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Fredrik Modin perches himself on the anniversary gift given to him by his wife Linda at their Cup celebration.
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Stanley drops in
on Modin, Sweden
By Kevin Shea
Special to NHL.com
August 6, 2004
The Stanley Cup flew from Prague to Sundsvall Midlanda Airport on July 26 where it was greeted by Tampa Bay Lightning forward Fredrik Modin, along with his wife Linda and two-year-old son, Jesper. Sundsvall is a town of 95,000 residents located on the east coast of central Sweden. The port city was an important producer of pulp and paper in the late 1800s, but today is as well known for producing excellent hockey players -- Modin and Detroit's Henrik Zetterberg, for example -- as it is for its metal manufacturing. Freddie and his family return to Sundsvall each summer. Climbing into a classic Pontiac Bonneville, the Modins took the trophy, escorted by police officers, to the arena in Njurunda where Freddie played his minor hockey. Four thousand hockey fans crammed into the arena and witnessed a small exhibit celebrating Fredrik Modin's career, which included jerseys from Sweden's national team, the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Lightning, as well as the Stanley Cup, situated there on a table in the arena. Freddie posed for photographs through the afternoon. Just before it was time to leave, a special ceremony took place in which Modin's No. 33 Tampa Bay jersey was raised to the rafters to honor the local celebrity. Back in the Pontiac Bonneville, the Modins took the Stanley Cup home. A quiet celebration took place with Modin's parents and father-in-law waiting to see the trophy to which their son so proudly contributed. On Tuesday, July 27, the day began with professional photographs of Fredrik, Linda, Jesper and the Stanley Cup. The day was relatively quiet until six o'clock that evening when Freddie hosted a private party at his cottage just outside Sundsvall. The location is exquisite -- situated on a bay leading to the Baltic Sea. The water goes on seemingly forever -- beautiful in its tranquility and peaceful in its demeanor. It is abundantly evident why Fredrik returns here following each hockey season. A tent was set up in the backyard with an array of wonderful foods - ribs and potato salad included. "Close your eyes, Fredrik," Linda teased. "I bought you a present!" "What is it?" Freddie asked. Linda took her husband by the hand and led him around the corner. "You can open your eyes now!" Freddie blinked. "Ofattbar," he grinned faster than one of his slap shots. "This is fantastic!" There sat Linda's gift to Freddie - a Polaris four-wheeled all-terrain vehicle. "It's your anniversary present early," Linda said, giving her husband a hug. The couple will celebrate their anniversary next month. Later, the guests rode Sea-Doos across the water while others went tubing on the edge of the Baltic Sea. Freddie's father caught some herring and brought them back to include with the feast. Fredrik then brought out some homemade birch schnapps to tag team the champagne that was being consumed. "If you don't try my birch schnapps, I'll be insulted," Modin laughed. The guests all took shots. The Swedish guests drank the liquor with great gusto. The North Americans could barely sputter out a word after their mouthfuls. "Harsh," was as polite a phrase as can be used in this journal. By 2 a.m., the sun was beginning to rise on the incredible horizon, adding a distinct glow to the celebration. Freddie threw some hotdogs on the grill for his guests. Two hours later, fog had enveloped the cottage area. It was as good a time as any to pack the Stanley Cup into its case and pat the dirt down on another fantastic celebration. The revelers returned to the cottage where they noticed some interesting photos of Cup celebrations held earlier this summer. Kevin Shea is a manager at the Hockey Hall of Fame.
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