Filip Gustavsson, the number-one goalie for the Swedish U18 national team, has been brilliant in the group stage of the Ivan Hlinka Memorial Cup. He hopes he can continue his strong play into the season and maybe get a shot with Lulea Hockey's men's team. Beyond that? The sky's the limit.

by Derek O'Brien

BRECLAV, Czech Rep. – During the group stage of the 2015 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Cup, one of the stories has been the goaltending of Filip Gustavsson from Lulea Hockey. He played in all three of Sweden's group stage games and, after allowing three goals in the first game against Switzerland, a 4–3 win, he went head-to-head with Canada's Dylan Wells and stopped 36 of 37 shots in a 2–0 loss (with an empty-net goal). Then with a spot in the semi-finals on the line, he played his third game in three days and posted a 23-save shutout in a 2–0 win over the Czech Republic opposite Sparta Prague's Adam Brizgala. 

After a well-earned day off on Thursday, Gustavsson will go back to work in the semi-finals against Nordic rivals Finland on Friday evening. After the tournament is over, he'll go back to Lulea, where he'll be the starting goaltender on their junior team and, if all goes well, get a shot with the men's team as well.

Filip, three games in three days. How do you feel about your play in these games?

I think I played better the last two but I think I still have one step to go to be at my maximum performance.

The Canadian goalie, Dylan Wells, said that he'd played against you before. Do you remember that?

Yeah, in Canada last year at the World Hockey Challenge. 

Then you also had quite a duel with the Czech goalie, Adam Brizgala. Do you see these games as personal challenges against the other goalie at the other end?

I don't know, maybe a bit, but as long as the team wins I'm happy.

Is it difficult to play three games in three days?

Nah, sometimes in junior we play three games in a row on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, so . . .

You play junior in Lulea, is that right?

Yes it's way up in the far north of Sweden.

Yes I know, I was there for the final of the Champions League.

Oh the Champions Hockey League – and Lulea won it! Yeah, I watched it.

And what do you think when you see the men's team have success like that?

It really makes me proud to be part of such a great club. 

Have you practised or played any games with the men's team?

Just practised a few times, and pre-game warm-ups sometimes before home games.

I think Lulea have a pretty good goalie, don't they?

Joel Lassinanti. He's terrific. We're pretty good friends.

Does he give you any advice?

Yes of course. Small stuff like how you should stand in the net, positioning, . . . goalie stuff.

Now is it true that you're actually from Skelleftea?

Yes, they're big rivals.

Why would you switch from one to the other?

The goalie coach. Skelleftea didn't have a goalie coach for the juniors and Lulea had one. They offered me a place there so went there.

So now when you play against Skelleftea, you know all the players I guess.

Yeah, and now here (on the Swedish U18 national team) there are some players from Skelleftea too – Linus Lindstrom and Adam Thilander. We're good friends but in the league we're rivals.

Did you always want to be a goalie?

I played defence when I was younger. My father was a defenceman – he played for Skelleftea in the second division.

So how old were you when you became a goalie?

I was always a goaltender but I also played out when I was younger until I moved to Skelleftea, then I just played goal.

What are your long-term career goals?

First I want to play in the SHL, then maybe one day in the NHL. That's my big dream, but step-by-step – first the SHL.

Do you think that could happen this year? The SHL, I mean.

Maybe, if I play well and they give me the chance. I hope so.

When you're here at a tournament like this, do you think about all the NHL scouts watching?

No, I don't think about that so much. You just try to play your best and not worry about who's watching. You don't want to put too much pressure on yourself, worrying about things like that.

Lulea has become a popular place for players from Central Europe, hasn't it?

Yeah, we've got two guys from Slovakia – Christian Jaros is one but he plays for the men's team now. We've also got Marek Hecl, he's new. 

Now you're coming down here from northern Sweden. What do you think about the weather here in Central Europe in the middle of summer?

It's really hot, so you need to drink a lot. Otherwise, it's okay.

Now you have the semi-finals. How good do you think your team can do in this tournament?

I think we can go for a medal.

Alright, well good luck and thank you for your time.