2023-08-13 21:00:33
Friday noon, the Swedish goalkeeper leaves the Sensplex in Kanata following a long and rigorous training on ice. Sweat beaded on his forehead. He drags his leggings and his huge bag of equipment. He is surprised to find a journalist on his way.
“I feel very good,” he says.
“I completely trust my knees. I feel good. That’s what it is. I feel exactly like I felt before. I really have no cause for concern, ”he adds, when we allow ourselves to insist a little bit.
We allow ourselves to insist because we remember very well the last time we saw Forsberg on an ice rink. He was mostly seen leaving on a stretcher. It was later learned that he suffered torn ligaments in both knees in an incident involving teammate Travis Hamonic and Edmonton Oilers forward Zach Hyman.
It looks like Forsberg doesn’t want to think regarding it too much anymore.
“I can’t remember when I started skating once more. How old is the injury? It must be regarding 20 weeks. It was in March, right? I got injured at the beginning of March, I think.
It was more like mid-February.
“As I say, my memory is blurring, but who cares. I’ve been feeling good for quite a while. I didn’t rush to the rink, I took my time. Otherwise, I started training in the gym once more on the same date as usual. So I would say I had a very long and productive summer of training.”
The 30-year-old goalkeeper avoided serious injuries during the first decade of his career. He doesn’t remember ever having spent twenty weeks away from the rink. “It means that I have never been so enthusiastic, as a new season approaches.”
Son ami Korpi
For Forsberg, the challenge is clear. It must regain its winter 2022 form.
That year, he was – finally – offered the opportunity to play as the number one goaltender in the National League. He responded very well. In Ottawa, with a not very formidable team, he found a way to keep a record of 22-17-4.
He will have to prove himself once more while competing with a new partner. The Senators signed Joonas Korpisalo to a generous five-year contract last month.
“I don’t really care who my partner is. I know Korpi well. We have been teammates in the past. I would even go so far as to say that he is my friend”, comments Forsberg.
It’s true. Forsberg and Korpisalo grew up together as part of the Columbus Blue Jackets organization.
“Korpi is a very calm guy. A real good guy. He’s a good keeper, too. We were very close when we were teammates. We never lost contact. I was always happy to meet him, before and following our games once morest the Jackets.
The friendship between the two goaltenders is so strong that Forsberg worked to convince free agent Korpisalo to accept the Senators’ offer.
“I spoke to him often, in the weeks leading up to his signing. He had plenty of questions to ask. As always, I told the truth. He obviously liked what he heard, since he decided to join us,” he says, smirking.
Forsberg is sincere when he says he likes Ottawa.
“It’s a very good city for families. Korpi just had a baby. It counts. When you live in Ottawa, everything is pretty easily accessible. You are never far away. Car traffic is not too heavy. It does not compare to what we live in other big cities. It is not difficult to find good schools.”
“The working environment is nice, too. The people we meet in the locker room, the coaches, the equipment attendants…. Everyone is professional. Everyone understands the importance of family. My children often accompany me to the arena and they are always welcome. It seems important to me, too.”
Korpisalo asked regarding the harsh Canadian winters. Again, Forsberg only told the truth. “He is Finnish. I am Swedish. Like me, he’s used to the cold. For him, as for me, it’s not a huge problem.
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