Alex Wennberg has carved out an integral role for himself with the Panthers.
Brought in on a one-year contract during the offseason after spending the first six seasons of his NHL career with Columbus, the former first-round pick found a home right away within Florida's middle-six and was recently being flanked by Frank Vatrano and Patric Hornqvist on the club's third line.
Rediscovering his scoring touch, the 26-year-old center has recorded 11 goals to go along with 10 assists in 48 games this season, including notching the first hat trick of his career during a huge 5-2 win over the Blue Jackets (funny how that works out, eh?) on April 3 at BB&T Center.
Mailbag: Wennberg Takes Your Questions on Hockey, Warzone & More!
"He had a heck of a game, did a lot of good things besides scoring three," Panthers coach Joel Quenneville said of Wennberg's performance following the victory. "We're happy with his game. He's adding some speed to his game as well. The puck was following him around a little bit."
Looking to bring that same high-level of play into the postseason next month, Wennberg isn't far removed from a strong showing during last season's "Return to Play" tournament. Suiting up in 10 playoff games, he ranked fourth on Columbus with five points, including scoring three goals.
Of course, numbers can only tell you so much about a person.
Providing a little bit of a deeper insight into his life, Wennberg recently sat down to answer a wide variety of questions submitted by inquisitive hockey fans throughout South Florida and beyond in the latest installment of the fun "Panthers Mailbag" series at FloridaPanthers.com.
Tackling a wide variety of topics, check out his answers to these questions below.
@Dragons_Quest: What do you like most about playing in Florida?
Wennberg: What I like the most about playing here is just being a part of this team. There's a great energy with this team. Obviously, the weather and the sun are a positive thing, but just coming to a new team you never know how you're going to fit in and how the team's going to be, and it's just been an amazing experience so far. That's my favorite part about playing here.
@Janoff\Jim: In terms of intensity, how different is the game at this time of the year?
Wennberg: I feel like the intensity is ramping up, for sure. Obviously, right now you're closing in on the playoffs and every team wants to play their best. Even looking at last night [on Thursday against the Hurricanes], every battle and every situation you're in is tough. You can feel that. Teams are peaking in terms of performance. It's harder right now to bring your A-game all the time because it's so intense with the schedule as well. It's really ramping up, but that's what you want. The reason that you play hockey is to play in these types of important games, for sure.
@mhanson9296: How has Coach Q helped your game?
Wennberg: I feel like he's helped me a lot. I feel like he lets me play out there. Obviously, if you do something wrong he's going to tell you, but I think he's going to let you figure your game out and give you that freedom to try more. When you build up your confidence, you can be a better player for him as well. I really like the way he's coaching and sees the game. It's been great.
@BigJuice\Gaming: Why did you choose No. 21 for your jersey?
Wennberg: I used to have No. 10, but it was not available here. Why I chose No. 21 is because the three best hockey players I know had it: Peter Forsberg, Börje Salming and my dad. Two of those three are Hall of Famers, and one is not. I think you can guess which one isn't [laughs].
Mark S: Coming from Sweden, is there one food item you really wish they had over here in the United States? Likewise, is there something you love to eat here in the United States that you can't find in Sweden?
Wennberg: That's a good question. I'm not really a big food guy, so I wouldn't say there's something really that I'm ever craving when I'm here. The only thing that I'll say is that I like the type of restaurants we have in the United States. The steakhouses are way better here than they are back in Sweden. You have so many options. When things are normal, I really enjoy being on the road and going to a nice steakhouse with teammates. In Sweden, I would say it's just the traditional Swedish dishes that you can't get here. Obviously, you have meatballs here, but it's not the Swedish style. If you find them, they're not the same. I miss typical Swedish stuff.
@MikaylaRagovin: Do you have a specific pre-game routine?
Wennberg: I don't really have a routine. I try to just find a good flow throughout the day. Obviously, with a lot of games, it makes the days kind of look the same. I kind of try to find whatever works for me. It's usually the same pasta dish that I eat every time and the same routines, but I don't really have anything superstitious that I do. Obviously, it's different this year because in Columbus I had a two-minute drive to the rink, and now I have a 30-minute drive. With that, I have more time to jam in the car and get the energy going a little bit more, for sure.
@a\shanes10: Who was your hockey idol growing up?
Wennberg: My biggest idol growing up was Peter Forsberg. The way he played the game, he was just so dominant out there. He's always been my No. 1 guy, for sure.
@panther\stanley: Is your dachshund friends with Markus Nutivaara's dachshund?
Wennberg: They're actually best friends. A big reason why we signed here is because we couldn't separate them [laughs]. They get along so well. We got them at the same time, so they kind of grew up together. They try to hang out as much as they can. If it comes to a point where we have to go out of town and leave the dogs somewhere, we usually leave them together because it feels like they belong together. I would say they're BFFs, for sure.
@hlamp: Do you collect any sports memorabilia. If so, what's your favorite item?
Wennberg:I actually don't. I kind of wish that I did. Looking at all the players that I've played with throughout the years, I kind of wish that I had done more collecting. You're obviously always going to remember things in your head, but it would be nice to have something else to help connect you to those moments. I know a bunch of guys in the league that do that. It's something that I've been missing out on, but maybe it's not too late to start right now. We'll see.
Thomas W: With COVID-19 protocols, how have you been killing time on the road?
Wennberg: I actually started playing more video games. It's probably not the best habit to have to sit around and game all day, but with the way it is right now, and having to sit in the hotel room all day, it's nice. It's something to help the time fly by faster when we're stuck inside. It's a different year for everyone, so you just have to find what works for you. That's what I'm doing.
@EHoodack: What's your Warzone loadout?
Wennberg:I'm big a Kilo guy. If someone plays Warzone, they probably know what that is right away. Right now, my game is not on top. I feel like I have to improve a little bit. We've got one more road trip coming up, so I'll probably put in a few hours then.
Jennifer C:I saw on Instagram that you're going to be a dad! How excited are you?
Wennberg: I'm super excited. It's the first one as well. A lot of excitement. It's a lot of sitting and waiting right now. You don't really know what to do or what to think. It's a lot of emotions. It's just amazing. We're super excited about it. I can't wait to meet the little fellow, for sure.
@Panther_Robin: From a Swedish fan, how does it feel so play with so many fellow Swedes on the Panthers?
Wennberg:More and more Swedes are coming every day [laughs]. We're trying to create a Swedish national team in our room right now. It's a lot of fun. You have a special bond with those guys because you're from the same country, but I feel like everyone in the group gets along great. Every addition we have is great, but it's fun to hang out with fellow Swedes.
@ArthurS49081547: How do you take your coffee?
Wennberg: Black, nothing in it. I'm more of a cappuccino guy if I have the choice, but I'm not too picky.
Robert M: Star Wars, Lord of the Rings or Harry Potter? Pick one.
Wennberg: I'll pick Harry Potter. I would say I'm a big fan of Lord of the Rings and Star Wars, but if I have to sit down and do a marathon I'd start with Harry Potter. I don't really have a favorite, so I just tackle them one by one. If you watch one, I feel like you have to watch the rest.
