Kukla's Korner Hockey
Next entry: Therrien On An Off Day
Previous entry: Today in Playoffs History -- May 2
Battle for Brunnstrom
by Alanah McGinley on 05/02/08 at 02:50 PM ET
Comments (5)
From Allan Muir at Sports Illustrated:
The men skating for the Red Wings, Stars and Canadiens may be focused on the hunt for the Stanley Cup, but the front office staffs of these three clubs are locked in a fierce battle of their own this week.
All three are thought to be among the final contenders for the services of Fabian Brunnstrom, a 23-year-old Swedish free agent who has been described as a cross between Daniel Alfredsson and Tomas Holmstrom.
You know, I won’t question that this Brunnstrom kid is likely very impressive, but this North American Tour thing that his agent J.P. Barry is running has turned out to be one slick marketing plan for his client.
Is there any other way that an undrafted, 23-year old Swedish player with 9 goals last season would ever have gotten this much ink if it weren’t for this well-publicized little journey around the NHL in recent weeks? Impressive.
Update 3:15pm ET: TSN catches up with SuperStar Fabian here. (*hat-tip to Slapshot for pointing to the video)
Filed in: | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: fabian+brunnstrom, j.p.+barry,
Comments
Geez, the Stars don’t even give Mike Modano top six minutes anymore, do they?
Honestly, I don’t see how any NHL team can promise a guy with zero experience in North American hockey anything but a tryout. Anyone who offers anything more than that is:
A. A liar
B. A fool
C. Both A and B (Brett Hull could also be judged a correct answer) 
Posted by YzermanZetterberg on 05/02/08 at 02:55 PM ET
Well, the Canadiens are also prospective suitors. The Wings have done their best pitch. If it’s not for him because he doesn’t want to work as hard as Filppula, Franzen, Hudler, Cleary, Draper, Datsyuk, Holmstrom, and Zetterberg, wish him luck and show him the door.
You damn well earn a spot on this edition of the Detroit Red Wings.
Posted by SYF from Las Vegas, NV on 05/02/08 at 05:18 PM ET
Wait wait wait, doesn’t Mr. Muir live in Dallas, where Beckett Media (Muir happens to be the editor in chief of Beckett Hockey) is located?
Hmmmmmm....
Posted by George James Malik from South Lyon, MI on 05/03/08 at 08:21 AM ET
Touche George! You aren’t suggesting some sort of bias in Mr. Muir’s piece are you 
The HighLander has posted a well written and insightful article on Brunnstrom’s tour stop with the Wings. He concludes his article with this proposition:
So did Brunnstrom think that the Red Wings are the conduit for his NHL success just as they have been for Franzen? Or did he think that on a team this good, he won’t have much of an opportunity to play?
What he thought will tell a lot about the young man’s confidence. Successful players don’t skirt excellence; they’re drawn to excellence.
Posted by Jeff - - OklahomaWingNut from Wind-Swept-Plains on 05/03/08 at 08:33 AM ET
Add a Comment
Please limit embedded image or media size to 575 pixels wide.
Add your own avatar by joining Kukla's Korner, or logging in and uploading one in your member control panel.
Captchas bug you? Join KK or log in and you won't have to bother.
Most Recent Blog Posts
Complaints About Blue Jackets Coverage
Blues Looking To Boyes For Goals
Your Morning With Chris Pronger
Expectations Sinking For Senators
About KK Hockey
Paul Kukla founded Kukla’s Korner in 2005 and the site has since become the must-read site on the ‘net for all the latest happenings around the NHL.
From breaking news to in-depth stories around the league, KK Hockey is updated with fresh stories all day long and will bring you the latest news as quickly as possible.
Email Paul anytime at
Hockey Links
I love Muir’s logic for Brunnstrom picking the Stars over the Wings.
A winning environment? Really? You mean as opposed to the Wings? Huh?
As for weather, the kid’s working in the winter so the weather he’ll get to enjoy is in the summer. Hmmm. Texas or Michigan in July and August. Yeah, Texas definitely.
And that “pressurized environment” thing? Where would a 23-year-old feel less pressure than on a team filled with fellow Swedes.
Fabian may well choose Dallas because they promise him top-six minutes. But that would be extremely short-sighted on his part.
Posted by OlderThanChelios from Grand Rapids on 05/02/08 at 02:19 PM ET