'IT'S MOTIVATION'
Andersson fired up to get back on the ice in front of the C of Red
"All my buddies, everyone back home, they're always asking me: 'How is it, how is it?!" Rasmus Andersson said of that life-changing day. "I mean... You can't really describe it, right? Not unless you've lived it. But you know what? It's one of those things you'll never, ever forget."
Andersson and his wife, Tessa, had their first child - a beautiful, baby boy named Benjamin - on Aug. 15, right here in Calgary.
Unlike the game, for which the 24-year-old has dedicated his life to, there's no practice, no training book for this new, but most important, responsibility.
But similar to the Darryl Sutter-led practicum on the ice at the Scotiabank Saddledome this week, Andersson seems to be a natural at this parenting thing, too.
"In all fairness," the blueliner cautions, "my wife is getting far less sleep than me, that's for sure.
"She's been amazing.
"We're kind of the first ones in our family and all of our friends back home to have a little baby, so it's a lot of learning. But it's so, so worth it.
"We're a really happy family right now."
The Anderssons made a point of having their child arrive on Canadian soil - Calgary, becoming the Swede's new home base after signing a six-year extension in January of 2020.
The 'fit' has been that good.
Now, Andersson is now entering his fifth year of big-league duty, and will undoubtedly be taking on a bigger role this year with the departure of Mark Giordano.
It was a tumultuous campaign for many - and for so many different reasons - last year, and that has the 6-foot-1, 214-lb. blueliner craving a bounce-back season.
"Last season is in the past," Andersson said. "Everyone always says, 'You had an off year, and this and this, and blah, blah, blah.' But look... Everything was different last year. You can't even compare it to a normal season. Playing with no fans - I mean, we had zero fans all year, while some teams in the States had sold-out arenas after February. The testing, the travelling, everything was different. You'd get to your room and then you were stuck in your room for at least six hours every day and if you had a day off, you could go for a walk or something, but that was it.
"It was a mental grind.
"I'm not trying to make excuses, either, because a lot of teams had to deal with that stuff.
"But this year, you can tell we're all excited.
"What do we have - seven or eight new players? Darryl's here from the start? Two new coaches?
"I like how it sets up."
Certainly, as Andersson alluded to, having a legion of Flames fans back in the 'Dome will help. He recalls the feeling of playing in empty barns, how repetitive it seemed, and how those big games lacked the buzz that makes playing in the NHL one of the ultimate privileges.
"Coming out for warmup last year, you were like, 'Welp... There's no one here again,'" he laughed. "Fans are what's great about this sport and every fanbase is different, but we're fortunate in Calgary to have such a great crowd and I can't wait to see them all back cheering for us."
Andersson logged more than 21 minutes per game last year and had 21 points (5G, 16A) to show for it - a career-best pace.
He expects that number to increase with the ageless 'Gio' no longer in the picture and chewing up the heaviest minutes on the backend, but agrees it will be more of a communal effort to replace all the former captain's vital responsibilities.
So far, through two days at camp, the Malmo native has been reunited with Noah Hanifin, while newcomer Nikita Zadorov is in the 1LD spot with the tough-as-nails, top minute-muncher, Chris Tanev.
All four will be counted upon heavily.
But, naturally, Andersson is putting the greatest emphasis on himself and the steps he can take to become a leader in the D corps.
"New year, new me," he said. "I, for sure, need to bounce back from last year - but a lot of our guys do, which is why I'm so confidence we can have a great season.
"It's motivation.
"Gio was our leader, our captain and the heart of our team. But he's not here anymore and a lot of other guys have to step up.
"That includes me.
"We've all got to take that responsibility and be proud of our effort every game."
