Heartbreaking: Detroit Red Wings in desperate pain as Veteran was involved in a ghastly car accident in the late hours of…

Watching Detroit Red Wings hopeful Jonatan Berggren during last spring’s Calder Cup playoff run with the Grand Rapids Griffins, he was doing everything right.

On the ice, he was a sensation. Off the ice, he was biting his tongue and biding his time.

Watching his body language as he did interviews, it was evident that Berggren knew he shouldn’t be playing in the AHL. You only needed to look at his NHL numbers to recognize that fact.

In 79 NHL games, he’s scored 17 goals.

Even Red Wings coach Derek Lalonde came close to admitting that the club probably probably kept Berggren down too long.

“He did a really good job in a really tough situation last year,” Lalonde said. “I’ll never say anyone’s played themselves out of the American Hockey League. It’s just too good of a league. But he’s proven, or maybe more it’s he’s earned this opportunity (to be in the NHL).”

During an interview with writer Uffe Bodin of Hockeynews.se, Berggren as much was confirming that was his feeling as he waited for his time in Detroit to become a permanent arrangement.

“It was a bit of a messy season, I won’t lie,” Berggren told Bodin. “A lot of up and down, living in a hotel, living in my car almost and going back and forth.

“It was both educational and tough.”

Red Wings Berggren Talks Contract, Trade Rumors

The mantra to professional athletes is to control what they can control, and that’s the approach Berggren was doing his best to take last season. But he admits, it was a bumpy ride at times.

“Of course [I’m disappointed],” he said. “That’s the thing, everyone wants to play in the NHL. I think I contributed when I was up there and got my minutes. I did what I could.

“Outside of that it’s not in my own hands. It’s business.”