Red Wings' Nyquist wins gold medal with Team Sweden

COPENHAGEN, DENMARK - It isn't the Stanley Cup, but winning a gold medal certainly helps make the offseason a lot sweeter.
When his season in Detroit ended, Gustav Nyquist was happy to have the opportunity to represent his country at the 2018 IIHF World Championship in Denmark.

"As a young kid playing hockey, having the chance to represent your country is always something you dream of," the 28-year-old who also has an Olympic silver medal to his credit said before playing in his third world championship. "I'm very fortunate to be here today and to be playing for my national team, especially here in Copenhagen. I'm from Malmo, just across the bridge. So, this is close to home for me and a very special tournament."
The two countries are separated by just eight miles and connected by the Oresund Bridge. It's a big reason why there have been so many yellow jerseys in and around Royal Arena since the tournament started nearly three weeks ago and why Sweden had a huge home ice advantage facing Switzerland in the gold medal game.
"The crowd here has been amazing," Nyquist said after Team Sweden's 6-0 semifinal win over Team USA. "It's an unbelievable atmosphere in there and I can't wait to see this crowd during the gold medal game because it might as well be in Sweden. It was amazing standing there after this win listening to the national anthem. It's pretty special, gives you chills.
He smiled and added, "I hope we get to hear it one more time."
While Nyquist was excited for the golden opportunity, he was also motivated by the thought that he wishes he weren't even here.
"It still hurts to think about not being in the playoffs. I check the NHL scores every morning, maybe I'll watch the first period of a game if I'm still awake" he said. "As a competitor, you still want to be in that race and playing for a Stanley Cup. So, of course, I wish I was still there, but I'm not. I'm here and having the chance to win a gold medal for your country isn't a bad alternative."
It's that desire to win a Stanley Cup that was driving his focus here at the world championship and why he's looking at anything and everything he can pick up from other players that might help him be just a little bit better, faster, smarter on the ice.
"You're still playing against a lot of really good players here. It's a little bit of a different game because of the big ice and it takes a little while to get used to, but it's still fun to challenge yourself in that way and see how other players do things," Nyquist explained. "This is an opportunity to improve and put me in a better position to help the Red Wings get into and go far in the playoffs next year. We haven't made it now in two years and that's something we obviously want to change.
"I think we had a lot of young guys take steps this year and hopefully they can take another step, while everyone else takes a look in the mirror and sees what they can do better to improve as well and help the team succeed a little bit more. We all need to be better."
When Team Switzerland took a 1-0 lead in the first period of the championship game, it was Nyquist who answered at 17:54 of the first.

"What I like about him is that he's so shifty," said Rikard Gronborg, Sweden's head coach. "He's hard to defend against because you don't know what he's going to do and sometimes you wonder how he came up with something like that and that's the wow factor he has. He's got a great shot, but he can twist and turn on a dime. He brings that kind of unpredictability that's hard to scout and certainly play against."
A relative newcomer to the Swedish national team, Nyquist didn't officially wear the Tre Kronor for the first time until four years ago in the 2014 Olympics.
"I had opportunities to try out for the U18 and U20 teams, but I never made the cut," he said. "I was a pretty small guy - I kind of still am - but I was passed over in my first year in the draft and that's why I decided to play college hockey at Maine. I got drafted by the Red Wings (fourth round, 121st overall, 2008) the summer before my freshman year, but a lot of players dream of playing in the NHL, but not a lot of players make it. So, it was important for me to have that background and get an education too.
"In Sweden, you either turn pro or go to university," he continued. "Because I went to Maine, I was still able to play hockey at a high level, develop as a player, get time in the weight room, get stronger, pursue My hockey goals and get an education too... just in case."
Nyquist spent three years with the Black Bears and established himself as a dynamic, offensively gifted, fast player. he earned 50 goals and 94 assists for 144 points in 113 games and was a Hobey Baker Award finalist his sophomore year.
"Playing in college was the best thing for my hockey career," he said. "We only played two games a week so I had the time to work in the gym during the week and build my strength and work on my skills and just get better, and that's what I want to keep doing every year. I don't think I'm at my best. I think I still have things I can work on and that's why I like coming to tournaments like this because you can learn a lot."
Nyquist finished the tournament with four goals, one assist and was plus-3 in nine games.