“There have been many tough years”

John Klingberg in a big interview ahead of the Stanley Cup Final

NEW YORK. As recently as last summer, he was plagued by doubts about whether he would ever be able to resume his hockey career.

Now John Klingberg is getting ready for the Stanley Cup final with the stars of the Edmonton Oilers.

– It’s been a lot of tough years, I’m not going to laugh about that, so it feels really good to be here, the 32-year-old from Gothenburg tells Sportbladet ahead of the opening match against Florida.

All 40 young men who, at 2 a.m. tonight, Swedish time, will take to the ice at Rogers Place in Edmonton to begin this year’s Stanley Cup Final, have guaranteed a fascinating story about how they reached this high point in their lives.

But it is equally certain that none of them have had a more difficult journey in recent years than John Klingberg.

After eight years as one of the Dallas Stars’ most high-profile defensemen, there were disagreements over a new contract after the 2021-2022 season and he instead ended up with the Anaheim Ducks. Then a anything but fun spiral of trades, moves and injuries began – culminating in major hip surgery after just fourteen games with the Toronto Maple Leafs in the fall of 2023.

One of the exclamation points

When this season began, a long and arduous rehab was still underway, John had no contract and really couldn’t imagine that he would be playing in the Stanley Cup Final in June.

– No, I mostly sat there worrying about whether I would be able to come back or not, he says on the phone from his new hometown in western Canada.

– It’s been a lot of tough years, I’m not going to laugh about that. I’ve had to deal with a lot of different setbacks and bounced around with my family. So it feels really good to be here and get this chance again.

But “Burger” – who signed a one-year contract with the Oilers in January – is not just participating in hockey’s biggest spectacle. Since he, after even more injury troubles during the winter, took a place in the lineup during the opening round of the first playoffs against the LA Kings, he has been one of the big exclamation points on the defensive lines.

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– Yes, I think I played well. Before I came in against LA I had played 20 games in two years, so I’ve had to take it day by day and week by week, but the more I’ve played the better it has felt in my body, he continues.

– Then I have a slightly different role than I had before, but I still think I do as well as I can in that role.

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“I had a hard time moving”

Yes, the West Swedish skating virtuoso – over the years most noted for his offensive creativity – has above all shown that he is also really strong in the defensive game.

– But I almost always think I have been, I have had to refute many, he objects with a laugh.

– Although during my most difficult seasons, it was also a contract year and you got frustrated and tried to chase points here and there so that you could point to them in a contract negotiation. Then you had to make up for it on defense. In addition, my body went in the wrong direction, so I had a hard time moving. Now I can just focus on playing and I’m very grateful for that.

John is also grateful to have superstars Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl as teammates.

– To play the Stanley Cup final in Canada with the best players in the world… that’s a privilege few people have, he notes.

– At the same time, I think it’s really cool how this whole team works. McDavid and Draisaitl are absolutely our leading players both on the ice and in the locker room, but everyone is pulling in the same direction everywhere. It’s a really well-rounded team.

Who are looking for revenge this year. And so is John. He was not there and lost the finals to Florida last spring, but he was against Tampa in 2020, with Dallas in the peculiar Covid bubble.

– All I thought when we lost that game was “I hope I get another chance someday.”

Now that chance is here – after all.