The group stage of the Champions Hockey League opened up Tuesday, and there is already a candidate for blooper of the year that might be tough to top. 2016 Toronto Maple Leafs draft pick Carl Grundstrom, playing for the defending CHL champion Frolunda Gothenburg Indians, missed a gaping open net in Friday’s game.
With Frolunda up 2-1 over Grizzlys Wolfsburg of Germany’s DEL, there was no one between Grundstrom and a yawning net. He skated the puck into the crease and bounced it off the pipe.
It’s almost a perfect replica of Patrik Stefan’s infamous miss against the Edmonton Oilers. Fortunately for Grundstrom, the Grizzlys didn’t charge back and score the tying goal. Instead, Frolunda held onto the lead and won the game, giving them three standings points to none for the Grizzlys and the third team in the group, Dynamo Pardubice, who has not yet played.
Watch Stefan’s miss below for comparison.
Dustin Nelson is the News Editor for The Hockey Writers. He’s a contributor to Hockey Prospectus, Hockey Wilderness, and writes a column for Rotowire. He’s also written for Gone Puck Wild, Wild Xtra, InDigest, Electric Literature, The Rumpus, Tiny Mix Tapes, Prefix Magazine & other publications. Have a tip? Email him at dlukenelson[at]gmail[dot]com.
