Swedes benefiting from tougher hockey at home

Peter Forsberg was one of 11 Swedes selected in the NHL draft. This year, the draft was nothing short of a Swedish invasion.

Seven Swedes were drafted in the first round, for a total of 25. Only Canada and the United States had more players taken.

"It's a record," Forsberg said. "I would never have guessed there would be seven Swedes in the first round."

Experts credit a revolution at the grass roots of Swedish hockey. They say an emphasis on making players mentally tougher has created a new generation of Swedes better prepared to make the leap across the Atlantic.

"The biggest change is the attitude improvement," said Hakan Andersson, a Red Wings scout based in Sweden for the past 20 years. "Swedes have always been skilled, but they used to be more timid."

Things started changing in 2002 when the Swedish Ice Hockey Association launched an initiative to improve the performance of its juniors after five years of mediocre results in international youth competitions. An "ABC of hockey" curriculum was written by the association for the first time and was distributed to 400 clubs throughout the country. Twelve chief coaches were hired to mentor the clubs and coaches in their areas. Competitive practices emphasizing winning were designed to create a stronger mentality.

Tommy Boustedt, Sweden's head of hockey development, said it used to be acceptable for Swedish junior teams to finish in the top four in international competitions. "Now the only thing the players are going for is gold," he said. Sweden's under-20 team won silver medals at the past two world junior hockey championships, losing both finals to Canada. They finished eighth in 2003, and their results have improved steadily since.

And each year since 2005, Sweden has had more players enter the NHL draft than any other European nation.