There's been a lot of travelling for Linkoping HC defenceman Kristian Nakyva in the past couple of years. He's won a CHL title with Lulea and played a year in the AHL, but on Sunday he was back in his old stomping grounds in Jyvaskyla. 

by Derek O'Brien and Ville Pietilainen 

JYVASKYLA – On Sunday, defenceman Kristian Nakyva made his return to Synergia-Areena for the first time since leaving JYP in 2014. Since that time he's spent a year with Lulea Hockey and won a CHL title, and then a year with the Milwaukee Admirals of the American Hockey League. Now he's back in Sweden with Linkoping HC. In his first game back in his old stomping grounds against his old team, he wrapped things up nicely with an empty-net goal in the last minute to secure a 4-1 win.

“It was a tight game and that’s what we expected. It was truly a fast-paced hockey game and both teams are really good at skating and competing. It was an interesting night,” he said about the experience. On why Linkoping won, he answered, “We managed to score on our chances really well and our power play worked well. We were really efficient in our special teams.”

When Nakyva left Finland two short years ago, it was his first time playing abroad. 

“When I moved to Lulea, I wanted a new challenge and a fresh start,” he told Championshockeyleague.net's Miro Perhe back in October 2014. “When I got a chance to go, I didn’t think twice. It was a good three-year period with JYP but I got the feeling that I wanted something new.”  

That was on the heels of his first game back in Finland, a CHL group stage game in Rauma against Lukko, a team that Lulea would meet again in the Quarter-Finals. In the Semi-Finals against Skelleftea AIK, he scored a big goal late in the first leg to tie the score.

He said after that game, “It's a good situation for us. It's a home game and we can take the win there.” In fact, that's exactly what happened, as Lulea beat Skelleftea and then Frolunda Gothenburg in the 2014-15 CHL Final, where he also scored a big goal.

“It touched the goalie a little bit and dropped in,” Nakyva said of his blast from the point that got the Lulea comeback started. “We were just trying to get shots through to the net.”

Overall, Nakyva had a great season in Lulea, both personally and team-wise. Statistically, he had 33 points in 64 SHL games and 12 points in 13 CHL games. 

“The rinks are bigger in Sweden than here in Finland. It creates space for playing and in Sweden we try more to play with the puck. There isn't so much dump-and-chase,” he said during his first season in Sweden. “Of course this suits me very well. That's one reason why it's been so good to play for Lulea.”

That great season earned him a chance in North America. Last season in the AHL with Milwaukee he had 10 points (1 + 9) in 72 regular-season and playoff games. 

“In a way the AHL is more physical and the ice is smaller, so the situations on the ice happen more quickly and the game is more straight-forward,” he said of the adjustment to the North American game.

However, still just 25 years of age, he hasn't given up on making an impact overseas and cracking into the NHL.

“Yes, my goals are still there. I want to have a breakthrough there, so that’s my goal right now.”