17 years about choosing the national team: – The shock came

He was clearly a talent, but what the 17-year-old has done in recent months has been exciting.

In record time, he made his way to Norway’s top men. He is named to the first team in Sweden and begins to believe that he can realize a dream he had previously seen as unattainable.

In recent weeks, he has received two phone calls that surprised him greatly, and made him very nervous and happy.

The 17-year-old, who turned one in October, had spent a night to sleep on the experiment the night before, when he met TV2 for an interview.

He is modest and somewhat humble, but his self-confidence is constantly improving and he knows full well that his achievements are remarkable.

first phone

There wasn’t really much doubt. He wanted to go to Sweden and considered it the best option for further development. This is despite the fact that he loves Vålerenga and that there have been talks about playing for their first team.

– It went much better than I imagined. He says of the first months at Mora, I didn’t think I’d do this well and produce as many points.

24 goal points in 17 games are, to put it mildly, good numbers in one of the best junior leagues.

It also provided other opportunities.

– It was a little shocking. We already had a day off in the junior team, so the coach called half an hour before the bus to Team A left. He said there weren’t enough players and I had to join in. Then I packed my bag and ran down the hall, says Brandsig Nygaard.

The talent had high shoulders and he didn’t feel mentally ready to play a match with the best, but it went well and then had more chances.

Recently, he also recorded in style and made sure more people noticed him. Now he feels this is the level he belongs at and he has to play for the rest of the season.

– I think I deserved it. The coaches are very happy and love the way I play, he says.

Phone from the national team manager

The achievements were, of course, noted in Norway. Tobias Johansson, the national team manager, called the 17-year-old a month ago and told him he should be in his country’s first squad.

– Then I was a little shocked. I was supposed to be with the U20 team in Switzerland, but then Tobias called and asked if I wanted to come here. Then you just had to say yes, he says and smile.

– How did you react then?

– I went crazy and called mom and dad at once, replies Brandsig-Neggaard.

On Thursday, he made his national team debut when Norway met Latvia. Leangen Ishall was full.

– I was a little nervous, I was. I felt it. There weren’t many matches with the adults, but it was very exciting. He said it was very interesting to represent Norway in front of a lot of spectators.

National Team Manager About Talent

Last week, the national team manager was a guest on the TV 2 Hockeytalk podcast. There, Johansson talked about how he has followed the evolution of Brandsegg-Nygård.

– There’s a boy I picked up very early on when I started working in Norwegian ice hockey. I got a good impression of him while toileting the U18, but no more than that, he says.

Over the next few months, that changed dramatically.

– He went really fast from April to the U20 matches at Varner Arena in mid-August. It has only continued on Mora this fall. He was admittedly a player we had to invest in. He has a distinct personality in the way he catches scoring chances. He says, I think this is quite unique.

The Swede highlights the fact that the 17-year-old has grown stronger. He wins more and more duels and is good at picking up pucks in the attack zone.

– It’s really cool. I like that people believe in me. Talent says in the words of praise that the national team manager said it gives me motivation and more confidence in myself.

– It could become a reality

The 17-year-old’s first goal is to establish himself in the first team of the traditional club that now plays at HockeyAllsvenskan.

In the long run, he dreams of making it to the NHL.

In the past, he didn’t think much about the possibility of being selected for the NHL draft, but in keeping with his good performances, he started dreaming again of the possibility.

– I’ve been thinking about it a lot lately. Before I didn’t think it could become a reality, but now I see it as possible and I’ve gained more hope for it, he says.

The fact that the dream became achievable helps with motivation.

– It helps a lot. When I see that it can come true, it makes me want to work even harder to make it happen, says the great talent.

On Saturday you can see the 17-year-old playing for the Norwegian national team. Norway – Denmark starts at 16.00 on TV 2 Sport 2 and TV 2 Play.