In today’s SHL action, Florida Panthers prospect Simon Zether scored his first goal of the season, setting the tone for Rögle’s win over Växjö. It was also a standout night for top prospect Ivar Stenberg, who recorded three assists in Frölunda’s victory over Malmö. He now has eight points through 10 games.
Read more about today’s games in Sweden and NHL prospect performances in the tenth edition of The Hockey News’ SHL Roundup.
Brynäs IF 0-1 Skellefteå AIK
Brynäs came into today’s game still reeling from a humiliating loss to Norwegian side Storhamar on Tuesday (Champions Hockey League). That setback seemed to leave its mark on the home team, as the pace looked sluggish against Skellefteå. The visitors took advantage and grabbed the lead through a long-range shot from Frans Haara.
“It’s going a bit too much back and forth. We need to try to get some longer offensive shifts. We have to work them down a bit more,” said Skellefteå’s Frans Haara after the first period. He continued: “We want to play with the puck as much as possible and not throw it away unnecessarily.”
Brynäs pushed harder in the final period, but the quality scoring chances never came. It was a flat game overall and Skellefteå managed to scrape out a 1–0 road win.
Leksands IF 1-3 Linköping HC
Linköping started the season slowly but has now put together three straight wins. Against Leksand, they took control in the second period. Former Detroit Red Wings forward Christoffer Ehn opened the scoring on the power play just three minutes in for Linköping, and Remi Elie made it 2–0 with only 13 seconds left before intermission. Leksand pulled one back early in the third, but Linköping held firm to take all three points.
Luleå HF 3-2 HV71 (SO)
Luleå hadn’t won a first period since the SHL opener, but that trend came to an end against HV71. Goals from Isac Hedqvist and Markus Nurmi gave them a 2–0 lead in the opening frame.
HV71 came out like a new team in the second period after a flat opening frame. They were rewarded early when Jonathan Ang cut the deficit to 2–1 on the power play. The goal came out of a scramble in front, with Ang finally lifting the puck under the crossbar from close range. Before the period was over, HV71 had tied the game 2–2.
The third period remained scoreless and the game went to overtime. HV71 thought they had the winner with just a minute left before the shootout, but the goal was waved off for goaltender interference. In the shootout, Luleå’s Markus Nurmi scored the only goal, giving Luleå two points while HV71 had to settle for one.
Rögle BK 5-3 Växjö Lakers
Two top teams squared off on Thursday in Ängelholm. Florida Panthers’ 2024 fourth-round pick Simon Zether opened the scoring with his first regular-season SHL goal, a long-awaited milestone that came in his 52nd game. Zether was sprung on a breakaway and made no mistake, roofing the puck to give Rögle a 1–0 lead.
Midway through the second period, Rögle took a five-minute major for high-sticking. Växjö, with the league’s best power play, cut the deficit to 2–1. They struck again before the period was over to tie it 2–2, but Rögle pulled away in the third and secured a 5–3 win. The victory lifts Rögle to 22 points through 10 games, good for second place in the standings.
Malmö Redhawks 1-6 Frölunda HC
Frölunda cruised to a comfortable 6–1 road win over Malmö. The home side opened the scoring, but from there it was all Frölunda. Top prospect Ivar Stenberg picked up three assists, giving him eight points in 10 games this season. Frölunda now sits at the top of the table with 24 points from 10 games.
Örebro HK 5-3 Timrå IK
Örebro has struggled to pick up points in recent games, but against Timrå they came away with three important ones. Tampa Bay Lightning prospect Noah Steen gave Örebro a 2–1 lead in the second period, setting the stage for a dominant performance. By the start of the third, they had stretched the lead to 5–1. Timrå pulled back twice, but never got closer than 5–3, and Örebro secured three much-needed points.
Red Wings Prospect Impresses in the Champions Hockey League
When Brynäs faced
Norwegian club Storhamar in the Champions Hockey League, they opted to rest
much of their regular lineup. That gave 11 junior players a chance to step in,
and several of them made a strong impression. Standing out above the rest was
<a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/detroit-red-wings">Detroit Red Wings</a> prospect Michal Svrček, whose speed and energy created
scoring chances throughout the night for Brynäs.