Before his impending AHL debut, Thunderbirds forward Otto Stenberg sat down with the Voice of the T-Birds Ryan Smith to discuss his journey to North America and what has the Blues’ 2023 first-round pick excited ahead of his first game action with Springfield.

Please note some questions and answers have been edited for clarity.

RS: First of all, welcome to North America! I understand it’s been quite a journey for you over the last couple of days. How excited are you to have this next chapter of your career on the horizon?

OS: I’m really excited; there’s been a lot (to do) the last couple of days. I’m happy to be here and looking forward to starting to play some games.

RS: You are coming over in a situation similar to Dalibor Dvorsky’s a year ago, where you were playing professionally in Sweden and you end up coming to North America midseason. When did the Blues approach you with the idea (of joining the Thunderbirds), or was it an idea you and your agent had as being the right next step for you in your career?

OS: I talked to (Blues Assistant GM) Alex Steen the day after I got home from World Juniors. He asked how I was feeling and said they had talked (at World Juniors) and thought it would be good for me to come over and wanted me to come to Springfield.

RS: For folks here who may not be aware, the Swedish Hockey League has so many former AHL players and veteran players. How much do you think going up against older players at age 18 and 19 has prepared you for what the American Hockey League will bring?

OS: I think it means a lot. The SHL is a really tough league and a lot of good players and former NHL players are in the league. It’s a lot of good teams and good players. I think it has helped a lot. You don’t get the minutes you want, but it’s a good, hard league. Coming over here now with that experience over the past two years in Sweden is going to help. I’ve played against men and I know a little bit about how it works.

RS: You’re always going to be linked as one of the Blues’ three first-round picks in 2023 along with Dalibor Dvorsky and Theo Lindstein, who you just played with at World Juniors. You’ve had a chance from afar to watch Dalibor take off in his first couple of months at the AHL level. How much have you kept in touch with Dalibor and how excited are you to join him as you both are after the same goals together?

OS: We’re good friends. He played in Sweden for a lot of years when we were younger, so we know each other from that time. We had a lot of hockey camps during the summers together. I know him pretty well, and we’ve always stayed in touch with each other. I would text him a couple of times a week just to see how everything is going. It’s fun; he’s had a good season and is a great player, so it’s always fun to see him and to play with him is going to be pretty nice.

RS: I can’t fathom being 19 years old and uprooting your entire life to move away from your home continent and country in pursuit of NHL dreams. For so many in the States, when we’re 19 years old, we’re still trying to figure out what our life is, which is tough enough in our own country. You have a unique situation though, in that you’re coming over to North America and happen to be walking into a dressing room that already has four Swedes with a few more in the Blues’ system. How much does having that Swedish contingent help with the transition? 

OS: Of course, it helps a lot, just to be able to talk Swedish and get help with the little things. They’ve helped a lot just showing me around and doing small things like fixing my phone everything. It’s great to have these guys here, and they’re all great guys, so it’s really fun.

RS: Steve Konowalchuk mentioned to me last week how excited he was to have you in the fold. He thought he was going to have to wait a full season to have you in North America. When you hear something like that, and your head coach is this amped, how does that make you feel as a player and what is your goal in terms of finding your role in this lineup? 

OS: It’s really fun to hear. I just want to try to do what they want me to do and play as good as I can. I think it’s going to take some time playing on a smaller rink (full-time) against men. I’ll take it day-by-day and try to get better, listen to the coaches and do what they want me to do. That’s my plan, to try to get better every day.

RS: What are some of the nuances to the smaller rink versus the (Olympic size) rink that the average fan in North America may not recognize?

OS: You’re always close to the net (on the smaller rink). You can shoot from almost everywhere, and you have to think a bit faster. As a forward, the biggest thing is that you’re always pretty close to the net and it’s dangerous when you take pucks to the net – good things can happen. That’s the biggest thing for me.

RS: For people in Springfield excited to see you take the ice, how would you best describe your game? When Otto Stenberg is at his best, how would you classify your game, and what would your individual and team-level goals be?

OS: I think when I play my best, I like to play hard and as a two-way player with some good skills and a good IQ, good passing game and can shoot too. It’s a mix between playing hard and making smart plays and taking pucks to the net. As for goals, it’s to get used to the (North American) game and get better and better every day. As a team, it’s to win as much as possible and to get to the (Calder Cup) playoffs and try to do something good.