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Axelsson studies up in Traverse City
By Sarah Lindenau - RedWingsCentral.com / September 18, 2008Dick Axelsson is getting a crash course in North American hockey this month.
The 21-year-old Detroit Red Wings' prospect isn't sticking around for long, as he is scheduled to return to his Swedish Elite League team Djurgarden next week after training camp comes to a close in Traverse City, Mich.
The hope is the offensively-gifted Axelsson will be ready for the rigors of North American hockey for the 2009-10 season.
"This is why he's here," Red Wings assistant general manager Jim Nill said. "It's an adjustment period — on smaller ice, things happen quicker. He's going to get better as things go on."
Axelsson had a goal and an assist in four games at the prospects tournament this week, playing mostly with Cory Emmerton and Zack Torquato. The 6-foot-2, 176-pound left-winger showed flashes of his raw talent.
"It's much more of a skating game here," Axelsson said. "Players skate every shift. It's go, go, go."
Fellow Swede Mattias Ritola struggled in training camp last year and was sent to the American Hockey League. He gradually figured things out and ended up making his NHL debut with the Red Wings later in the season.
"He's going though exactly the same thing I went through last year," Ritola said. "You don't know the hockey and you don't know the guys. I just tried to help him by telling him about my experience last year."
Axelsson, reluctantly nicknamed Hat Trick Dick, produced 12 goals and 13 assists for 25 points as a rookie last season, but landed himself in hot water with the law at season's end. He ended up spending a night in prison.
"He was on the national team and they were out doing some drinking," Nill said. "He said something to a police officer and they didn't like it and he spent the night in jail. We're not worried about it ... We all say some foolish things and I think he knows that and he's learned from it."
After the incident, Axelsson was removed from the national team, missing a shot at the world championship, but the Red Wings still signed him.
"Everything is forgotten now," Axelsson said. "I was a little worried Detroit wouldn't sign me, but the consequences were not so big."
Axelsson, drafted 62nd overall in 2006, is still extremely slender, so spending time in the weight room is paramount for his success. He'll have a top-line role with Djurgarden this season and could have a breakthrough year.
"I know how hard I have to train now," he said. "I will work all the time to get better."
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The next wave
RWC's top 10 prospects (2009-10 preliminary)
| 01 | F | Tomas Tatar » | Grand Rapids (AHL) |
| 02 | D | Jakub Kindl » | Grand Rapids (AHL) |
| 03 | D | Brendan Smith » | Wisconsin (NCAA) |
| 04 | G | Thomas McCollum » | Grand Rapids (AHL) |
| 05 | F | Gustav Nyquist » | Maine (NCAA) |
| 06 | F | Landon Ferraro » | Red Deer (WHL) |
| 07 | F | Jan Mursak » | Grand Rapids (AHL) |
| 08 | F | Cory Emmerton » | Grand Rapids (AHL) |
| 09 | F | Joakim Andersson » | Frolunda (SEL) |
| 10 | F | Mattias Ritola » | Grand Rapids (AHL) |