What other sports did Frans Nielsen play as a kid? Where did he work after school? What’s the one thing he misses most about where he grew up?

Before he heads off to Los Angeles for All-Star Weekend, the Detroit Red Wings forward took some time to talk about his fondest memories (other than ice hockey) of his hometown, Herning, Denmark.

My Top 5: Frans Nielsen

1. Food for thought

“There isn’t a specific food that I miss when it comes to back home. I just miss sitting down for dinner with my family and seeing everyone enjoying time together.”

2. Game on

“I grew up in a neighbourhood where there are lots of townhouses, so that meant that were a lot of kids. We’d be out all day, playing every kind of sport. We played a lot of rollerblade hockey and soccer. I also golfed, too.”

3. Getting his kicks

“Soccer was pretty big back home. I tried out for a team and I lasted one practice. I didn’t play with a club team, but I enjoyed playing soccer.”

4. Work ethic

“I had a job at a car dealership for two years. I was about 14 or 15 when I started. I would go after school and clean the floors. Depending on what I had to do, it would take one hour or a couple of hours with the machine. I did that every day, Monday to Friday, after school was done for the day.”

5. Slice of life

“I remember there was a really good pizzeria close to home growing up. When we finished playing whatever sport we were doing, we’d go there and have a few slices. It’s a great place.”