"It hurts to think about the Olympics"
Örnsköldsvik - Peter Forsberg laughs, jokes and says with amazement: "I'm healthy". For Sportbladet he tells about the tough period after the injury, about the pain of missing out on the Olympics and about the secracy surrounding him during the stanley cup finals. And about the broken finger....
It is summer, it is sunshine and the hockey idol Peter Forsberg is home in Örnsköldsvik on his holiday. Everything is as it usually is, but then again not. For the first time Foppa isn't injured and bruised after a long NHL season. "Finally I can play tennis with my mates. Last season it was my ankles the year before that I think it was my shoulder and the year before that it was my foot and my shoulder and the year before that.... No I can't even remember the last time I could pack up my racket", says Peter Forsberg. He is happy and It shows. His eyes are virtually beaming of a yearning for a calm and nice summer without medical treatment, hospital visits and rehabilitation. He is healthy. Um well, almost. His left pinky finger is hurting a little but it's nothing serious. It has been a well kept secret. The truth is that "Foppa" had his pinky finger broken in the second Stanley Cup-semifinal. "I just had to grit my teeth and play. I had painkiller injections before every game and I did OK. In a NHL-payoff you have to go all the way, and keep quiet. I coulden't go to practice plays, but I just had to tell people that I didn't feel like it, since it was voluntary. But of course, people wondered. I did OK. It was hard to hold the stick. TO tell the truth was not even an option. You know what it is like. If the oponents know about an injury they will aim there. That's the way it is."
You missed against Los Angeles one game and there was a lot of secracy surrounding that too. - "I had strained my foot. It was nothing more serious than that."
Despite the injuries and despite the fact that Colorado was beaten by Detroit Peter won the goal league with abundance. 27 goals in 20 games was the impressing facit. - "I am certainly pleased, it is massive points. But at the same time, you can't be soley happy when you don't manage to go all the way."
The comeback was sensational. Injuries and new operations did that Peter Forsberg didn't play one game in 11 months before the final NHL-games began. Then he stepped out on the ice like the star he is. And dominated. - "one had been charging for so long and unlike many others I was fresh. The players that had been to the olympics had, had a terrible tough season and because of that might not have been on top."
Come on now, don't belittle your effort. - "No, I don't. I am happy with it."
Tell about the runnings before the Olympics? - "What can I say? Sometimes I felt like a schmuck because I couldn't give any straight answers. I knew my feet weren't ok, but somewhere I still hope that I could play. I was mentally set on it."
You went on a holiday to Bahamas and then you went to Denver. - "Yes the doctors should examine me and I hope, give the thumbs up, but instead they ordered a new operation. I couldn't believe it when they told me."
How did you react? - "it was unbelieveable stressful and the hardest part was missing out on the Olympics."
Are you over it? - "As a matter of fact, no. Now and then I think about Salt Lake and it still hurts. It eats away at me that I coulden't participate there. That chance will probably never return."
Peter Forsberg didn't arrive at Örsköldsvik until on Midsummers eve. The reason was that he was dissapointed about the fact that Colorado lost in the finals and went for a holiday to bahamas. In order to gather his thoughts. - "Nice to relax, even if I dien't do all that many games during the season. We wanted to win and when that diden't happen it was , of course heavy."
From one thing to another, it is said you have a girlfriend? - (silence) "There are always alot of speculations. Some papers even print that I'm married. In order to stop all the fuzz I have descided to keep quiet."
But. - "I don't want to talk about my private life."
"Foppa" grinns, but says nothing more. By judgeing his facial expressions, there are more to be said in the matter. But he declines.
He will soon meet the idol - Lineker.
On the other hand he likes to talk about his golfcourse that opened yesterday evening. - "The first nine holes is ready and we are having a small opening. Some hockey pals are coming. Then the public can start to play"
How is your own golfing? - "I have only gone three rounds this year and I'm probably not at my peak, to put it mildely."
You are playing charitygolf with Bill Clinton in Stockholm. - "Yes it will be in the beginning of July."
How will playing with him be? - "I don't even know if we'll be playing together."
No, for "Foppa" it is not the former president of the united states that draws him there. Instead he is looking forward to meeting another greatness. - "Gary Lineker is supposedly coming. I look forward to that."
Peter Forsberg is a diehard Tottenhams- supporter and Gary Lineker is one of his big idols. Even idols have idols.
