Exclusive: Eklund on Bridgeport debut: 'I want to play as soon as possible'

Before he entered the Bridgeport locker room, his main friend there was Swede Kalle Odelius. When Eklund found out he was being transferred to Bridgeport, he immediately texted Odelius to say he was coming over.

“I told him, please, I’ll be here in two days,” Eklund said with a smile. “He's really excited for me and it's great to be around him.”

The Stockholm, Sweden, native can stay in North America and play at the Islanders, NHL or AHL level, or he can return to Sweden for his second SHL season.

“I haven’t closed any doors,” Eklund said. “We'll see what's best for my development.”

The current task is to help Bridgeport reach the playoffs, as they have not qualified for the playoffs since the 2021-22 season. Now, they enter the playoffs with 64 points and a record of 28-28-3-5 (WL-OTL-SOL), ranking fifth in the Atlantic Region. For Eklund and the Bridgeport Islanders, the fun has just begun.

“You can feel it in the locker room. A lot of guys want to make the playoffs,” Eklund said. “I want to make the playoffs as well, it’ll be fun.”