Following a five-day camp in Bosön and Enköping, the Swedish Ice Hockey Association announced on Tuesday the roster of 22 players that it will take to Edmonton for the 2024 Hlinka Gretzky Cup.
Of the 22 names, 21 were born in 2007 with one – forward Vigo Björck – who was born in 2008. Four other players – forwards Ivar Stenberg, Torkel Jennersjö and Jonas Lagerberg Hoen and defenseman Axel Bröngel-Larsson – were born after the September 15 cut-off and won’t be available for the NHL Entry Draft until 2026.
The roster includes Sascha Boumedienne, Australian-born Jakob Ihs-Wozniak, Viktor Klingsell and Filip Ekberg, who are potential first-round picks in 2025, but doesn’t include Anton Frondell, a potential top-five pick. Frondell is not on Sweden’s World Junior Summer Showcase roster either, so perhaps there is a health issue.
“It’s very important early in the season that we get to go over to North America and match against the other nations' top players,” said coach Thomas Paananen. “Partly to see where we stand right now, and partly because we know that the main goal of the season, the U18 World Championship, will be played on a small rink in the USA. This tournament is in many ways important in building experience for the rest of the season, and an experience that the boys will take with them further on.”
The Hlinka Gretzky Cup runs from August 5 to 10. Sweden plays in a group with Slovakia, Switzerland and Canada.
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