Get to know the newest Jet Isak Rosén

Jamie Thomas sits down with one of the newest Jets, Isak Rosén, after the Jets acquired him from Buffalo. JT and Isak discuss being traded, Swedish meatballs, Scandinavian rivalries and more!

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Transcript

SPEAKER_02 0:00

The guys that you like the most. It was Pavel Datsuk for a long time.

SPEAKER_04 0:03

I always liked watching David Gustison once told me that Henry McLenquist is known more in some parts of Sweden for his shampoo commercials and his hair than it is for him being one of the greatest goaltenders ever. Is there some truth to that? It's for sure true. Your girlfriend would be fine with it, it's just traumatized.

SPEAKER_03 0:21

He did not make the list. Thank you.

SPEAKER_04 0:28

Something I've always wanted to know as a guy that is from Sweden. How many IKEA jokes do people crack with you in a North American dressing room over your time here?

SPEAKER_02 0:38

Yeah, it's uh definitely. It must be all the time, right? Yeah, it's all the time. Uh having got one yet here. So uh I don't know uh how many you have in Canada, but it's uh yeah, I definitely need to look one up. Get some meatballs.

SPEAKER_04 0:53

Is meatball truly a part of your guys' diet nor ordinarily, or is that just yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 0:58

I mean growing up for sure. Right. Uh so and now uh yeah, when I get back in the summer I always have it.

SPEAKER_04 1:05

So what are you what are your favorite meals from growing up?

SPEAKER_02 1:08

Um I think it's it has to be meatballs too. Yeah, yeah, honestly. Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 1:13

So not even to just to play right into the joke of the kid. Yeah, I know. I it's yeah. It is the stereotype, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:19

It is, but yeah, that's probably what I ate the most uh growing up. So yeah.

SPEAKER_04 1:23

Okay, so uh outside of that, what's your favorite pregame meal that you what's your go-to?

SPEAKER_02 1:27

Uh I like to eat salmon. Um so I think that's uh growing up eating a lot of fish too. So I think uh that's uh uh would I like to have a pregame meal.

SPEAKER_04 1:37

What's what what's your what was your favorite part of your childhood in in in Stockholm? That's that's where you grew up, right?

SPEAKER_02 1:42

Yeah, so that's where I was born, but I grew up in Lexund, uh a small town. Um so that's uh yeah, favorite part is just uh yeah, it's that town is all about hockey. It's uh I think seven the the arena takes in like 7.5 and it's 6,000 living in the city. So it's uh all about hockey and you know everything is close. Uh uh, so what I've heard, it's uh yeah, a little bit similar to here, you know, it's it's about hockey outdoors, you know. You can uh uh some of the guys who are ice fish ice fishing and stuff like that. That's uh stuff I did growing up too. So uh yeah, you know, just uh uh favorite part of my Shyload was uh you know uh playing hockey and uh having all these friends close by, uh just going out playing street hockey every day and stuff like that.

SPEAKER_04 2:29

So when you guys play street hockey here, like when I grew up, we had these hard plastic orange balls. Yeah. Is that the same when you go? So we had tennis balls too. Yeah. And then we also had pox, foam pox every once in a while. But what was the go-to for you guys when you played?

SPEAKER_02 2:42

So we had uh floor balls, you know, football. Yeah, and then we put like a plastic bag into the floor balls so it gets heavier. So there's holes in it, right? Holes in it, yeah, exactly. And then you like put a plastic bag into the into the ball so it gets heavier. Okay, so yeah, that's what we always play with, yeah.

SPEAKER_04 2:59

Is that how much of like what was it, like four or five times a week or like every day after school kind of a thing?

SPEAKER_02 3:04

Every day after school. I mean, we played it all day during school too, and then when we got home, we just flip played more, so yeah.

SPEAKER_04 3:10

Oh, that's uh that's a that's absolutely amazing. It's game day, Jets fans. You know what time it is? It's time to check in.

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SPEAKER_04 3:20

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SPEAKER_00 3:23

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SPEAKER_04 3:26

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SPEAKER_00 3:28

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SPEAKER_03 3:35

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SPEAKER_04 4:05

You said your dad you you're wearing number 27 because of your dad. So is it your dad's sole responsibility for that you the fact that you're a professional hockey player today?

SPEAKER_02 4:14

Uh I mean, no. I mean it's uh both my parents and and but yeah, I mean, that's probably why I got into hockey, and then you know, always he didn't play he quit pretty uh early, so I didn't see him play a lot. Uh but you know, growing up, always have someone to talk talk about hockey with uh was yeah, definitely made me more interested. And uh yeah, so it's a big factor, yeah.

SPEAKER_04 4:40

I know you told Sarah the other day that you know you you had told your dad you're gonna wear his number 27. How how did he take that news?

