Swede Leon Bristedt helps Gophers teammates prepare for World Junior Championship + video

Roommates Leon Bristedt and Ryan Collins spent extra time studying in the weeks leading up to finals. The Gophers freshmen were perfecting a lineup of Swedish words that Collins could use on the ice at the World Junior Championships.

Bristedt is one of two Swede forwards on the Gophers roster this season and will compete for a spot on the Swedish National Junior Team this week in Ottawa. Collins, a defenseman, is one of two American-born Gophers competing for a spot at the U.S. National Junior Team camp underway in Boston.

Sweden and the United States will meet in a pre-tournament game on Dec. 23 and Bristedt wanted to make sure his roommate was prepared to engage.

"I've taught him some Swedish words he can use to chirp at us," Bristedt said. "If he uses that, we'll see."

Gophers sophomore forward Hudson Fasching returns to the U.S. camp for a second consecutive year and should play a leadership role on the team. He scored two goals and two assists in five games for the U.S. Junior National Team last year in Sweden.

Fasching was hoping Bristedt would teach him some Swedish before they parted ways for winter break and reunite as opponents in Canada. Bristedt and Fasching are expected to make their respective national team final rosters, while 18-year-old Collins is competing for a spot among mostly 19 year olds.

"Hudson will probably make the team for sure.Ryan Collins is getting an opportunity," Gophers coach Don Lucia said. "There are 10 defensemen there, so three will be cut. The nice thing for him if he doesn't make it this year, he has another year next year with the added year of maturity, because the reality is for the most part, it's a 19-year-old tournament.

Lucia isn't as well-connected in the Swedish circle, but Bristedt has been part of his country's national teams since he was 16. The familiarity with the system and its players should help him secure a spot on the team, Bristedt hinted.

"I would say I'm kind of the core. I'm one of those players that have always been playing. I've never been swapped out. I've played all the tournaments so far that I've been able to play," Bristedt said. "I think the coaches have a lot of trust in me."

Another part of the core is Adam Brodecki, Bristedt's best friend. The Stockholm natives were born in the same hospital room a month apart, grew up in the same city, went to the same kindergarten and school, played on the same club hockey team, and now will play for the World Junior Championship together.

"I grew up in a very small town outside of Stockholm … We were the first two players that ever came out of this club or this city to become something," Bristedt said. "It's pretty cool I get to play world juniors with my best friend."

Hear more from Lucia and the three Gophers competing to represent their countries in the below video.

The extended break will give junior defenseman Brady Skjei a chance to heal after he suffered an upper-body injury in the final game before the break. Lucia said Skjei will definitely miss the Mariucci Classic and could be out longer.

Skjei was injured late in the game going into the boards against Michigan State on Dec. 6. He missed nearly a month after suffering a lower-body injury against St. Cloud State Halloween weekend.

"Brady's going to be out a while," Lucia said. "I feel bad for Brady 'cause he just came back from another injury and now he's got to go through it again. The only good thing is three of the weeks we won't be playing, so he won't miss as many games."

• Two future Gophers and nine Minnesotans will play in the World Junior A Challenge semifinals on Thursday.

Recruits Tyler Sheehy and Tommy Novak helped lead the team past Switzerland 7-0 and Canada East 3-2 in the preliminary round of the tournament in Canada. Novak has a goal and assist and Sheehy an assist through two games.

Gophers freshman forward Leon Bristedt

Gophers sophomore forward Hudson Fasching

Gophers freshman defenseman Ryan Collins