Frölunda HC and goalie Tommy Salo has agreed on a one year contract. The contract became valid just today, because there was a clause that demanded Modo and Salo to agree. Salo will do his first practice with the Indians tomorrow.
-In early summer we decided to move down to the west coast. So, when Stephan "Lillis" Lundh (Frölunda's head coach) got in touch with me 14 days ago, I felt very inspired by the thought of playing in Gothenburg, says Tommy Salo.
For Frölunda Hockey club, the search for a new goalie is now over.
-With Tommy Salo and Mikael Sandberg we have two solid goalies for the coming season. Salo is one of the very best goalies in the country. He had a save% of almost 91 with Modo last year in Elitserien. In the playoffs he had 88 per cent. He's got an incredible amount of experience with over 500 NHL games, lots of WC and OG games and he's a complete and motivated goalie, says Frölunda's director of sports Christer Kellgren.
-Tommy will be an important part of the team that will defend our position as one of the top teams in Europe, says Mats Ahdrian, GM of Frölunda.
Tommy Salo will do his first day at work tomorrow when the practice starts at 09.30 in Wallenstamhallen. The on-ice practice will start at 11.00.
-It'll be very inspiring. Frölunda have a very good team that plays for Sweden's best and largest crowd. And I do have very good memories from the World Championships held in Scandinavium 2002, says Salo, who just got home from a scheduled Spain-trip.
Tommy Salo free to play for new club
MODO Hockey have in a positive way worked to get Tommy Salo able to play for a new club.
-After Svenska Hockeyligan (Swedish Elitserien's board, or something like that ) made sure that the issue will be brought up, and guidelines for how clubs shall act in similar questions in the future in a way that is legally correct, MODO hockey decided that Tommy Salo will be free to choose a new club.
-MODO Hockey also would like to point out that no shadow shall fall over Frölunda and their acting in this matter, says MODO Hockey's director of sports Bengt Hedin
Here ya go. Might be some minor errors, I've been doing database updates all night long.
Lil'-Magic's dream salary:
24,000,000 SKR
Robert Nilsson has signed with the NY Islanders: "I'm very pleased"
Congratulations, Robert Nilsson.
The 20 year old gets a dream contract with the Islanders.
-They really wanted me to come over immidiately, says Robert Nilsson.
Robert "Mini-Magic" Nilsson hasn't had any success in Elitserien for the last two seasons. Four goals in 56 games doesn't excite anyone.
But in the NHL and on Long Island he's hot. Super hot.
Signed for three years
Last night he signed a three year contract with the New York Islanders.
-I'm very pleased. Islanders has proven that they really want me. THey've even said that they're planning on letting me play at once, says Robert Nilsson.
In other cases it's very usual that young players get tested in the farm league before getting a chance in the NHL.
Nilsson's contract is very lucrative.
It's even maximum for a rookie in the NHL.
-I get $940,000 per year if I play in the NHL and that's ok, says Robert Nilsson.
Robban gets max salary
From the yearly salary of $940,000, $282,000 is a signing bonus that is transfered directly into Nilsson's account - before he's even played a game.
$282,000 is 2,100,000 SKR and that too is max for an NHL rookie.
Robert Nilsson goes to New York in two weeks to participate in the rookie camp.
Kenta scored 107 points
Then it's up to him to perform his best and get an Islanders jersey.
Now it's time for the 20 year old to copy his father's rookie season in North America. Kenta Nilsson, 21 years old back then, scored 107 points for Winnipeg in 1977-78. Of course that's only a dream for his son. If he gets to play most of the season in the NHL it's a good job performed.
I am too lazy to translate but I can sum it up for you...
Kopitar was drafted by LA Kings and will develop in the Swedish Elite Leauge another year before going to North America. He will be going to LA for the junior training camp or something like that in september...
http://www.aftonbladet.se/vss/sport/...688227,00.html
Hedin snubs Modo - chooses Germany
Modo loses Pierre Hedin. Not to the NHL - but to a German club. A tough break for his father Bengt Hedin, director of sports in Modo.
This week will be eventful for the SEL clubs. Some clubs will recieve negative news from players who choose the NHL instead of elitserien.
In Modo the hopes were that Pierre Hedin, 27, would continue in the club. But that's not going to happen. Hedin chooses a bit controversial to play in Germany this winter.
Said no to Toronto
He said no to Toronto's qualifying offer, which was a two-way contract. After that he didn't recieve any further offers and most people thought that the skilled defenseman would end up in Modo. But no. Pierre Hedin is today introduced as a new player in Adler Mannheim.
Of course that's unexpected for the Modo fans.
I understand Pierre's decision. He wants to try something new and sometime in the future he'll probably be back in Modo. But as director of sports in Modo of course I think it's sad that he won't be playing for us, says Bengt Hedin.
It's not often that such a young and talented player choose Germany ahead of Elitserien.
Big money
One reason is money - big money. Mannheim goes big with a new arena and can sign players to million contracts - after taxes are paid.
For Pierre's father Bengt Hedin the transaction is extra painful. He's director of sports in Modo and failed to get his son back to Örnsköldsvik.
http://www.frolundaindians.com/aktue...sNyhetsID=1872
Salo and Oduya in versus Italy
Frölunda versus Italy in France. A different match-up. But that's how exhibitions are.