SPEAKER_02 4:46

No, he was he was so excited, he was so happy. Uh, you know, uh yeah, pretty cool, pool cool moment. Uh, you know, I haven't really picked the number since I went pro. And so it was it was cool.

SPEAKER_04 4:58

Uh um like we always think at the families and stuff like that and the players when they get traded. What's it like telling your parents you've been traded?

SPEAKER_02 5:07

Yeah, no, it was yeah, uh different. Uh I think uh just uh yeah, they're shocked, of course. And uh uh but you know they were super happy. Uh they thought it was uh great opportunity right away, and I think uh just uh yeah, they were super happy as uh as I were, and uh just uh that made me feel more comfortable too, of course, yeah.

SPEAKER_04 5:29

Right. Uh I I mean uh did your mom and dad come to your draft the draft year in 2021? So that was all that was a cold it was a covet draft. Okay, how much of a bummer was the COVID draft in the whole scheme of things? Yeah. When you watch all that when you're watching that over the years growing up, I can imagine all you think about is walking up on the stage. For sure. Yeah, so tell me what that was. I'm excited that you're being drafted, but the whole purpose that it's online must have kind of taken some of the fun out of it.

SPEAKER_02 5:53

Yeah, it did, for sure. I I mean we were also in in the US with the the national team, so I wasn't even with my family. Uh so it was kind of uh yeah, it was weird. Uh, you know, probably the coolest moment in my life uh uh right there. Uh but like just uh uh kind of sad you can uh share with your friends and family right there. But you know, uh you got to do it when you got home. So it was it was it was fine.

SPEAKER_04 6:21

What what's the best part about playing for your country for you? What your your experience?

SPEAKER_02 6:25

Yeah, just I think just uh like uh yeah, small jerseys. Those are cool jerseys, like it is really cool, yeah.

SPEAKER_04 6:31

Swedish jerseys, no, no, probably outside of Canada, of course.

SPEAKER_02 6:33

Uh I think it's fine, Sweden is fine, of course.

SPEAKER_04 6:36

But but putting that jersey on the first time must have been yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 6:39

No, super cool. Uh you know, just uh yes, from a small country, so it's cool that a lot of people really care about it. So uh and especially like we're juniors, uh the the whole country watches that almost. So uh yeah, super cool.

SPEAKER_04 6:54

Um one of the things the guys told me about when they name the world junior team, they they do it, they have a press conference, they do it live and they name the team. That's much different than how they do it here. Like you you find out about, but how how neat is that to be a part of that whole experience?

SPEAKER_02 7:07

No, it was uh yeah, I remember I think uh uh first time I was in school and we were watching it together, and it was yeah.

SPEAKER_04 7:14

So this has been going on a long time as if Sweden does it this week. Yeah, we do it, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 7:17

But uh yeah, sometimes the coach reaches out before usually, but but like still it's cool to to to see that with your friends and and all that. It's pretty cool.

SPEAKER_04 7:26

So when you find out from the coach, you have to keep it quiet.

SPEAKER_02 7:28

Yeah, you have to keep it quiet for.

SPEAKER_04 7:30

So, how hard is that to not tell your loved ones about that?

SPEAKER_02 7:32

You can't, you can't, just uh uh but yeah, uh yeah, that's pretty cool. They do that.

SPEAKER_04 7:39

Um the Sweden-Finland rivalry. I I like I love to ask people about it, and there's so much the rivalry is building obviously here between Canada and the United States more and more every year, but just Sweden and Finland has been forever. What's that like playing in that?

SPEAKER_02 7:52

Yeah, no, it's uh super fun games, it means a little bit more than the other games. Uh and you know, uh uh yeah, it's always uh that battle to to yeah, be able to call them little brother after you win against them. So, you know, uh yeah, they've been uh really good past years, uh but it was nice now uh on World Juniors. We got the upper hand, so uh yeah.

SPEAKER_04 8:18

How much time do you spend watching the World Juniors is now that you've been a pro?

SPEAKER_02 8:21

Like uh yeah, I mean uh I think uh uh this year I watched when I could. Yeah, I couldn't watch that much, to be honest. Uh but uh you know I watched the final obviously, and uh yeah, whenever I can, I think it's a really cool tournament, and uh it means a lot uh for uh Sweden as country, I think.

SPEAKER_04 8:42

I think there's between 10 and 11 returning players next year, so there's a strong chance that Sweden could probably repeat. So for when there's a 14-year gap between gold medals, how big was that in uh in the country?

SPEAKER_02 8:52

It was so it was huge. I mean, uh, you know, just to get a little uh calm in the in the yeah uh in Swedish hockey, you know, uh you know it's been close, but we haven't really got there. And it's always this talk that we can do it in in group stage, but not in yeah at the end of the tournaments. Uh so it was good to to shut that down.

SPEAKER_04 9:14

Well, um being a pro hockey, was there any other options besides playing hockey? What were the other things you like to do when you're when you're growing up?

