Swedish defenseman Victor Söderström, 23, has signed a two-year contract with Brynäs IF, the SHL club announced on Sunday.
“Brynäs IF means a lot to me and I want to be a part of the situation the club is in now,” said Söderström. “What has been built up here in recent years and everything around feels fantastic. I’m looking forward to the season and to playing in front of all the Brynäs fans again. I’m here to contribute and make a difference.”
Söderström played for Brynäs from age 14 to 19, getting his first taste of professional hockey with the Gävle-based club. He played 79 SHL games as a teenager, scoring six goals and adding 16 assists for 22 points with 18 penalty minutes.
Söderström was picked in the first round, 11th overall, by the Arizona Coyotes in 2019. Over the past four seasons in that organization, he played 53 NHL games, scoring one goal and adding 10 assists and 30 penalty minutes. During that period, he also played 175 AHL regular-season and playoff games with the Tucson Roadrunners, recording 82 points and 96 penalty minutes.
Internationally, Söderström represented Sweden at one IIHF 18 World Championship – winning a gold medal in 2019 – and in two World Junior Championships.
“We are of course very proud and satisfied to bring Victor home,” said Brynäs sports director Johan Alcén. “He possesses many fine qualities that we will benefit greatly from. Just as we describe in our identity, he is also a person who is always curious and tries to develop, and at the same time, he is driven to perform his utmost for Brynäs IF.
“He also had a great desire to play in Brynäs again, so that we got this locked in feels really good. He will become an important part of the team while he is still young and can develop even more here.”
Brynäs has just returned to the SHL after winning the second-tier HockeyAllsvenskan last season. The team made a splash early in the off-season by signing veteran winger Jacob Silfverberg. The team also has ex-NHL forwards Johan Larsson, Oskar Lindblom, Jordan Schroeder, defenseman Christian Djoos and goaltender Erik Källgren, Latvian national team forward Miks Indrašis and 19-year-old St. Louis Blues defense prospect Theo Lindstein.
Brynäs opens its SHL schedule next Saturday, September 21 on the road against Linköping HC.
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