LAS VEGAS – Liam Ohgren expected to be playing this late into the season, just not in the NHL with the Wild.
Wild rookie Liam Ohgren lives a hockey player’s dream as he makes NHL debut in loss to Vegas
The former first-round draft pick broke in when his team played the Golden Knights on Friday night.
The Minnesota Star Tribune
April 13, 2024 at 5:19AM
His Swedish team finished atop the standings, and Ohgren figured they’d be in action until May when the playoffs conclude. Instead, Färjestad BK was swept out of the gate and that catapulted Ohgren toward an opportunity he didn’t think would happen at this point of his career but a milestone he’s long coveted.
“It’s been my dream since I started playing hockey,” he said.
Ohgren made his NHL debut Friday while the Wild were crushed 7-2 by the Golden Knights at T-Mobile Arena, the winger becoming the first draft pick from the team’s 2022 class to arrive and the latest prospect to earn a spot in the lineup as the Wild eye the future after not making the playoffs.
“Obviously, not the result we wanted,” said Ohgren, who wore No.28 and had his dad Andreas, mom Teresia, stepfather Linus, brother Noel and girlfriend Juni at the game. “But a special night for me and my family. To do the warmup, the rookie lap, it was awesome and to get my first game in the books, it’s a special moment.”
Already, this has been an eventful season for Ohgren.
After missing about three months because of stress fractures in his back, Ohgren returned in time to suit up for the World Junior Championship where he captained Sweden to a silver medal.
Then with Färjestad BK, he racked up 12 goals and seven assists in 26 games.
“I’m really happy that I chose Färjestad as a team,” Ohgren said. “They helped me so much, and they’ve been so great to me. I got back to World Juniors, which was an unbelieve experience to play at home [in Sweden]. Then I finished the season with Färjestad. I think I played really well at the end, and unfortunately we got out of the playoffs pretty early. But overall a great season.”
Once Färjestad BK was eliminated, Ohgren went to the American Hockey League.
The 20-year-old appeared in three games with Iowa before the Wild beckoned him to their roster, with Ohgren learning the news after Tuesday’s game against Rockford.
“They said that they think I’m ready for this step, and they wanted me to go to Vegas,” said Ohgren, who was the 19th pick in 2022 and signed an entry-level contract soon after. “That was pretty insane.”
Touted as a smooth skater who’s strong on the puck, Ohgren is getting more than a once-in-a-lifetime memory from this promotion.
This is a chance for him to adjust to the NHL, which has smaller rinks than in Europe, before reporting for training camp in September. Goaltender Jesper Wallstedt, who is scheduled to start Saturday at San Jose, is in the same position after getting elevated from the minors last week, and Marat Khusnutdinov has been adapting to the Wild for a month now since leaving Russia.
“You really get a sense of where you truly are and how hard the league is and how good it is,” coach John Hynes said, “and I think that sometimes can ignite players for their training and getting themselves to the next level.”
In his 13th game, Khusnutdinov scored his first NHL goal against Vegas when he deflected in a Brock Faber shot on the power play at 7 minutes, 42 seconds of the second period.
“It’s a good feeling,” said Khusnutdinov, who described the goal as a “dream” and had the puck scooped up by Marcus Johansson. “Guys help me. Fabes good shot. A lucky tip.”
But the action was dominated by the Golden Knights, who clinched the last-available playoff spot in the Western Conference with this victory.
They capitalized shorthanded 2:57 into the first period (Nicolas Roy), during 5-on-5 at 6:21 (Pavel Dorofeyev) and on the power play by 8:35 (Jack Eichel). Vegas converted again on the power play (2-for-4) in the second before tacking on three more goals in the third period.
Ryan Hartman reached 20 goals at 7:13 of the third, and Marc-Andre Fleury made 23 saves.
“We’re talking about Marat and Ohgren … they played well,” Hynes said. “But I’m looking at the veterans. Where were we tonight – some guys.”
After taking the traditional rookie lap sans helmet and tossing a warmup puck to his brother, Ohgren skated 14:07, including 3:10 minutes on the Wild’s 1-for-3 power play. He also tested goalie Logan Thompson (25 saves) twice and leveled two hits.
“He’s competitive,” Hynes said. “He’s got good speed. He’s got good hockey sense. In a difficult game to play in, I was impressed with him. I think that there’s a lot there. From a bad night, that’s an encouraging sign.”
Ohgren hopes what he’s experienced so far will be enough to stick with the Wild for good.
“I’m going to do everything I can to make the team next year,” he said. “I think I’ve developed a lot this year and feel like I’m taking steps every time. So, I am going to do everything I can.”
Problems that might have led to a loss in the past are merely complications that the team is overcoming this season, as was true again Friday against Tampa Bay.
