Magnus Nyström:
Sorry that we are late, but now can we finally start: last season’s finalist Skellefteå has lost several of team’s best players since spring, it isn’t easy to replace those who left – do you feel the pressure?

Oscar Möller:
Unfortunately I was stuck in minor traffic chaos, that’s why I’m late. Sorry.

No, it’s only cool to get a prominent role in a team. But it is important to deliver. There are many great players who left. But I have lots of faith in this team.

Nyström:
But you do realize you’re in a hockey crazy city – and that there is no place you can hide in Skellefteå?

Möller:
Yeah, that’s right. It’s nice to see the interest of the fans. You’re going to be let known both when it goes well and when bad. But I see more benefits than cons. I think it’s really cool to have this kind of support.

Q :
Why didn’t you come to home to Stockholm and DIF? Was there no interest?

Möller:
Yes, Djurgården showed interest. But they had almost complete roster and so I wanted to meet with Skellefteå. After the meeting Skellefteå felt the right place to move to.

Nyström:
Better salary here?

Möller:
It’s obvious that it plays a role to a certain point, but my goal is to go back to NHL. And this is the best place for me to develop. And I’m eager to win.

Q :
How much pressure you feel before the season? How are you going to replace the 1st line of last season?

Möller:
None of us is Joakim Lidström, Lehtonen or Warg – we have different styles of play. You can’t think about the pressure. If you’re really good player, then you are good at dealing with this pressure. How things go, it’s not about one player or five players – whole team has to contribute.

Q :
What’s your personal goal during this season in Elitserien?

Möller:
To be able to develop both offensive and defensive. Then I will be stronger. I can withstand more. I have never played in Elitserien – but the ultimate goal is to come back to NHL.

Q :
How could you not select Färjestad, Sweden’s best team with Sweden’s best arena and locker room? (And the finest captain…)

Möller:
Good question. I wasn’t that much in contact with Färjestad. After I had visited Skellefteå, it was clear for me that it would be that team.

once again, things in italics are mine

Q :
Where would you rather play? In not-so-good team while earning a milliard (I assume in crowns) in 4 years or Detroit Red Wings while making 200 000 per month for 4 years and win SC every year?

Möller:
What a question. If you get to win Stanley Cup, that’s the best.

Nyström:
You chose to play junior hockey in Canada – why?

Möller:
When I chose to go there, the big reason was that I wanted to play lots of matches. For me it was right. But I’m not saying it’s right or wrong for others. There was couple of us who went there. I think that made clubs thinking a bit and then to lift more juniors to A-teams. And now you can see that Elitserien has great young players.

Q :
Are there players in Skellefteå that you know from past?

Möller:
Bud Holloway, who’s also new here. We played together in Manchester in AHL.

Nyström:
How good is Holloway?

Möller:
A great guy. Good hockey player who should get a chance in NHL, he has been really good in AHL during the last 2 years. Very good in the playoffs.

Nyström:
You have played both in AHL and NHL – what do you think is the main reason why you haven’t established your place in NHL?

Möller:
It was that I couldn’t make my way. I couldn’t make my way in the situations on ice, when it became tight. That’s where I can improve. But it wasn’t that I didn’t try, I wasn’t in the corners and in front of the net – I was simply little bit too weak.

Nyström:
So how are you going to be stronger – what do you do to become better at that?

Möller:
It’s difficult to become stronger during the season. You should try to maintain as much as possible. This summer I have trained a lot, we have an excellent fitness coach here. I’ve trained harder than in times.

Q:
Which of your old junior national team teammates you think will have the most success in NHL? Why?

Möller:
I have played with Erik Karlsson and David Rundblad. Patrik Berglund, Magnus Pääjärvi. There are quite lot good players. Who are going to do really well. It’s really cool I got to play with so many great players.

Q:
Do the Kings still have your rights or are you unrestricted?

Möller:
No, the Kings still have my rights. If I want to go back to North America, then it’s the Kings. But anything can happen; they can trade my rights away.

Nyström:
Do you want to go back?

Möller:
Yes, they have been really good at acquiring young players. They have got lots of young talent. So it’s a great organization.

