Jörgen Jönsson has, as a player, won Olympic gold, WC gold and SM gold in the same season, among other things.

Now he has also been head coach during an SHL match.

- It was really fun.

I was nervous, but I felt calm, explains Jönsson after the debut.

SHL premiere and Smålands derby in one and the same match meant a note on the door, 3,275 spectators, in Oskarshamn's arena.

The expectant crowd did not have to wait long for the first goal of the match.

After 2.42, Martin Lundberg poked in a corner kick and Växjö was in the lead.

Norell on the offensive

Just over two minutes into the second period, Oskarshamn's defender Robin Norell grabbed the puck in his own zone and scooted away.

Once in the attack zone, Norell served a "sandwich" to teammate John Dahlström, who kept his stick on the ice - 1-1 on the scoreboard.

Just a few minutes later, Robin Norell was again in front in the offensive zone.

The shot from the blue line was rock hard and reached the back of the net behind Växjö's goalkeeper Emil Larmi.

- A stroke of luck, fun to see it go in, says Norell.

Just 15 seconds into the third period, Manuel Ågren, Växjö's new acquisition in the SHL comeback after a long injury absence, netted against his parent club Oskarshamn.

Just over three minutes later, Tobias Rieder put the visitors in the lead.

Växjö's joy lasted for 17 seconds, until Oskarshamn's Ahti Oksanen equalized to make it 3–3.

- A fun event, says Jörgen Jönsson about the chance-rich and swinging match.

One of the teams would leave the premiere with more points than the other team.

With 8.51 left in the third period, Dan Sexton gave Växjö a new lead.

"Right desperation"

But in the final stage of the period, Oskarshamn took out their goalkeeper and Jiri Smejkal managed to equalise.

- We showed the right kind of desperation, says Oskarshamn's coach Martin Filander about his team's return in the fight for the points.

Penalties had to separate the teams and there Ahti Oksanen was the coldest for the day.

- It's cool, you always take home a win and the good things, says Robin Norell.

During the preliminary meeting before the SHL premiere, a lot of people guessed that Oskarshamn will be forced to play in the qualifiers in the spring.

- Everyone gets to have their say, we take it as extra energy that people look down on us, says Norell.