By Steve Dryden The Hockey News
Swede 'Ads' up to Perfect Package
The teen superstar has never had a professional fight and friends insist he is not as brash as one might think. But Peter Forsberg, ex-Phili Flyer, current Quebec Nordiques property, and potentially future Ottawa Senator, is hockey's Muhammad Ali. He floats like a butterfly and stings like a bee. Forsberg, 19, captivated the hockey world with a spectacular performance at the 1993 World Junior Championships, establishing single-tournament and career records for points. Now Forsberg is back in the the Swedish Elite League where he stars for his hometown team MoDo. After 26 games, the playmaking center led the league in goals (19), points (35) and bumblebees (28). Swedish newspapers choose the best players in Elite series games and keep a season-running tally. Expressen, Stockholm's largest newspaper, awards bumblebees to game stars. With three-quarters of the seasons 40-game regular season almost over, Forsberg was in an insect world of his own. He led the competition with 28 bumblebees. His closest rival, ex-NHLer Bengt Gustafsson had 16. "Forsberg can do everything," said Red Wings' scout Hakan Andersson. Including hold down a second job. He is a hockey star by late afternoon and night, production assistant by day. Forsberg works from 9 to 3 at his uncle's public relations firm in Ornskoldsvik. He designs ads on a computer, but saves his creative best for the ice surface. MoDo, a second-place team, practices most days at 4 p.m. and plays two games a week, on Thursdays and Sundays. Following oratices, Forsberg often goes to his parents' home for dinner. (Kent, his father, is MoDo's head coach.) Other times he heads to his own apartment which is paid for by the team. MoDo is a pulp and paper company. Salary disclosure hasn't reached Sweden yet, but the average salary is believed to be in the range of about $45,000 (U.S.). Forsberg will not say how much he earns, but one thing is clear; he has earned enormous publicity in Sweden. He is the best player in the Swedish Elite League and cemented his place in the minds of fans at the WJC, where he was named top player. The general consensus is Forsberg ranks as the world's best player outside the NHL. With virtually all the top players from the former East Bloc now in North America, that might not be the honor it once was, but it is lofty praise for a tenager. Other contenders for that status are Russian aces Viacheslav Bykov and Andrei Khomutov, who play in Switzerland, and Swedish star Hakan Loob. Quebec also owns the rights to Bykov and Khomutov. And Loob? Well the former Calgary Flame used to be Forsberg's favourite player. Now they are rivals. Heated rivals. "We had a little fight last game," Forsberg said Jan. 26 in a telephone interview from his parents' home in Ornskoldsvik. This was not bare-fisted combat. Fighting results in an automatic ejection in Sweden, so gloves are seldom dropped. Shoves were exchanged. Forsberg's record, then, remains intact, 0-0-0. He has never had a hockey fight. But he did throw down the gauntlet against Canada at the WJC in Gavle, Sweden. Prior to the host country's game with Canada, Forsberg said the Canadians were not good skaters and sure to lose to Sweden. Them's fighting words. Canada's beat Sweden 5-4 in what turned out to be the gold medal game. The Canadians went on to defeat Russia and Finland to clinch the title. Sweden settled for silver. Most people were surprised at Forsberg's candor and pre-fight prediction. Some criticized him for remarks. But this was no false bravado. Forsberg put the pressure on himself and then delivered a virtuoso performance the likes of which has seldom been seen. He dominated the Canadians with one goal and three assists. The eventual gold medalists were powerless to stop Forsberg. After Canada defeated Finland to effectively win the gold medal. Forsberg left a message for Canadian pal Tyler Wright back at the hotel. Forsberg congratulated Wright on scoring the winning goal and conceded Canada was destined to finish first. A nice gesture. But just as revealing about Forsberg's character was something left unsaid. Forsberg neglected to mention that he had scored 10 points aganist Japan the same night. Wright didn't find out about that tournament-record performance until he returned the call and spoke with Forsberg's roomate, Markus Naslund. It may have only been Japan, but Forsberg's 10 points represented one more goal than all 20 Canadian skaters managed against Japan. Forsberg finished with 31 points, including 24 assists - which equalled the total number of points earned by Naslund, who placed second in tournament scoring. Hartford Whalers' general manager Brian Burke called Forsberg "a human highlight film." Detroit Red Wings' head scout Ken Holland labeled him "one of the top five playmakers in the world." Wright and Forsberg met at the 1990 entry draft, where Forsberg was selected sixth overall by the Philadelphia Flyers and wright 12th by the Edmonton Oilers. Forsberg and Wright have the same agent, Don Baizley of Winnepeg. Baizley is one of the most underrated and understated men in the business. There are few sharper than him and he has built an excellent clientele that includes a large group of Europeans. Among them is Teemu Selanne of the Winnipeg Jets. Baizley parlayed Selanne's status as a Group IV defected free agent into a $2.7-million contract for The Finnish Flash. Forsberg will spark another bidding war - Quebec retains the right to match any offer under the current collective bargaining agreement - when he decides to play in the NHL. Only one other rookie, Eric Lindros, has signed a larger contract than Selanne. Lindros and Forsberg will probably be linked together throughout their NHL careers. Forsberg was one of six players (plus two draft choices and $15 million) Philadelphia surrendered to obtain Lindros from the Nordiques. Those who saw Forsberg at the WJC wondered if he will be the one to tilt the deal in Quebec's favor. Asked which team got the better of the deal, Forsberg said, "I think Quebec did." Just when and if Forsberg will join the Nordiques is one of the hottest questions in hockey. Forsberg will not be pinned down on an estimated time of arrival, but it seems hard to believe he won't be in the league next year. Baizley said Forsberg may decide the next step in his professional development is to play another season in Sweden and compete in the 1994 Olympics. Forsberg, though, gave the impression he would like to play in the NHL next season - provided he believes no further seasoning in the minor leagues would be necessary. "I don't know if I'm good enough to play there," Forsberg said. "I might (have to) go down to the farm league and I don't want to do that. It's better to stay in Sweden." Nobody doubts Forsberg could play in the NHL right now, let alone next season. "There's no way he'll play on the farm team - not a chance," said Nordiques' chief scout Pierre Gauthier. "I suspect Peter Forsberg will be here. We'll make a fair deal. We'll find a way (to lure him to North America)." Forsberg said his performance at the World Champion- ships, in late April at Munich, will play large in his decision. "We'll see at the World Championships," he said. "If things go well there, it's a big possibility that I'll come over next year." Where he will be playing in the NHL is a little unclear. There is speculation the Nordiques would trade Forsberg to the Ottawa Senators - should they finish last overall - in return for the No. 1 choice in the 1993 entry draft. Available this year is Victoriaville Tigres' center Alexandre Daigle, who is expected to be the next francophone superstar - a player with obvious appeal to Quebec. "Peter Forsberg is the best junior player in the world," Gautier said. "Why should we consider trading him? He's a guy who combines speed, strength and drive. He's a playmaker on top of that and such a competitor a winner."
