Another Calgary Cat In Sweden

Sweden is a land full of incredible wildlife, but there are no feline apex predators on the peninsula that the country can claim as a "native species". They have brown bears and wolverines and wolves, but the closest predator that Sweden has to a cat is the European polecat... which is a weasel. There is one city, however, that has amassed a collection of Cougars for this winter, and those Cougars will tour Sweden with the hopes of bringing home a championship as a third Cougar arrived on the scene yesterday. At this point, we should consider Leksands IF to be a safe haven for Alberta hockey players!

Former Mount Royal Cougars head coach Jordan Colliton seems to be building a solid team that has a distinct U SPORTS touch to it as former Cougars sniper Anna Purschke will play there once again this season, and she'll be joined by newly-signed former Alberta Pandas sniper Autumn MacDougall and former Montreal Carabins forward Lore Baudrit. There were still some spots that Colliton could fill with good players if she needed, and she locked up another one last night when Leksands IF announced another signing.

Tatum Amy will join Leksands for the upcoming season, and she'll be a welcomed recruit by the team and fans with her incredible work ethic, her skill on the ice, and her personality off it. Amy's arrival in Sweden coincides with the announcement that team captain Hanna Sköld will step away from the team after finding out that she's pregnant, so it seems that the departure of Sköld opened a roster spot for Leksands IF to pursue a deal with Amy chose to ink a deal with the PHF's Buffalo Beauts earlier this summer after being contacted by Leksands. After the PHF was bought by the PWHPA and contracts were made void, Leksands circled back to talk with Amy once more after Sköld broke her news.

Second chances aren't something that most general managers get in the same summer when it comes to signing impactful players, but general manager Alexander Bröms is happy to have Amy to join his squad, stating, "Tatum and I had been in contact before but when she announced that she would play in the PHF there was no further dialogue. When then PHF came with the news that the league would not start as planned, Leksand became relevant again for Tatum. In Tatum, we get a playable forward who has many qualities and from whom we will benefit greatly this winter. We are confident that it is another good character we will get into the group."

For Amy, the opportunity with Leksands IF is one she will embrace just as she did in Calgary, saying, "I am very excited to come to Sweden and start a new adventure in my hockey career. Much of what Leksand is struggling to achieve rhymes well with my personal goals. I look forward to being faced with new challenges, making new contacts and being part of an organization that feels extremely professional. On the ice, I hope to be able to contribute with a strong defensive game connected to my center role, while also wanting to be a leader both on and off the ice."

For Sköld, she knew that the news of her pregnancy would pause her career for this season at least, but the 26 year-old and her partner are excited for that new challenge as well. Regarding the added players and changes, the nine-year Leksands IF veteran said, "There are many new players who have come in and it will be fun to see what Jordan and Joakim can get out of the team," adding that she'll be watching from the stands and on TV. "It will be great!" she exclaimed.

Roster turnover and changes happen in all sports and certainly at all levels of hockey, but it's pretty clear that the team in Leksand, Sweden are building something special with the players they've brought in this season. While it may not result in a championship as every team in the SDHL seemingly got stronger, watching Leksands should be very entertaining this season with all the familiar names in the lineup. And to show my faith in the players they've added, I'm going to throw out a prediction and say that they finish the season with more than the 37 points they totalled last season!

With a playmaking, defensively-responsible center in Amy whose hustle and drive were unmatched in Canada West last season, I like Leksands' chances of eclisping that 37-point total. Toss in a couple of solid goal scorers in Purschke and MacDougall and mix in some depth with Baudrit, and the foundation of a solid team is forming. Having 13 new additions to the roster this season means that there will be bumps along the road as players work to find chemistry together, but it's a clean slate full of potential as Leksands IF gets ready to take the ice on Saturday, September 23 against Djurgårdens when they open the season.

I've already got that day circled on my calendar as I'll be up early to catch the game assuming it's shown on C More's networks once again. We're one month away from the start of the SDHL season, and I'm already getting excited for the games! My only complaint? I want more summer.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!