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STOCKHOLM — Those were tears of joy in Ken Claesson’s eyes at the Ericsson Globe on Friday.

He couldn’t have scripted his son’s return home any better himself.

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The father of Ottawa Senators defenceman Fredrik Claesson admitted he got a little misty-eyed when his son recorded his first point of the National Hockey League season with the opening goal in his team’s 4-3 victory against the Colorado Avalanche.

“It’s huge. I don’t know. I’m speechless. I’m so happy for Freddy and for the team winning,” Ken Claesson said while waiting for his son after the game. “Not many people get to do this in Sweden. It’s huge. I don’t know what to say.”

Claesson has watched Fredrik play a lot in this rink.

“(He did this) with friends, relatives and everything. In our wildest dreams, we never thought this would happen,” Ken said. “This is for everyone, and, for Freddy, this is huge. For him to score, it was perfect.

“It was a rush. When he scored, we all stood up and shouted.”

Fredrik Claesson has battled long odds to get this far in his hockey career and to become an NHL regular with the Senators.

“He’s a hard worker and he never gives up,” Ken said. “He’s just doing his job all the time. He loves (playing in Ottawa). He doesn’t want to come back to Sweden. He loves it there.”

bgarrioch@postmedia.com

Twitter.com/sungarrioch