There will be no Swift Current reunion for Steffen Soberg. The sixth overall pick in the CHL Import Draft will not be returning to the Broncos after leaving North America to return home.
Soberg told Norwegian newspaper Dagbladet.no as translated by Hockeyramblings, he would not be returning to Mark Lamb and the Swift Current Broncos, despite some optimism from the club’s head coach and general manager.
“Yeah, maybe he is hoping for that, but deep down inside I think he knows that I’m not coming back,” Soberg told the outlet. “I just don’t feel like I’m ready to move that far away on my own just yet.”
Soberg raised eyebrows after skipping the Washington Capitals rookie camp earlier this week. The Broncos, who selected Soberg sixth overall in the 2011 CHL Import Draft in August, said Soberg left the club to deal with personal issues.
“My personal problems are very overblown,” Soberg said. “My only reason for going home is that I don’t want to be there. I have told them from the beginning that I don’t want to be there. I’m not depressed or anything like that, I just don’t want to be there.”
Soberg isn’t concerned with any possible repercussions from the Capitals either, who selected him in the fourth round, 117th overall in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft. Washington had expressed a desire for Soberg to play hockey in North America this season.
”It won’t ruin anything for me,” Soberg said. “They have told me that they don’t view me as a bad prospect if I choose to play outside of North America, but they would have preferred that I play in North America. I’m not at all ruling out that I will play over there sometime in the future, but right now I just don’t want to be there. I think it’s better that someone that really does want to be there gets my spot instead.”
Soberg, who is currently practicing with the Manglerud Star – his former club, is hoping the Broncos will grant him a release to play hockey closer to home for the upcoming season.
Soberg’s decision to leave Swift Current shouldn’t come as a shock. The native of Oslo expressed doubts about playing in North America as early as May.
“I think it’s a bit far to move all the way to Canada,” Soberg told Norweigan newspaper Nettavisen.no. ” I’m going to think about for a bit but I think I will stay in Europe.”
Aaron Vickers is the managing editor of Future Considerations and can be found on Twitter. For all the latest Future Considerations news and posts, follow FC’s Official Twitter Feed, on YouTube and on Facebook!