Oskar Sundqvist signing with the Blues earlier this month didn’t just mean a return for a popular player to St. Louis. It also meant a return for his girlfriend, and, in fact, that’s a big reason he’ll be back in his familiar No. 70 with the club in 2023-24.
When Sundqvist was looking for his first apartment in St. Louis in 2017, Blake Hancock was in charge of showing him the building.
Advertisement
“It was so random, but that’s how I met her,” Sundqvist told The Athletic recently.
Sundqvist rented the apartment, and shortly after signing a four-year, $11 million contract extension in 2019, he bought a house and started dating Hancock. He played for the Blues for 2 1/2 more years, and the couple enjoyed their time together in St. Louis, her hometown.
But in March 2022, Sundqvist was traded to Detroit, which meant they’d both be on the move.
“She’s basically never left St. Louis, never been away from her family, so that was something new,” Sundqvist said. “At the same time, it was a really good experience for both of us. We appreciated the time that we had and got to see new places.”
The couple was in Detroit for a year before Sundqvist was dealt to Minnesota at this year’s deadline. When he hit unrestricted free agency this month, St. Louis was on both of their minds.
The Blues had mutual interest, and after back-and-forth talks, Sundqvist and the club agreed to a one-year contract worth the NHL-minimum $775,000. The 29-year-old had other offers but turned them down to come back to the place he calls home — and the place that is home for his girlfriend.
“It ended up being perfect for me, and she’s stoked,” Sundqvist said. “We get to be in our house, and we just finished the basement, so we’re looking forward to that. It’s kind of funny looking back that six years later we’re together. We’re hoping to be able to enjoy the time this year and hopefully more years.”
Sundqvist gave The Athletic additional insight into the process of returning to St. Louis — and reaction from teammates and the coach who calls him “my guy.” Here’s our full interview.
On July 12, a few hours before your contract with the Blues was officially announced, you put out a tweet that gave a pretty good hint about your return. Tell me about the tweet with the blue heart and eyes emojis.
I was in the gym working out when I signed the deal, and I wanted to do something on Twitter. Some people asked me why I didn’t do blue-and-yellow hearts, but I thought that would be too obvious. I just wanted to give a little hint about it, but not give it out fully. I saw the Blues were calling me an “insider.” That was funny!
💙👀
— Oskar Sundqvist (@sundqvist32) July 12, 2023
You never wanted to leave St. Louis, did you?
No, oh no, definitely not. That’s the business side of it, and you never know what’s going to happen. I never wanted to leave. It’s kind of like what I said earlier; it just feels like coming home.
Advertisement
How was your time in Detroit and Minnesota, and what did you think was going to happen this offseason?
Both places were great — better than I expected, from a living standpoint. We both really loved Minnesota. Signing back in Minnesota, yes, I talked to Bill Guerin, who I know from my time in Pittsburgh (when Guerin was an assistant general manager for the Penguins). I love Billy. He told me, “If I had the money, I would’ve signed you right away.” It was good to be reunited with him and see Minnesota, so I’m happy that that trade happened. It was close that I was going to sign back there, but he didn’t have the money.
How did the communication start up with the Blues?
It was more me texting my agent to see if he’d talk to (Blues general manager Doug Armstrong) about wanting to come back. So my agent talked to Army, but St. Louis didn’t have the money, either, so that was tough. It was kind of hard from time to time hearing that St. Louis couldn’t sign me because they can’t afford it. It was a lot of emotion from my side to hear this different stuff, but then a week later, they came back to sign a deal. As soon as my agent told me that they were interested, I said, “Let’s do it!” It’s a crazy business world, and you never know what’s going to happen. I’m happy that they came back and we finally got a deal done. St. Louis was the perfect fit.
A message from Oskar Sundqvist. pic.twitter.com/rtJ4GA9edI
— St. Louis Blues (@StLouisBlues) July 12, 2023
Can you tell the story of what Blues coach Craig Berube said when you were traded to Detroit, and what was the first conversation with him like after returning?
It happened after I was done saying bye to everyone on the plane. Chief was standing outside the plane and we talked for a bit. He said, “You’re my guy,” and asked me how long my contract was, how long I had left. He was hopeful that I would be back when my contract expired. So when that happened, I had a talk with him and Army. Nothing was signed, but they wanted to talk to me, and he was the Chief I knew from the first day. He was kind of hard, telling me the stuff I need to do and be ready. Then the day after I signed, I answer the phone and I hear how happy he is and how excited he is, too. He was very happy I was back. I love Chief, and he’s done so much for me. I feel really comfortable playing for him again and showing that I can be my old self again.
Speaking of your old self, how’s your health?
This is the best I’ve felt from before the injuries. I feel like I’m all healed up, and this is the first full-on summer that I get with working out and skating. I haven’t had that in almost three years. I’m very excited to have a full summer to get prepared and get ready for the season.
What’s the best text message you got from a Blues teammate who was here when you left?
Oh shoot, I had a lot of them. I haven’t really gone through all of them yet. But, you know, just all the guys. Brayden Schenn and Colton Parayko. Parayko has been my best friend in St. Louis since I got there. I went to Jordan Binnington’s wedding with him and his girlfriend earlier this month, and we were talking a lot about St. Louis. Nothing was done with the contract, but we were starting to talk with St. Louis at that time, and Parayko was over the moon to have me back. Just seeing everybody at the wedding, seeing old faces, I missed those guys. If I remember anything, I would tell you, but I don’t remember that much of the night. But no, it was a lot of fun. We were all on the dance floor at one point — all of the ex-Blues players, and we had a blast. It’s awesome how it turns out. You go to the wedding, and a couple of days later, you sign back.
Advertisement
With the retool, things look a lot different than when you left. How do you see your role and the team’s expectations for you?
I’m definitely going to feel old. It’s going to be different, but it’s going to feel like I’m in the right place. With my game, it’s going to be taking care of the younger guys, showing them how the St. Louis Blues play hockey and drive the team — like I did during the Stanley Cup run. That’s what the Blues expect, and I also expect that from myself. I’m excited to get back and show them that I can be that guy again.
After the trade to Detroit, you came back and sat in the seats at Enterprise Center for Game 4 of the Blues-Avalanche playoff series. What was that experience like, and how good does it feel knowing you’ll be back on the ice there?
Blake and I were talking before that game if we should go or not — if it would be awkward to go. She kind of talked me into going. She said they would love to see you there, and they miss you, so we decided to go. I had to order that Robert Thomas shirt, so it was a lot of fun. It’s kind of weird to see it from the other side, sitting in the stands, but it was fun to be back. I was just cheering for my old friends. But it’s way better to be on the ice than in the stands!
Look who showed up to support the boys! #WeAllBleedBlue #stlblues pic.twitter.com/dbiT86TuMy
— St. Louis Blues (@StLouisBlues) May 24, 2022
(Photo: Harrison Barden / Getty Images)
ncG1vNJzZmismJqutbTLnquim16YvK57k29wcGtpbXxzfJFsZmlvX2eBcLvSpJirZaOqu6W91aKqrWWSocKmv4yrnK2toqN8