‘It feels good to have made up my mind’: Calle Järnkrok on leaving NHL behind for Sweden
This story appeared on hockeysverige.se this week and has been translated from Swedish to English.
Calle Järnkrok is the kind of signing that needs little introduction.
The Brynäs IF 2012 championship hero is back after 13 years in the NHL. In that span, he produced 316 points in 774 games.
But now he’s back in Brynäs, having signed a three-year contract. On Monday, Brynäs presented their highly accomplished new signing, and on Tuesday he took part in his first practice.
“It was fun. There were a few more people on the ice than I’m used to. When I’ve been skating in the B-hall during the summer, there have been five or six of us. So it’s nice to be back with the guys,” he said after completing his first practice. “I already know almost everyone on the team, and it’ll be fun to get to know the rest as well. They seem like a great group. I remember how much fun I had the last time I played here, so it’ll be great to play for Brynäs again.”
Whether or not Järnkrok would return to Brynäs had been one of the biggest talking points of the summer around the SHL. He now explains why the decision about his future took so long.
“I’ve had two tough years, and it feels a little disappointing that I didn’t get to finish things over there the way I wanted to. Maybe that’s why the decision took a little longer. But now it feels good to have made up my mind.”
Järnkrok knows his NHL days are behind him, but he’s looking for a fresh start.
“I knew from the beginning that it would be tough to get a good offer from over there, so it wasn’t a surprise. But I’ve put that behind me now. So you’ll have to ask me again in ten years. Right now, my focus is on Brynäs.”
Järnkrok ended his NHL career with a four-year run in Toronto, with the final two proving difficult. Two years ago, he was only able to play 19 games due to injury. Last season, he recorded eight points in 56 games during a season in which he struggled to establish himself in the lineup. He started the season with three goals in the first three games and four in the first nine.
“Two years ago, I could barely play at all. But last year I came in feeling like I was in really good shape, I scored goals…and then he (Craig Berube, the coach) put me in the stands. It was a little unexpected.
“At the time, I was very surprised. I mean, I understand that if I don’t get to play when I’m scoring in every game like I was at the start…then it’s going to be tough.”
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Did Järnkrok feel it was unfair?
“The GM and the coach make the decisions, but it became an uphill battle. I was playing well but wasn’t getting to play. At that point, it was tough to motivate yourself and keep going. But it was a lot of fun playing in Toronto, even though the final year wasn’t that enjoyable. The whole city loves hockey, just like here in Gävle, and that comes with pressure. I think that’s how everyone who plays wants it to be.”
During the season, there were also reports that the NHL veteran had a verbal agreement with Brynäs, something his agent later publicly denied.
“I had to have a meeting with the general manager (Brad Treliving), who had heard that I was going to leave. He brought me in and asked if I was moving back home. After that, everything was fine,” Järnkrok said. “But when I woke up, I’d received something like 100 text messages, and then I realized something had happened. I thought, ‘What the hell is going on now?’ But it was probably just a rumor. It wasn’t true at the time.”
Järnkrok said the decision to move back to Sweden was something that only really developed recently.
“I made the actual decision a few days ago. Now it feels good that it’s become a reality,” Järnkrok said. “There probably wasn’t a 100-percent plan that I would move back home, but I’ve always had a dream and a vision of being able to finish my career in Brynäs.”
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