Opening night for the 2022-23 season at Little Caesars Arena was surely one to remember. Not only did the Detroit Red Wings shut out the Montreal Canadiens, but the first goal of the season was also scored by a player making his NHL debut. Elmer Söderblom is a 6th-round pick from the 2019 NHL Draft who has emerged from the Swedish Hockey League (SHL) as a massive talent. He was incredible throughout the Red Wings prospect tournament, training camp, and the preseason and earned his spot on the opening night roster.
A year ago, nobody would’ve believed you if you had mentioned that a 6-foot-8 forward who can score highlight reel-worthy goals would be behind the winged wheel. Even just the idea of someone like that scoring goals consistently is hard to imagine, but this is a player that has proven everyone wrong. Steve Yzerman really has an eye for finding late-round gems that have a lot of upside and Söderblom is a prime example of that as he can skate, shoot, and score with unique ease.
Related: Red Wings’ Elmer Soderblom is Ready for NHL Action
Söderblom has the size, skill, and determination to make it in the league and this all showed throughout his first NHL game. He had fans on their feet and cheering the entire day from his red carpet entrance to the post-game announcement of the three stars. It truly is not every day that a unicorn such as him makes a splash on NHL ice, but it is a sight I could sure get used to seeing.
Söderblom’s Memorable Debut
Much to my excitement as well as many others, this big Swede made his debut in front of a sellout crowd at Little Caesars Arena. Söderblom was on a line alongside Michael Rasmussen and Oskar Sundqvist that is now being nicknamed the “Big Boy Line,” given that the trio’s average size is 6-foot-6 and 221 pounds. Speaking of being tall, he is now officially the tallest player in Red Wings’ history.
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The game was scoreless heading into the third period but the Red Wings’ offense had been electric. Through the first period alone, they had 25 shots on goal which was more than they had in an entire game last season. Just a little over two minutes into the third period, the lamp was lit by none other than Söderblom. Assisted by Rasmussen and Sundqvist, he found the back of the net off of a rebound and the arena lit up. His goal was greeted not only by cheers but also by an octopus making an appearance on the ice- a traditional sign of approval from Red Wings fans (from “Elmer Söderblom embraces expectations with ‘huge’ Detroit Red Wings debut,” Detroit Free Press, 10/15/22).
Not only did he score in his NHL debut, but he also opened the scoring for the Red Wings in front of over 19,000 fans including his parents. By the time the final horn sounded, Söderblom had a plus-2 rating, five shots on goal, and one blocked shot through 18 shifts. He got 12:58 of ice time with two of those minutes being on the power play which was great to see for a rookie debut. His line ended up combining for a total of six points and was the most productive unit on the ice.
Söderblom was named the first star of the game in front of goaltender Ville Husso who had a 29-save shutout. Oh, and he is now the 5th player in Red Wings history to score in their NHL debut and have it be the game-winning goal. The accomplishments and memories just kept stacking up over the course of the evening and it was the best welcome to Hockeytown imaginable. His NHL potential was radiating throughout the 2021-22 season and to see it finally come to fruition was a huge moment for the team as well as the fans.
It will be exciting to see how Söderblom’s success continues as the season carries on but I feel confident in saying that he is a great addition to the roster and his future as a Red Wing is bright. If the “Big Boy Line” continues to play as it did in the home opener, I could see it being a huge threat to any opponent. It’s hard to say exactly how the lines will look as injured players come back and healthy scratches are alternated back in, but he made a firm case for his spot and he will continue to do so. All in all, it is great to see this guy behind the winged wheel and become a true unicorn of a player at the NHL level.