"He was a little bit more shy back then, I would say," Hedman started. "He is still the same person. I haven't played with him for such a long time. He's just a great guy and works his tail off, really good on the power play, really good on the PK. Tough to play against.
"He played the same way, but now he's obviously 10, 20 times better. He's so tough to play against him when you play against him in Minnesota.
"It feels good to have him on our side now."
Better with than against, as the Tampa Bay Lightning blueliner can attest.
"He's just a pain in the ass to play against," said Hedman, an assistant captain with Sweden whose usual workload consists of shutting down the likes of Eriksson Ek back on international ice. "He's always in front of the net and making good plays and tough to play against and after whistles he gets into guys faces.
"He's a lot of fun."
Turns out Eriksson Ek is a little patient, too.
It had been closing in on a decade, after all.
Eighty-three months, for those counting. Just under 2550 days.
Nearly 220,000,400 minutes the Minnesota Wild forward had to wait to return to the international stage to represent his native Sweden, at any level, before landing on the big stage at the 2024 Worlds this spring.
Eriksson Ek was just a fresh-faced rookie the last time he tugged on the Three Crowns, a 20-year-old who just completed a disjointed season that saw him spend 26 games in the Swedish Hockey League with Farjestad, one game with the Iowa Wild in the American Hockey League, 15 games in his initial twirl in the NHL up with the Wild, and an additional stint that saw him as captain of Sweden's entry at the 2017 IIHF World Junior Championship.
The jet-set season was capped with a Midas touch, a 10-game tour with Tre kronor that saw him as the youngest player on Sweden's gold medal-winning entry what seams like ages ago.
"That year we had an amazing team, probably one of the best teams I've ever been a part of," Eriksson Ek said. "That year was something special. Just all the fans we have in Europe is amazing. It's amazing to play in front of fans in your home country."
A subtle reminder for the now 27-year-old, too.
"Enjoy every chance you have," Eriksson Ek said. "I haven't really been able to go for seven years. There's injuries, contract situations, playoffs, and other stuff.
"I mean, it goes so fast when you're young.
"You're thinking ahead sometimes a little too much."
Minnesota teammate Jonas Brodin remembers.
Then again, Brodin remembers from before that, too.
"We're from the same hometown," he started. "I knew his dad a little bit and always saw him around the hockey arena. He's just a great guy and a really good teammate. He cares about everyone. He's just an all-round nice guy.
"I think the first couple years he didn't find his role, but after two years he really found it and he's been growing ever since. It's good.
"He reminded me of myself when I came over. I was the same thing. He was the same thing... quiet in the beginning, just learning everything. He's just a good guy, great teammate."
Good guy.
Great teammate.
Terrible opponent, as another Norris winner can attest.
"It's nice to play with him for once," said Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Erik Karlsson, who is doubling as Sweden's captain in 2024. "He's a beast out there. He's something that I think ever since he came into the league has played his game. He's very physical and tough.
"I think the last couple years you've really seen his skill as well. He's getting more comfortable out there. He's a fantastic player and he's an unbelievable guy. I haven't been around him personally for a long time, so it's nice to be his teammate and get to know him on a personal level as well.
"As a hockey player he's one of the best ones we have here."
High praise, no doubt. But deserving too.
Eriksson Ek, a 30-goal getter in 2023-24, has emerged as a key fixture on a Wild group that boasts plenty of talent and one of the most difficult forwards to grind it out against at the NHL level.
A seven-year journey in the making.
And it hasn't gone under the radar.
"Ever since he came in to Minnesota he was noticed right away," Karlsson said. "He made himself noticed. He plays a style that maybe is not typical Swedish but he's a beast out there. That's what's made him successful. He's kept that going ever since he came into the toughest league in the world.
"He's getting comfortable and experienced and it's fun to see that we can produce players like that from Sweden as well.
"The last couple years the skill has started to show."
