CARDIFF,U.K- Defenseman Likit Andersson has seen his promising start to his time at Cardiff Devils temporarily cut after suffering a shoulder injury in just his eighth match for the ambitious U.K Elite League franchise. As powerplay quarterback, his injury has come as a blow to the Devils’ offensive ambitions in particular.
Fortunately, Andersson will not need an operation and should be back to fitness in four to six weeks. He had already shown good hands and vision in the few games he played, but it was on the powerplay where the benefit of his arrival was immediately clear.
The Devils’ powerplay underperformed last season, but this year’s special team with Andersson at the helm has already produced a highlight of three goals from a five minute powerplay against the Coventry Blaze. PHN caught up with Andersson before his injury and asked him what he would bring to his new team.
“I’m an offensive-minded player and I like to move the puck and be creative. I think I’ll bring experience, calmness and patience to the powerplay which is important if we’re going to pass the puck well to create chances,” Andersson said.
When speaking to him, it became clear why he was recruited by Gerad Adams, aside from his strong scoring record. In our short talk, Andersson gave a thoughtful insight into his role and it’s clear he reads the game extremely well. At 35, his composure and experience will be crucial in what is a
Likit Andersson (Photo by Helen Fryer)
Andersson also has an excellent pedigree. He is a former ECHL all-star, has played in the Swedish Elite League and enjoyed a number of seasons in the second tier of Swedish hockey. He has also enjoyed much success in the strong Italian and Danish leagues. However, his highlight came at a tournament he played in his native Sweden in his early 20’s.
“Playing with Forsberg and Naslund was a huge moment for me. They came home during the NHL’s Christmas break and I got to play on a line with them. You always take moments like that with you through your career,” Andersson said.
Andersson has played in both North America and Europe. He played three games in the UK for Bracknell Bees in 2001, but in signing for the Devils, Andersson looks to set to play his first full season of hockey in the UK. What were his first impressions of the league?
“It’s exceeded my expectations, It’s really good hockey. It’s difficult to compare different leagues because of the different styles of hockey, but the UK Elite League has a North American style of play and I would say it’s a similar standard to the ECHL.
“We opened up against Belfast Giants and Sheffield Steelers and I enjoyed the intensity of both games, I’m also very happy to be in Cardiff. I was amazed when I arrived here, not only is it a great city but the Devils organisation is very impressive and treats its players extremely well,” Andersson said.
Andersson’s arrival in Cardiff was delayed due to a contract dispute with his former club in Denmark. With 26 points in 45 games it’s easy to see why they wanted him back, but Devils fans were delighted he made it to Cardiff just in time for the opening league fixture.
“It was tough to arrive at Cardiff in the early hours of the morning before flying to Belfast on the same day for a game that night, but you have to make the best of the situation. I was very excited to finally get to play hockey for the Devils.
“It was disappointing to lose both our opening games, but things are slowly coming together, I’m confident we can be fighting for the league,” Andersson said.
Unfortunately for Andersson and the Devils, his involvement has been cut short for a while and his early contributions as well as his clear experience and understanding of the game will be missed over the coming weeks. Contact the author at Aled.Lloyd@prohockeynews.com
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