His teammates had dyed his hair in green and red, something of a tradition for one of the rookies of the team when they win a championship, but Moverare’s eyes are shining with gold. His first comment is: “It is unbelievable we won the double!”
Frölunda won the Champions Hockey League in February, beating Red Bull Munich in the one-game final, and now Frölunda won against Djurgården by 4-2 in the best out of seven series to hoist the LeMat Trophy for the fifth time in history.
“I had never expected this when I arrived here in the fall”, Moverare said. The young defender is on cloud nine and the confidence that was lacking at the start of the season is now in full bloom. “The whole team has gotten better with every game. I am part of that team so I have grown as well, but really this championship is a team effort, actually both championships are.”
“It has been a great experience for me. I have learned so much, especially what it takes to win, and to win a championship, but also what it takes to be a professional hockey player. That’s what I have learned here this season,” Moverare said.
When asked to elaborate, Moverare thinks for a moment and continues: “It takes a lot of effort. It is not easy, because if it was easy, then everyone would have been able to win a championship. It takes a lot of effort just to be part of a winning team, and you can never really take it for granted to be part of a great team.”
The influence by coach Roger Rönnberg and the leadership group in Frölunda, headed by Joel Lundqvist (Henrik Lundqvist’s brother), has made a lasting impression on the young defender and the maturity he has gained this season bodes well for the future of his career.
There is a loud cheer from the crowd when the new fan favourite walks onto the stage in front of almost 40,000 people. It is not clear where Moverare will play next season but it is clear that the year spent on the west coast of Sweden has benefited him in more ways than two titles. It might be worth a lot for the Los Angeles Kings down the line.