The first two legs of the 2024-25 Euro Hockey Tour have not gone well for the Swedes, who sit last in the four-team event with just four points in six games in Finland and Switzerland. This time, they’ll be playing on home ice at the newly-renovated Avicii Arena (formerly the Globe Arena), which will also be the primary host for this year’s IIHF World Championship.
“This is the most fun EHT tournament of the season, and we are happy to be able to field a really strong squad,” said Swedish coach Sam Hallam. “We go to Stockholm with a great desire for revenge. We want to play our best hockey and get results on home ice. We are also curious about the ‘new’ Avicii Arena, which we look forward to reopening for hockey this week.”
Although he is the coach of the Swedish national team, Hallam will not be behind the Swedish bench for this tournament. Because of the upcoming 4 Nations Face-Off, Hallam will pass the head coaching duties to national junior team coach Magnus Hävelid for the entire tournament. In contrast, Antti Pennanen will coach Finland’s Euro Hockey Tour game on Thursday in Switzerland before passing the baton to assistant Jussi Tapola for the rest of the weekend in Sweden.
With the World Juniors finished, 19-year-old defenseman Axel-Sandin Pellikka will make his senior national team debut. It’s already been announced by the Detroit Red Wings and his Skellefteå AIK club that the SHL’s top scorer among defensemen will play in North America next season.
“He’s never satisfied,” said Hallam. “He continues to take steps. He’s coming from the World Juniors and we felt that we really wanted to test him at this level. It’s a step up.”
The team also includes ex-NHLers Marcus Sörensen, Jacob de la Rose, Christoffer Ehn, Tim Heed, Fredrik Olofsson, Gabriel Carlsson, Jonathan Dahlén, Jesper Frödén, Lias Andersson and Oskar Steen. It does not include Jacob Silfverberg or Victor Söderström from league-leading Brynäs IF.
Goaltenders:
Linus Söderström (Skellefteå), Arvid Holm (Rögle).
Defensemen:
Klas Dahlbeck (Davos, SUI), Axel Sandin-Pellikka (Skellefteå), Henrik Tömmernes (Frölunda), Gabriel Carlsson (Zug, SUI), Mattias Norlinder (MoDo), Lukas Bengtsson (Zug, SUI), Filip Berglund (Örebro), Tim Heed (Ambri-Piotta, SUI).
Forwards:
Max Friberg (Frölunda), Simon Ryfors (Davos, SUI), Anton Bengtsson, Dennis Everberg (both Rögle), Marcus Sörensen, Jacob de la Rose (both Friborg, SUI), Christoffer Ehn (Linköping), Fredrik Olofsson (Zug , SUI), Lias Andersson (Biel-Bienne, SUI), Oscar Lindberg (Skellefteå), Oskar Steen (Färjestad), Anton Wedin, Jonathan Dahlén (both Timrå), Jesper Frödén (ZSC Lions, SUI).