Full disclosure: I had my stuff stolen while I was in Los Angeles for the NHL Draft. It's a slap in the face as a Vegas Golden Knights fan, specifically since I love traveling. How can I go home without my stuff in tow?
Luckily, I recovered most of my belongings from a rough moment and am ready for future travels. The moral of the story? Don't move to Los Angeles. Las Vegas is much better if you can handle triple-digit summers. Plus, it's less expensive by a mile, saving you money in places you never thought existed.
With that, I have my next hockey trip in mind: Sweden. Heck, let's throw in Denmark because why not? We're making this a Nordic trip, complete with Vikings, mead, and William Karlsson dancing. I can't wait for hockey season to roll around.
So let's look at what I want to do while I'm getting my inner Viking on (not from Minnesota). What do I look forward to while I'm watching hockey overseas? Why did I choose Sweden and Denmark to check out a hockey game? It's time to say, "Hej!" to William Karlsson and Jonas Rondbjerg!
Why I chose Sweden and Denmark for my first international hockey trip
The connections between Sweden and Denmark and the Vegas Golden Knights are fruitful. Obviously, you have Jonas Rondbjerg representing Denmark (he hails from Horsholm). For Sweden, William Karlsson hails from--you guessed it--Stockholm.
But they're not the only Golden Knights with connections to these two Nordic countries. Alexander Holtz comes from Saltsjo-Boo and Carl Lindbom hails from, well, Stockholm. Former Golden Knights winger Victor Olofsson is from Örnsköldsvik (try saying that 10 times fast).
Sure, these connections are primarily from Sweden. After all, the Nordic country has a distinct hockey advantage over its brethren in Denmark. However, Vegas is quite familiar with the best players from the cold land known as... Stockholm.
If you want to go one step further with Nordic countries, Tuomas Uronen comes from Kerava, Finland. He's been on another level as a Golden Knights prospect and expects to impact the organization in the future. Here's hoping he can bring some mead along the way.
So what exactly is in Stockholm to see?
Well, I'm glad you asked! This is why.
Do you notice the fans jumping up and down in the stands? The people dressed like they're at a Manchester United game, only indoors? That's what you're getting here, as the JetLag Warriors will tell you. It feels like Premier League action with all the bells and whistles, only on ice.
When will I go? I'm probably shooting for February when the Golden Knights action takes a break. It'll be a great time for me (and the fanbase) to take time off and relax. Why not check out Djugardens or Farjestad BK (i.e., Lindbom's old club) and jump in the stands with said fans at a Swedish Hockey League game?
If you ever get a chance to get out of the country, take it. It's worth checking out the hockey scene outside of the United States. That's what I learned when I went to Vancouver in April, as I got to try poutine (and became addicted to poutine). Now, let's get our axes and slay some dragons!