BSEN Q&A – World Juniors Memories w/ Oskar Pettersson

BSEN: Oscar it’s World Juniors time, I wanted to get you on here and ask what your first memory is playing at that tournament?

OP: I think the first memory that comes to mind is probably the final that we reached, my second tournament in Gothenburg, Sweden. It was just an electric moment. The crowd was insane, especially playing on home ice, so I think that’s the first memory that pops up when I think about World Juniors.

BSEN: What did wearing the three crowns on that stage mean to you personally? Many kids dream of it, to represent your country, what was it like for you?

OP: As you said, something I dreamed about ever since I was a young little kid. I feel like you almost watched that more than the NHL growing up, since you have time difference and stuff like that for us back home in Sweden. It’s something that I’ve looked forward to my whole life and really proud that I got the chance to play two tournaments and yeah, it was just super special to represent my country.

BSEN: How did it feel to reach the World Junior Championship final on home ice with Sweden? I can only imagine with all that yellow in the crowd, how electric it must’ve felt!

OP: Yeah the fans were electric! The hype around the tournament was insane. I feel like the whole city (Gothenburg) was just focussed on that single tournament during those two weeks. We had a special group, the 04’ group. We won the gold medal at the under-18’s so we knew we had a really good team coming into the tournament and the expectations were high for ourselves but also from the outside. I think we were not expecting it, but we knew that we had a really good team so it was it was really fun reaching the final. Unfortunately, a tough loss there but yeah gotta give kudos to the U.S. too, they had a really good team.

BSEN: Was there a specific game or shift where you felt fully comfortable in the tournament? It’s a big stage as you said, so was there a time where you felt comfortable or did you just not feel it at all?

OP: I think I felt comfortable right away, especially since I got the chance to play twice, that definitely helped. The first experience wasn’t the one at home, so my first one in Halifax, I think that helped me a lot to just feel comfortable and I knew what was gonna happen when it came to the tournament back home in Gothenburg. The one moment that stood out was probably a goal that I scored in the bronze medal game in my first year. I’d say it’s one of my better goals that I’ve scored so that’s one memory that stands out, but other than that it’s just the tournament as a whole. Being with your buddies and just hanging out with those guys and then just enjoying the whole tournament.

BSEN: And it might’ve been that goal that you just explained there but was there a moment from that World Juniors that you felt changed your game for the better?

OP: I wouldn’t say changed it for the better. I mean it’s a short tournament so it’s hard to really reflect too much during the tournament, you just kinda take it as it comes. I mean it definitely gave me some experience playing those big games especially playing like the semifinal final, bronze, or gold medal games. Really playing in those big games where it matters a lot, I think I probably gained a little bit of experience playing in those important games. 

BSEN: It was a big tournament, lots of names that ended up turning pro. Who was the toughest opponent (player or team) you faced at the World Juniors?

OP: I remember Canada‘s team, in our first year, they were really good. They ended up winning the whole tournament. I mean obviously they had Bedard, so I mean he really stood out as a good player. The US team that we played, they had a couple good players with Cooley and Gauthier. I mean there’s a lot of good players, so it’s hard to just name a couple.

BSEN: I’m gonna ask you to describe some of your teammates in one word from that team.

BSEN: Anton Wahlberg.
OP: Big.

BSEN: Otto Stenberg.
OP: Explosive.

BSEN: Hugo Havelid
OP: Electric.

BSEN: Axel Sandin-Pellikka.
OP: Shifty

BSEN: Jonathan Lekkerimaki
OP: scorer

BSEN: If you could go back and give your World Juniors self one piece of advice, what would it be?

OP: I mean the first thing that pops up is just to replay that final to make sure we end up with a different result. I don’t know, it’s easy to say just to like enjoy it even more because obviously it’s pretty… not stressful but it’s a lot going on. It’s a short tournament, so really make sure you enjoy it but at the same time I think I did a good job of that. Maybe just go back in time and play that final one more time. I mean I had a couple chances in the final that I’m very well known for, so maybe score one of those or just replay that final to make sure we got that gold medal.