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Oliver Wahlstrom Continues to Grow from Team USA Experiences

By Becky Olsen, 04/17/18, 1:45PM EDT

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NTDP Under-18 leading scorer continues to improve


Photo by Rena Laverty

Oliver Wahlstrom has felt nearly every emotion there is in his time with the USA Hockey National Team Development Program.

But one stands out above the rest.

“It’s been the most special feeling I have ever had and the greatest opportunity I have ever had to represent your country,” said Wahlstrom, who grew up in Quincy, Massachusetts. “I get to play with all my best friends here and the feeling is surreal. Not many people get to do it, so you need to put your head down, work hard and enjoy every moment of it.”

Wahlstrom credits two people among many who helped him get to where he is: his dad Joakim and sister Alexandra.

“I think I get my feisty side [of my game] from my sister,” he said. “When we were growing up, we would play knee hockey all the time and she would be the goalie. We would definitely battle and she would hit me and I think I got that feisty side from her. Both she and my dad have been unbelievable in their support of me and I love them so much. It has been such a fun ride with them.”

Joakim, who played hockey in the Swedish Elite League, has been another driving force.

“When I was younger, he would push me a lot,” said Oliver. “He would make the outdoor rink every winter and I would come home and skate. He is a huge part of who I am today and I can’t thank him enough for that. He always tells me to be myself, have fun and work hard.  All other things will come together. I have that in the back of my mind at all times. He told me to play aggressive and be you.

“I think I do appreciate how hard he was on me when I was little. I love to say it but he was hard. Some people think it was good and others think it’s bad to have a parent like that. At the end of the day, I loved it knowing that he would be there after every game to fire me up. If you see where I am now, you know he played a big part of it.”

This is a big reason why Wahlstrom is trying to enjoy his time with the NTDP. He remarked on how much his game has grown in his short amount of time in Plymouth. 

“I see big strides in my game, especially the maturity of my game as it has evolved since last year,” he said. “Last year our Under-17 season was tough for all of us — we were struggling and getting beat up on. I went back in the off-season and put some thought into it. I decided to put last season aside and work hard and next year have fun, try to do different things and have fun.”


Oliver's Favorites

Favorite NHL Team
Washington Capitals

Favorite NHL Player
Patrick Kane

Favorite Movie
Step Brothers

Favorite Celebrity
Will Ferrell

Favorite Video Game
NBA 2K17

Favorite Netflix Binge
Friends

Favorite Home-Cooked Meal
Swedish meatballs and mashed potatoes 


The 6-foot-1, 205-pound forward knew the importance of working over the summer and getting ready for his second season with the NTDP. Success in his Under-18 year is due in part to lots of hard work in the weight room with pros like Ryan McDonagh and NTDP alum Jimmy Hayes. They’ve also been able to offer him some advice.

“I think of the big things they told me was to love what you do,” said Wahlstrom. “Jimmy Hayes is quite the character and we would talk so much. He is an unbelievable guy and I look up to him so much. He told me to have fun with it and work hard but at the same time, you need to take care of yourself whether it is nutrition or sleep. It was very special for me last summer.”

In addition, there was one other experience over the summer that impacted Wahlstrom. He was invited to attend the 2017 World Junior Summer Showcase in Plymouth in August. Despite not making the final roster cut, he took it as a learning experience.

It made me angrier and more fired up to have a good season and prove people wrong. It has been working pretty well so far.

“Obviously, I wanted to make the cut because in my mind I told myself that I wanted to make this team,” he said. “It was a good learning experience for me. It was the first time I had ever been cut from a team. I think it was healthy for me to go through that since I haven’t been through it.

“It made me angrier and more fired up to have a good season and prove people wrong. It has been working pretty well so far.”

Wahlstrom and his U18 teammates are finishing final preparations for the 2018 International Ice Hockey Federation Under-18 World Championships, which will be held in Chelyabinsk and Magnitogorsk, Russia, from April 19-29. Team USA opens play against Team Canada on Thursday, April 19. It’s always a rivalry when the two teams play and he knows it will take an all-out effort to earn the win.

“It’s an exciting game but at the same time, it’s just another game,” he said. “It’s Canada vs. the U.S. and we always have that battle but at the same time, we can’t get caught up in that stuff. We need to focus on our rituals and our game plan and of course, have fun.”



Photo by Rena Laverty


For Wahlstrom, he will be able to be a leader at this year’s event after playing as an underager in last year’s world championships, helping Team USA to a gold medal. There are some basic things he took away from last year’s experiences that he can use this season to help guide his teammates.

“The most important thing going into that tournament is everyone needs to be together and everyone needs to be having fun,” he explained. “You need to be relaxed. You can’t be thinking it’s the IIHF World Championships rather you need to be yourself and be relaxed, and help everyone together. You need to enjoy the moment and not be caught up in the nerves.”

Story from Red Line Editorial, Inc.

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