World Cup worth wait for Swedish Ducks

GOTHENBURG, Sweden -- A chance is all Rickard Rakell and Hampus Lindholm wanted. A chance to play for Sweden at a major international event. A chance to live that childhood dream so few Swedish kids get to experience.
The Anaheim Ducks teammates didn't get it in May when Team Sweden named its final roster for the World Cup of Hockey 2016. They were told to stay ready, that they might be needed.

They were needed. Each got his call last month as an injury replacement, Rakell for St. Louis Blues forward Alexander Steen, Lindholm for Detroit Red Wings defenseman Niklas Kronwall.
They don't care now how they got here. What matters is they got here and what lies ahead.
"This is a great opportunity for both of us to really show what we can do on a big stage," Rakell said after practice at Scandinavium on Wednesday.
Rakell will get his first chance in a pretournament game against Team Finland at Hartwall Arena in Helsinki on Thursday (Noon ET; ESPN3, SN, TVA Sports). Rakell, who plays center with the Ducks, is expected to play right wing on Team Sweden's fourth line, with Colorado Avalanche teammates left wing Gabriel Landeskog and center Carl Soderberg.
Lindholm's World Cup debut will have to wait, maybe until Saturday, when Team Sweden plays Team Finland in a pretournament game at Scandinavium (Noon ET; ESPN3, SN, TVA Sports). He'll be a healthy scratch against Team Finland on Thursday.
"It's going to be a lot of fun to put that jersey on," Lindholm said.
Even though they're injury replacements, nobody in Team Sweden's dressing room thinks the Ducks teammates are in over their heads or don't belong with the best the country has to offer.
Rakell, 23, a restricted free agent, had 20 goals and 43 points in 72 games last season, up from the nine goals and 31 points he had in 71 games in 2014-15.
Lindholm, 22, has had three impressive seasons in Anaheim, including 10 goals and 28 points in 80 games last season, when he was second among Ducks in average ice time per game at 22:00.
"They get it," Team Sweden forward Daniel Sedin said. "They play big roles in Anaheim and they're used to the big stage. It's a little bit different putting on the [Team Sweden] jersey, but from what I've seen in practice, they seem really down to earth and humble. They can play. They're so skilled. They can skate. I'm not worried about them."
Nor should anyone in Sweden be worried about them. A number of Swedish media members have said this week that Rakell and Lindholm are relative unknowns in their home country. Some of that has to do with the fact that they've never played for Sweden at a senior men's tournament or in the Swedish Hockey League.
Lindholm played briefly in Hockey Allsvenskan, the lower professional league in Sweden, before the Ducks made him the No. 6 pick in the 2012 NHL Draft. He played for Norfolk, then the Ducks' American Hockey League affiliate, in 2012-13.
Rakell played junior hockey in Sweden until he was 17, when he moved to North America to play for Plymouth in the Ontario Hockey League in 2010. The Ducks selected him with the 30th pick of the 2011 draft.
"Finally, now you get to play with the big boys and I can show my game too," Lindholm said. "I get to play in front of my home country, and now people can see what kind of a player I am."
They have seen it if they've paid attention, to the Ducks in the NHL and to Lindholm and Rakell before they left for North America.
Each had success playing for Sweden at the under-18 and under-20 levels. Rakell won the gold medal at the 2012 IIHF World Junior Championship and a silver medal at the 2013 WJC. Lindholm made the 2013 WJC team but couldn't play because of a concussion. He won a silver medal at the 2012 IIHF World Under-18 Championship.
Team Sweden coach Rikard Gronborg has coached Rakell and Lindholm in international tournaments.
"We built a relationship and they obviously can ask me if they're not sure about stuff, but they're getting up to that age now," Gronborg said. "They're pros. They're aware of what's going on and what's expected of them. I think they feel comfortable playing for the national team."
They're happy to learn too. Lindholm said he's been paying close attention to all the defensemen this week because, frankly, he'd be crazy not to with the collection of talent Team Sweden has.
"My goal is to be the best [defenseman] in the League one day," he said. "If I reach it or not, you never know, but you have to aim for it otherwise you won't get even halfway there. So it helps to be around these guys. You see a guy like [Erik] Karlsson and how he joins the rush, [Oliver] Ekman-Larsson and how he gets his shots through, [Anton] Stralman and [Victor] Hedman and everyone else. I can look at them and learn something."
And win something big, on the international level, for Team Sweden.
It's taken them a while to get here, but it's been worth the wait for Rakell and Lindholm.
"Just look at all the other players that are on this team in this tournament," Rakell said. "It doesn't get much better than this. I mean, hopefully we can have a good tournament and I can be a member of this team for life. I have a great feeling."