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Ask · 01-09-2019, 11:04 AM

Swedish Royalty Asks For More - Part I – The Legend

Ask is a name that have echoed through the SHL ever since the Season 10 Draft. Selected by Minnesota as 19th overall, Edwin Ask became the backup goaltender that the Chiefs needed to win the Challenge Cup that very same season. A feat that the Hall of Fame netminder was never able to repeat despite a spectacular career.

The Beginning

Born in Gävle, Ask started his career in Sweden within the Brynäs youth organization. Climbing his way through the ranks, becoming the starter of the senior team and finally winning the Swedish Championship at only 20 years old. He decided to try his wings across the Atlantic and as one of the older draftees he ended up with the Kelowna Knights.

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The Journey

Season 10 was a great year for Ask, winning the Challenge Cup with the Minnesota Chiefs and the WJC gold medal with Team Sweden. A tournament where he also won the Anton Razov award for most valuable player in the playoffs. Ask went on to play for the Minnesota Chiefs (S10-11), expansion team the Hartford Hydras (S12), the New England Wolfpack (S13-16), where he won both the John McBride (best goalie) and the Mike Honcho (lowest GA) awards in the same season (S16), a short comeback with the Minnesota Chiefs (S17), the Hamilton Steelhawks (S17-21), where he is still ranked third for All-Time Wins (122, right after fellow Hall of Famers Tom Corcoran and Jakob Tanner), the Minnesota Chiefs one last time (S22), the West Kendall Platoon (S23-25) and finally the Edmonton Blizzard (S25-27) before hanging up his skates.

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The Legend

Season 16 was one the most legendary seasons by a goaltender in the SHL to date. Ask went 37-7-0 In 44 games. If that doesn't impress you he also boasted a save percentage of .916 and an astounding GAA of 1.80, letting up only 80 goals in these 44 games while having 8 shutouts. In his SHL career Ask went 302-170-42 in 515 games with a save percentage of .904, GAA of 2.39 and 45 shutouts. In Season 35 he was finally inducted into the Hall of Fame. And if his career on the ice wasn't enough he has also been working his magic off the ice. Starting out as GM of both Team Sweden and as Co-GM of the Prince George Firebirds he quickly moved on to become the IIHF Commissioner and the GM of the Firebirds as well as the Head Scout for the New England Wolfpack.

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The Retirement

After playing 18 SHL seasons for six different teams, Ask announced his retirement after Season 27 and was longing to go back home to Sweden with his wife and then 1-year old son Edwin ”Eddy” Ask Jr. He got the job as Head Coach for the Brynäs senior team and had great success over the years, winning several cups and eventually becoming the GM of his hometown team.

Swedish Royalty Asks For More – Part II - The Prodigy

Times were tough for the Brynäs senior team a few seasons ago and they almost got relegated from the top league. After great success as Head Coach, Edwin Ask suddenly had a rough start as GM with several players wanting to try their luck across the pond while simultaneously some key players chose to retire. The franchise needed a miracle.

The Lost Son

Brynäs has always had a serious youth organization and within the realms was a familiar name. Then 17-year old Eddy Ask Jr., son of Edwin Ask was called up from the junior team. Front Office members and fans alike saw this as favouritism from their GM and that the young goaltender wasn't ready to play with the big boys. After serving as the backup for one season and barely keeping the team afloat with some incredible jump ins, Ask Jr. got the starting job and proved everyone wrong in the process. With two record breaking seasons and back-to-back Swedish Championships as a 19 year old Rookie of the Year, he already had a head start on his legendary father.

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The Opportunity

Regardless of his fathers legacy, Ask Jr. has been relatively unknown to SMJHL scouts. He had a late growth spurt and was almost cut from the youth system. After going undrafted in both the S43 and S44 SMJHL drafts he focused everything on the Brynäs junior and senior team. After the two championships he got offered a really good long-term contract with the team and was passed up in the S45 SMJHL draft. However, his father was contacted by the Whalers management who had been following the Swedish league and saw the young goalies potential. Edwin ran it by Eddy Jr. and after a calculated decision the opportunity was too good to pass up.

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The Whalers

Eddy Ask Jr. signed a $3,000,000 deal with the Vancouver Whalers as a free agent right between the pre-season and the regular season premiere. Edwin Ask has paused his job as the Brynäs GM and is following his son to Vancouver, acting as his stand-in agent. Ask Jr. decided to join the Vancouver Whalers because they're a hungry and talented team that are well on their way to success, currently sharing the number one spot in the SMJHL. The team already had a competitive starter in Casimir Stevens, who have just been starting the season with an impressive 9-2-4 record. Ask Jr.'s first two jump-ins came on a mid-game substitution and a game misconduct. Ask Jr. used this time well and had a .963 save percentage and a 0.82 GAA, making 26 saves out of 27 shots in just 73 minutes of playing time.

The Dream

Yesterday Eddy Ask Jr. had his first two starts of the SMJHL. The first game was a satisfying 5-2 win against the bottom placed Halifax Raiders. Ask Jr. Saved 29 out of 31 shots and looked very comfortable in the net. The next game against the Detroit Falcons didn't go so well as Ask Jr. only saved 15 out of 20 shots and got pulled to make room for Stevens halfway through the second period. Disappointing as it is, it will show great character coming back from this one. Ask Jr. has said that his ultimate goal is to do what his father never could accomplish, win the Challenge Cup as a starting goaltender. It will be an exciting time going forward and the whole Ask family, as well as the entire country of Sweden, is looking forward to the SHL Season 46 Draft and to maybe, once again, bring the cup back home to Gävle.

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***luke*** · 01-09-2019, 12:00 PM

One could say that this Whalers goalie tandem might be the best junior tandem ever. 2 legends.

Ask · 01-09-2019, 09:22 PM

01-09-2019, 12:00 PMluketd Wrote: One could say that this Whalers goalie tandem might be the best junior tandem ever. 2 legends.

vbottas17 · 01-09-2019, 11:52 PM

Excited that your back! I don't think I ever talked to you much towards the end of your career but everybody knew who Edwin Ask was! Hopefully your new player is just as legendary.

Cheers

***HabsFanFromOntario*** · 01-10-2019, 01:39 PM

That's my boy right there!

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