Led by second-overall pick Ivar Stenberg, fifteen global prospects ignited the opening round, marking a historic surge in Swedish talent and rare representation from nations like Kazakhstan.
The first round of the 2026 NHL Draft is in the books, and there were more international skaters taken than originally expected.
The first one was the most notable, Ivar Stenberg, who was drafted second overall by the San Jose Sharks. After that, there were 15 international players of the 32 first-round picks, which is great to see.
Here's how the breakdown of the first-round looks:
| Prospect's Name | Pick # | Position | Birth Country | NHL Team |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ivar Stenberg | 2 | F | Sweden | San Jose Sharks |
| Alberts Smits | 5 | D | Latvia | New York Rangers |
| Viggo Bjorck | 8 | F | Sweden | Winnipeg Jets |
| Alexander Command | 12 | F | Sweden | New Jersey Devils |
| Malte Gustafsson | 13 | D | Sweden | New York Islanders |
| Oscar Hemming | 14 | F | Finland | Columbus Blue Jackets |
| Oliver Suvanto | 18 | F | Finland | Washington Capitals |
| Elton Hermansson | 19 | F | Sweden | Los Angeles Kings |
| Ilia Morozov | 20 | F | Russia | Buffalo Sabres |
| Adam Novotny | 24 | F | Czechia | Vancouver Canucks |
| Jones Lagerberg Hoen | 25 | F | Sweden | Ottawa Senators |
| Gleb Pugachyov | 26 | F | Kazakhstan | Montreal Canadiens |
| Maksim Sokolovskii | 27 | D | Kazakhstan | Philadelphia Flyers |
| Marcus Nordmark | 28 | F | Sweden | Anaheim Ducks |
| Juho Piiparinen | 29 | D | Finland | Vegas Golden Knights |
This is a good year so far of international representation. There were seven Swedish players taken, which is the most since the 1980s. As well as three Finnish players, two players are from Kazakhstan and one is from Russia, Czechia and Latvia.
For international fans, especially from those countries, it is great to see. Players from your home country or even your city have accomplished the honour of hearing their names called on the first night of the NHL Draft.
Rounds second through seven kick off tomorrow; after the draft we will break down other players who were born outside of North America.
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