Defenseman August Berg is returning to Modo on a short-term loan from Djurgården, where he has seen limited ice time this season. The 26-year-old will join Modo for their next three games amid injuries on their blue line. Berg expressed excitement about the opportunity to play more.
August Berg, a 26-year-old defenseman, has been loaned from Djurgården in the SHL to his former club Modo in HockeyAllsvenskan for three upcoming matches. Berg has appeared in 15 SHL games for Djurgården this fall, scoring two goals, but his role has diminished due to stiff competition among nine defensemen. He trained with Djurgården on Tuesday but received little or no ice time recently, including not dressing for their 4-2 win against Brynäs in Globen before the international break and playing just one shift for 56 seconds against HV71 at Hovet.
The loan was first reported by Hockeynews on Monday and confirmed on Tuesday. Modo sportchef Henrik Gradin highlighted the mutual benefits, stating, "We are in a situation where we have injuries on the back end and August needs playing time. We are grateful that we could find this solution and loan him during this week. That it is a player we know well, and who knows our organization well, is also positive."
Berg, who helped Modo earn promotion to the SHL in the 2022/2023 season and played a full year there in 2023/2024 before joining Djurgården, is eager for the move. "It will be fun. I am going up to play three matches," Berg told Hockeynews. He noted the challenge of averaging 9:52 of ice time per game in Djurgården, saying, "It is not easy for anyone. And it goes up and down during a season and that is how it is for everyone. It is just to make the best of the situation."
Familiar with Örnsköldsvik after living there for two years, Berg follows Modo's games and knows several players. He plans to reunite with the team ahead of their away game against Östersund on Wednesday evening, before returning to Djurgården on Monday.