by Grace Kut | AHL On The Beat
With the clock ticking down only minutes before the NHL trade deadline last month, Magnus Hellberg was notified that he had been traded.
Florida exchanged Ludovic Waeber to Pittsburgh to receive Hellberg and a conditional 2025 seventh-round pick.
“I didn’t really see it coming to be honest with you, but I got the call 30 minutes before the trade deadline and I was getting ready to play a game that same night,” said Hellberg. “I was really excited when I got here, I think that it is a great opportunity for me to showcase who I am as a goalie and who I am as a person.”
Though thrown into a whirlwind at first, Hellberg has found his groove with the Charlotte Checkers. He has found a home wearing the Checkers sweater, and become a part of the brotherhood dynamic the team has.
“The guys here are great,” Hellberg said. “I knew a couple guys from before. They have been taking me in with open arms. I felt welcome right from the start.”
This was not the first time Hellberg experienced a midseason move. The previous season, Hellberg was picked off waivers three times, playing in three different cities.
Though not new to a life of constantly moving, having a young family adds to the challenge.
“You want to have a spot where you can call home,” he said. “But at the same time it is part of the business, you have to be a professional, and go with the flow.”
Playing at this level means you have to be ready for everything. Hellberg has extensive pro experience, playing internationally, in the Olympics, in the NHL, and in the AHL. The 33-year-old veteran knows the ropes when it comes to moving around.
“Everybody has been helping out a lot,” he said. “You can’t get too many things. You have to be able to pack everything in your bags and be ready to go.”
As a well-experienced player, Hellberg serves as a mentor for younger guys on the ice. His relationship with Spencer Knight has flourished since the trade, as they work well together while serving tandem in the Checkers net.
“I think we have a really good relationship both on and off the ice, pushing each other to be better,” Hellberg said. “Hopefully he can learn stuff from me, and I can learn from stuff from him as well. He is really technical.”
Hellberg’s first few games with the team have been nothing but successful, claiming his first shutout with the team on Apr. 6 against the Hartford Wolf Pack. He credits this success to the team…
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