photo: © International Ice Hockey Federation / Swedish Ice Hockey Association
Lasse Bjorn, a legendary Tre Kronor defenseman and an IIHF Hall of Famer – Class of 1998 – has passed away after a short illness. He was 92.
Bjorn won two World Championships (1953 and 1957), an Olympic bronze medal in Oslo in 1952, and nine Swedish titles with Djurgarden, the only team he ever represented in the Swedish league over 18 seasons. No-one else has more Swedish championships than Björn.
Additionally, he has been inducted into the Djurgarden Hall of Fame and the Swedish Hall of Fame.
Hardly ever has there been a name that so perfectly describes the style of a player as “björn” – Swedish for “bear”. During most of his career, European hockey didn’t allow body checking in the offensive zone, and in Sweden teams leaned on strategies they had learned from bandy. But Björn wasn’t one to shy away from physical contact, delivering crushing hits to unsuspecting opponents. He even won a junior Swedish title in rugby in his youth.
He and Roland Stoltz formed a feared defensive pairing both in Djurgarden and with Tre Kronor and laid the foundation for a winning tradition in both clubs.
Bjorn captained Tre Kronor in 1957 when the Swedes astonished the hockey world by beating the Soviets on their home ice in Moscow. The hosts were so unprepared for a loss that they didn’t even have the Swedish national anthem ready. The arena was silent, with Bjorn on the podium with flowers and a trophy, and the rest of the team behind him.
“’Sing something, Lasse,’ someone shouted,” Bjorn told later.
He didn’t sing the national anthem. Instead, Bjorn led the team in a boisterous rendition of a famous Swedish drinking song.
All in all, Bjorn suited up for Tre Kronor more than 200 times. He was one of the true giants of Swedish hockey.
Bjorn won two World Championships (1953 and 1957), an Olympic bronze medal in Oslo in 1952, and nine Swedish titles with Djurgarden, the only team he ever represented in the Swedish league over 18 seasons. No-one else has more Swedish championships than Björn.
Additionally, he has been inducted into the Djurgarden Hall of Fame and the Swedish Hall of Fame.
Hardly ever has there been a name that so perfectly describes the style of a player as “björn” – Swedish for “bear”. During most of his career, European hockey didn’t allow body checking in the offensive zone, and in Sweden teams leaned on strategies they had learned from bandy. But Björn wasn’t one to shy away from physical contact, delivering crushing hits to unsuspecting opponents. He even won a junior Swedish title in rugby in his youth.
He and Roland Stoltz formed a feared defensive pairing both in Djurgarden and with Tre Kronor and laid the foundation for a winning tradition in both clubs.
Bjorn captained Tre Kronor in 1957 when the Swedes astonished the hockey world by beating the Soviets on their home ice in Moscow. The hosts were so unprepared for a loss that they didn’t even have the Swedish national anthem ready. The arena was silent, with Bjorn on the podium with flowers and a trophy, and the rest of the team behind him.
“’Sing something, Lasse,’ someone shouted,” Bjorn told later.
He didn’t sing the national anthem. Instead, Bjorn led the team in a boisterous rendition of a famous Swedish drinking song.
All in all, Bjorn suited up for Tre Kronor more than 200 times. He was one of the true giants of Swedish hockey.