Pettersson ready to turn experience into opportunity

After spending the summer back home in Sweden, Belleville Senators forward Oskar Pettersson is ready to return to a city that has become increasingly familiar over the past few seasons.

The 22-year-old has spent the offseason reconnecting with family and friends while continuing to prepare for another year in the American Hockey League, but with training camp quickly approaching, the excitement of returning to Belleville is starting to build. For Pettersson, it’s been a fairly simple summer.

“It’s been a long one. I’ve been in Sweden the whole summer so I’m mainly just catching up with family and friends but also training a lot too. I also had a couple of trips in and around Sweden and up in Stockholm where I work out a lot.”

Pettersson’s summer has also included some memorable nights away from the rink. The Swedish forward attended concerts featuring Zach Bryan in Copenhagen and Luke Combs in Gothenburg, along with another popular Swedish artist. For him, disconnecting while having fun was key in what has been a busy stretch. While the summer has provided an opportunity to enjoy some time away from hockey, being with his family remains one of the biggest benefits. Like many European players who leave home at a young age to pursue hockey, Pettersson has become accustomed to spending much of the year away from his family. He left home at 14 and has now learned how to manage the distance, with his family also making trips to see him during the season.

“It’s obviously very special when you’re back home. Nine months is a long time but I’ve kinda gotten used to it. I moved away from home when I was about 14 so I’ve adapted pretty well now. You miss your family quite a bit but at the same time I think me and my family have figured it out well. My family has come over for Christmas, some two or three weeks at a time so it’s hard but you figure it out.”

The last time Pettersson’s family made the trip over, they were rewarded with a performance they’ll remember for a long time. Pettersson recorded a hat trick in front of his family on December 28, 2025, against the Utica Comets, helping the Senators cruise past 7-0.

“Yeah we’ve been joking about that recently. My dad said he’s going to come a couple more times next year.”

On the ice, Pettersson is coming off a second full season in Belleville where he began to establish himself in a larger role. After getting a taste of professional hockey during his first year, the forward found more consistency and responsibility throughout his sophomore campaign.

“I felt pretty good. I think comparing last season to my first season, I think I found my role a bit better and figured out how I could contribute well game after game. I felt that I took a lot of steps when it came to playing in bigger and more important minutes, like on the PK and towards the end of games. Being a more defensive player, one area I want to improve on is for sure my scoring.”

With that offensive improvement in mind, it’s now one of the biggest areas Pettersson wants to focus on heading into his third full professional year. For him, creating more offence through the middle of the ice and becoming more comfortable making plays in tighter spaces could help unlock another part of his game.

“There’s more that needs to happen for me but I think it comes down to a couple of things. Just being more comfortable in the middle of the ice where space can be more tight, and it’s always more stuff like shooting. I feel I need to get the puck of my stick quicker, so if I can get more comfortable making plays in the middle of the ice and just adjusting to that better, then it makes everything else easier.”

With three seasons in Belleville already under his belt and a fourth on the horizon, Pettersson has also reached a point where the surroundings are no longer unfamiliar. The city, the organization and many of the faces inside the dressing room have become part of his routine, something he believes can provide an added level of comfort heading into the season. When it comes to the approach, not much changes.

“I don’t know if the approach changes. Obviously it’s really nice to have familiar faces and to just know the city is nice. Right now I just feel eager to be back and see the guys and to get back into that environment. I think that in itself just gives you more comfort and confidence to be back.”

Another familiar face will be waiting for him behind the bench.

Andrew Campbell, who took over as Belleville’s interim head coach last season, is now entering his first full season in the role. For Pettersson, having a coach he already knows should allow the Senators to begin the season with a level of familiarity that wasn’t there when Campbell took over last year.

“He’s great! Since he was there last season, we can just roll into this year knowing him more now. I think both Soup (Andrew Campbell) and the group did a great job of just having open communication and adjusting well mid-season. So getting to know him earlier and knowing him now, I think will be good for our group.”

As the offseason progressed, Pettersson also kept a close eye on the moves being made around the organization.

The Senators added several experienced players over the summer, while a number of younger players, including Pettersson, will be looking to take another step in their development. With that combination, Pettersson believes Belleville has the pieces to make a serious push for the Calder Cup Playoffs.

“I’ve been following along, feel like I’d be weird if I didn’t! We made some big additions in free agency and added some good defenders. Then when you look at the returning guys like myself even who are younger, and are looking to take another step, it’s exciting. I know we think it’s time to take another step and make a big push for the playoffs so it’s going to be really exciting.”

With experience comes responsibility, and Pettersson is now one of the returning players who can help newcomers adjust to life in Belleville. While he understands that every player is different, he also remembers how valuable it was to have veteran teammates willing to answer questions and help him when he was adjusting at the pro level.

“Yeah for sure, I feel like I have those qualities to lead. At the same time it depends on the player, sometimes the approach is different from person to person. I do like to help the younger guys adjust and help them out in whatever way I can. I know how much it helped me when more experienced guys showed me around and let me ask questions so, I’ll always try to be open minded.”

That leadership can extend beyond the dressing room and onto the ice, where Pettersson believes the Senators have one clear area to improve if they want to make the playoffs. After seeing improvements offensively last season, he believes becoming more consistent defensively, particularly in close games, could be the difference between another season on the outside and a playoff berth.

“I think last year we figured out ways to score more but to keep that I think we just need to tighten up defensively more. I felt when we played at out best, we could beat any team, so just being able to maintain, and just be more stable so we can grab more points is key. At the start of the year, you feel like there are a lot of games then it’s February and every game matters. Winning those greasy games early makes a difference and we’ll thank ourselves early on if we execute.”

Pettersson’s final weeks of summer will be focused primarily on preparation, taking advantage of his remaining time in Sweden before returning to Belleville.

“It’s basically a lot training. I’m just trying to take advantage of the last couple of weeks and be back home as well to just see the family as much as I can.”

His training group in Stockholm has also provided some high-level competition. Pettersson has skated alongside a number of familiar names, including William Eklund, Noah Ostlund and Anton Frondell, making the long drives to Stockholm worthwhile.

“We have some of the same groups going out but it’s funny because one of the guys I skate and workout with is William Eklund. I was training with him in Stockholm when he got traded so it was pretty funny when he got in the next morning. I also skate with Noah Ostlund as he was my former teammate back in Sweden, and we also have Anton Frondell, so it’s a great group there but very competitive which is why I drive so far to be there.”

For Pettersson, another summer in Sweden has provided a chance to recharge, reconnect with family and friends, and prepare for what could be an important season in his development. Now entering his fourth season in Belleville, the young forward is no longer simply trying to find his place. He’s looking to build on the role he’s established, take another step offensively and help lead a group that believes it has what it takes to return to the playoffs.

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