NHL News: Jonatan Berggren sends strong message to Todd McLellan, Detroit Red Wings ahead of the next season

Redemption is a strong word — one that, in many cases, carries weight in sports ahead of a new campaign. Such is the case for the Detroit Red Wings, who will be looking to return to the spotlight in the upcoming NHL season. Todd McLellan knows he has a roster hungry for glory, including Jonatan Berggren, who has already made it clear that something big is coming.

The Swedish winger knows he didn’t post the strongest numbers last year, but despite that, he feels much more confident since McLellan’s arrival to the team — a coach who managed to give him more consistency and playing time throughout the competition.

In a recent conversation with the media, Berggren spoke about what lies ahead, subtly signaling to both his coach and teammates that he hopes to elevate his game from Day 1 in order to further strengthen the team.

“Last year was a good year for me,” he said via NHL.com “I feel like I got more opportunity after Todd [McLellan] became head coach, and I think I played better. This one-year deal is a prove-it-deal for me. I want to show what I can do.

Jonatan Berggren #48 of the Detroit Red Wings celebrates his first period goal with teammates while playing the Montreal Canadiens at Little Caesars Arena on January 23, 2025 in Detroit, Michigan.

“It felt like I was part of the team,” he also added. “It’s hard when you’re going up and down between the AHL and NHL, so I got that confidence being there for a full year and I’m going to build off that.”

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The excitement of working with McLellan

The arrival of Todd McLellan as the new head coach of the Detroit Red Wings, following the departure of Derek Lalonde at the end of last year, brought with it a sense of renewal that was quickly felt throughout the franchise’s facilities.

As preparations intensify for their first exhibition game against the Chicago Blackhawks on September 23, Berggren revealed his excitement about being able to prepare for a new season from the start, with his coach leading the way.

“I feel like we played really good hockey when Todd came in,” he said. “Now that we’re going to start with him, it’s going to be good to have a full camp with the new systems rather than how we had to learn during the middle of the season. That’s going to be huge.”