Bockträsk (Goat Swamp) in Lapland (Sweden's northernmost province) where he grow up has roughly 20 inhabitants. Nils and his one year older sister were the only kids there. They learnt how to skate on the nearby lake, Bockträsket (the Goat Swamp). They both started playing hockey in Malå, a slightly bigger place with some 2000 inhabitants, which I guess is also where they went to school. After a while they moved to Skellefteå, where they both played hockey for Clemensnäs IF. During that time, when Nils was 12, his sister suddenly died from a burst aorta.
![Sad :(](./images/smilies/icon_sad.gif)
At age 15 he moved to Timrå, to play with them (yet again moving to a better team) and played 16 games with their J18 team, which also featured Elias Pettersson (sic!).
At 16, he and his mom moved to Stockholm, where he attended a hockey high school programme and played for AIK. He mostly played for their J16, J18 and J20 teams during his three year stint there, but also some games with their SHA team. Then last season he moved to Rögle, in the southernmost province of Sweden, Scania, to play in the SHL.
Börje Salming is another famous Laplander. No other comparisson. But sure, they both spent time playing for AIK.
Anyway. Small town kid who has overcome hardship and moved from place to place to pursue a career in hockey.
I smell grit. And determination. And some hardheadedness to boot.
And it's a nice touch that he has played one season with Pettersson in junior.
They probably have some common friends.