SPEAKER_02 9:21

Uh yeah, it was a lot of sports. Uh honestly, it was uh soccer, played a lot of soccer, um floor ball too, a little bit, and then uh um yeah, so it was just a lot of sports uh growing up, uh golf, obviously, too. So yeah.

SPEAKER_04 9:37

Who who are your favorite players growing up? Who are the guys that you like you like the most?

SPEAKER_02 9:41

Uh I think uh it was Pavel Datsuk for a long time. Uh I always liked to watch him.

SPEAKER_04 9:49

Pavel Datsuk in the clear all alone! Oh, what a goal!

SPEAKER_02 9:53

You know, just uh yeah, so smart and doing these uh crazy uh plays all the time. So yeah.

SPEAKER_04 10:01

Um David Guson, who's a part of the Manitoba Moose and clearly part of this organization, once told me that Henry Lundquist is known more for some in some parts of Sweden for his shampoo commercials and his hair than it is for him being one of the greatest goaltenders ever. Is there some truth to that?

SPEAKER_02 10:15

Yeah, I mean they're from the same uh same uh town in Sweden, so he probably knows more about that. But it's uh for sure true.

SPEAKER_01 10:22

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SPEAKER_04 10:38

Okay, so uh being with the Buffalo Sabres organization, they've had a lot of draft picks over the years. What was it like, you know, playing as well and as well as you did in the American Hockey League with Rochester, but just not getting that right opportunity. And I'm not asking to rip get into Buffalo, but just it must have, you know, over some last couple of years, there's some frustration must have settled in a little bit.

SPEAKER_02 10:58

Yeah, uh, yeah, of course. I think uh, you know, uh yeah, especially this year when I think I took took the step also and played really good when I was up in Buffalo. Yeah, it was tough to get sent down, and then you know, when I got up again, I was wasn't really playing. And uh so I think that was the toughest part, and uh, you know, uh, but at the same time, uh, I think uh I I always try to be patient and you know uh every player's uh journey is different, and I think uh I just uh uh try to stay calm in that and uh know that I I'm one day gonna be a full-time NHL player. Uh you know, always work against that and I think uh so just you know just uh not rush too much, even though you of course want to be an NHL. Uh but yeah, uh it was uh tough at times, but you know, I always thought try to be patient and and work on my game.

SPEAKER_04 11:54

Where where did that patience come from? Because a lot of young players don't have that type of patience. So where did you kind of did you learn that or did you already have that going into uh your time in the American Hockey League?

SPEAKER_02 12:03

Yeah, I think uh you know I came on came over uh really young. Uh so like first year was learning year for me, and uh the year prior to that I didn't uh play much hockey because uh yeah, I was an SHL team and uh yeah, just five minutes a game, uh something like that. So, you know, it was uh a year for me that I needed to play a lot and uh just learn a lot, I think. And then you know, second year I played uh really good hockey and uh yeah, uh just uh yeah, I got a chance and uh yeah, uh you know it was a lot of uh uh um skill in Buffalo, yeah, uh young skill. So, you know, uh I understand it's uh it's hard to to yeah get a chance maybe sometimes, but yeah, just trying to be patient because I feel like I always knew what I can do and uh yeah, have uh confidence in that.

SPEAKER_04 12:57

Yeah, it's um it's incredible the numbers that you put up. Um did you feel like you were playing your best hockey at the American Hockey League this year? Because you were on an incredible tear in terms of scoring goals.

SPEAKER_02 13:06

Yeah, yeah. Uh yeah, for sure. I think uh just uh uh never really yeah, just not go too many games without scoring a goal. Uh you know, that was uh new to me, you know. You always get those uh every year where you have like maybe yeah, 10 games, maybe or five or seven, yeah, where you don't score. But you know, this year just been yeah, I didn't score one game, then I score next game, and yeah, just keep rolling like that. So yeah, I think I was playing my best hockey this year for sure.

SPEAKER_04 13:37

How nice is it to come over with somebody like that you know within the organization with Jacob Bryson? And then of course you knew Eric Comerry. Yeah. Uh we'll get about to him in a second, but a very unique personality. But uh let's let's talk about how nice it was to come over with Jacob Bryson.

SPEAKER_02 13:48

No, real nice. Just uh uh yeah, we didn't travel together, but we came in the same day. Uh just uh uh yeah, made it easier just to have someone to walk into the rink with first day and and stuff like that. Uh and uh just uh have someone, yeah, whatever you uh wondering and stuff, uh you can always uh maybe you're wondering too, and we can uh ask about it together or something like that. You you know, made it easier. Uh and uh yeah, but the guys have been really good welcoming us. So you also mentioned you play with Elias Salomonson. Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 14:22

What what's something about Elias like what's some part of his personality that maybe we don't know about him as being a teammate of his one time?

