Andersson scores game-winner for Flames, then gets named to Swedish national team for 4 Nations
It was a wild 24 hours for the Flames’ Swedish defenceman Rasmus Andersson.
Tuesday night, he scored the game-winning goal as the Flames dumped the Columbus Blue Jackets 3-0 in an emotional game where the Flames paid tribute to the late Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau.
Then Wednesday morning, Andersson discovered he’s been named to the Swedish roster for the upcoming Four Nations tournament.
It’s a huge honour and well-deserved for the Flames defenceman, who said he was thrilled to be able to play on his national team for the first time since he represented Sweden in a U-16 tournament a decade ago.
“It means a lot,” he said. “It means you’ve done something good. It’s the first time in a long time that I get to play on the national team and it’s something I’m super excited about.
“I couldn’t be more happy and proud that I’ve made the team and I’m really looking forward to (playing) in this tournament.”
Flames head coach Ryan Huska said the nod was overdue and welcome.
“It is some recognition of what he has done over the years and how he’s made himself a better player,” Huska said.
“When you get someone who gets to go to an event like this, he comes back with a little bit more swagger, a little bit more confidence and maybe more of a belief knowing that yep, I am one of the elite players in the league – and when you get that (sort of recognition), there’s a tendency to bring other people along.”
The other Flames player with a chance to be named to the Swedish roster was Mikael Backlund but he wasn't.
A half-dozen former Flames were named to teams, including Jakob Markstrom (Sweden) and Elias Lindholm (Sweden), Matthew Tkachuk (U.S.), Noah Hanifin (U.S.), Sam Bennett (Canada) and Juuso Valimaki (Finland).
Former Calgarians Cale Makar and goaltender Adin Hill were also named to the Canadian roster.
The tournament features teams from Canada, the U.S., Finland and Sweden. The first game, between Finland and the U.S., takes place Feb. 13 at the Bell Centre in Montreal.
With files from CTV's Glenn Campbell
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Canada expands list of banned firearms to include hundreds of new models and variants
The Canadian government is expanding its list of banned firearms, adding hundreds of additional makes, models and their variants, effective immediately.
LIVE UPDATES Anger, vitriol against health insurers filled social media in the wake of UnitedHealthcare CEO's killing
The masked gunman who stalked and killed UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson used ammunition emblazoned with the words 'deny,' 'defend' and 'depose,' a law enforcement official said Thursday. Here's the latest.
Man wanted for military desertion turns himself in at Canada-U.S. border
A man wanted for deserting the U.S. military 16 years ago was arrested at the border in Buffalo, N.Y. earlier this week.
Life expectancy in Canada: Up last year, still down compared to pre-pandemic
The average Canadian can expect to live 81.7 years, according to new death data from Statistics Canada. That’s higher than the previous year, but still lower than pre-pandemic levels.
The National Weather Service cancels tsunami warning for the U.S. West Coast after 7.0 earthquake
A 7.0 magnitude earthquake shook a large area of Northern California on Thursday, knocking items of grocery store shelves, sending children scrambling under desks and prompting a brief tsunami warning for 5.3 million people along the U.S. West Coast.
These foods will be hit hardest by inflation in 2025, according to AI modelling
The new year won’t bring a resolution to rising food costs, according to a new report that predicts prices to rise as much as five per cent in 2025.
The world has been warming faster than expected. Scientists now think they know why
Last year was the hottest on record, oceans boiled, glaciers melted at alarming rates, and it left scientists scrambling to understand exactly why.
Pete Davidson, Jason Sudeikis and other former 'SNL' cast members reveal how little they got paid
Live from New York, it’s revelations about paydays on 'Saturday Night Live.'
'At the dawn of a third nuclear age,' senior U.K. commander warns
The head of Britain’s armed forces has warned that the world stands at the cusp of a 'third nuclear age,' defined by multiple simultaneous challenges and weakened safeguards that kept previous threats in check.