The NHL debuts a new YouTube series called "My World," highlighting some of the game's brightest young international stars with episodes debuting throughout the month of January. The latest episode features Anaheim Ducks forward Leo Carlsson, a native of Karlstad, Sweden.
In his world: Carlsson is still adjusting to life in Anaheim after moving to the United States from Sweden to play hockey three years ago. It’s his first season without Swedish teammates and while “it’s not the easiest thing,” he joked he’s not going to “cry myself to sleep about it either.” Even some things as simple as going to the grocery store can be a challenge for the 21-year-old. “Three years ago I was just living in Sweden, now I’m in the NHL. It’s so cool to be here,” he said in the episode.
What we learned: Carlsson has been working though a speech impediment for all of his life, and continues to struggle at times with stuttering. He’s found way to make it easier for himself, and has used his platform to help spread awareness and support others who might be dealing with the same speech impediment as him. “It’s just nice for people to see that there are guys that play hockey at a high level that also stutter.”
