SHL Spotlight: Marco Kasper

For many, English would have been the obvious choice heading into an interview with a pretty rapid speaking Swedish hockey writer. Apart from the fact that Marco Kasper, 17, prefers to do it all in Swedish. And it's easy to see why. Although he's only lived in the country since the start of the 2020-21 season, there's not a hint of an accent to his Swedish.

"I began studying Swedish back home in Austria a few months before leaving for Sweden. When I got here, I went to school and tried to speak the language as much as possible. I think I’m doing fairly well", he explains.

The Team

Already in his first season in Sweden, Marco Kasper made his SHL debut, playing ten games. This season he's played north of 20 games already and he's got six points to his name. Mind you, he's also played six U20 games, notching seven points. Coming into the Rögle organization wasn't really out of the blue. And Sweden isn't all that new to Marco Kasper.

"I played in Klagenfurt back home in Austria and we played a few times against Swedish teams; Malmö, Rögle, Frölunda and so on" he explains. "And about two years ago, I got the opportunity to go to Rögle to play and it’s been a dream of mine since I was a small child to go and play in Sweden. I’ve been here for hockey camps almost every year since I was about seven or eight years old, so I’m really happy to play for Rögle."

Rögle is making their name in Swedish hockey for seeing the person behind the role, a fact stated a few times by Chris Abbott (general manager) and Cam Abbott (coach). And the locker room seems to live up to that standard.

"Everyone can talk to anyone, we’ve got a great atmosphere on the team. But in the locker room, I sit next to Dennis Everberg. I can ask him all kinds of things regarding small plays out there; puck battles. I can ask Adam Tambellini on how to improve my shot. Stuff like that. " Kasper says.

When we talk, the SHL has just begun its Christmas break, resuming play on December 26th, but for Kasper, the World Juniors Championship awaits. All in all, things are going well for the young Austrian.

"It’s going to be great fun to go to World Juniors over Christmas. It’s coming along nicely with Rögle as well. We got the win against Skellefteå and we’re in the top of the league. It’s great fun", he says.

The League

Having played against Swedish opposition every now and then, and as well as going to camps, some stuff wasn't exactly new to Kasper. Which is maybe why he gives a thorough answer when asked about the game in Sweden in general, and specifically the SHL.

"In Sweden, the game is a lot quicker. There are many really good players here and the level of play in the U18 and U20 hockey is really high. Last year, I got the opportunity to play in the SHL and here everybody plays a great system with structure and speed. A lot of players are very skilled. It’s really fun to play in the league, against high-skilled players." he says.

How would you describe the style of play?

"I would say there’s a combination of speed and structure. To me, this is one of the best leagues in the world because not only of the offense but also the defensive side of things. You have to be skilled with the puck and keep your skating up to break through. Because teams are very structured."

In talking to different players coming into the league, I've found that the common thing that the D-men notice is the quickness needed to avoid the forecheck. What's been the biggest thing for you?

"I think the biggest thing for me to adapt to has been to be able to play a lot without the puck. Because if you’re up against a very structured team you have to just chip the puck out if they are solid in preventing breakouts. That’s been a bit of a learning experience, I’d say. The smartness. "

The Player

Over the years, 18 players born in Austria have played in the SHL before Kasper. And hockey soon became his sport of choice. Why?

"It’s a very high paced sport. It’s the fastest team sport in the world and I really like that you have to battle hard and yet you have to be so skilled on skates and with the puck. You get very close to the action. It’s really fun", he says with a laugh.

His dad, Peter, played for quite a few years. Apart from one season with the Florida Everblades, Peter Kasper spent his career in Austria. And thanks to him, Marco Kasper came in contact with hockey at a young age.

"My dad played and I went on the ice for the first time when I was 2,5 years old. When we moved back to Klagenfurt, I started playing for their organization and I’ve been playing ever since. I also played football (soccer) and tennis. But hockey got the upper hand."

At the time of the interview, Kasper is just days away from travelling to the World Junior Championship. And with quite a lot of hockey still to be played this season, Kasper remains focused, but in the summer there will indeed be an NHL Entry Draft to keep an eye on. But when asked about it, he remains calm.

"I don’t focus on the NHL Entry Draft or stuff like that. I just focus on Rögle and what’s here and now. But of course, a young player like myself, does dream about perhaps getting the chance of playing in the NHL at some point. But right now? My focus is fully on Rögle and try to develop my game each and every day."

It is not hard to see why, in the 24 games he has played in the SHL, Kasper has scored four goals for seven points in total while averaging 11:32 minutes per game. The first goal is always special, and Kasper is quite fond of the memory.

"When I scored my first goal, it was really fun. There were a few other guys who also scored their first. It was against Leksand, a game we won. It was a great feeling to score and now I’ve scored three more goals. And it’s always nice to score."

Our talk is nearing the end and while the eventual NHL life is far off, there's one more question to be asked.

Is there a player you watch a little extra?

"I like watching Nathan MacKinnon. He’s an explosive player with a great shot and a great stride and he’s really strong", he says.

Looking at his style of play, it's not hard to draw a few comparisons. One of the other three was a nice game tying goal at home to Linköping, where Kasper danced around the goal, came in on the left post from behind and buried a wrister behind Marcus Högberg. There and then it was hard not to see some MacKinnon-ish strides. Asked about the goal, he says:

"I think there’s just instinct. I’ve practiced a lot on stuff like that so during games, instinct just takes over."

Practice makes perfect. And Marco Kasper is well on his way.