SWEDEN BABY SWEDEN
Jason Strudwick
November 21 2011 11:25PM
Going into the offseason I thought it was pretty unlikely that I would receive a contract offer in the NHL.
That is the circle of life in the NHL.
Coming in as a rookie you kick someone off the end of the treadmill. With each year you get closer to the edge until you finally drop off. With alot of hard work I played longer than I could have dreamed.
BACK ACROSS THE POND
With my phone not ringing off the hook during the summer from teams looking to sign me to an NHL deal I knew this was going to be our opportunity to play in Europe again. My wife and I had already spent a year playing for Lugano in Switzerland.
We loved it and wanted to head back to Europe at the end of my NHL career.
The arrival of 2 babies slowed down our ability to take off in August like all the imports from North America do. We waited for them to get a little older before we took off. As I am writing this they are both sleeping as we fly over the Atlantic Ocean.
I am also proud to report that so far we haven't annoyed the other passengers with crying babies.
THE NEW TEAM
We are really happy we signed a contract with the Sodertajle Sportklubb - known as the SSK - in Sweden. Sodertajle is located just outside of Stockholm and that is the area we will be living in as well. It is a city of 86,909 people and recently "a report from the University of Gothenburg School of Business, Economics and Law ranks the Municipality of Södertälje as the region with the best conditions for enterprise and economic growth in Sweden."
Needless to say, I am looking forward to getting into some games and meeting my teammates.
I have never played or met a Swede I didn't like. Being surrounded by them should be alot of fun.
I will throw out updates and interesting stories here on OliersNation and on Twitter as the year goes on.
On a side note I've heard wild rumours that Swedish bikini models come from Sweden in some instances.
KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR THOSE
Have fun over there, Jason. Also, if SSK were assembled like an IKEA bookshelf, which piece would you be?
All the best Struds! Will miss you Fridays on 1260.
Aw, now I have to find some place where they will stream the SSK games. You bastard!
Have a good season in the SEL. Hope nothing but the best for ya! Kick MODO's ass
To one of the most class acts around. Best to you in Sweden.
I can locate those for you and mail you one, Wanye. It's because I Care™.
Perhaps your future is in some sort of NHL coaching position when your playing days are over... but I really enjoyed listening to you on the radio. Good luck.
I am moving to Stockholm in January for University. If I get the chance, I'll attend game and scream encouragement in English.
enjoy your time there struds and above all just have fun. i wish you were playing for the oil right now. they could really use your reliability at this point in time.
Congratulations, Struds. Run some punk through the boards in your first game and show them how we do in E-town.
Say hi to the Klef-Bomb!
Families moving are okay in my book to travel with newborns. Try get front row.
To everyone else who figured flying with a newborn is okay...
"Really? You are traveling with a newborn cuz you can? Really? We all get to listen to a crazed screaming kid, right behind us? Really?"
A Connecticut Yankee in king Aurthers Court(Mark Twain, 1889).This going to be fun. Kidding aside I hope that you'll do us proud and we'll look forward to some of those swedish anecdotes on Oilers Nation.
Our first international Nation writer. Cool. The Nation is going places.
In the future, please be so kind as to pull your head out of your ass when making comments about things you obviously know nothing about. Case and point, I travelled with my infant daughter accross Canada to introduce her to my elderly Grandmother. My Grandmother had recently been hospitalized with a myriad of health problems, and we knew that she'd likely not make the year. We spent a week, took thousands pictures ,and visited with Grandma as much as we could. She passed a month to the day that I returned home. FYI, my daughter never made a sound on either flight, but given the fact it would have bothered ignorant asses like yourself, I wish she'd have screamed the whole time.
Good luck Struds...Sodeljl%##@%lje will really benefit from the character you bring to the ice and the dressing room (if they can understand what you're saying). I've never been to Europe, so I guess one advantage a hockey player has on top of being paid to play the game they love, is the travel...it is unlikely I will ever be there, so soak it in and live it up for us rednecks in Alberta!
Congrats on the new contract and all the best to you and your family in your new home. Have a great season and I look forward to your updates.
You should open up a chain of Canadian furniture stores while you're there. Chesterfields upstairs, donuts and back bacon sandwiches in the restaurant.
Good luck, Struds. Have a great time over there. An elegant country with beautiful people.
The Argonaut sets sail!
Congrats on the contract and good luck with the relocation. Looking forward to hearing some great swedish stories.
