Ryan Lasch boarded Frolunda Gothenburg's charter flight back home with more luggage than he arrived in Oulu with – in addition to a gold medal, he also picked up the Champions Hockey League's MVP and top scorer awards. But he makes it very clear that it's the team's accomplishment that he appreciates the most. 

by Derek O'Brien

OULU – Ryan Lasch started the 2014–15 season with TPS Turku and put up 11 points (4 + 7) in 8 Champions Hockey League games as his team made it to the Quarter-Finals. This season with Frolunda Gothenburg, the 29-year-old American improved on his acheivements both individually and as a team, topping all CHL scorers with 16 points (7 + 9) and winning the MVP, while helping Frolunda become Europe's club hockey champions.

Lasch transferred from TPS to Frolunda just five days before last year's Final, and wasn't eligible to play in the game, which his team lost 4–2 in Lulea. This year he was a part of things right from the start of the season, however, and so he savoured the victory with his teammates.

“It’s awesome – a great feeling to win with these guys,” he said in the victors' dressing room after the game. “We’ve worked together all season, scored some big goals . . . this game we scored a couple and defended. Everyone was really focused and we all wanted it, you could tell from the opening faceoff. Everyone put in a maximum effort and this is the result.”

Your goal opened the scoring. Can you describe it?

“That was something we talked about before the game, getting guys in front of the net, creating some traffic, and getting shots through. We knew it would be a tough game and we'd have to win those inside battles. That's what I was trying to do on that first one there, Fanty (Oscar Fantenberg) got the shot through and I got a piece of it.”

You were ahead 2–0, but was the team thinking at all about last year, when you also had a 2–0 lead and lost?

“I wasn’t part of it last year, but I don’t think so. This is a mature group of guys and they’ve moved on from last year. I don’t think that crept into their heads at all. As soon as we scored those goals, we played sound defence for the rest of the game.”

How important is winning the Champions Hockey League to the team?

“Oh, it’s part of what we’ve been working for all season. Right from the start one of our goals as an organization was to be  playing in this game and win it.”

What about also winning the NordicBet MVP Trophy and the Cramo Top Scorer Award?

“It's nice. I thank the fans who voted and everyone who supported that. Winning that is a reflection of the team – this was a team victory. You know, individual awards are nice but look around here (motioning to his teammates celebrating in the dressing room). This is what it’s all about. When those final seconds tick off the clock and the team pours off the bench to celebrate, that’s the best part of being a hockey player.”

How will it feel now to go back home and play an SHL regular season game?

“Oh, it’ll be fine. We don’t play again until next week (because of the international break), so it’ll give us some time to enjoy this one and get ready to play again.”

A lot has been made about the team’s recent struggles. Do you think this will help get the team going in the right direction again?

“I think so. This is going to give us confidence going forward, not just winning but the way we won – a battle like that – those are the types of games that you have to be able to win. I think that's going to help us in the future.”