SPEAKER_02 14:28

Uh no, he he's a super funny guy. Yeah, yeah. He's uh uh uh yeah, when I played with him, he didn't he didn't say too much, but when he said something, it was always something funny. Yeah, uh so uh yeah, uh no, uh I think I only played one tournament with him. Uh but uh yeah, it's uh it's gonna be fun to get to know him even better too.

SPEAKER_04 14:49

For sure. Um just now that now that you're here and you're slowly like I guess tell our viewers kind of like the complication of learning another system because you were with the sabres organization for such a long time. Yeah now you're into a new system. What's the challenges in that?

SPEAKER_02 15:03

Uh yeah, I mean it's uh some uh some things that maybe the Sabres organization has been really hard on, and like this is uh this you have to do this every time. Right. Maybe here we don't do that. Uh so I think that's to that's the hardest part to to know it's uh yeah, sitting in the back of your head all the time, you have to do this, but then oh no, I I shouldn't be doing it. I don't have yeah, I don't have to do that here. Yeah, uh so you know uh that stuff is uh is the hardest uh part, I think.

SPEAKER_04 15:33

Because now it's like second nature in some yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 15:36

A little bit, but but at the same time, you know I can't think too much. I gotta just go out and play play Hawke and try and do smart plays and and win battles and uh everything else usually yeah uh clicks after that.

SPEAKER_04 15:51

I imagine it helps a little bit when you have two veteran players beside you with the stature of Gustav Nyquist and John the Tays. A you have a guy that speaks your Swedish, and then you have a guy that's won three Stanley Cups and numerous gold medals. Go into a little bit about how the importance and how nice it's been to have those two guys beside you. And on the bench, of course.

SPEAKER_02 16:10

Yeah, no, uh it's been uh huge. Uh I think just uh how they talk on the ice with me and uh you know for every play, let me know what we're doing, and uh uh yeah, on the bench too. Uh we can talk about the previous shift uh and uh yeah, just uh made it a lot easier uh to to settle in and uh I think uh yeah of course really cool to to play with those guys too. Uh really good players.

SPEAKER_04 16:39

Can you kind of see where Jonathan Taze gets his reputation from just being beside him on the ice?

SPEAKER_02 16:43

Of course, yeah. It's uh yeah, they talked about uh the aura he he has a little bit, and uh you can really feel that. Uh and uh yeah, that's uh that's cool.

SPEAKER_04 16:54

Do you when you when you think about how hard it is for you to get to the National Hockey League and you think of the journey that Jonathan Taze went on where he didn't play for two years, he's 37, he's come back, he hasn't played in the NHL, and he's played in every single game this year.

SPEAKER_02 17:06

Oh really?

SPEAKER_04 17:06

How remarkable is that when you think about it, like two years ago.

SPEAKER_02 17:08

I didn't know that actually, but that's uh that's I mean, it just shows what kind of person and uh player he is and what kind of pro he is, you know. You see it every day here, uh only been there a couple days, but you you can see it right away. And yeah.

SPEAKER_04 17:23

But so uh in a small Winnipeg and Buffalo are kind of very similar, weather's almost the same. Yeah, uh it's the same hockey fans are very good and very passionate. Is it nice to have to to come from one uh climate like that to this one?

SPEAKER_02 17:36

Yeah, uh of course. Uh I think uh uh that's uh how sh uh how hockey should be. And uh you know it's it's fun that uh the fans uh care so much and uh yeah uh it's uh super fun to to come to a uh a big hawke city.

SPEAKER_04 17:53

And when I when I think about the conversations you've had with the coaching staff, have they gone too much a lot into what your role will be here? Is it just kind of been little pieces here and there as you guys have when you're yeah, I mean it's uh little pieces here and there.

SPEAKER_02 18:04

And uh yeah, I just uh uh trust uh trust my game and uh uh do things uh that I do good. Uh uh so that's really what they told me.

SPEAKER_04 18:14

Uh all right, last one for you. Just uh you're when once you guys get past win the Stanley Cup this year, of course. Uh what do you do in the summertime to to chill out?

SPEAKER_02 18:24

Uh obviously I golf a lot. Um so yeah, it's uh that hang out with friends and family. Um we get we're uh how big is your family?

SPEAKER_04 18:36

Like how what what's the when you hang with the family?

SPEAKER_02 18:37

Yeah, so uh no uh I have uh one brother, uh so uh that's it. And then uh but you know my grandparents live in the same city still and and stuff like that, so uh get to hang out with them too in the summer, and uh uh so that's really nice. I think that's uh that's what you want to do in the summer, hang out with the family and and obviously work out and stuff. Uh and but you know it's uh it's great to get to see them.

SPEAKER_04 19:02

Appreciate the time. Uh welcome to Winnipeg and congratulations on uh becoming a jet. Yeah, thanks a lot.