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Maybe it was the way the Dallas Stars played against the San Jose Sharks that persuaded him to jump to the Lone Star state. Or maybe it was the barbecue ribs that got to Fabian Brunnstrom.
Whatever the final reason, Brunnstrom followed last week's visit to Texas by agreeing to a two-year, NHL entry-level contract with the Stars yesterday, saying it was the right fit and the right thing to do.
"I really felt it was better for me," he explained from his apartment in Karlstad, Sweden. "In my stomach."
Brunnstrom's gut feeling to sign with Dallas instead of the Detroit Red Wings, Montreal Canadiens or Toronto Maple Leafs ended one of the most celebrated player pursuits in recent memory.
As many as 15 NHL clubs were interested in signing the 6-foot-1, 203-pound winger who was not drafted and is not a member of the Swedish team competing at the 2008 world championship in Halifax and Quebec City.
That he is a skilled playmaker and available without having to give up a draft pick or player as compensation helped elevate his status as a must-have prospect.
The Maple Leafs, for example, believed Brunnstrom could have come to training camp in the fall and eventually have embedded himself on one of their top two forward lines. Other clubs, such as Detroit, were willing to give Brunnstrom a 30-day look before sending him to either its AHL affiliate or back to Farjestad, where Brunnstrom played this past season as a rookie in the Swedish Elite League, scoring 37 points in 54 games.
Asked what Dallas offered beyond the money — there are reports he could earn as much as $2.5- million (U.S.) a season, provided he achieves all his bonuses — Brunnstrom, 23, said it was a chance to be part of a winning team.
"They just said to me: 'We think you fit in with this organization. We've watched you a long time and we like what we see,' " he said.
Brunnstrom then repeated what he told The Globe and Mail late last month: that he's "a young player who is working very hard and doing everything I can to become better."
J.P. Barry, Brunnstrom's agent with CAA Sports, said "in the end, there was no wrong choice for Fabian. All the organizations were extremely professional in laying out the opportunity for him to play. ¡K When Fabian visited Dallas and got to meet everybody, including the players, he just felt it was the best overall fit for him."
Brunnstrom spent time with the Stars' co-general managers, meeting with Les Jackson and dining with Brett Hull. Brunnstrom got to meet with some of the Stars players, several of whom are fellow countrymen (defencemen Mattias Norstrom and Nicklas Grossman, forwards Loui Eriksson and Joel Lundqvist and backup goaltender Johan Holmqvist).
"I liked what I saw," said Brunnstrom, who took in the Stars' fifth-game loss to the San Jose Sharks during his Dallas visit. "They're a pretty offensive team. It's good for me."
Brunnstrom will need development time since he didn't fully commit himself to hockey until his mid-teens. With Farjestad, he had success early in the season, but faded toward the end. His scoring numbers weren't exactly eye-popping (nine goals, 28 assists), but then again, his ice time was limited. That cost him a chance at playing for Sweden at this year's world championships.
"He's a prospect, no question about that," one NHL club official said. "But he needs to be brought along at the right pace. Dallas will be good for him. They can take their time with him and he won't be under the kind of pressure he would have faced in Toronto."
As for Brunnstrom's immediate plans, he said he had one last thing to do: call his parents in nearby Jonstrop and let them know where his NHL career is set to begin.
"I haven't told them yet," he said with a laugh.
It's Dallas, by a stomach.
