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FILIP CEDERQVIST SEASON IN REVIEW

FILIP CEDERQVIST: SEASON IN REVIEW

Jun 18, 2023

Forward Filip Cederqivst tallied 20 points in his rookie season with the Rochester Americans. The Skara, Sweden-native made his American Hockey League debut on Opening Night in October and tallied his first point just one night later.

"I was a little bit nervous, but I know my abilities, too," he said in his end-of-season interview. "It's a hard league, for sure. Very different compared to home. So it's been a really great experience this year."

He scored not just his first American Hockey League goal but also his second in Cleveland on November 11, and added an assist for a three-point night. He was sidelined for a month afterwards, and that proved frustrating for the young forward.

"I had a lot of injuries, so it's been a bit of a battle," he continued. 

"I felt I was really close to really finding my best me, but then I'd get injured two or three times there."

The benefit to his recovery was that he was able to learn more about his body and how he trains. "The medical team has been very supportive and has helped me undertand my body and battle through it," he continued. "I think [Nick Craven] has done a great job, too. I trust him fully."

Despite the injuries, Cederqvist suited up in 66 regular season games and 8 postseason contests. He scored nine goals over the course of the season, including his first professional hat trick in the final regular season home game.

Cederqvist tallied a natural hat trick on April 15, 2023, against the Cleveland Monsters, with the second two goals coming just 9 seconds apart. Those were the two quickest goals scored by the same player in the league this season.

He scored another goal in the regular season finale the following day, giving him a four-goal weekend at a crucial time of year for the Amerks. "It was a great feeling," Cederqvist said of the hat trick. He noted that he had probably been five years — not since he was in juniors. 

He had been struggling to find the scoresheet late in the season, so the outpouring of goals was a nice boost heading into the postseason. "I think I've just kept my head down and lately I've been creating a lot chances," he said. "It was really nice to get some results tonight for sure."

He kept the momentum going into playoffs, until an injury in Game 2 of Syracuse sidelined him again. When asked about the most memorable game of the season, though, he chose Game 5 of the second-round series.

"It was horrible, actually," he laughed when asked about it.

"I was so nervous. I think that there was so much worry, but it was the most fun when we scored there in OT."

It's probably safe to assume that all of Amerks faithful felt the same way as Filip Cederqvist for that game.

When asked what aspect of his game he thought he improved on the most, he decided on his skating ability. "Apps' practices have been really helpful to develop my skating for sure," he explained. "I think playing fast, too. The game is so much faster here, so playing the puck faster and making faster decisions is something I've been improving too."

There was also a noticeable improvement in his ability to use his body later in the season. In a late February game against the Laval Rocket, Cederqvist bodied William Trudeau, electrifying the crowd.

"I think with Cederqvist, we've seen a real nasty, physical side of him on the ice," Amerks head coach Seth Appert said after that game. "It's coming out more and more, and that's not just about fighting.

"It's really important that you have a push-back in your game physically. You can't back down. You can't show other teams that they can push you around. I thought that was a great moment for him."

OFF THE ICE

Filip Cederqvist was very involved in the Rochester community throughout his rookie season, which comes as no surprise to those who know him. The Moose, as he was affectionately nicknamed by head equipment manager Andrew Stegehuis, displayed his soft side off the ice.

He volunteered at Ronald McDonald House by making dinner for the families, and visited UR Medicine Golisano Children's Hospital to spread holiday cheer and make some new friends. He even invited his new friend, Tyler, to an Amerks game later in the season.

He and Tyson Kozak, signed autographs for fans at Kinecta. He made another new friend there, Quincy, who was on the bench before our next home game. Filip made sure to say hi to Quincy, who brought him a bag of Swedish fish to trade.

The candy stayed in his locker as a treat for the remainder of the season.

When it comes to friends on the team, Filip and Tyson were two of the closest on the team. "We had a lot of fun and the friendship has grown throughout the year," he said. 

"I'm really grateful that I had him this year."

Both rookies will return to Rochester next season.

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