One of Sweden’s offensive stars so far at the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship has been David Granberg, a 19-year-old center who has played 23 SHL games for Luleå Hockey this season. Granberg is a late bloomer comparative to the rest of the team – this is is first-ever IIHF event in his last year of junior eligibility and he’s one of only five undrafted players on the Swedish squad. His performance at this tournament – six points in three games so far – and overall might change that this summer, though.
Granberg’s uncle is another famous Luleå player – former right winger Mikael Renberg.
Renberg made a name for himself in North America through his NHL career with the Philadelphia Flyers – where he played on the Legion of Doom line in the 1990s with Eric Lindros and John LeClair – as well as the Tampa Bay Lightning, Phoenix Coyotes and Toronto Maple Leafs.
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Internationally, Renberg represented Sweden and four IIHF World Championships and two Winter Olympics. He was also the captain of the Swedish team at the 1992 World Juniors in Germany, where he recorded 10 points in six games, helping the Swedes to the silver medal.
Renberg recently spoke to Swedish regional newspaper Piteå-Tidningen. That article is behind a paywall, but some excerpts have been published by website HockeyNews.se.
Renberg said that he doesn’t want to disturb his nephew by phoning him during the tournament, but has sent him a few text messages of encouragement.
“After the first game, I wrote that I thought he played a good game,” said Renberg, speaking about Sweden’s opening 5-2 win over Slovakia in which Granberg had two assists. “It’s always nerve-racking in the first game when everything is new. It’s a smaller rink, the tournament is hyped up and the players know that everyone is sitting at home watching TV. There is pressure in the first game, but Sweden came out with a good effort and David and the whole line were really strong.”
Granberg’s linemates are Isac Hedqvist, a Seattle Kraken prospect, and Zeb Forsfjäll, who like Granberg is an undrafted 19-year-old.
Renberg was an offensive star in his career and was a highly-rated prospect, turning pro in Sweden at age 18 in 1990, the same year the Flyers drafted him in the second round, 40th overall.
“David has slipped into the backwaters a little, but he has all the conditions to become a very good professional player,” said Renberg. “He is more of a playmaker and definitely better defensively than I was, so he is more complete, but we are a little different.”
Renberg, 52, used to work as a hockey analyst on Swedish television but is enjoying this tournament from the comfort of his home. Granberg and the Swedes will wrap up the group stage on Tuesday, New Year’s Eve, against Czechia with first place in Group B on the line.