Hellberg of a ride as ex-Senators goaltender takes the net in Otttawa
Hellberg #Hellberg
Amid the whirlwind of Magnus Hellberg’s wild ride as a well-travelled pro goaltender, he has left pieces of old equipment here, there and everywhere.
So when the Detroit Red Wings re-acquired him in November off waivers after a crazy month that also saw him play with the Ottawa Senators and practice with the Seattle Kraken, Hellberg knew exactly where to find the red-and-white Red Wings pads he wore for one game in 2021-22: Sitting in storage with his fishing boat back home in Uppsala, Sweden.
He called up an old buddy, who shipped them to Detroit, a process that was much faster than trying to get new ones from his equipment supplier and having them approved for use by the NHL.
“He knew right away what I was calling about,” Hellberg said, with a laugh, late Monday morning, only hours before taking the net against the Senators.
Clearly, they fit like a glove. Originally drafted by the Nashville Predators way back in 2011 and having received little more than a cup of NHL coffee during the past decade, the 31-year-old Hellberg has suddenly been thrust smack dab into the middle of the race for the playoffs.
There he was Monday night, aiming to put a dagger into the Senators post-season hopes. In nine games with the Red Wings before Monday, he had a 4-4-1 record, 2.56 goals against average and .907 save percentage, part of the tandem that also includes Ville Husso.
“This is why you play right?,” he said. “It’s so much more fun when you have something to play for and when you have that hunger in the team. I was part of that when I was playing in the KHL for a bunch of years. Everything leads up to this point. To make the playoffs and then when you make the playoffs, you want to go for the Cup. We’ve got a good thing going.”
Hellberg has nothing against the Senators. They helped put him where he is today. Plucked off waivers from Seattle in the pre-season due to Cam Talbot’s injury, he was part of the Senators’ East Coast bonding experience in Newfoundland and New Brunswick.
He was also a piece of the Senators’ 4-0 start to the regular season, stopping 29 shots to defeat the Dallas Stars 4-2. In the process, Hellberg, who also registered one victory each with the New York Rangers in 2016-17 and the Red Wings last season, became the first goaltender in NHL history to win his first three games with three different teams.
When Talbot returned, Hellberg went back on waivers, where he was reclaimed by Seattle. When Seattle, in turn, placed him on waivers, the Red Wings grabbed him again. On New Year’s Eve, he stopped 21 shots in a 4-2 win over the Senators.
“I had a great time when I was in Ottawa,” he said. “I loved the organization. The fans were great, so of course, it’s fun to get back here and see the guys, for sure.”
Asked if he ever thinks about all the stops and starts it took to see regular NHL action — he had played in a total of five games with four teams before this season — he says he’s proud of his perseverance and of being supported by those closest to him.
“I think you’re so caught up in being in the present moment that I think sometimes you just have to take a step back and see where you started and where you are now and pat yourself on the shoulder a little bit,” he said. “I’ve put in a lot of hours, both me and my family (including partner, Emma) who have travelled with me from city to city and team to team. To have that support from them is huge. I couldn’t really do it without her. I’m in a good place right now, but I’m always hungry and I want to prove to both me and to everyone else that I can play some good hockey.”
Red Wings coach Derek Lalonde said, “we trust him, that’s why he’s playing (Monday).”
Hellberg’s story isn’t all that different from that of Anton Forsberg, the fellow Swede who also was originally drafted in 2011. He, too, bounced around from team to team, rarely seeing NHL game action, until finally winning himself a full-time NHL spot with the Senators in 2020-21.
Forsberg took over the net from the inconsistent and injury-prone Matt Murray last season. He split the net with Talbot this season until tearing the ligaments in both knees on Feb. 11.
That injury hit Hellberg hard.
“As a goalie, that’s one of your nightmares when something like that happens,” said Hellberg, who has talked with Forsberg on the phone. “He’s a great person and a great goalie and I was really sad to see that he went down like that. I hope he has a speedy and good recovery.”
As for the flashy Senators pads Hellberg wore while here, ever so briefly, they’re with him in Detroit.
You know, just in case he also has a second tour of duty in Ottawa at some point.
kwarren@postmedia.com
Twitter.com/Citizenkwarren