article: Lias Andersson Talks About What Went Wrong

https://www.aftonbladet.se/sportbladet/hockey/a/0ny640/lias-andersson-det-var-daliga-vanor

 

Translated from Swedish:

Lias Andersson returned to Sweden from the New York Rangers in January . The 21-year-old did not feel well mentally and has been open since his return with how he has measured.

 

In an interview with the Gothenburg Post which met Andersson in connection with an ice pass in Kung?lv, he opens up some more details.

 

- I sat playing video games all night, just waiting for the Swedes to wake up at home to go to work. So I could call and talk some shit, like. It was bad habits, he tells the newspaper, and says he also struggled with poor self-confidence.

 

The bad habits also led to sleep problems.

 

- I had trouble sleeping and started taking a sleeping tablet every now and then. Sat up late, played video games. It could be worse if I let it continue, he admits.

 

The future is not carved in stone yet. There can be games in HV71 and there can be games in the NHL.

 

- I have no idea what's going on. No fucking idea whatsoever. I just practice - and see what happens. I'm open to anything. I just want to have fun. I just want to play hockey, he says.

Kid needs to be put into the hockey equivalent of a boot camp. Send him to Gary Roberts' training, if he ever wants to even think about a return to the NHL.

I didnt get anything other than he’s open for anything and wants to play. Couldn’t understand the other parts

Kid needs to be put into the hockey equivalent of a boot camp. Send him to Gary Roberts' training, if he ever wants to even think about a return to the NHL.

 

He needs a mental coach - someone to snap some sense into him. Apparently living with Mika wasn't enough to keep him on the right track.

 

I'm not convinced anything positive will happen though. He seems like a total head case.

I didnt get anything other than he?s open for anything and wants to play. Couldn?t understand the other parts

 

The other parts were explaining why he?s a idiot

 

 

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Yeah, you're not gonna succeed in the NHL by staying up all night and playing videogames.

 

Just goes to show how mature and immature some of these kids are. And that's what they are: kids.

The other parts were explaining why he?s a idiot

 

 

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This

 

It?s really not hard to understand...if you?re sober

Yeah, you're not gonna succeed in the NHL by staying up all night and playing videogames.

 

Just goes to show how mature and immature some of these kids are. And that's what they are: kids.

 

I thought he was playing video games he couldn’t sleep? And was depressed?

He needs a mental coach - someone to snap some sense into him. Apparently living with Mika wasn't enough to keep him on the right track.

 

I'm not convinced anything positive will happen though. He seems like a total head case.

 

Yeah and just get the impression that this kid expected to get by based on talent alone, doesn't seem to want to put in the blood, sweat and tears that's needed.

Yeah and just get the impression that this kid expected to get by based on talent alone, doesn't seem to want to put in the blood, sweat and tears that's needed.

 

A dangerous mix for someone with...limited talent

Why is he doing interviews like this? He does know he asked for a trade and stuff like this doesn't help that goal.

The chirpers will have a field day with this

He needs a mental coach - someone to snap some sense into him. Apparently living with Mika wasn't enough to keep him on the right track.

 

I'm not convinced anything positive will happen though. He seems like a total head case.

It could have just been after he got sent down

 

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Why is he doing interviews like this? He does know he asked for a trade and stuff like this doesn't help that goal.

 

Yeah this is not good for him.

 

He didnt even blame personal problems or that he missed his family or anything. ?I was up all night playing video games so I could talk shit with my friends?.

 

This explains his game tho. Looked like he was sleeping every game and now we know he actually was.

 

 

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He ran out of talent very early on in the process and had no clue on what to do next and that couldn't of been more obvious. Basically shit the bed.

Yeah, you're not gonna succeed in the NHL by staying up all night and playing videogames.

 

Just goes to show how mature and immature some of these kids are. And that's what they are: kids.

 

That's what I got out of it. He wanted to have his friends to be around, so he pouted his way home.

 

What a fucking baby. Really explains the medal toss. Entitled spoiled brat. Guess he's gone. He'd rather be around his friends at home. Making the NHL doesn't sound like a priority. You'd think Lundqvist, Fast and Zib would be in this little bitches ear. Terrible terrible pick. Another 1st rounder that amounted to nothing. Zero trade value with comments like that.

Damn.

Little harsh i think. Don’t forget that these are kids. Not everyone is equal. You take them out of their home and bring them to another country, not everyone adjusts like you would like them to. I give them the benefit of the doubt as much as I can. He definitely got talent to get as far as he got.