Frölunda arrived to Morzine this tuesday. The team has practiced twice since then. Today it's time for the second exhibition of the season.
The two new acquisitions Tommy Salo and Johnny Oduya joins the team. Apart from that there are no changes since the match against Färjestad in Lysekil last week.
Latest news from Morzine is that Martin Plüss skips todays match versus Italy.
-Martin feels a light injury in his back, so he's resting today, says Christer Kellgren, Frölunda Indians' director of sports, from Morzine.
The turn-overs will be important tomorrow. As will it be to see how our young-guns can stand up against a National team, says "Lillis" from Morzine.
Frölunda's fourth line today looks exciting. A pure junior line where four out of five players are born in 1986. Danish Madsen is even born in 1987!
Morten Madsen, Sebastian Karlsson and Anton Axelsson forms together with Richard Demén-Willaume and Mathias Porseland an exciting future formation.
Italy's national team are todays opponents. An entire new opponent for Frölunda.
-Italy can beat the nations in the A-group in the WC's in some games. So this will be a good match for us, says Stephan "Lillis" Lundh, who's faced Italy as General Manager for a national team and also seen the Italians during practice in Morzine.
Remember Tre Kronor's 0-0 versus Italy in Prague-WC 1992 and 3-3 in Vienna in 1996.
-They play a North American hockey and have many big players. They've re-newed their team and have many young, hungry and talented players, so it'll be an interesting match for us, says "Lillis" about the match which'll be played on the small rink in the little arena Palais des Sports in Morzine.
The arena holds a little more than 1000 persons, and the interest for hockey is huge in the French city. This afternoon the arena will be sold out when Frölunda takes on Italy.
http://www.sodertaljesk.se/2005_news.asp?NPK=1517#1517
Anze Kopitar has today on his 18th birthday signed a dream contract with Los Angeles Kings in the NHL. But Europe's best junior - who was recently drafted in the first round - will play in Södertälje and Elitserien the entire coming season.
-A unique and fantastic solution for both Anze and SSK, says director of sports, Mats Hallin.
That Anze Kopitar is going to be a future star in the NHL is something everyone agrees on. He's compared to Mats Sundin in style of play and charisma. After the summer he's really showed that he's taking a spot as a center in SSK.
-He'll be an attraction in Elitserien this fall already, says Hallin.
Despite that, the Los Angeles Kings rushes slowly. In a mutual agreement with Kopitar, his parents, Kings' GM Dave Taylor, agent Lasse Cederström and Mats Hallin agreed that a season in Elitserien will be good for his development. But he's travelling to Los Angeles in September to participate in exhibition games.
-Even if he scores three goals in each game he'll stay with us, says Hallin.
The contract is signed but is not valid until next season.
Anze Kopitar is born in Jesenice, Slovenia and is ranked as the best junior in Europe. He played in the WC's in Austria this spring and helped Slovenia to stay in the A-group. He came to Södertälje last year and won the scoring title in the junior league with 51 points (29++22) in 32 games. He made his Elitserien debut this winter as a 17 year-old and played a total of five games.
Its an old article, it doesnt add anything to the existing rumors.
It even uses a US paper as a source.
Oh I scrolled down and saw that date before I asked you to translate it. The date kept me from posting any information about it in the forums. But my Swedish still sucks and so I was still hoping you could translate it since I never really read what the rumors were in the first place. Thank you again for your help
PS I can't speak for the other guy who asked you to translate that page but I just wanted it for personal information. If you are too busy I understand.
Waterboy: Since I've got literally nothing to do at this time of day, I translated it for you.
Rumors in Detroit: Zetterberg on his way to Toronto
The negotiations with Detroit Red Wings are going slow. Now, Henrik Zetterberg might be on his way to Toronto Maple Leafs, according to Detroit Free Press.
The Red Wings GM Ken Holland says to the news paper Detroit Free Press that the club is trying to tie up Henrik Zetterbeg and Pavel Datsyuk, but that the parties are far away from eachother.
-It's not unusual to say a thing like that in the middle of a negotiation, says Zetterberg's agent Gunnar Svensson to Sportbladet.
According to Detroit Free Press Zetterberg demands $2,5 million and Datsyuk $4 million.
-During the negotiatons we won't give you any comments about how much money is involved, says Svensson.
After having signed defensemen Mathieu Schneider and Chris Chelios, Detroit Free Press says that the Red Wings only have $10 million left to spend on Datsyuk, Zetterberg, Swedish D-man Niklas Kronwall, another D-man, a goaltender and a couple of fourth liners. An impossible equation.
Good chances
The Detroit news paper asked if it's possible that the club must spare Datsyuk or Zetterberg, and Holland replied:
-Everything is possible.
According to the same news paper, rumors has Zetterberg going to the Toronto Maple Leafs.
-I haven't heard anything about that, I guess it's just speculation, says Gunnar Svensson.
-I say the chances for Zetterberg and Detroit are good.
When is everything due to get finished?
There's no deadline. It can take an hour, it can take a month.
) made sure that the issue will be brought up, and guidelines for how clubs shall act in similar questions in the future in a way that is legally correct, MODO hockey decided that Tommy Salo will be free to choose a new club. 
