Junior Review: Luke Thornton

[ThePerfectNut 563]

Luke Thornton - The Next Great Sweden Hockey Player

LW | 6' 3'' | 220 LB. | Age: 23 | 

 

2006

My story begins on a bus full of junior hockey players.

 

It was in 2006, during the Olympic Gold Medal Game between Sweden and Finland. Sweden against Finland was insane because it was like Canada vs USA for us. That was one of the biggest hockey game in the last 10 years and I was stuck on a bus to a road game with one of my longtime hockey teammates, Onde Sandstrom (@fonziGG).

 

We listened the game on a radio and there was complete silence in the third period. It was 3-2 for Sweden, but in the final two minutes of the game, Finland pulled their goalie. We could just feel that a goal was coming from the announcer's voice.

 

At that moment, I will always remember it. We heard this:

''Lundqvist... Gor en otrolig raddning med klubban!!''

 

 

If you don't understand Swedish. that is:

''Lundqvist... Makes an incredible save with his stick!!''

 

5, 4, 3, 2, 1, ZERO.

 

Sweden were world champions!

 

This was a special moment because our hometown Swedish heroes won one of the biggest tournament in the whole world despite the odds against them.

 

This is what started a fire inside of me.

 

 

Life in Sweden

I lost my parents at a young age, but my cousin parents (Onde Sandstrom) were kind enough to take me in. We became the best of friends and we had passion for the sport of Hockey. He was my rival and my friend and we always played on the same team.

 

I heard stories about young hockey players in Canada and America, jumping around from team to team. Traveling, expensive stuff to buy and coaches to impress. In Sweden, there is no tryouts. If you were born in a town, you play for that team town and you never got cut despite the different levels.

 

I live in a small neighborhood and the hockey culture in Sweden is really different from the rest of the world. I more or less played with the same friends from my neighborhood. It was the same routine almost every god damn day. Until...

 

 

Defying odds

 

First off. In Sweden, you play on a bigger ice surface, so you have the time and space to be creative with the puck. In the VHL and the VHLM, it is not just that the surface is smaller, it is the speed of the game that is a lot faster than you can ever imagine in our heads. I laughed when Onde Sandstrom was so confused when our teammates kept dumping the puck.

 

You may have already read this from an article about me, but two prospects from Sweden arrived in LA and signed a contract with the Las Vegas Aces for the VHML after getting recruited from the Youth Sweden Hockey League development. One of them is Luke Thornton, a young and upcoming amazing Swedish player that had a rough life leading to this precious moment. The other one?  You got it right, his longtime friend Ondre Sandstrom! They are following the footsteps of there Swedish heroes from that one precious moment.

 

What will these two Swedish player bring in the VHLM? They already got eyes for the VHL draft next season. There future will be very bright and excited to see!  These two will defy odds in there careers!

 

 

 

 

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This story was inspired by one of my favorite NHL hockey player growing up. I wanted to have a similar life as he did and add a lot of more fun elements to it.