Rasmus Andersson likely spotted some of his Calgary Flames teammates at the airport Sunday.
Their suitcases were stuffed with swim trunks and sandals and SPF 30.
He was hauling his hockey gear.
While most of his buddies will be lounging on a beach somewhere during a break in the action, Andersson will be the Flames’ lone representative at the 4 Nations Face-Off. The 28-year-old will skate on Sweden’s stacked blue-line.
“Playing best-on-best, it’s something you dream about as a kid,” Andersson said. “I’m obviously very excited about it. I’m very proud. I’ve been looking forward to this for quite some time.”
While Andersson undoubtedly heard some well-wishes at the departures gate at YYC, fellow Flames workhorse MacKenzie Weegar teased that he shouldn’t be expecting a warm welcome when he arrived in Montreal, where the Swedes will face Team Canada in Wednesday’s tournament opener.
This has, apparently, been a running joke in the locker room over the past few days.
With Andersson’s sandpapery style and sharp tongue, and since he is so often tasked with shutdown duties against opposing stars, he has probably chirped or cross-checked just about every guy that he’ll encounter at this much-anticipated international showdown.
“It’s funny because we’ve been talking about all the enemies he has on his own team,” Weegar cracked after Saturday’s morning skate. “Hopefully, he goes there and he has at least one friend. He’s got Lindy (Elias Lindholm), I guess.
“We were actually talking this morning about how many career fights he has and Tys (Tyson Barrie) goes, ‘You could probably lead the league in fights in you wanted to, Ras. There are a lot of guys out there that want you.’ ”
Andersson, like the rest of his Flames teammates, will want to forget the details of Saturday’s collapse at the Saddledome. The locals coughed up a two-goal lead in the final seven minutes of regulation, and the Seattle Kraken completed the comeback on a power-play in overtime.
With just one point to show for a three-game homestand, and with a 2-5-1 record over their past eight, the Flames will surely benefit from a break. These batteries need a recharge.
Andersson, however, is happy to shelve his next vacation until summer.
“It’s going to be a lot of fun, right?” he beamed. “In a tournament like this, one guy can’t shut down a line, or two guys. It’s gotta be five. You look at the skill that U.S. and Canada have, it could be a busy night for a defenceman. At the same time, if you make them defend, it could be a busy night for them. Because we have a lot of skill on our team, as well.”
Andersson’s excitement has been building since late November, when he received word that he would be named to this squad.
He has been waiting for more than a decade for another opportunity to rock the Tre Kronor, or Three Crowns, logo. His last international event was World Under-18s in 2014. About two months later, the Flames called his name in the second round of the NHL Draft, and the righty rearguard since logged more than 500 appearances at the big-league level.
Just the other day, Andersson was showing off some of the special-edition gear that he’ll be using over the next week and change, including sticks with the Swedish flag on the shaft.
He’ll have a personal fan club at the 4 Nations Face-Off, with his wife and two kids, his mom, his sister and his mother-in-law all in attendance. (His dad and brother both work in the Swiss League, one as a coach and the other as a blue-liner, so they’ll be tracking the action on TV.)
“Oh, he was pretty happy when he was selected,” said Flames general manager Craig Conroy. “Just to be there and be a part of this, it’s a great opportunity. Any time you can play for your country, whether it’s 4 Nations, Olympics, whatever, I think it’s an amazing experience.”
Heading into the pause, Andersson ranks eighth in the NHL in total ice time this season. In 55 games, he’s already cleared 22 hours.
He has contributed eight goals — just three shy of matching his career-high — and 13 assists so far. While he has the worst plus-minus on Calgary’s team charts, 16 strokes south of par, that says more about who he is matched up against than how he’s been performing. It speaks volumes that the Flames are 14-3 — that’s an .824 point percentage — when this heart-and-soul sort is a plus-player at the end of the night.
That’s why Conroy has repeated several times that he is aiming to extend Andersson before his current contract runs out at the end of the 2025-26 campaign.
When Sidney Crosby or Nathan MacKinnon or Connor McDavid rolls through the Saddledome, No. 4 is always assigned to try to keep ’em off the scoring summary.
On Wednesday, he could potentially find himself penalty-killing against all three.
“I think a lot of people know how great of a player he is, but I don’t know if to the extent,” said Weegar, who was strongly considered for a spot on Team Canada. “I mean, he’s playing both sides of the puck, shutting down top lines. He’s doing everything he can. He’s a leader in this room and he’s going to play best-on-best with a great hockey team that has just a stacked defensive core, and he made that team.
“I’m excited for him. I hope he does a great job. I hope he does well, and I’m sure he will. It will be weird to root against him.”
4 Nations Face-Off schedule
Wednesday (at Montreal)
Canada vs. Sweden, 6 p.m. MT, Sportsnet
Thursday (at Montreal)
United States vs. Finland, 6 p.m. MT, Sportsnet
Saturday, Feb. 15 (at Montreal)
Finland vs. Sweden, 11 a.m. MT, Sportsnet
Canada vs. United States, 6 p.m. MT, Sportsnet
Monday, Feb. 17 (at Boston)
Canada vs. Finland, 11 a.m. MT, Sportsnet
Sweden vs. United States, 6 p.m. MT, Sportsnet
Thursday, Feb. 20 (at Boston)
Championship game, 6 p.m. MT, Sportsnet