5 minutes with . . . Patrik Berglund
By Jeremy Rutherford

Some of you may remember that last August I caught up with a few Blues players skating on their own at the Mills Mall in Hazelwood. The practices are very informal and so are the interviews afterwards. I ask whatever questions I can in 5 minutes and then post the Q&A here on the blog. You likely won’t see this stuff in the Post-Dispatch. I will post an interview with a different player every few days. My first one was conducted today with Blues center Patrik Berglund . . .

 JR: What have you been doing since the Blues’ development camp in June?

PB: “I just went back home and started to work out pretty hard with the Nelson Ayotte’s program. I went up a couple of pounds and so far it’s all good.”

JR: How much do you weigh?

PB: “210 right now. I lost body fat, too, so that’s pretty good.”

JR: You came to St. Louis for the Blues’ development camp a couple of weeks early and now you’re here about one month before the main training camp. You’re really doing what you can to be prepared for the season . . .

PB: “I want to show them that I want to be here, right here in St. Louis. The main camp is a month away, but right now I’m getting prepared for it. I’m learning still the language and the workouts and the high speed on the ice. I think I’m going to feel much safer when the main camp starts . . . I’ve been here, got to know the guys and all the drills . . . so that I can perform the best I can.”

JR: Having been here at the Blues’ practice facility several times and at Scottrade Center a number of times, too, you seem a lot more comfortable with your surroundings than you have in the past. Is that a fair assessment?

PB: “A lot more comfortable. It’s hard to even describe it. This is the feeling that I want to feel before main camp when I join the new team. I feel very comfortable here and I enjoy staying here. The guys take care of you, they ask you if you want to join them for dinner or go to a Cards’ game. It’s a great thing.”

JR: How much did the development camp help you?

PB: “A lot actually, especially the drills. Sometimes it’s hard to keep track of the drills. It’s going really fast when they write them on the board. Otherwise, just building relationships with the people . . . so you feel comfortable when you’re here. That’s a big thing you have to have if you’re going to perform on the ice.”

JR: What kind of feedback did you get from the Blues after the development camp?
PB: “Not too much actually. I talked to them a little and asked, ‘How I’m doing?’ They gave me a little feedback. I really needed that. It’s good to know when you go back to Sweden and you try to work on  your weaknesses. I think I’ve been doing that pretty good.”

JR: With the main camp one month away, what’s going through your mind?

PB: “Not too much. I’m not nervous at all. I’m going to stay here (he’s living at a hotel in Earth City) and we go out and play golf. Right now, I’m just enjoying staying here. When the main camp starts, I know I’m going to feel comfortable.”

JR: Are you a good golfer?

PB: “I was pretty good until yesterday (laughing). I played terrible. But I’m a pretty good golfer.”

JR: Who did you play with?

PB: “Oshie and Junland . . . they are my roommates. We have a great time together. Oshie has a car, so we can go to the grocery store or the golf course. We are in Earth City and there’s not too much to do, so it’s pretty good that we’ve got a car.”

JR: You are really starting to bond with T.J. Oshie, aren’t you?

PB: “Yeah, yeah. He’s a great guy. I think we have a lot in common. Like I said, he’s got a car, so we can do stuff. That’s a better way to get to know him.”

JR: A lot of people are hoping that you can be a No. 1 or No. 2 center for the Blues this season. Is that asking a lot in your rookie year? Can you handle that responsibility?

PB: “I want to be that guy for sure. I have a couple of things to work on . . . be a better player in the defensive zone. But I think my offensive skills are pretty good. I think I can handle that good, but d-zone I need to get better. I really want to be that center that can be that No. 2 center. We’ll see . . . I’m going to go hard and hopefully they give me the shot. I’m going to take it. If I make some mistakes, that’s how it goes. Sometimes I’ll make mistakes, but want to keep going . . . learn from my mistakes.”

Stay tuned for more pre-training camp interviews!