Exit Interviews 2024-25: #32 Oskar Pettersson

With the 2025 Calder Cup Playoffs well underway and the Belleville Senators wading into the offseason, David Foot sat down with the players to reflect on a year filled with challenges, growth, and standout moments. In this exclusive series of year-in-review interviews, players open up about their personal journeys, team milestones, and what it meant to represent Belleville and the Bay of Quinte this season. From locker room highlights to on-ice battles, these conversations offer a behind-the-scenes look at the season that was — and a glimpse at what’s ahead.

Today, we catch up with forward Oskar Pettersson who just completed his first full professional season in North America, after joining the Senators late in the 2023-24 campaign:

DF: Just finished your first full year in the AHL after playing about 30 games near the end of last year. You played 67 games, or so this season, but how did you find your first full season in North America?

OP: It’s been fun. I feel like I’ve learned a lot throughout the year. Like you said, it was my first full year, so you never really know what to expect. It was tough with a lot of games and travelling, I feel like I’ve learned a lot about myself, but it was good.

DF: How did you find the travel and schedule? How did it compare to what you were used to back home in Sweden?

OP: It’s definitely a lot different. Back home, you play twice a week, there’s not as much travel, and you sleep in your own bed way more often than you do here. I think it was good for me to get a little taste of it last year, with those 30 games, and I had a bit of a clue what it was going to look like. But it is challenging. Playing Friday at home or somewhere else and then jumping on the bus right away to play Saturday is tough, but it’s something you’ve got to learn how to manage and will get easier with more experience.

DF: You had some highlights of the season, some spells of quieter production as well, but you finished on a really strong clip. How did you feel about your development on the ice this year?

OP:  I agree. I was happy with how I played the first 30 or 40 games, then had a stretch where I didn’t play as well as I wanted to and wasn’t getting points for a long time. But I’m just happy I found a way to bounce back at the end of the season, finish strong, play the way I wanted, and see some more pucks go into the net. It’s nice to have that feeling going into the offseason, finishing off on a strong note.

DF: And I suppose you’ve got a lot to learn outside of goalscoring and how to be productive in this league?

OP: Oh yeah, 100%. And, if you look at my role this year, maybe that wasn’t the main focus for me. It’s been more of having a strong two-way game, playing a lot on the penalty kill, which I take pride in, and playing a lot at centre, which I’ve never done before. This is the first time I’ve played centre in my whole life, so that’s been a challenge, and I’ve learned a lot of new things, but that’s part of growing as a player. I think I’ve learned a lot from accepting that challenge.

DF: Where will you spend your offseason?

OP: I’ll spend some time back home in Sweden, I’ve got a place there now, so just kind of catch up with family and friends. Then work out back home, probably take a vacation in Europe somewhere with some friends, or else just grinding it out other than that.

DF: Anywhere in particular on the itinerary? How do you pick your spots when you can travel Europe so easily?

OP: We’ve got some spots picked out, but I think Spain is at the top of the list.

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