With the CHL Round of 32 on the horizon, Cramo Top Scorer Martin Thornberg talks about the great start to the season for both himself and his team, the upcoming series with Lukko Rauma, and the changes coming up for the CHL next season.

by Anders Borjesson

JONKOPING – Martin Thornberg is back home. Born in Jonkoping, he was raised in the HV71 system and turned pro with his hometown club at the age of 19. He made an immidiate impact, scoring a point per game in the playoffs as HV71 won the Swedish league title in 2004.

Over the next seven years, the gifted goal-scoring winger but up big numbers and helped HV71 to two more titles and a berth in the original Champions Hockey League in 2008-09. In 2011 he went abroad, and played four seasons in the KHL with Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod, Lev Prague and Lokomotiv Yaroslavl. 

Last season he returned home and had a decent season, helping HV71 reach the CHL Round of 16 with four points in eight games. In the SHL, he had 39 points in 55 regular season and playoff games. 

This season he's off to a superb start, starting with four goals and four assists in four CHL group-stage games, helping HV71 top Group P. That makes him the Cramo Top Scorer for the whole CHL, and he's continued his hot hand into the start of the SHL regular season, with two goals in the first two games.

With the CHL Round of 32 on the horizon, he spoke about his season so far.

Martin, would you say the start for you and the team has been better this season, if you compare to last year?

"Yes, it feels better than it did last year. And a big reason for this is that our pre-season has been less chaotic for the club, so we've had lots of time to build up our squad. Another reason is that we've added two great assistant coaches in Stephan Lundh and Niklas Rahm. That addition has brought calm and all the players have been able to concentrate on what to do on the ice and play our game the way we want to play it. I think that's also the main reason that I've played well so far too."

You, Ted Brithen and Par Arlbrandt have played together most games. What do you think about your chemistry?

"Brithen had problems with injuries last season. This year, he's really stepped up and played as well as we know he can do when he's on top. He had a really good season in 2014-15 and is on his way to that form again.

"Arlbrandt is a really good player with lots of skill. He can make the passes that give me opportunities. I think our line works very well on the ice and we suit each other's playing styles."

Special teams, especially the power play, have worked great so far. Your thoughts on that?

"I don't think we've practiced the power play so much – it's more that we've found a unit that thinks alike. We've got our gameplan ready and all the players on the ice know what they have to do. But our opponents in the CHL haven't put our special teams to much of a test yet. I think it will be harder against Lukko Rauma."

Yes, Lukko Rauma. What do you think about that team?

"I think it will be two great games. Finnish teams are always hard to play against – they play physical and with a lot of speed. They play an offensive style of hockey, almost an NHL-like style of play, but if we play as we've done so far in the tournament, we've got a great chance to advance to the next round."

Next season, the CHL going to change a little. What do you think about that?

"I think it's great and going to be a better tournament with fewer but more skilled teams. I hope after my years in the KHL that a few of those teams want to play CHL hockey in the future too. That way, the fans will see the best players in Europe and that would be exciting.

"I personally think that the KHL has the most skilled players, but as a league, we in the SHL aren't far away. I think there's more speed in the SHL and I know many players who found it hard to adjust to that hockey after being a few seasons in Russia."

What do you think of the new players on the team this season?

"I think our new players are a perfect addition to the team. They play exactly the way they were scouted to do. Andreas Borgman is a very aggressive player with great skating. Dylan Reese is contributing both on D and offensively. I'm impressed with our new goalie Linus Soderstrom too – it will be exiting to see him make his debut in the SHL. We've got two really calm and skilled keepers this year." 

Read here for more on the HV71 Jonkoping–Lukko Rauma series.