John Carlson needed Rasmus Sandin's help to watch Nicklas Backstrom's SHL games: 'John's called me about 65 times this summer trying to get my logins'

"Nicklas Backstrom is currently plying his trade in Sweden, but that hasn't stopped his former teammates from cheering him on from afar. After missing close to two seasons with a lingering hip injury, Backstrom re-joined his hometown Brynäs IF in the SHL this summer, playing his first professional game since October 2023 last month. Four thousand miles away in DC, Backstrom's longtime compatriots have been thrilled to see his return to the game, especially after seeing the toll his injury took firsthand."

""I don't read Swedish," John Carlson deadpanned. "I kind of tried to poke around a little bit, hit a lot of walls, and gave up." In comes Rasmus Sandin, the Capitals' resident Swede. Sandin had spent time in the SHL himself before coming to North America, and his brother Linus is a winger for Rögle BK. More importantly, he can speak Swedish and has access to foreign streaming sites."

Nicklas Backstrom returned to his hometown Brynäs IF in the SHL this summer and played his first professional game since October 2023 after missing nearly two seasons with a lingering hip injury. Washington Capitals teammates in DC have followed his comeback from afar but face a language and access barrier to Swedish broadcasts. John Carlson admitted he cannot read Swedish and struggled to find streams. Rasmus Sandin, a Swedish-speaking teammate with SHL experience and a brother in the league, provided tech help and shared streaming logins while managing account access details.

Read at RMNB