EDMONTON, AB - Around this time two and a half years ago, Joel Persson was heading back to school in Sweden.
The defenceman served as an instructor with a multitude of roles, including teaching the Swedish language, running physical education classes and assisting older students with their studies.
Persson will be cutting his classes this season, though, as he tackles a new curriculum on the ice.
The 25-year-old arrived in Edmonton on Monday and has been part of the cohort attending Oilers informal skates to get acquainted with potential teammates, the National Hockey League-sized rink and the League's stiffer competition.
He hasn't exactly been schooled on the ice but Persson is trying to stay sharp mentally and physically when skating. Sharing the surface with elite skaters such as Leon Draisaitl and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins has already taught him what he needs to do.
"You see they are really, really skilled players," Persson, who had six goals and 31 points in 50 games with the Vaxjo Lakers of the Swedish Hockey League last year, said.
"If you give them one extra metre, they're going to score. You need to be on your toes and smart in your mind."
BLOG: Persson trying to stay sharp in NHL shot
"You need to be on your toes and smart in your mind," said Joel Persson of assimilating to the NHL game