Just a kid, doing irresponsible stuff, saying stupid things, not handling himself well, and acting generally immature.

 

This seems like at least a slight step in the direction of taking responsibility for himself.

That's what I got out of it. He wanted to have his friends to be around, so he pouted his way home.

 

What a fucking baby. Really explains the medal toss. Entitled spoiled brat. Guess he's gone. He'd rather be around his friends at home. Making the NHL doesn't sound like a priority. You'd think Lundqvist, Fast and Zib would be in this little bitches ear. Terrible terrible pick. Another 1st rounder that amounted to nothing. Zero trade value with comments like that.

Damn.

 

I've been in his corner probably longer than I should have, but this is where it ends for me.

He's a child. It might not even be his fault. But he's turned out to be the exact opposite of what his draft profile told us. Character guy, leader, mature, ready to play. He's none of those things.

I left Scandinavia for NA to play hockey as a 17 year old. It's not for everyone. It was tough at times. But I went to the Q and stayed in various shitholes in central Quebec. Lias Andersson was teed up as perfectly as possible, staying in New York, a high draft pick given every opportunity to play hockey for the New York Rangers. That in itself comes with its own pressures and problems, of course. But this is how you take care of that once in a lifetime opportunity? An opportunity that every kid who's put on a pair of skates dream of, but is only given to a very select few?

Playing video games and staying up all night to be able to chat with your friends? Fuck right off. I'm sorry, but - even if the Rangers may have to shoulder some responsibility over how this panned out - that reads like pure, entitled millennial shit to me.

Harsh but I kinda agree with Gravesy here.

Little harsh i think. Don’t forget that these are kids. Not everyone is equal. You take them out of their home and bring them to another country, not everyone adjusts like you would like them to. I give them the benefit of the doubt as much as I can. He definitely got talent to get as far as he got.

 

Sorry, no. He's 21 years old. He's an adult acting like a kid.

 

I don't doubt coming from Sweden to play in the NHL is a huge adjustment. But there are scores of players that do the same exact thing successfully year in and year out. It's not like it was his first season here. He lived with Mika this year, presumably to give him someone Swedish to live with and have a veteran keep him grounded. Even that didn't work.

 

So it's hard for me to agree with you and give him the benefit of the doubt when he took a major step backwards this year and created a very tenuous relationship with the Rangers by only talking to Swedish media and alluding to nefarious things going on.

I'd be curious what percentage of the posters here were on their own at 21, working in their career of choice?

 

People mature at different rates. I see far too many 21, hell 31 year olds who still need to grow up.

 

Kid may very well be a flop because his skill set was completely overestimated.. But a 21 year old acting like an idiot isn't exactly a news flash.

Sorry, no. He's 21 years old. He's an adult acting like a kid.

 

I don't doubt coming from Sweden to play in the NHL is a huge adjustment. But there are scores of players that do the same exact thing successfully year in and year out. It's not like it was his first season here. He lived with Mika this year, presumably to give him someone Swedish to live with and have a veteran keep him grounded. Even that didn't work.

 

So it's hard for me to agree with you and give him the benefit of the doubt when he took a major step backwards this year and created a very tenuous relationship with the Rangers by only talking to Swedish media and alluding to nefarious things going on.

Thats fine. I’d like to give him more of the benefit of the doubt. I don’t know what went on in his head but would like to think that he couldn’t handle the pressure being away from home and pressure of making the NHL. Im not going to write him off as a spoiled asshole just because i dont know him

Thats fine. I’d like to give him more of the benefit of the doubt. I don’t know what went on in his head but would like to think that he couldn’t handle the pressure being away from home and pressure of making the NHL. Im not going to write him off as a spoiled asshole just because i dont know him

 

Kids are growing up faster, yet maturing slower across the board.

 

This seems like at least a slight step in the direction of taking responsibility for himself.

 

Agreed. I took his comments to at least be more productive than what he said previously insofar as he is not blaming someone else. It's not really worth worrying about him. Even if his head were on straight, he doesn't appear to have the talent to be a significant NHL player. He's a rather shocking bust, given the position of his pick, weak year or not. Just leave him in Sweden and forget about him. If he looks like a potential NHL player in the future, he can come back.

 

I don't know how the personality tests and interviews that are supposed to be a big part of the selection process were so wrong. What was supposed to be his strongest suit turned out to be his weakest.