Before he came into the Bridgeport locker room, his main friend there was fellow Swede Calle Odelius. When Eklund found out he was reassigned to Bridgeport, he texted Odelius right away that he’s coming over.
“I told him, heads up, I’m coming in two days,” Eklund said with a smile. “He was very excited for me, it’s good to be here with him.”
The Stockholm, Sweden native could either stay in North America to play in the Islanders organization, at the NHL level or AHL, or he could return to Sweden for his second SHL campaign.
“I haven’t closed any doors yet,” Eklund said. “We’ll see what’s best for my development.”
The task at hand is helping Bridgeport get into the playoffs, as they haven’t qualified for the postseason since 2021-22. Now, they stand in a playoff spot as their 64 points and record of 28-28-3-5 (W-L-OTL-SOL) is good for fifth in the Atlantic. For Eklund and the Bridgeport Islanders, the fun is just beginning.
“You can feel it in the locker room. A lot of guys want to make the playoffs,” Eklund said. “I also want to be in the playoffs and it’ll be fun.”
