Then they made up at home in the living room. Now they are both top scorers in Sweden’s top leagues.
For hockeysverige.se, Ebba Hedqvist now talks about her and her brother Isac Hedqvist’s journey.
– I think he has always been a little better than me, laughs the 17-year-old.
Isaac Hedqvist scored his first SHL goal in the last round. The goal came in a power play against Malmö, played by Adam Brodecki and Oskari Laaksonen. The 18-year-old from Svedjeholmen, i.e. the same club that nurtured Anders Hedberg, is predicted to have a brilliant future, as is his younger sister Ebba Hedqvist which today is already established in Damkronorna.
– He must have been the first of the two of us to start playing hockey because Isac is a year and a half older, but I was probably not far behind, says Ebba Hedqvist who, like her brother, got her interest in hockey through her father Ola Hedqvist.
– Dad was a goalkeeper and played in Björklöven, MoDo, the German league and so on. I think he was the one who got us started.
He was a goalkeeper, why didn’t you or Isac become one too?
– (Laughter) I actually don’t know. At some point I’ve tried it, but it wasn’t something I stuck with.
What were the days like after school at home in Svedjeholmen?
– After school we first had training, but after that it was hockey here at home in the living room or upstairs in Isac’s room. When it was winter, we drove outside on the street instead. There was a lot of that after school.
Who was the biggest talent among you?
– Oh… I think he’s always been a little better than me, laughs Ebba Hedqvist, who also says that the siblings have played together.
– Yes, we have actually done that, in Svedjeholmen. He actually drove with those who were a year older. Then he went down and drove with the 05s while I went up and drove with that team. Then we even got to play in the same “line”.
– I remember that quite well and a memory I will remember for a long time. It was actually really fun.
Isaac and Ebba Hedqvist. Photo: Private.
The Hedqvist siblings were not alone as great talents from Svedjeholmen. There were also the siblings Elias and Mira Hallin.
– We were really tight and still are. We hung out every day in the hall. They lived quite close to the hall so we could go home there after practice. It was really good to have them there.
– We also played quite a lot of country bandy, but were also a lot at the O-rink in Svedjeholmen. Often after school there was free ice there so everyone used to go there and drive. The O-rink is a hall that has a roof, but it may not be the world’s nicest and as cold as being outside.
Scorer in the SHL for the first time
After Svedjeholmen, Isac Hedqvist did just under two seasons in MoDo U16 before he took the step over to Luleås J18.
– I think it was great for Isac that he got to go to Luleå. Partly because he got to live alone and develop as a person.
– In terms of hockey, we have seen that it has gone really well and I think he has developed a lot up there. It has been fun to watch.
What do you see as his strength as a player?
– I think he is really good in the melee at the rim, that he gets the puck under control there.
Do you feel that there are similarities between the two of you as players?
– I think we both have a pretty good understanding of the game.
How much contact do you have during the season when he is in Luleå and you in MoDo?
– Not super much because we both have matches and training all the time. We hear from time to time. Then I am sometimes there when the mother and father talk to him.
– Then of course I check almost every match, how he is doing and it’s fun to see.
What do you think it means for Isac and his confidence to score his first SHL goal?
– I think it means a lot, that he no longer has the pressure on him to score the first goal. I think now he can release some of that pressure and instead just go out and drive.
Do you remember your first goal in SDHL?
– Yes, dad actually asked me about it the day before yesterday. I think it was against SDE at home. The puck is here at home, concludes Ebba Hedqvist.
Isac Hedqvist celebrates after the victory against Malmö, when he scored the first SHL goal. Photo: The image agency.
