Fans always say that they want athletes to be as candid with the media as possible...well, interviews don't get a whole lot more candid than Anton Strålman's that came after Sweden's win at the World Hockey Championships.

Following Sweden's victory over Canada in the shootout, Strålman spoke with hockeysverige.se. to describe what it felt like to win a Gold Medal for his country. In Strålman's own words...“Now I’m no longer a ******g loser.” Here are a few more interesting statements from the Swedish defenceman from after the game, which were translated from Swedish to English by Raw Charge and Jim Hallberg (Reddit user /u/elgrandeslimbo):

“It's amazing... It's awesome. From being a real [expletive] loser to finally being a champ. It feels fantastic. Now I’m no longer a [expletive] loser,” he grinned and then became really emotional. “I feel proud of the guys, how we played, how we came together as a team and the joy we had together. It does not get better than this and that's why we stand here with the gold medal.” (hockeysverige.se.)

Prior to the start of the game, Strålman provided hockeysverige.se. with a few quotes that really outlined why the Tampa Bay Lightning defenceman was so excited to get the chance to play for Gold on Sunday, and they were also translated from Swedish to English by Raw Charge and Jim Hallberg (Reddit user /u/elgrandeslimbo):

“I do not think I've won anything in a long time. No cup, no tournament... When I played for Skövde, we were promoted from Division 1 to Allsvenskan. (Division 1 and Allsvenskan are the third and second highest leagues in Swedish hockey, with SHL being the top tier league) That’s probably my greatest accomplishment. Then we took a bronze with Tre Kronor (Team Sweden) at the World Championships in Bern (2009), but that's not exactly winning.” (hockeysverige.se.)

That would also explain why Strålman was so charged up in semifinals versus Finland. In case you missed it, Strålman absolutely leveled Mikko Rantanen into oblivion, presumably because he was standing between him and the chance to finally win something. 

Strålman may have just become a fan favourite in the NHL overnight. Well, maybe him and Gabriel 'hot tub' Landeskog.

For more quotes from Stralman, visit Raw Charge.

(H/T: Raw Charge, /u/elgrandeslimbo, Jim Halberg)