Capitals Prospect Ludwig Persson Reflects On Time In Washington: “This Is Where I Want To Be One Day”

Photo: Frederik Narvelid/KT Kuriren

After spending the last three weeks of September participating in NHL camps, Washington Capitals’ forward prospect Ludwig Persson played his first regular season game for BIK Karlskoga earlier this week.

Persson returned to Northern Virginia in mid-September to partake in the Capitals rookie camp and hung around for the first week of the Capitals main training camp, also playing in the Capitals second preseason game against the Philadelphia Flyers on September 28.

The Capitals returned Persson to BIK Karlskoga of Sweden’s HockeyAllsvensken league on September 30 and he made his regular-season debut on Wednesday night. Following the game he had time to reflect on the last three weeks.

“It was cool to see how the professionals work and also play against them,” Persson told KT Kuriren about his time in Washington.

He was well looked after by, among others, fellow Swedes Carl Hagelin, Nicklas Bäckström and Marcus Johansson.

“They really welcomed me in a good way.”

In addition to training with the NHL stars, there was also an away game against Philadelphia. Persson believes his first NHL action went relatively well.

“I think it went well and I am satisfied with my effort. It was fast but it was very useful for me to see what it is like. After all, this is where I want to be one day.”

Persson said he would actually have gone home earlier, but the management in Washington liked what they saw.

“I had to stay a little longer. I don’t know how the thoughts went there. They were slimming down the squad all the time really. It was a very cool experience. Now it’s just a matter of building on it.”

Persson, who turns 19 on Saturday, is in his last junior (U20) year. He will get a shot at representing Sweden in the upcoming World Junior Championship this December in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, Canada.

By Jon Sorensen