Patrik Tallinder

The Upbringing of Patrik Tallinder Born in 2002, Patrik Tallinder came from a wealthy family who resided in Stockholm, Sweden. His family consisted of his mother, Alice Talinder, his father, Oscar Tallinder, and his two younger brothers, Lucas and Nils. Given that neither of his parents played hockey growing up, Patrik’s decision to play marked the beginning of a life they could have never seen coming. Constant travel, lots of spending, and hours upon hours at the rink was just the start for the Tallinders, not only for Patrik, but for his 2 brothers who followed in his footsteps. The Three Tallinder brothers, Lucas (Left), Patrik (Center), and Nils (Right) Hockey started out as a hobby to play with his friends, Liam and Theo. His competitive nature and raw talent made him quickly surpass all his peers, so it was at the mere age of 10 he started playing hitting hockey, going against 11 and 12 year old kids. His brother Lucas, who was just a year younger than him, was finding even more success than he was, playing on the same team as him at just 9. Nils was just starting out, but he quickly surpassed the level of most other kids his age because of his constant practice with his brothers at home. A Huge Shift Their parents noticed their abnormal skillsets, and decided to move from Sweden to Canada in 2015 to give the boys an opportunity to play tougher competition and pursue hockey as a career. Patrik says that he owes all his success to his family for their time and commitment to bettering his life. Despite all the positives of moving to North America, there were certainly hurdles to overcome, such as the language barrier, and the adjustment to the smaller rinks.This wasn’t easy for the young man, and he had his fair share of issues adapting to the new culture inside and outside of the rink. The Tallinder boys adapted just about as well as they could have, and got back to dominating on the ice pretty quickly, playing at St. Andrews College, a high level prep school in Ontario. They attracted attention from scouts whenever they played, and impressed the coaches so much that their head coach called them “two of the most talented hockey players [he’s] ever had the pleasure of coaching.” Disaster Strikes Everything was going perfectly as planned for Patrik and Lucas, and Nils was even dominating his age group in minor hockey. This all changed in the blink of an eye when Patrik and Lucas got in a taxi after going to the gym one night. As they approached the top of a hill on a two-way highway, they suspected nothing. In a split second, a pickup truck was illegally passing another car in the other lane and drove head on into the taxi. Luckily enough for everyone involved, they all survived the crash. But unfortunately, Lucas was paralyzed from the waist down, and lost the ability to play hockey from that point on. Patrik came away with nothing more than minor injuries, and the two drivers each got concussions of varying severity, among other minor injuries. Patrik Tallinder after the accident. Moving Forward This event changed everything for Patrik,as his whole life, he and Lucas were intertwined with each other in everything they did. They were looked at as “The Tallinder Brothers.” Now Patrik was alone, knowing little English and being more of a quiet guy to begin with. Rather than sulking in the loss of his brother always being at the rink, he made it his mission to accomplish everything he and Lucas wanted to before the accident, and more. While he was always praised for his work ethic, it then became second to no one. He scored wherever he went, and found ways around all kinds of defensemen. It seemed he had no weaknesses. The world was taking notice, especially his native country, Sweden. He was invited to play at a higher level, the SuperElit, for Djurgårdens IF U20 team. He quickly took the opportunity to face tougher competition and return home to his friends and relatives. Once again, he impressed as a 16 year old in the Swedish junior league, and has garnered attention from VHLM scouts. His goal has always been to win the Continental Cup, and now it’s beginning to seem like a real possibility for the young man. Patrik Tallinder playing for Djurgardens IF U20 team. What’s Ahead Patrik Tallinder seems to thrive in whatever situation he is put in. He seems to have dealt well with the spotlight solely on him since his brother’s unfortunate accident, and wants to fulfill the dreams that he and Lucas once shared. Patrik plans to be drafted into the VHLM, then the VHL, and then take home the Continental Cup to Lucas and his family in Stockholm. For Lucas, life has obviously been turned upside down for him, but he has made it his goal to make the most of what he has left. He hopes to one day help others in similar situations to his own, committing to studying psychology in university. He has also recently picked up sledge hockey, and says that it brings him the same rush that hockey used to. His brothers success makes him happy, and can’t wait to see him lift the cup they envisioned lifting together as children. Nils is now 14 years old, and is already as big as Patrik, and even taller than Lucas. His size and speed have allowed him to utterly dominate his peers, and has been creating some buzz around his own name in the hockey community. He hopes to one day play with Patrik, but that remains to be seen whether it could happen or not. The Tallinder family is one of a hard working, determined, and immensely talented background. Their parents are so proud of each of their children, and have no regrets in all the money and time they put into helping them reach their goals. Patrik Tallinder playing in the U17 World Championship.

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I'm currently a prospect eligible for Saturday's VHLM draft, and will answer any questions you all have for me.

Basic Information Age: 17 Height: 6'1" Weight: 175 lbs Hometown: Stockholm, Sweden Pro's Skating: Tallinder is a smooth, agile skater who thrives in open ice. He excels at receiving passes on the move, and finding lanes up the ice and to the net. His speed makes him a great breakout option, as he can sneak into open ice past the defense, creating odd man rushes and potentially breakaways as well. Although not the best at playing in the corners, Tallinder is able to make shifty moves to create space for himself down low and escape defensemen who are on him because of his elusive and powerful first step. His top speed is impressive, but not necessarily as big of a strength as his quickness. Wrist Shot: The Swedish winger has a fantastic release that should lead to consistent offensive production, especially when matched with his ability to find shooting lanes for himself. While he rarely uses slap shots, they are by no means a weakness. But his biggest threat to goalies and defensemen is his wrist shot. A great release, and some impressive power behind it too. He thrives on the rush, where he's able to find shooting lanes through any defender with quik moves to change the angle of his shot. Hockey IQ: Tallinder's anticipation and vision consistently make him one of the most dangerous players on the ice. Great at breaking up plays and causing turnovers on the forecheck. A weapon on the powerplay, because of his vision and his quik shot. He's able to read plays on the forecheck, giving him the ability to break up plenty of breakouts before the puck leaves the offensive zone. Con's Defense: One area this kid falls a bit behind is his defensive ability. He can frequently end up out of position, and miss his assignments when more offensive minded defensemen sneak in towards the net. His desire to be involved in the play can cause him to lurk towards the puck and lose track of his man. While this is something that can be ironed out through coaching and time, it remains a concern for now. Physicality: Tallinder is often referred to as a "perimeter player," meaning he doesn't get into the grittier areas, such as the corners and the slot. Some players succeed with this type of play, and for others, it is their downfall. If he were to fill out his frame a bit more, this could lead to better physicality in his game. This will take commitment in the gym and on the ice, which hasn't seemed to be a problem for the Swede to this point. Discipline: When facing extremely physical teams, the 17 year old can sometimes take uncalled for retaliation penalties. Because of his slight frame, he is a common target for hits, and while he's usually able to escape the majority, they can take a toll if they connect and he can get heated. This is something that will likely disappear as he matures, but noteworthy at the moment.

Player Information Username: Patrik Tallinder Player Name: Patrik Tallinder Recruited From: Reddit Age: 17 Position: LW Height: 73 in. Weight: 175 lbs. Birthplace: Sweden Player Page @VHLM GM