Detroit Red Wings

Red Wings Kasper Pays Attention to Detail

Detroit Red Wings first round pick Marco Kasper has learned to speak Swedish, starred in a feature film all before turning the age of 18

Published

2 years ago

July 11, 2022

Bob Duff

Red Wings Marco Kasper is the type of player who takes care of the details

Forward Marco Kasper is turning heads as he’s wheeling around the ice at the Detroit Red Wings development camp. However, it isn’t just GM Steve Yzerman and rest of the Detroit brass that he’s hoping to wow with his turning skills.

Kasper is also seeking to impress his driving instructor. That’s because the Red Wings 2022 first-round draft pick doesn’t have his driver’s license.

“I’m trying to get it right now,” Kasper explained. “You’re not allowed to get it before you’re 18 in Sweden.”

If you’re basing the outcome on Kasper’s life history, he should be passing his driving test with flying colors.

This is a young man who is focused and driven. He’s someone who is constantly paying attention to the small details.

When Kasper made the decision to leave his native Austria, with the goal of furthering his hockey career in Sweden with Rogle, he dedicated himself to learning to speak Swedish as quickly as possible.

“I wanted to fit into Swedish culture and fit in right away,” Kasper said. “I’m going to school there, so that’s why I had to learn Swedish.”

Seeing the dedication of their teenage teammate, the Swedish players on the Rogle roster went out of their way to further his deep dive into their native tongue.

“I just tried to talk (the language) and then the guys in the locker room helped me a lot,” Kasper said. “They tried to speak Swedish with me right away and also in school they helped me.

“Sometimes I said maybe some weird stuff in Swedish but it got better really quick and that’s good.”

Similar Dedication On Ice

That desire for self improvement carries over in Kasper’s game on the ice. The young center ended up working his way up from Rogle’s fourth line into expanded roles, including power play time.

“He earned everything,” Red Wings director of amateur scouting Kris Draper said. “Basically, you talk about a kid like that, his personality. He wanted to get better and he did get better.

“Just the intensity that he plays with and his compete and work ethic is off the charts.”

Kasper Also A Film Star

Marco Kasper, Harri Pinter

The names of the top-ranked players for the 2022 NHL entry draft were appearing on a number of lists leading into draft day. It’s probably a fair bet that Kasper was the only one whose name was popping up on an Internet Movie Database (IMDB) search. In 2017, he appeared in the Austrian fillm Harri Pinter Drecksau. Kasper plays a youth hockey player named Robert Begusch in the film.

“I believe it was when I was around 12 years old,” Kasper recalled. “Me and my friends went there to casting and just tried out. I guess I did the right job, got to be in the movie.

“It was pretty cool”