Luleå Hockey Presents New Acquisitions: Cam Abbott

Photo by Markus Tervamäki/Luleå Hockey

The following article featuring former Cornell standout Cam Abbott appeared August 12 on the Lulea Web site.

Lulea Hockey series of interviews with recent acquisitions continue with Canadian forward and right-shooter Cam Abbott.

By Markus Tervamäki

You and your brother are from Sarnia in Ontario, Canada. Is this Toronto Maple Leafs and Ottawa Senators that apply to you?

Detroit Red Wings are actually the team that is closest, but it has always been Tornto Maple Leafs who were our team. Although there has been a bit tough to cheer on the Maple Leafs the past few years.

Who was your favorite player when you grew up, maybe Doug Gilmour?

- It was actually Darcy Tucker, who played for the Maple Leafs. We have also followed the Red Wings a lot and especially Steve Yzerman and Brendan Shanahan. Doug Gilmour was a fantastic player but Darcy Tucker was clearly a favorite when we grew up.

How would you describe your brother Chris as a player?

He is a skilled center who works very hard. He has good puck control and good eye for the game and it is very easy to play with Chris as the center. Of the centers that I played with Chris is certainly the easiest to play together with ..

How old were you when you started playing hockey?

- Vi började åka skridskor när vi hade fyllt fyra och vi spelade i det första laget när vi var kanske sex år. - We started skating when we had reached the age of four and we played in the first team when we were maybe six years.

Och alla i Kanada börjar åka skridskor när de är små? And all of Canada begins to skate when they are young?

Yes, basically. We call it the "Mini-Mite Hockey", you go around on the ice until they are five or six years. Like this, it's part of our culture.

In Sweden, it is quite common to members of other sports such as football outside of hockey in his youth. Exercising you have any other sports than hockey?

We actually played football, we also we were fourteen. Then we tried summer hockey which used to start in May and held on until the end of June. Thus, it is common in ice hockey was a bit more playful forms. It was also with us until we were fourteen or fifteen. We have also been a real sailing family, so I've sailed a lot. We have tried almost everything.

Lacrosse perhaps?

Everything But lacrosse actually. We used to play "ball hockey". It's basically just like hockey. You play on a hockey rink with sticks and everything was in place of ice to play it on a concrete plan and you have tennis shoes instead of skates, of course.

You and your brother have, except for an occasional match played together throughout their lives. Could you imagine playing for different teams?

We could imagine it. We play all very well together, we do, but we could imagine playing in various teams. Would we, for example, be invited to play in the NHL, it's not a must that we play in same team.

You took a large geographical leap from playing in Canada to play in Norway, what made you take the leap across the Atlantic?

We have always had a goal to play for a university kind in North America which we did. The goal after that was to play professional hockey in Europe. We had only one season as a professional home that was both up and down and post it so we made a tryout contract in Norway and got a spot on the team. On the way it is.

You will, as we know from Canada where the interest in hockey is huge. How is it compared to the interest in Sweden do you think?

I think the interest here is more tied to the city and area as the team plays in. They play for the city of Luleå, and the area around it. Do you play in Toronto so you have fans all over Canada to the press which could perhaps be larger. On the other hand, if you play in, say, for example Phoenix, so of course the interest is not nearly as big if you compare with visiting Toronto or Montreal. Then on the ice, I think the players show more respect for each other here. It is not as much a thief tricks and dirty while it is in North America.

Sweden has a fan culture that is very influenced by the English football culture with stands cheering and chanting. It felt weird to experience it when you came to Sweden?

We got to experience it pretty good last year when it could be a tough atmosphere at the matches but we knew it would be so when we came to Sweden. I think it improves the atmosphere during the matches in a good way. But I also think it's great that the fans in Canada are so knowledgeable in hockey. When you do something good so you get appreciation for it and when you do not do so well so you get to know it too.

Are you eager to get started with matches?

Absolutely. It is a wonderful time in the season when everyone in the team is excited about playing. We've trained hard together and after a few weeks of just training so the players start getting a little frustrated, so it's wonderful to let loose with matches.

What is alloy main objectives this season?

To win, there is no other goal. It's so me and Chris go into each new season, but especially this season. We have a team that can win the championship.

That is, for us Swedes, the Canadian setting, in a nutshell - you can always enter to win at all times. Do you think that the Swedish players are humble in their approach?

I would not use the word humble directly. Some players set sights high and say publicly that they will win. It may be a cultural difference but what I experienced before, there are some players who are not willing to work hard enough to put his name on the line and say: "We shall overcome".

You have family members who have participated in the Olympics?

Yes, my younger sister took part in sailing in Beijing last year and my parents sailed in Atlanta 1996 and Sydney 2000. Competitive spirit is something that exists in the family and it is also why I think Chris and I are here. We have always competed against each other and have developed ourselves.

And the NHL is the big dream?

It has always been the major target and there are different paths to get there.

Finally, is there anything you would like to welcome to the fans?

Do you prepared for an exciting season. The team has worked hard thus far and we look forward to playing for Luleå fans!"