win away from facing Canada in the best-of-three final round next week.

And, in a roundabout way, they have each other to thank for that opportunity.

***

Sweden and Europe met in the final exhibition game before the World Cup, a Wednesday night affair in Washington, DC.

Europe had been together for roughly a week and a half. The team was created so that players that weren’t from the European hockey nations represented in the tournament – Russia, Sweden, Finland and the Czech Republic – had a chance to participate in the World Cup. It was a team of Slovaks and Swiss, of Germans and Danes, and of a Slovenian, a Norwegian, a Frenchman and an Austrian.

“All of these countries play each other while Sweden, Finland, the Czechs and Russians have their own little party going on. We tried to upset the big boys when we could,” said coach Ralph Krueger, who used to coach the Edmonton Oilers and the Swiss national team.

What the coach saw immediately from his team was an enthusiasm to compete in the World Cup. Some of his players had an advantage in preparedness, having recently competed in Olympic qualifying games. But all of them had an appetite to seize an opportunity that wouldn’t otherwise be presented to them: To play in the World Cup, and to play on a team that was infinitely more talented than their own national teams.

“Coming from Norway, we wouldn’t have a chance to be in this tournament without this [team],” said Mats Zuccarello of the New York Rangers.

What Krueger didn’t see right away was how the team needed to play. After two straight exhibition losses to Team North America in which they were skated out of the building, their system was tightened to a more defensive style, and the results were there against Sweden: a 6-2 win in which Team Europe preyed upon mistakes and actually chased goalie Henrik Lundqvist.

“At the end of the day, it was good that we played those young kids. I think they gave us some lessons,” said Marian Hossa of Slovakia. “We knew we had to play at a different level, a different speed. And when we beat Sweden, there was a different confidence in our games. We started understanding the system, and we played way better defensively.”

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Getty Images

But it was a lesson for Sweden as well.

Not only did they take Team Europe too lightly – ask Team USA about the folly of that decision – but the loss was a reminder that Sweden’s opponents are only going to be as good as Sweden allows them to be.

“As I said after the game in Washington, it was good to lose like we did, instead of playing the way we did and maybe losing a close game. They have a really good team over there. A lot of experience. And they’re an NHL team, which is different than playing, say, Russia or Finland,” said center Henrik Sedin.

“That’s why we were successful against Russia and Finland. We didn’t make mistakes. That maybe was a problem against North America, where we made some mistakes again.”

Well, in fairness, it was only about two minutes’ worth of mistakes at the start of the first period, when the under-23s scored twice and earned a penalty shot.

“No, you’re right,” Sedin said, with a laugh, “but it almost cost us.”

The Team North America win was a confidence-builder for the Swedes. “The start of that game was something I’ve never seen before. It was good for us that we showed we could come back,” said defenseman Victor Hedman. “We have a lot of character on this team. We don’t fold.”

***

Building character can happen in different ways.

For Sweden, it’s a tradition passed down through the generations. The 1994 team that won the Lillehammer Olympics had veterans like Mats Naslund and Hakan Loob passing the torch to Peter Forsberg; his generation saw players like Mats Sundin and Nicklas Lidstrom, who then passed the torch to players like Henrik and Daniel Sedin, who helped lead Sweden to gold in 2006.

“The Olympics, in 2006 … just be around those guys, how they handle those games, how relaxed they were. There wasn’t a lot of talking before games. Everyone prepared their own way and were super professional,” said Henrik Sedin.

“We were so used to being the youngest guys, looking up to the oldest guys – Lidstrom, guys like that – and now we’re those guys, who can be around the younger guys who are now stars in this league.”

Character is assumed in the Swedish locker room. The Team Europe locker room has it too, but without the ritualistic torch passing. Because, again, in ‘hockey years’ this team is about five minutes old.

Like Sweden, there are veterans. There are rookies. There are many voices, all speaking the same language. But while Sweden’s goal is building on a dynasty of great teams, Europe is like most NHL teams in that it isn’t beholden to history. These players are attempting to create one for themselves.

“I feel like I’m in an NHL locker room. It’s a mix of nations,” said forward Tomas Tatar. “Like in Detroit, there’s many nations. Our main language is English. So when someone needs to speak, it doesn’t matter if you’re young or experienced. Whoever feels like they need to say something, we’re all giving each other a lift.”

But some voices are louder than others. When Zdeno Chara speaks, you listen. When Anze Kopitar speaks, you listen. These are NHL captains and Stanley Cup champions. But Tatar said the important thing for Team Europe is that everyone has a voice.

“Obviously, there are guys that are more experienced, and you’d rather they’re talking. But like I said, there’s great guys. They know that someone else saying something is going to help the team, too. We have leaders, but everyone is on the same level,” he said.

***

The World Cup of Hockey was structured with two things in mind: Getting a Canada vs. USA game in the preliminary round, and then with the potential to have them meet again in the final; and putting Sweden and Canada in opposite groups, so they too could potentially meet in the final. When the Americans went 0-3-0 and Sweden went 2-0-1, the path to a Canada vs. Sweden rematch from the Sochi Olympics gold medal game seemed fairly clear.

The only bump in that road: Team Europe, who has relished the role of, well, being the bump in the road.

“We’ve been underdogs pretty much the whole tournament,” said goalie Jaroslav Halak.

Krueger said it goes beyond that. “These are nations that are forever underdogs, forever going home, forever watching other teams play in the finals of best on best tournaments,” he said, “that fueled the fire.”

Sweden, for its part, now smells the smoke. They took Team Europe lightly once, and vow not to do it twice in the World Cup.

“We knew that from day one. They had a solid lineup. They’ve been playing better and better as this process has gone on. There’s not going to be any underestimation there,” said defenseman Erik Karlsson.

As the World Cup semifinals end, one of these two traditions will continue: That of Sweden, whose players grow up dreaming of wearing the sweater of their nation in a tournament like this; or that of Team Europe, a team creating its legacy out of whole cloth.

One team that’s the latest incarnation of an enduring legacy; another team whose very existence could end when its World Cup run does.


Greg Wyshynski is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Contact him at puckdaddyblog@yahoo.com or find him on Twitter. His book, TAKE YOUR EYE OFF THE PUCK, is available on Amazon and wherever books are sold.

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