IS: Swedish star went through the differences between the League and SHL: "Individuals have more space to shine"

Swedish forward Carl Klingberg, 34, transferred from Frölunda to Ilves midway through last season. He played 39 regular season games in the Liiga, achieving strong points of 13+17=30, as well as 11 playoff games with stats of 5+3. Ilves exercised Klingberg’s option in March, and he will start the upcoming season wearing the alternate captain’s A on his jersey.

Klingberg, who won the World Championship with Tre Kronor in 2017, has played in several top leagues throughout his career. The Liiga is still quite a new experience for him. In an interview with Ilta-Sanomat, he shared his views on the differences between the Liiga and the SHL, making interesting observations.

– In the Finnish league, the game is faster, more offensive, and more straightforward. In Sweden, the game is more defense-oriented, and there is more emphasis on trapping. Of course, within the system’s framework, there is still a lot of skating, but tactics are clearly more present in the game, Klingberg tells IS.

– In Sweden, the game is tighter, making it harder to score. In Finland, there is more space for skilled players to shine. Here, the game is tactically looser, allowing individuals to have more room to showcase their skills. In Sweden, you have to be a really good player to truly shine with individual skills because there isn’t much space, Klingberg continues.

Due to its better financial capacity, the SHL has attracted many of Europe’s top players over the years. Compared to the Liiga, the SHL is also considered a better stepping stone to North America due to its high level. However, in Klingberg’s view, the Liiga is a better place to develop as a player.

– In Finland, I believe the game is more developmental for individuals and individual skills. In Sweden, they play a more tactically aware game. There, they know how to get the best out of players within a specific playing system, Klingberg says.