It's not every day that people meet Swedes. But when it happens, it is considered a special moment. Considering that there are only 8.8 million people living in Sweden, the staff of LCS Hockey feels lucky to have known at least one of them.

Our encounter with a real live Swede occurred back in our days at Greensburg Salem Senior High School in Greensburg, Pa. During my junior year, (the rest of the staff's senior year), our high school was infiltrated by a Swede named Ola Jorup. Ola was part of an exchange program in 1993. Lord knows how he ended up in Greensburg, but his presence helped all of us learn how to hate Finland, and our ice hockey team certainly loved the skills he brought to the team.

Ola, who never declared a true hatred for Finland in public, is from Djurgarden, Sweden, which is right in the middle of Stockholm. A tall, lanky fellow, Ola was a fluid skater, just like most Swedes, I guess. By Swedish standards, Ola wasn't an outstanding hockey player. He actually quit playing organized hockey for a while because he thought he wasn't any good. But by Western Pennsylvania standards, he was one of the area's best defensemen. He made the all- star team after the season.

On the ice, Ola was known for his smooth skating. Off the ice, he was known for his wit. He talked kinda slow in English, but I don't blame him since it was his second language. It was always entertaining when Ola said words like Malmo (MAL-mo) and Calle Johansson (KAL-ee yo-HAAAN-son). The language barrier didn't stop him from telling some great stories about life in Sweden, however.

Ola's favorite subject was none other than Kent Nilsson. His eyes would always light up when he talked about "Mr. Magic". For those of you who don't know who Nilsson is, here's some background information. Nilsson played nine seasons in the NHL for four different teams between 1979-80 and 1994-95. He was a prolific scorer who totaled 686 points in 553 NHL games and won one Stanley Cup with Edmonton in 1987. Hockey analyst Al Strachan once said that Nilsson was the "greatest pure talent ever to play in Sweden."

Nilsson is more famous in Sweden for his international play instead of his years in the NHL. Apparently Nilsson was a bad man when it came to playing against the world's best. Ola would always tell us about one great goal Nilsson scored against Finland (I think) that made him a national hero.

Greensburg Salem only got to enjoy Ola for one year, because as soon as summer hit, Ola went back home. And that was the last we heard from Ola Jorup. Five years later, LCS is hoping that we'll be able to locate Ola and find out what he's doing. That's where you, our valued European readers, come into play. You are our eyes and ears in Western Europe. If anyone can find Ola Jorup, we know you can. If you have any information on the whereabouts of Ola Jorup, or are personal friends of the lovable Swede, please e-mail us at sportif@westol.com.

Here's the vital information you'll need for your mission, should you choose to accept it:

Name: Ola Jorup
Last known residence: Djurgarden, Sweden
Height: about 6-foot-1
Age: 22 (or somewhere around there)
Position: Defense
Hair: Blonde
Eyes: Blue
Miscellaneous: We think his dad was really rich. His favorite hockey player is Kent Nilsson.

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