Elton Hermansson, a member of Sweden’s U-18 national team that is about to begin the Hlinka Gretzky Cup, scored two goals in the team’s pre-tournament game on Saturday against Finland in Piestany, Slovakia. However, that output seemed a bit lost in Sweden’s 8-4 loss.

“Finland was a bit tougher, a bit hotter around the net,” said Hermansson, who despite the disappointment, believes the team will be ready when the tournament starts for real on Monday.

“We have a good chance,” he said. “We just need to play better, because with our skill and our toughness, I think we can go far in this tournament.

Hermansson, a winger, is one of three players on the Swedish team that have a good chance to become first-round picks in the 2026 NHL Entry Draft, along with Marcus Nordmark and linemate Oscar Holmertz.

Hermansson was born in the hockey hotbed of Örnsköldsvik while his father played for MoDo, the town’s professional team. After spending the last two seasons in Örebro, Hermansson has decided to transfer back to MoDo this season. Last season, he had 37 points in 45 games in Sweden’s top U-20 league. This season, he hopes to spend a full season in that league and do even better.

“I felt like the right thing for me to do was to move back home and play for MoDo,” he explained. “I feel good with that decision and I’m happy to be there.”

Sweden Announces Solid Hlinka Gretzky Cup Roster Following a four-day training camp, Sweden announced its roster for the 2025 Hlinka Gretzky Cup on Friday.

He went on to mention Peter Forsberg and Markus Näslund as two MoDo legends that stand out the most to him. “They’re big idols for me, so of course I look up to them.”

More recently than those two, MoDo is also known as the home club of Daniel and Henrik Sedin and current Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman.

This spring, MoDo’s pro team was relegated from the SHL to the second-tier HockeyAllsvenskan. While he admitted that having the team play in a lower league might make it easier for him to break into the pro ranks, he doesn’t think that will really make a different for him in the long term.

“You know, if (my professional debut) is one year or two months away, it’s not important for me right now.”

Venues, Schedule For 2025 Hlinka Gretzky Cup The Czech Ice Hockey Association and Hockey Slovakia jointly announced this week the <a href="https://hlinkagretzkycup.cz/eng/zapasy.asp">schedule for the 2026 Hlinka Gretzky Cup</a> – an annual summer tournament for players entering their final U18 season.