Swedes in the News

Swedes in the News [ ] Ice Hockey and Career Debuts

Hedman’s trophy

Commissioner Gary Bettman awards the Conn Smythe Trophy to Victor Hedman. Photo: NHL

National Hockey League player Victor Hedman, a Swedish member of the Tampa Bay Lightning, was voted winner of this year’s Conn Smythe Trophy, which goes to the top player in the playoffs. His 10 goals, 12 assists and 22 points during the playoffs earned him the Most Valuable Player (MVP) trophy named for Constantine Smythe, the longtime owner, general manager and head coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs. Hedman said the trophy was a dream come true and the best thing he had experienced in his ice hockey career. Only two other Swedish hockey pros have won MVP honors: Nicklas Lidström and Henrik Zetterberg.

Bergfeldt replaces Skavlan

Swedish journalist and foreign correspondent Carina Bergfeldt will replace talk show host Fredrik Skavlan on his program “Skavlan” on Swedish Television SVT while he is on paternity leave until the Fall of 2021. Bergfeldt is well-known for having worked as SVT’s correspondent in Washington D.C. since 2016. She has received several awards for her work as a journalist, including the prestigious Swedish Grand Prize for Journalism in the category of Storyteller in 2012. In addition to her new role with Skavlan, Bergfeldt will also cover the upcoming U.S. election.

Carina Bergfeldt. Photo: Umeå University

Ali’s novel

Author and political scientist (statsvetaren) Suad Ali’s debut novel “Dina händer var fulla av liv” describes a woman’s escape from Somalia to Sweden. Ali’s own family fled the civil war in Somalia in the early 1990s,

Suad Ali. Photo: Mattias Ahlm ending up in a refugee camp in Kenya before receiving asylum in Sweden. The author came to Sweden as a 3-year-old and grew up in Åtvidaberg and Linköping in Östergötland. During Ali’s impressive career, she has worked with migration issues at UN agency UNHCR (The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees), the Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs, and The Swedish Migration Agency.

Christmas with Körberg

Sweden’s beloved singer and actor Tommy Körberg is back with his Christmas concert “Jul med Tommy Körberg” to be performed at Stockholm’s Ersta church December 10 – 13 and December 17 – 20. Körberg’s impressive career includes

Tommy Körberg. Photo: Peter Knutson

participating in the Eurovision Song Contest and several musicals, e.g. “Les Misérables”, “Sound of Music” and “Chess”. Körberg is also well-known as a singer in Benny Anderssons Orkester (BAO). “Jul med Tommy Körberg” features Gustaf Sjökvist Chamber Choir (Gustaf Sjökvists kammarkör), as well as Carl Flemsten on the piano and Patrik Sandin as director. The concert has been described as an atmospheric evening about the true meaning of Christmas.

Timelines

Fans, friends and family of Swedish actress and singer Anita Lindblom, 82, were sad to learn that the veteran performer passed away in September. Lindblom participated in several movies during her acclaimed career including “En kärlekshistoria” and “Rännstensungar“. She is also well-known for her singing and has performed on classic stages such as Södra Teatern and Chinateatern in Stockholm. Lindblom’s Swedish cover of American singer Roy Hamilton’s “You can have her” (“Sånt är livet”) was one of her major hits. In 1969 she moved to France where she kept a low-key profile in retirement. She is survived by her son Jörgen Lindblom.