Pettersson Spirit Of St. Louis

Last year it was draft-eligible Denis Parshin who won over scouts with his play in Under-18 competition. He was the type of player scouts could have dismissed for his size deficiencies but could not help but be amazed by his eye-catching offensive heroics.

Swedish winger Fredrik Pettersson is this year's most intriguing little sparkplug.

Standing at 5-foot-9, 175 pounds he has yet to convince everyone of his abilities, ranked a shocking 17th among Swedes by Central Scouting's preliminary rankings for the 2005 NHL Entry Draft.

We at McKeen's say 'go figure'.

Pettersson is fast, shifty and surprisingly strong for his age. We were eager to speak to the recent riser in our rankings about his high-energy style, role models and experience playing with the junior program of Sweden's top prospect factory in Frolunda.

WHEN WINNING IS EVERYTHING

Top to bottom, Frolunda has been the farmground for some of the better junior teams in Europe for the past several years. Last year they swept the Swedish junior championships. Pettersson, another impressive Frolunda product, explains how it all comes together:

"We train very hard, both on and off the ice which, I believe, is the key to everything. I think that the team that works the hardest at practice in the end will end up prevailing."

Also a key factor is locker room mood where selfishness of any kind is not tolerated.

"We have a great atmosphere on our team and nobody is allowed to come in with a bad attitude."

Progressing through the ranks in the Frolunda system is a sign of talent, considering the depth of the organization. Pettersson has developed into a dominant junior at 17-years old, but it was not easy.

"I know that I could get more icetime in the league playing for a mid-level team, but, on the other hand, I like the competitive environment here in Frolunda. You really have to work hard for your icetime here and can't afford to get too comfortable at practice which may be the case for guys playing for other teams around the league."

Pettersson has enjoyed a productive start to his year so far, scoring five times and amassing a total of nine points in eleven games after a minor knee injury sidelined him briefly at the start of the season.

NATIONAL TREASURE

No Swedish national junior team has mustered a medal in a major world championship event since winning bronze at the U-18 World Juniors in 2000. Pettersson says that the drought should soon be a thing of the past.

"We had a great tournament in Ann Arbor in November where we constantly improved our game and almost beat team USA in the final. We only lost 1-0 and in that game I missed two breakaways. That's how close we were.

"Don't forget that we were missing Nicklas Bergfors in that tournament and guys like Tom Wandell and Alexander Sundstrom. I think we'll take it up a notch at the U18 tournament this spring. A medal is a definite possibility."

Pettersson received good reviews for his play in Ann Arbor.

"I did well", says Pettersson, but hints that he can do even better.

SPIRIT OF ST. LOUIS

Pettersson's size and style is reminiscent of Hart Trophy winner Martin St. Louis who, along with fellow Swede Peter Forsberg, has been a major influence on Fredrik's game.

"I look up to St. Louis a lot. He really goes out there and proves that a smaller guy can be successful at the highest level. What I really like about him is that he is totally fearless. If he wants to crash the net, he goes for it. He doesn't care if he has to go through a (6-foot-5) defenseman to get it done."

Speed, says Pettersson, makes up for his smaller frame.

"I really think that I make up for (the size factor) with my quickness. I'm also not at all afraid to get involved physically and I enjoy that aspect of the game as well."

It is such intangibles that Pettersson believes will take precedence at the upcoming NHL Entry Draft.

"I look forward to the draft for sure, but I have not really thought about how high I will go. I'm just focusing on my game and working hard and we'll see how far that will take me."

THAT DARN LOCKOUT

Like a significant share of European prospects, Pettersson has been affected by the NHL lockout. He points to older players such as teammates Kalle Olsson and Daniel Ahsberg who are spending another year in junior instead of ascending into the SEL as initially expected.

"The fact that Olsson and Ahsberg are still with the junior team obviously gives me a little less ice time than I would have had otherwise but nobody knows for sure how much playing time they would have received in the SEL even without the lockout. I don't think it will hurt any of us in the long run."

On a team where a team game is stressed Pettersson is a team player who looks at the big picture.