SHL SPOTLIGHT: LEO CARLSSON

Leo Carlsson might be young, but he’s played hockey for a long time already. In fact, he started playing when still at kindergarten.

– Both my dad and my older brother played hockey so I was on ice practicing a lot when I was young, Leo Carlsson says.

– I started really early, playing with kids two years older than me. It wasn’t until I was twelve or thirteen years I started playing with kids one year older, and during my U16 season I started playing with kids my own age.

Up until the U16 year Leo Carlsson had his dad, Kenneth Carlsson, as a coach. He says that his dad has meant a lot for him, but also praises another former player that he has had as a coach.

– Yeah, when I moved to Örebro I got Marcus Weinstock in J20, and he was very good to me, I developed a lot under him.

Moved to a rival team

Speaking of which, Leo Carlsson plays for Örebro, but grew up in Karlstad playing for Färjestad, a SHL rival to Örebro.

– Färjestad didn’t really give me a clear answer regarding their hockeygymnasium (the club hockey programme in cooperation with a high school) so I went to Örebro for a visit and really liked everything, Leo says. They had nice facilities, good coaches. School, housing and the hockey arena was all nearby. It felt so good that I decided to move there.

Örebro has not been known for developing talent on SHL level, the club is still regarded as a “newcomer” by some. But in recent years something has changed. Örebro now attracts hockey talents from all over the country and have great results on J18 and J20 level. They also get to reap the benefits of their talent pool on SHL level. Leo Carlsson is just one of many junior players who have impressed at the big stage.

– When I was younger I remember that Örebro wasn’t that attractive, but now the club is sending a lot of young players up through their own system to the SHL team and people notice that. A lot of young players out there wants to do that same journey, Leo explains.

So, with his insight in Örebro’s player development, who is the next gem to come out of the Örebro talent pool and make an impression in the SHL?

– Well, I haven’t watched the juniors that much this year to be honest, he laughs, but one guy I really like is Alexander Zetterberg. He scores a lot of points and is still very young, that is impressive.

Sees himself as a center

If you type “young player” and “scores a lot of points” on Google, you would probably get an image of Leo Carlsson. The 17 year old is off to a great start on this SHL campaign, scoring ten points (2+8) on his first 12 games. That’s third best on the team. Some people say that his remarkable stats are expected, after having impressed already last season.

– It was amazing to play in the SHL already last year. My first SHL game was Frölunda away, the first game after they removed all the restrictions due to covid, Leo says smiling. I was really nervous, but got in to it as the game went on.

– I remember that it was kind of hard to adjust to playing right wing after having played center in the juniors, but now I feel quite capable playing both wing and center. Never the less I feel that center is my most natural position and I think I will end up playing center, but right now I’m happy for any role in the SHL, he continues.

{!A}

We already mentioned that Leo Carlsson made the move from Färjestad to Örebro, and maybe it was just meant to be when he scored his very first SHL goal against – Färjestad.

– It was kind of a weird goal, I made a spin around and took a quick wrist shot, but barely realized it went in, he laughs at the memory. At that very moment it wasn’t that special, but afterwards it feels like something I will remember for the rest of my life. Scoring my first professional goal in Karlstad, in front of friends and family, was really nice.

Praised – but not pressured

There was quite the hype around Leo Carlssons name already last season, but that has escalated this year. Some of the hype has actually come from his own GM, Stefan Bengtzén. In a podcast Bengtzén praised Carlsson, saying he was the most talented player he had ever seen.

– It’s fun to hear those things, Leo says. I don’t think it’s hard to stay humble, I just get confidence from hearing it. It means I’m doing something right.

He sure is. Not only the points, but the maturity of his game has made heaps of NHL scouts travel to Behrn Arena to watch him play. At some games there’s been twenty scouts following his every move.

– Fortunately, I have no idea if there are twenty or zero scouts at the games, Leo laughs. But I don’t think too much about it, even though I know there’s more pressure on me this year than last year.

Many rankings have Leo Carlsson top five in the upcoming NHL Draft, even though very few have him as number one. And maybe there is a good explanation for that.

– Yeah Connor Bedard will most likely go as number one, there’s not much to talk about, Leo says. I actually played against him when he played a few games in the Swedish J20 league and he’s insanely good.

Has grown physically and mentally

One of the reasons Leo Carlsson has looked so at home at the SHL level this season, is that he has grown – but not only physically.

– No, I think I’m more mature mentally also. All work in the gym this summer has made me a faster skater, but I also make faster decisions on the ice, which is as important for the success I’ve had so far, he explains.

{!B}

In the process of becoming a professional hockey player you don’t just need to work hard on the ice and in the gym. You also need to eat right, sleep right and, well, live right.

– I’m getting better at that, Leo laughs. When I first moved away from home I didn’t cook that much food for example. It really helps that we get lunch at the rink every day after practice.

Besides his unusual hockey skills, Leo Carlsson is pretty much like any seventeen year old kid. When he’s not playing hockey or studying, he likes to play computer games with his friends or watch Champions League games, preferably with his favourite team Manchester United.

– But they haven’t played good for the last years. And even though they are rivals, I really enjoy watching Erling Haaland play in Manchester City, he is on a different level.

If Leo Carlsson reaches those levels in his career is yet to find out. First of all he has a promising SHL season, a junior world championship and an NHL Draft to look forward to. Not every seventeen year old can say that, after all.