WORKING OUT THE KINKS

Story by Derek Patterson/Griffins

Grand Rapids, Mich. - Before he broke into the professional ranks, Victor Brattstrom played for the Vastra Frolunda Jr. team in Sweden for two seasons. During his time there, he competed in 28 games and logged a 18-9-0 record, a 2.26 goals per game and a .918 save percentage.

Prior to arriving in Michigan, the Goteborg, Sweden, native played professional hockey in is home county and in Finland from 2016-2021.

During his time in Sweden, Brattstrom played for Timra IK, a team that competes in the top-tier Swedish Hockey League. With Timra IK, he competed in a total of 89 contests. Through those games, he posted a 48-31 mark and a 2.25 goals against average. His best save-percentage season in the league came in 2017-18 when it was 0.918.

Brattstrom spent one campaign in Finland in 2020-21 and skated with the KooKoo Kouvola, a Finnish hockey team playing in the Liiga. During that season he showed immense promise, as he went 18-12-7 while allowing 2.20 goals per game and posted a .903 save percentage.

After hearing his name called by Detroit in the 2018 NHL Draft, Brattstrom made his first appearance on the Red Wings’ roster as a backup on March 30 against the New York Rangers.

So far this season, Brattstrom has posted a 6-10-3 ledger with a 3.55 goals against average, while compiling a 0.890 save percentage in 20 games for the Griffins.

Playing professionally in any sport overseas compared to North America can present a struggle for an athlete. For Brattstrom, the smaller ice surface, along with more skilled skaters, have presented a battle for him as he adjusted to the AHL game.

In Finland, the ice-playing surface is 196.8-feet long and 85.3-feet wide compared to 200-feet long and 85-feet wide in North America.

“The ice is smaller here, which makes the game faster and a little more unpredictable. With all of that, I’ve noticed players are more skilled and quick, the best-of-the-best play here,” Brattstrom said. “I’ve had to become faster and more skilled myself to keep up with skaters on the ice, so I don’t get punished as often.”

Brattstrom has been a solid backup for the Griffins when he’s been called upon to man the pipes, but even he notices what his struggles are and what he needs to do in order to better himself and the team. So far, what he’s paid the most attention has been positioning and quickness in order to give him the best chance to stop an incoming puck.

“Adjusting to the smaller ice surface has been a huge thing for me to work on. I'm still trying to adjust but I’m getting a better feel for it more and more every day,” Brattstrom commented. “I’ve also been working on my positioning to give me better chances to make saves and working on my quickness so I don’t get beat by one timers and slap shots.”

Transitioning to life in another country at first can be tough for anybody, especially a pro athlete. For Brattstrom, coming over to the United States from Sweden was scary but an easy transition, thanks to the Red Wings organization, his coaches, and his teammates.

“The Griffins and the Red Wings have helped me since the day I arrived here. From when I first landed, I’ve felt like I was a part of a family. I feel like I can one hundred percent trust my teammates,” Brattstrom explained. “I asked them a lot in the beginning about getting used to life here and they were there for me whenever I needed them. My goalie coach Brian [Mahoney-Wilson] has been really helpful. Both Detroit and Grand Rapids are very professional, and I wouldn’t want to be playing anywhere else.”

There are a lot of things that Brattstrom loves about the city of Grand Rapids, but to narrow it down to a couple things they would have to be the hockey atmosphere, the nature areas and the bar and restaurant scenes.

“I love the dedicated fan base that this organization has, every home game is crazy. They make playing here exciting,'' Brattstrom commented. “The city and the surrounding nature areas are also beautiful. The city has a lot of fantastic restaurants and cafes.”

The Red Wings and Griffins have a rich history and that's one of the things that Brattstrom loves about being a part of this organization.

The Griffins and Red Wings also have an old-school mentality when it comes to who they believe can give them the best chance to win. Both organizations give their skaters and goaltenders an equal and fair opportunity to show what players are capable of and how they can help the team. That is another thing that Brattstrom enjoys about being a part of the Red Wings.

“Playing for an NHL franchise that has as rich of history as the Red Wings has is an honor in itself and is one of many things I love about playing here, '' Brattstrom said. “I also appreciate that everyone on the roster has a fair chance to show what they can do and what they're capable of.”

Currently in a backup role, Brattstrom looks to continue to improve his game and help the Griffins any way he can, as they look to make a late-season playoff push in April.

Photo by Mark Newman/Griffins