Andreas Wingerli Taking a Chance on the NHL with the Avalanche

Forward Andreas Wingerli has been playing professional hockey for years in the Swedish Hockey League. He's a speedy, skillful center who has seen success and sustained improvement playing in that league and is ready to take his game to North America.
His pro experience in Sweden speaks for itself. The center represented Sweden at the 2021 IIHF World Championship in Latvia, and he recorded three points (one goal, two assists) in seven games at the tournament. In the SHL, he has played six full seasons with Skelleftea, recording 104 points (48 goals, 56 assists) in 288 contests. The Lycksele, Sweden, native also served as an alternate captain in two seasons.
Now, Wingerli is taking a leap of faith to further improve his craft. He signed a one-year deal with the Colorado Avalanche on June 3, moving his life to North America, and lending his talents to the NHL.

"I played before in Sweden, played pro hockey for a few years, and I felt that I wanted to try something new and get better as a player," Wingerli said. "I got this opportunity, and it feels awesome right now, so it was a great decision."

Since arriving and participating in the team's development camp and rookie tournament, his expertise has been noticed by teammates. As an older player at 24 with professional experience, he has an opportunity to be a role model for younger players. Throughout Colorado's development camp and the 2021 Arizona Rookie Faceoff, the other prospects have spoken highly of Wingerli.
"I've had the opportunity to skate with him a couple times and he is very skilled," forward Jean-Loud Foudy said. "From practice, he looks very talented, and I look forward to playing with him."
Although his experience can do the talking, transitioning to an entirely new country to play hockey doesn't come without its hurdles. After all, the feel and pace of the SHL is different to that in the NHL. With the ice rinks in North America being 15 feet narrower than Swedish rinks, Wingerli will face new situations. Even still, he's looking at the change with optimism, noting the advantages when asked about his leg up playing on smaller ice.

"Of course, you are even quicker on the smaller ice," Wingerli said. "You only have to beat one guy and you have a decent scoring chance. In Sweden you maybe need to beat two guys to get really close to the net. Of course, I think it's going to be an advantage. I think I'm going to like it, it's more physical and it is faster hockey."
A move to a foreign country playing in a foreign league is a challenge to say the least, but Wingerli's experience and knowledge will serve as a guide in development for seasons to come.