Forget the bikini models, we're talking about the country that spawned Ingrid Bergman!!
http://www.imdb.com/media/rm2191235072/nm0000006
nuff said.
Best of luck to you :D Awesome you are on this blog.
A guys moves around the world so he won't have to put up with Gregor's narrow mindedness! What some people won't do! Good luck Jason to you and your young family.
Now Struds just needs to work his magic with Stu and land a full time Swedish scouting position. Find the Oilers the next Lidstrom will ya?
All the best Jason........you were an honest player who was always stood up for your peers.
I think you will be back.......play hard and I suspect someone will come calling!
Rama has spoken
Jason all the best to you and your family in Sweden! PS. the fight when you beat up Carcillo is one of my all time favorites.
Struds, you should be able to pick up some fashionable Euro clothing there and I am sure it will make Gregor green with envy!
Good luck to you and your family on the Great Swedish adventure! And thanks for your contributions to the Oil and the NHL over the years.
The town name here is priceless.
Had my first practice today. I think my legs got left somewhere over the Atlantic because they felt heavy today! The time change can be rough. Good group of guys and a very nice rink. The teams here is run just like an NHL team. There are trainers, a workout room and lots of practice time.
First game is tomorrow and I am hoping to play if all the paperwork gets completed. I watched our game Monday night and the fans are great. They chant the whole game! Be great to see that at rexall, makes for a exciting environment to play in.
No bikini models yet, but I will let you guys know!
Strud
Hi Jason,
Jake here. Big fan. Big fan.
Last year you spent a lot of time razzing the rookies and were in fact the tea leader in this category. With the adjustment to the style of play in Europe and the language barrier, do you think you'll be able to make the Swedish kids almost wish their mom was wiping their noses with spit and a tissue rather than answer your questions?
Thanks,
Jake.
"a report from the University of Gothenburg School of Business, Economics and Law ranks the Municipality of Södertälje as the region with the best conditions for enterprise and economic growth in Sweden."
Hmm, in that case you best be behind a Timmy's grand opening in Soderstrodderbotter(sp?). I'd miss that crack in a cup.
Kick some arse over there Struds.
Have a Timmy's in that furniture store Gerald R Ford suggested. Nickelback could play the grand opening, if they can fit it into their busy schedule. But then some Swedes would complain because Abba wasn't asked to play.
@Jason Strudwick
Thanks for the second update Struds.
You and Wanye should see if you can set up some kind of live stream of your games for the ON. I'm sure a lot of us would love to see you play and root on some Swedish Oil.
I wouldn't worry about the sluggishness, you are probably jet lagged and trying to readjust to the big ice surface after being away from Europe for a couple of years.
scaniarinken is a SUPER fun arena. watch for the folks in the standing-room-only section who will (no doubt) be the drunkest.
best !
Are you going to be playing at forward or D? All the best Jason, you are pure class.
Congrats!!sorry to see you go but glad for the new opportunity.knock em dead!
You get a pass as well. But only for your late great Grandmother and your daughter.
The rest of the world doesn't.
"...obviously know nothing about..."
What the,... Really?
Ignorant ass? Really? Buy a mirror...
Congrats man I am stoked you are playing cause everytime you wore the Oilers jersey I was stoked to see you in it....Whenever you fought I kinda laughed then thought wow that poor bastard that has to deal with your long reach
Welcome to Sweden and SSK!
SSK GO GO GO! Struds, good luck in SSK.
Good Luck Jason and Welcome ! To our loud hockey fans in AXA Sport Center = The Temple of hockey ;)
Can`t Wait to see yuo play !
Let the force be with you.
Welcome to Sweden and Sodertalje and good luck in SSK:)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KYuHheyugrk
Watch !
SSK golie Julius Hudacek show, after the great victory against The Malmö clowns.
Welcome Struds to Sweden and Sodertaljek SK!
I wish you and your family all the best and hope that you will love your new team and hometown.
I do wish I could be in AXA Sports Center this coming Saturday (Almtuna vs. SSK) and see you live when you enter the ice for the first time in your new home arena. But as a Swede living in the US, I’ll have to rely on today’s technology, internet.
Good luck Struds, and once again, welcome to SSK!
To all of you Struds fans. The official website to Struds new team is http://www.sodertaljesk.se Other good links are, http://alltomssk.se and http://www.sskoveralltalltid.se.