Photo courtesy of Jonathan Kozub
The American Hockey League is tough to play in. Just ask any player who has suited up for games on the circuit. It’s a league that forces players to learn quickly and adapt their game to find success.
Want to try adding to the degree of difficulty? Try moving to a new continent and, for good measure, joining the league nearly 15 games into the schedule. That was Fabian Wagner’s situation this fall when he stepped onto the ice with the Manitoba Moose on Nov. 23 against the Chicago Wolves.
The Winnipeg Jets selected Wagner in the sixth round (175th overall) of the 2022 NHL Draft. While the forward was a point-per-game player in the Swedish junior ranks, Wagner tallied one goal and six points in 87 games in the top pro circuit. Feeling the best next steps for his development would be in the AHL, Wagner made the jump to North America after playing 16 games with Linköping HC to start the season. It was a dramatic change for Wagner, but he had help waiting when he arrived with the Moose.
“If I wanted that development, I need to come over here,” explained Wagner. “Of course it’s a new country, new type of hockey and new teammates. It’s something new, but the Swedes have helped me a lot and other guys on the team also.”
Yes, it certainly helps when your new team in North America features three of your countrymen to help get you acclimated. There are plenty of adjustments to make in a new country. Even just figuring out the local grocery stores can be a challenge. Luckily Wagner had experienced players like Axel Jonsson-Fjällby and Simon Lundmark, along with fellow rookie Elias Salomonsson, to help him settle in.
“It’s really valuable. Axel and Simon have helped me a lot. It’s great, they’ve been here some years now so of course it helps me a lot to have them by my side. I’m really grateful for them.”
With help getting his off-ice situation sorted, Wagner could keep his focus on the ice with the Moose. His first objective when joining up with the Moose was just to have fun. Wagner knew there would be challenges getting used to a new style but wanted to enjoy every moment of this new opportunity in Winnipeg.
While offence didn’t immediately flow for the 20-year-old, he brought a solid two-way game. The sort of play coaches can rely on, and it didn’t take long for Wagner to earn the trust of his teammates and coaching staff.
“You could tell as soon as he came over, he wasn’t cheating the game at all,” recalled Moose centre Jaret Anderson-Dolan. “He played hard, he was good in puck battles. I remember playing with him earlier in the season and he has the foundation to be a really solid player.”
Early on, the Moose coaching staff recognized Wagner had some natural offensive ability. Those skills centered around a heavy and accurate shot, but he earned opportunity with his responsible play and hard work.
“Everything that Fabian’s got, he’s earned. Whether that’s moving up the lineup or playing special teams,” detailed Moose assistant coach Morgan Klimchuk. “It was evident early he wanted to be a player that could be trusted. He took a lot of pride, for the most part, in his play without the puck. That has afforded him the opportunity to play all the games he did early and continue to climb.”
While Wagner’s two-way game earned him consistent praise from the coaching staff, the offensive results hadn’t yet followed. The Nyköping, Sweden product had three assists in his first 31 games. A couple of those helpers were impactful, with Wagner assisting on a pair of game-winning goals, but he was still waiting for that first tally.
That fight to generate offence was something his coach could relate to. Klimchuk appeared in 274 games with Stockton, Toronto and Belleville during his AHL career. While the former winger went on to put up 133 points (62G, 71A) in his AHL tenure, he didn’t score in his first 16 games and only posted nine points (3G, 6A) in 55 games of his rookie season.
“I’ve made the jump to this league. It’s not an easy league to score in and it takes time. You have to figure out how to play the game. Usually, it starts without the puck and then you start to find yourself in situations with a little bit more time and space. This is where you need to go to get chances, to get looks.”
Wagner wasn’t letting it show in his play, but there was some angst setting in as he went deeper into the season without a goal.
“Of course there’s some frustration,” Wagner admitted. “You always want to score and when you’re hunting the first goal and the games are ticking, there’s going to be some frustration. I think I was playing pretty good hockey. So, I was just trying to have that in my mind and continue playing my game. Don’t try to think so much about the first goal.”
And then, on March 5 against the Grand Rapids Griffins, Fabian Wagner scored his first AHL goal.
Defenceman Dylan Anhorn stole the puck in the offensive zone and fed Wagner lurking in the slot. Wagner tucked a one-timer just past the outstretched pad of Sebastian Cossa.
Then something remarkable happened. Wagner scored again the next game.
And the next game.
And then twice the next game.
And one more the following game for good measure.
