Färjestad star doesn't want to use the word revenge when talking about what's coming and what has been.
But it becomes clear during the conversation that it's what it's about.
Färjestad put themselves in a golden position after winning the series last season. Then it was a flat fall and direct elimination after 0-4 in matches against a rejuvenated Rögle in the quarterfinals.
Linus Johansson was clear with self-criticism after the elimination and it's still there. He means that there are different ways to lose:
There's no one else to blame, it was our own fault. We got a bit comfortable for a while, even if you didn't realize it then, and it hurts hard, he says.
"Perform in a different way"
What lessons did you draw?
It's about how you want to perform, what keys we need to add during the season to have a transition to more playoff hockey. I think we have a good grasp of that together with the sports manager and coach that we want to perform in a different way, he says.
Färjestad is one of the gold favorites again this year.
Victor Ejdsell's move to Lugano is a loss, on the other hand, they got to keep World Championship gold forward and scoring league winner David Tomasek despite NHL rumors. Homecomer Oskar Steen, 26 years old, is a dream acquisition and the exciting Viktor Lodin from Oskarshamn.
"Angry and irritated"
Linus Johansson talks warmly about both the goalkeeper and defender lineups and about the forward group, he says:
I think we have damn good forwards, angry and irritated on the ice who can create some chaos, who have an emotional commitment and a very high skill level.
Speaking of skill. Tre Kronor put together a star-studded World Championship team in the Czech Republic this spring with 18 NHL players, including megastars like Erik Karlsson, Victor Hedman, and Rasmus Dahlin.
Linus Johansson was one of three SHL players who took a World Championship spot and the only one of the trio who played all matches.
It's clear that it's a feather in the hat that I do something that works on an extremely good level, he says.
Even though gold was the goal, the final bronze was Sweden's first World Championship medal in six years.
The World Championship in May next year is played in a newly renovated Globen and he wants to be there.
It would be a big thing, absolutely a dream, it would have been awesome to play a third World Championship.
2023-24, SM-gold: Skellefteå, regular season: Färjestad.
2022-23: Växjö/Växjö.
2021-22: Färjestad/Rögle.
2020-21 Växjö/Växjö.
2019-20: Cancelled/Luleå.
2018-19: Frölunda/Färjestad.
2017-18: Växjö/Växjö.
