CHICAGO — Jesper Wallstedt almost didn’t pick up the phone for his latest NHL call-up (and milestone moment).
It was Friday night in Des Moines, and Wallstedt had just given up seven goals in a loss to Hershey. His parents, Jonas and Helena, had arrived in town from Sweden, planning to stay for a week and see a few of his starts. Wallstedt, 21, rushed out of the locker room and quickly met up with his folks postgame.
“I was pretty pissed,” he said. “And very angry.”
While the Wallstedts were chatting, the touted Wild goalie prospect got a phone call from AHL Iowa goalie coach Richard Bachman. The kid sent it to voicemail.
“I’ll take it later,” Wallstedt told his dad.
Five minutes later, Bachman called again.
Jonas Wallstedt knew what was coming. Wallstedt’s agent, Gerry Johannson, had given him a heads up that afternoon that Jesper would be getting a “big surprise” postgame. His second NHL call-up.
So when Wallstedt silenced another Bachman call, his father intervened.
“No,” Jonas Wallstedt said. “You take it now.”
Wallstedt went back to the dressing room and got the news from Bachman, returning to his parents with a huge smile on his face. That smile seemingly never left throughout Sunday’s 4-0 victory over the Blackhawks. It was Wallstedt’s first career NHL win and a big bounce back from his rocky debut in Dallas in January, when he allowed seven goals. At age 21 and 145 days, Wallstedt became the youngest goalie to rack up a shutout in Wild history. As the final seconds winded down, Jonas Wallstedt — a former goalie and coach himself — popped out of his seat, cheered and clapped.
Every Wild player came to hug an elated rookie goalie.
the smile doesn’t leave his face the entire time pic.twitter.com/cyE2jVRjY3
— erica (@kaacire31) April 7, 2024
“It’s incredible,” said Wallstedt, who made 24 saves. “Thinking back to that Dallas game, reflecting, all the emotions hitting. There was 15 seconds left on the clock and I’m like, ‘OK, we’re doing this.’ It’s pretty incredible to feel and see the work I’ve put in since that day in Dallas. It’s really paid off.”
Spending some time with Wallstedt recently in Iowa, it was easy to sense how much he had learned from that humbling, Jan. 9 debut. He was candid and owned up to why he had struggled; Wallstedt was admittedly nervous, overplaying everything. He thought he was ready and, quite frankly, maybe wasn’t.
“He told me after the Dallas game that he was so nervous,” Jonas Wallstedt said. “That’s not really like him. Back in the day in Sweden, he was never nervous. Never. He’d be so calm. I’d ask, ‘You nervous?’ and he’d be like, ‘No, I’m good, Dad.’
“This time, it was different. He’s more calm today.”
“Maybe I wasn’t as ready during that game as I would be today.”
I spent an afternoon in Iowa w/ #mnwild goalie of the future Jesper Wallstedt. The Swede was very candid about his #NHL debut, Hynes’ pep talk, Fleury as a mentor. “He wants to be the man.” https://t.co/2QMPZiKu2R pic.twitter.com/8JzVLvxYrT— Joe Smith (@JoeSmithNHL) April 3, 2024
Jonas Wallstedt was there in Dallas that night (even though his bags didn’t make the connection flight). Wallstedt’s mother, Helena, wasn’t able to be there, her connection flight having gotten re-routed since it was her husband who had proof of her return ticket to Sweden. But on Sunday, both parents were at the United Center, as was Wallstedt’s girlfriend, Erika, whom he met at a serendipitous trip to a music festival in northern Sweden last summer. They all had dinner with Wallstedt Saturday night at a steakhouse in downtown Chicago.
Helena said she was more nervous than her son.
“This is where he wants to be,” Jonas said.
“He’s excited,” Erika said.
Jesper Wallstedt’s Dad, Jonas, Mother, Helena and girlfriend, Erika. (Joe Smith / The Atheltic)
Wallstedt’s team certainly gave him a lift, playing a much better game than they did in Dallas. It’s true that the Stars are in a different league than the lottery-bound Blackhawks, who have been shut out 10 times in their last 33 games. But the Wild allowed just three high-danger chances at five-on-five through the whole game, according to Natural Stat Trick and Connor Bedard was held to just three shot attempts.
Wallstedt gave his teammates a lot of credit, for how they kept a lot of shots to the outside.
JESPER WALLSTEDT 🤩
He picks up his first @pepsi shutout in just his second NHL start! pic.twitter.com/lBh1prgO64
— NHL (@NHL) April 7, 2024
“He deserved it,” Brock Faber said. “Obviously what he went through in his first game, we threw him into the fire. The outcome of that game didn’t show who he is, reflect who he is, how good a goalie he is. That was all on us, really. To see the way he responded and how confident he was, showed the character he has.
“He was super chatty. We were talking about it on the bench. It’s like he had been here for a long time.”
Wallstedt is expected to be a Wild backbone for a long time, their goalie of the future. As for when that starts remains to be seen. Minnesota has to make some decisions in net for next season. Part of that will be if Marc-Andre Fleury decides to play another year, as there’s mutual interest from him and the Wild in a reunion. Filip Gustavsson, who had a disappointing follow up to his breakout season a year ago, has two more years left on the contract he signed last summer.
This callup for Wallstedt is a chance down the stretch in a lost season to see what they have in him, and coach John Hynes said he’s leaning toward the idea of giving the former first-round pick another start on this upcoming road trip.
Wallstedt will be ready.
“I think I was just faster,” Wallstedt said. “I feel like I was in position a lot more. I was faster to get in position and get set there. That gives me a better chance to make a save. I’m stronger mentally and know what I need to do to prepare myself. What I need to do during the game, during the periods, to keep my mind fresh. I feel much more in control.”
Wallstedt went on the ice with Bachman on Saturday morning for about 30 minutes before getting a lift to the airport and a flight to Chicago. Bachman watched from Iowa to see his pupil play with more of a comfort level and assertiveness. “That’s how he’s been our past 11 games,” Bachman said. “The last call-up was a great lesson for him. He’s determined.”
Kirill Kaprizov continued his stellar season with a two-goal night, reaching the 40-goal plateau for the third straight year (only Auston Matthews, David Pastrnak and Leon Draisaitl have completed that feat in that stretch). Faber continued to make his case for the Calder Trophy, including his highlight-reel assist in the third period. Marco Rossi netted his 21st goal.
GO DEEPER
Wild’s Kaprizov hits 40-goal mark: Key takeaways vs. Blackhawks
But when Mason Shaw pulled out the viking helmet for the player of the game, he nodded to Kaprizov and a few others. But Shaw handed the prize to Wallstedt.
“I think every game I get up here is a time to try to prove myself and show what I can do,” Wallstedt said. “Just show my development throughout this time and hopefully I think, day by day, try to prove that I’m ready and I want to play here in this league.
“I just want more of this feeling you get after. It’s something you want to get every single day.”
Wallstedt’s parents planned to continue their trip to Denver for the next Wild game Tuesday, but will go back to Sweden after that. They did manage to snag a few of the Jesper Wallstedt bobbleheads from the giveaway for AHL Iowa’s game Saturday. Jonas Wallstedt said he felt bad, there were a lot of fans excited about it, several Swedish flags waving in the stands.
“It’s just ‘the guy’ wasn’t there,” he said with a chuckle.
Nope, the guy was in Chicago collecting the first of many milestones. He just needed to finally pick up the phone.
Wallstedt smiled: “It’s good I answered.”
(Top photo: Melissa Tamez / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
