photo: Micheline Veluvolu/IIHF
He was born in Finland, raised in Sweden, and has lived in the United States for several years now. Just like his father, Josef, Sascha Boumedienne is an international Swedish star in the making—and he’s off to a great start in Frisco with the highest-scoring team the Swedes have ever sent to the U18.
But he wouldn’t be here without his father. Josef was born in Stockholm and then travelled the world playing hockey for nearly 20 years. He played for Sweden at the World Juniors in 1997 and 1998. He played in the NHL with New Jersey, Tampa Bay, and Washington, and he also played in the AHL. He played in Sweden and Finland, and later in his career he played in Switzerland, Slovakia, and Russia. He is his son’s father.
“I wouldn't be where I am today without my dad,” Sascha enthused in his perfect, unaccented English. “I'm so thankful for everything he's done for me. He's by my side every step of the way. We moved to the U.S. as a family, and he's been by my side the whole time. It's a privilege to have him as my dad.”
Sascha was born mid-season, on January 17, 2007, in Oulu, Finland, when his dad was playing in the Finnish league with Karpat. He was raised in Sweden, but the family moved to Ohio some five years ago so that Sascha could play in the system of the Blue Jackets. From there he played a year in the USHL, with Younsgtown as preparation for NCAA hockey, and this past season he has had a great year with Boston University.
If it seems like Sascha has worked his whole life on becoming an NHLer, it’s by osmosis, not any specific agenda.
“I don't think my dad and I ever really talked about [becoming a pro],” Sascha continued. “It was always the only plan. There was never really a plan B. Since day one, I knew I was going to be a hockey player.”
And he’s a good one at that. A defender, he is tall with plenty of body to fill out, and at 18 he is ranked #18 on the NHL’s Central Scouting for North American skaters. Here in Frisco, he is tied for second in tournament scoring with eight points in three games, and he is tied for the tournament lead with seven assists.
Next year, he will almost certainly be back with the Terriers. “I'm going back to BU next year,” he stated emphatically, unconcerned with who drafts him in what position and what plans they might have for him. “I haven't thought otherwise. That's my plan, and that's where I'll be.”
When he moved overseas, he could have played junior in Canada or NCAA in the U.S., and chose the latter.
“When we moved to the U.S., we didn't know the difference between NCAA and CHL, coming from Sweden. But playing college hockey at such a high level and seeing guys go on from there to the NHL, and see how skilled they are and how structured they play was amazing. They play the right way. So I thought college hockey, the atmosphere, and you get to go to school as well, I loved it. I'm at BU and have loved every second of it, so it was definitely the right decision for me.”
Despite his father’s travels and now his own at such a young age, Sascha remains firmly connected to Sweden and could never see himself as anything but a Swede.
“I feel 100% Swedish,” he emphasized. “That's where I was raised most of my life even though obviously I've moved around a bit.”
As a hockey player, all this moving around means he has had to adapt to different styles of play, different coaching, different hockey language. No problem. He is a puck polyglot.
“I don't think the styles are too big of a difference,” he explained. “Swedes are really skilled and have to make good plays with the puck, and they’re good skaters of course, playing on the bigger sheet. But they play a hard-nosed game in America. It's more direct, to the net, whereas in Sweden you may turn back a couple of times to make the correct play.”
No matter what the style, no matter how the team performs the rest of the way in Frisco, Boumedienne will be part of an NHL organization by the end of June. From there, who knows? But with his personality, pedigree, and ambition, you know he’s moving up in the hockey world.
But he wouldn’t be here without his father. Josef was born in Stockholm and then travelled the world playing hockey for nearly 20 years. He played for Sweden at the World Juniors in 1997 and 1998. He played in the NHL with New Jersey, Tampa Bay, and Washington, and he also played in the AHL. He played in Sweden and Finland, and later in his career he played in Switzerland, Slovakia, and Russia. He is his son’s father.
“I wouldn't be where I am today without my dad,” Sascha enthused in his perfect, unaccented English. “I'm so thankful for everything he's done for me. He's by my side every step of the way. We moved to the U.S. as a family, and he's been by my side the whole time. It's a privilege to have him as my dad.”
Sascha was born mid-season, on January 17, 2007, in Oulu, Finland, when his dad was playing in the Finnish league with Karpat. He was raised in Sweden, but the family moved to Ohio some five years ago so that Sascha could play in the system of the Blue Jackets. From there he played a year in the USHL, with Younsgtown as preparation for NCAA hockey, and this past season he has had a great year with Boston University.
If it seems like Sascha has worked his whole life on becoming an NHLer, it’s by osmosis, not any specific agenda.
“I don't think my dad and I ever really talked about [becoming a pro],” Sascha continued. “It was always the only plan. There was never really a plan B. Since day one, I knew I was going to be a hockey player.”
And he’s a good one at that. A defender, he is tall with plenty of body to fill out, and at 18 he is ranked #18 on the NHL’s Central Scouting for North American skaters. Here in Frisco, he is tied for second in tournament scoring with eight points in three games, and he is tied for the tournament lead with seven assists.
Next year, he will almost certainly be back with the Terriers. “I'm going back to BU next year,” he stated emphatically, unconcerned with who drafts him in what position and what plans they might have for him. “I haven't thought otherwise. That's my plan, and that's where I'll be.”
When he moved overseas, he could have played junior in Canada or NCAA in the U.S., and chose the latter.
“When we moved to the U.S., we didn't know the difference between NCAA and CHL, coming from Sweden. But playing college hockey at such a high level and seeing guys go on from there to the NHL, and see how skilled they are and how structured they play was amazing. They play the right way. So I thought college hockey, the atmosphere, and you get to go to school as well, I loved it. I'm at BU and have loved every second of it, so it was definitely the right decision for me.”
Despite his father’s travels and now his own at such a young age, Sascha remains firmly connected to Sweden and could never see himself as anything but a Swede.
“I feel 100% Swedish,” he emphasized. “That's where I was raised most of my life even though obviously I've moved around a bit.”
As a hockey player, all this moving around means he has had to adapt to different styles of play, different coaching, different hockey language. No problem. He is a puck polyglot.
“I don't think the styles are too big of a difference,” he explained. “Swedes are really skilled and have to make good plays with the puck, and they’re good skaters of course, playing on the bigger sheet. But they play a hard-nosed game in America. It's more direct, to the net, whereas in Sweden you may turn back a couple of times to make the correct play.”
No matter what the style, no matter how the team performs the rest of the way in Frisco, Boumedienne will be part of an NHL organization by the end of June. From there, who knows? But with his personality, pedigree, and ambition, you know he’s moving up in the hockey world.