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Axel Sandin Pellikka has always been considered one of the biggest NHL prospects from Europe. It is thus no surprise to hear that he comes from a family of athletes.
His father, Janne, was a cross-country skier. Axel also got involved in his father's sport. It wasn't until his grandfather gave him a beginner hockey set that he got excited about the sport.
"No one in my family played hockey but my father used to do cross-country skiing, so that was the sport I started with," Sandin Pellikka said, "I was cross-country skiing until I was 6 years old, and then one Christmas my grandfather (Marten) gave me a beginner hockey set that had equipment from Bauer. After that, I just went to the rink and skated and told my father that I wanted to quit cross-country skiing."
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His father didn't mind the change. Instead, Janne learned some hockey and trained his son.
Not much is known about Janne's better half but she, too, has been encouraging his son.
Axel Sandin Pellika is now going to be one of the higher picks in this year's NHL draft. It's going to be interesting to see which team picks him on the day.
Axel Sandin Pellikka looks to be a top defensive NHL prospect
Axel Sandin Pellikka is an offensive defenseman with the potential for a spot on a first team's power play.
He is a legitimate scoring danger with the puck on his stick with to his playmaking abilities, shot, and ability to cross an offensive blue line.
He is also a serious threat off the rush thanks to his quick decision-making and play-making capabilities.
He has five points (two goals, three assists) and an average of 8:40 of ice time in 20 games for Skelleftea of the Swedish Hockey League, the highest professional men's league in Sweden.
He will probably never be a top-two defender until he significantly improves his defensive performance.
As far as teams go, there are a few teams who will be in the running for him. The Sabres or Penguins can land him early.
Nashville, Calgary, and surprisingly, the Detroit Red Wings are in the fray as well. It will be interesting to see who picks Axel Sandin Pellikka first.
