Claimed:VHLM Journeyman: Golden Jedtsson [Final 10/10]

[Kel 62]

Position: Defenseman
Number: 47
Height: 6’3”
Weight: 225 lbs
Hometown: Gothenburg, Sweden
Age: 22

 

Despite being born in Manhattan, New York, Jedtsson still calls Gothenburg home and rightfully so as his family would always visit back home every summer. Jedtsson was born to Petr and Marie Jedtsson née Svenblerg as their second child. Petr and Marie were more than happy to welcome their newborn into their family as they named the child, Golden. Petr was an investment banker while Marie decided to be a stay at home mother. Petr's career wasn't always his first option as he dreamed of becoming a star hockey defenseman since he was a child, but those plans were cut short due to a leg injury, so Petr decided to take an athletic scholarship from the University of Maine. Petr's dreams never came true as no NHL teams ever took a chance on, so worried of becoming an outcast back home Petr decided to follow his major in business to New York. Petr excelled at his job and his family was doing fine, so there was no need to worry. 

 

 

Although, the family wasn't in Sweden that didn't mean that Petr couldn't take his sons to hockey games like his father did to him. Petr would always find the time to take his two sons, Elias and Golden to a New York Rangers home game every month. The two boys enjoyed watching some of the greats play such as Jaromir Jagr, but soon the two wanted to actually play the game, so their father enrolled them in a hockey program. Jedtsson had a step ahead of the game because his father was previously an offensive defenseman, so he taught him all that he had known. The extra knowledge allowed Jedtsson to be ahead of others in his age group, so the directors decided it was best to allow him to jump an age group. However, that didn't stop Jedtsson from continuing to dominate despite playing against tougher and bigger players. Shortly after Jedtsson's father began uploading videos of his son dominating the competition and this soon became a viral video. Jedtsson became a hot commodity in the hockey community. Everyone wanted to know about this kid: who he was, where's he from, and how was he that good? His father didn't allow the attention to get to his son's head as he didn't want him to stop focusing on school, so he stopped posting videos, he stopped allowing media to his son's games, and he just told his son to live a normal life. 

 

There were a lot of adjustments that Jedtsson needed to face throughout his career as he had to move away from home at the age of 14 to pursue his hockey dreams when the Chicago Steel drafted him. Jedtsson tallied eight goals and 26 assists in his first season with the Chicago Steel, so the attention was now refocused on Jedtsson. There were questions that needed answers heading into his second season with Chicago. Those questions were answered as Jedtsson added 12 goals and 40 assists. The focus looked like it would remain as Jedtsson's father wasn't there to pull him away from the spotlight, so now there were options that Jedtsson had to choose. In the second round of the CHL Import Draft the London Knights selected Golden Jedtsson as there were ramblings that he might opt out of  his eligible seasons with the USHL to go play in the CHL. Those ramblings were true as the next season Jedtsson told the media via Twitter that he'd don the Knights' jersey the following season. The media was roaring with tweets as some experts said he held the title as one of their best defenseman before he even played a single game. In his first season with the Knights, Jedtsson excelled offensively with 15 goals and 50 assists, which added up to 65 points, but found himself in a slump defensively where he had a minus 15.

 

 

The experts were now saying that Jedtsson couldn't lead a team on the backend and those reports seemed to be true for a long time. In his second season, Jedtsson had help from newly acquired two way defenseman, Olli Maatta. Jedtsson's season was highlighted with with the CHL's Defenceman of the Year Award and Max Kaminsky Trophy as Maatta's help on the backend allowe Jedtsson to add 13 goals and 50 assists, those numbers were lower than last season, but his defensive play was better than last season as he had a plus 27. His success with the London Knights, which ended in a Memorial Cup win that season didn't go unnoticed as he was rewarded with a spot on Sweden's world junior team, which was the first team to ever win a gold medal. Golden Jedtsson was projected to be a mid to late first round pick in the NHL Entry Draft, but he fell to the second round where the Chicago Blackhawks picked him up with 36th overall selection.  

 

VHLM 

 

Golden Jedtsson went into camp not knowing whether or not he'd find himself on the starting roster because the Blackhawks were a team filled with talent on all lines, but his play throughout the camp, rookie camp, and pre-season seemed to be enough to earn him a spot on the roster, at the least for the nine game tryout. Jedtsson didn't last nine games as the team sent him down to the AHL after four games of poor play. Jedtsson never suited up for a game in the NHL again as he found himself being an AHL journeyman for three seasons. Jedtsson's agent told him about the opportunities he could have with the VHL and that this was possibly the best place for him to take his talents. Jedtsson declared for the S42 VHLM Dispersal Draft where he was drafted in the second round, 12th overall by the Bern Royals. However, he wouldn't even ever suit up for the team as he was traded to the Moscow Red Wolves with Steven Bradbury for Chuck Goody. The Royals hoped that the reuniting Goody with Merica would spark the team. Jedtsson wasn't pleased with the trade as he never got to showcase his talents with the team and they had already shipped him off, so he was determined to prove them wrong. Jedtsson started the season with three goals and four assists, a minus two, 23 hits, and 20 shots blocked in 13 games. However, that wasn't enough to signify his role with the team as the team dealt him to the Brampton Blades in a package deal centered around him. Jedtsson was now on his third team and he'd just played 13 games and it was something he never expected when he declared for the VHLM. Although, to prove all the critics wrong that had doubted him, Jedtsson finished the season with 12 goals and 84 points, a plus 54, 63 hits, and 85 shots blocked in 64 games as the team only lost eight times.

 

 

During the post-season the Brampton Blades experienced some bumps in the road as the experts were predicting an easier road to the championship. The team earned a bye for the first round, so they watched as the Lynx and Gladiators clashed, but the Gladiators prevailed with the help of the VHLM's best goaltender, Hans Wingaite. Brampton was expecting a tough battle because Wingaite had shown he can carry a team, but in the second round they eliminated the Gladiators who were playing their final season in the VHLM in six ganes, In the Finals, Brampton faced off against Oslo where they also got a scare when the series went to six, but with the help of Jedtsson the team won. Through Brampton's post-season, which lasted 12 games, Jedtsson posted two goals, 10 points, a plus four, nine hits, and 24 shots blocked. 

 

VHL

 

At the end of the season Jedtsson participated in the Top Prospects Game, but didn't impress the scouts enough to garner a lot of attention with only two assists, a minus one, two hits, and five shots blocked. The scouts were not impressed as he fell to the second round, 11th overall pick of the VHL Entry Draft. Jedtsson knew heading into camp that he'd be sent back down to the VHLM where he'd try to help the Brampton Blades repeat. His season thus far is worthy of a nomination for the Ryan Sullivan Trophy with seven goals and 35 assists tallied up to 42 points, which is second in defenseman scoring two behind leader, MC Hammer. Also, he's a plus 35, has 38 hits, and 22 shots blocked. Jedtsson's got a long road ahead to becoming an elite VHL defenseman, which was one of his goals when he was traded to Brampton, but with the training and help he's received over there the goal seems more likely. 

 

 

 

 

[Laflamme 376]

Content: 5/5- Great Article. Cant wait to watch your player kill it.  

 

Grammar: 3/3 - Nothing to take any tpe away.

 

Presentation: 1/1 - Everything looks good on the presentation front.

 

Over 1000 Words? 1/1

 

Overall: 10/10

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