Portland Winterhawks beat the Tri-City Americans, 3-2, in OT

Winterhawks defenseman Anton Cederholm finished with 16 points in the regular season and added five more in the playoffs.

(Randy L. Rasmussen/The Oregonian)

Halfway around the world from home, Jarl Cederholm sits alone at the Winterhawks Skating Center in Beaverton, catching up on work and checking in on life back home in Helsingborg, Sweden.

After a few minutes, he closes his laptop to focus on something much more important: the Portland Winterhawks are on the ice for practice.

Jarl is in town this week to watch his son, Anton Cederholm, who left Sweden nearly two years ago to join the Winterhawks to advance his career after being drafted by the NHL's Vancouver Canucks.

Home is far away -- nine hours on the clock -- but Jarl brings a bit of home to Anton when he visits a few times a season. He'll be in attendance when the Hawks resume their second-round WHL playoff series against the Everett Silvertips Thursday and Friday at Veterans Memorial Coliseum. The teams split the first two games of the best-of-seven series over the weekend in Everett.

On the ice, Anton is the Hawks' hardest-hitting defenseman, and is often tasked with shutting down opposing teams' top scorers. With 35 points in two seasons, he's not much of an offensive threat, but hopes his physical skills and steady play can lead to a job in the NHL.

Though Jarl loves to watch Anton chase his hockey dream, it's the time they share together 5,000 miles from home that brings him the most joy.

"When you're home in Sweden you take it for granted that you're around each other," Jarl said Wednesday at Hawks practice. "When we meet here there's so much more quality time. We just sit down together and talk."

Jarl spends a lot of time traveling as part of his work in the seafood industry, mostly to China and Russia.

Visiting his son has opened professional doors for Jarl, who has developed some ongoing business during his trips. While Anton will most likely move on to play for the Canucks' minor-league affiliate in Utica, New York, next season, Jarl plans to continue to make trips to Portland.

After watching the games this week, Jarl will fly back to Sweden to watch Sunday's Game 5 in Everett online before heading to a conference in Belgium on Monday.

Jarl's life often involves being parked in front of a laptop in the middle of the night when he's at home or on the road. When the Hawks play games at 7 p.m. in Portland, it's 4 a.m. in Helsingborg.

"I get up to watch every game," Jarl said. "I love it, and when the game is over I can just go right to work."

Anton said he's "fortunate" to see his father so much, as even some of the Hawks' American and Canadian players don't get such frequent visits.

Living away from his family is nothing new for Anton, though, as he moved into his own apartment at 16 while playing for a club about 20 miles from Helsingborg, which is on the southwest coast of Sweden.

Anton played mostly for junior teams at a club called Rogle, but spent some time as a 17-year-old with Rogle's professional team in the Swedish Hockey League, the country's top league.

It was a lot to handle for a kid who couldn't even drive yet.

"You can't get a license until you're 18 there," Anton said. "So I'd have to bike everywhere. I'd go to the store and have to carry all my grocery bags on the bike."

Living on his own, Anton developed maturity and independence that most of his teammates didn't have coming into the WHL.

Joining the Winterhawks presented a new challenge, though, as the players live with host families called billets. After two years completely on his own, Anton had to readjust to family life and rules like an 11 p.m. curfew.

It's all been worth it for him to have the opportunity to live in the United States. He met his girlfriend here, and talks glowingly of things Americans take for granted, like shopping malls and fast food.

"I went home for Christmas and I couldn't find a place to eat," he said. "We don't have Qdoba there."

Anton's 16-year-old brother, Jacob, is also living on his own playing hockey back Sweden. Jarl never thought he'd be a hockey dad when his kids were toddlers, nor that he'd be happy that they left home so early.

"I played soccer in the second division in Sweden and that's the national sport," said Jarl. "When I grew up hockey was too expensive with all the gear, but today is different.

"Both of them love it and it's up to them where they'll go with it from here. Anton has put in a lot of effort and practice and I just want what's best for him."

Anton grew up playing soccer as well, but was drawn to the speed and physicality of hockey at an early age. He gave up soccer for good when he was about 13.

He had never been to Portland when he was chosen by the Winterhawks in major junior hockey's import draft in 2013 (WHL teams are allowed to have two players who are from outside the U.S. and Canada). Anton got a good first impression when he went to train with the Canucks that summer:

"I heard 'You're going to Portland? That's the best place you can go,'" he said. "I love Helsingborg and Sweden, but it's been perfect here. The culture of always wanting to work hard and get better, it's different than in Sweden."

He said playing for the Winterhawks last season with current NHLers like Derrick Pouliot and Mathew Dumba has made his professional aspirations seem more realistic.

"I think you really see that it's possible to move on and take that next step," he said. "You have to pay attention to all the details and work your way up, but you realize you're not that far away."