Nyström:
But what they thought about you going back to Sweden?

Möller:
I talked with Ron Hextall, who’s the assistant GM. He said that the Kings thought it was good for me and that they had talked about it themselves. They said that they believed it would be good for me. AHL isn’t bad league, but I want to test how well I can develop in Sweden. I really feel like I haven’t burnt any bridges.

Q :
We are of course going toward the impossible goal and win the gold? ;)

Möller:
Yes.

Nyström:
You have the feeling of gold then?

Möller:
If we don’t set high goals, we’ll never reach them.

Q:
What do you say about your linemates thusfar? Oskar Lindberg has had a strong start while it looks tough for Bud Holloway.

Möller:
Oskar is a really good player, I hadn’t seen him before. He is the big exclamation mark this winter. Bud adapts more and more to the game here in Sweden. On ice, socially – everything. He’s finding his role and way of playing more and more. We have played extremely well in latest training matches. It’s just a matter of times before Bud starts to score lots of goals. I’m not worried.

Q :
How much can you lift from bench press?

Möller:
I made a new record this summer. 110kg.

Q :
Which teammate and opponent made the biggest impression on you during your time in NHL? Good luck for the season and hopefully you’ll get to the NHL again!

Möller:
Teammate: I have to say Anze Kopitar. But also Drew Doughty, he is really good.
Opponent: Sedins… they find each other all the time and are dangerous everytime they’re on the ice.

Nyström:
I have to ask – you changed Los Angeles to Skellefteå, talk about the differences?

Möller:
Yeah, it’s big difference. As hockey player you’re mostly in the arena or home resting. It’s obvious that for free time, there’s a lot more things to do in LA than here. But it’s not a problem. I can shovel during my free days here (laughs) – or build snowcastles…

Q :
Within the hockey, but off the ice, what impressed you most about the Los Angeles Kings? Something you though we should have here in Sweden?

Möller:
It’s more business over there. It’s difficult to compare. What’s good here at home is that you have much better dialog with trainers about what’s good and bad. You get lots of feedback all the time.

Q:
Does it matter for you whether you play as center or as winger? Who do you think will be the captain?

Möller:
In our system it doesn’t really matter if I’m center. Captain? Martin Lundberg has been the captain in most of the games during preseason. He would be a great choice. His playing style and personality makes him good for that.

Q :
If you could choose a line of players and a goalie, which players would you pick? (With whom you’d play)

Möller:
I’ll choose teammates over the years.
Goalie: Jonathan Quick, with whom I played with Kings.
Defence: Drew Doughty and David Rundblad.
Forwards: Anze Kopitar and Dustin Brown.

Nyström:
How eager are you to play with the Tre Kronors?

Möller:
It would be an honour. Definitely.

Nyström:
You have played 2 JWC under Mårt’s command and came 2nd twice – how much the final losses hurt?

Möller:
 Quite a lot. We had great teams both years. It still stings. It would’ve been so cool to win the gold.

Nyström:
Mårts came 2nd with you guys twice and got silver this year, so he even called himself Silverfox – when will Mårts win the first gold?

Möller:
Hopefully it will happen next spring (dear god, please no). Mårst is good, he’s a good coach. He really tries to ensure that the team plays together, he really thinks about which players to get.

Q:
Would you drop your gloves? And against whom would it be the toughest to fight in Elitserien?

Möller:
I’m not the type, who fights. I think that Lee Goren is one of the toughest in Elitserien.

Q :
Do you some of the old legends who played in Skellefteå?
 
Möller:
Yes, Hardy Nilsson. When they took the gold.

Q :
Would you cry if Kings traded you to a totally crappy team? Or would you refuse to play for them?

Möller:
No (laughs). That was a funny question. Of course it would be unfortunate if I was traded. But it’s part of hockey and NHL. I want to go back to Kings.

Q :
I must say it felt really good when it became clear that you signed up for “us”, and this interview definitely didn’t make things worse! Are you waiting as eagerly as us fans for the season to start?

Oscar Möller:
Yes, I do. Ever since I signed, I have been waiting for it to start. It will be so sick!

(i had to divide this into pieces because it would’ve been way too long in once piece)