Bullock’s Big Move

From Eden Prairie to Sweden, Carly Bullock’s pro hockey career is taking flight

By: Aaron Paitich

Carly Bullock is proving the U.S. is not the only land of opportunity when it comes to pro women’s hockey. The three-time state high school champion at Blake and star forward for Princeton University is thriving with Linkoping HC in southern Sweden, where she’s one of the top point producers of the Swedish Women’s Hockey League (SDHL).

MHJ//Why did you choose to play in Sweden?

Carly Bullock// I chose to play in theSDHL because I wanted the experience of living abroad while also still playing competitive hockey. The league is super competitive and has great hockey and great players. It has been so fun to get to play against some of the best players in Europe that I normally wouldn’t have played against.

MHJ//How do you like the town of Linkoping?

Bullock// Linkoping is a great town. It’s just the right size and has a lot of great restaurants. Lately we have been trying all the coffee shops in town for fika, which is a Swedish tradition of a midday break for a coffee and pastry.

MHJ//Do you feel you are continuing to develop and grow as a player in Sweden?

Bullock// The SDHL is so competitive. I definitely think I am still improving. Since we are also playing on Olympic-sized ice, that has been another adjustment. I am also trying to improve my speed and playing on the Olympic rink has helped with that.

MHJ//What are your thoughts on the current landscape of women’s pro hockey?

Bullock// Women’s professional hockey has a lot of room to grow, in my opinion. I admire what the Professional Women’s Hockey Players Association (PWHPA) is doing and think that women need a sustainable professional league where players can make a living and grow women’s hockey.

MHJ//What are your fondest memories of growing up as a hockey player in Minnesota?

Bullock// Growing up in Minnesota was ideal for playing hockey. Both my experiences playing youth hockey in Eden Prairie and high school at Blake were so great for my development as a hockey player and person. My favorite memories from youth hockey were always the away tournaments. As a kid those were so much fun to have a weekend away with your teammates, playing knee hockey in the hallways and going swimming. They will be memories I always remember.

MHJ//What’s your goal-scoring secret?

Bullock/ / I’ve been very fortunate to have amazing teammates and linemates in high school and college and that was a huge part of why I was able to score as much as I did. When I was younger I would work on my shot in the driveway a lot and I think that really helped. So for the kids I would say put in the extra work on your shot and always crash the net for rebounds.

MHJ//What is the state of female hockey in Minnesota?

Bullock/ / I loved playing high school hockey in Minnesota and was very lucky to have great competition so close to where I grew up. While I think Minnesota does have one of the best setups for girls’ hockey, there is always more that can be done to grow the game. I think one way to do this is to have women’s hockey promoted more on TV so that young girls are able to watch high-level women’s hockey, not just men’s.