Leo Sahlin Wallenius scored his first professional goal on a second-period power play and then scored again in the shootout to finish Saturday night’s game in favor of the Nybro Vikings, a team in Sweden’s second-tier HockeyAllsvenskan. Although only the goal in regulation time counts in his stats, he also had an assist to make it his first multi-point game.
“It feels incredibly good,” he said after the game, according to HockeyNews.se. “I can’t describe it – there’s no better feeling.”
Sahlin Wallenius was taken in the second round, 53rd overall, by the San Jose Sharks in this past summer’s NHL Entry Draft. He was the fifth Swede and 17th defenseman chosen.
A product of the Växjö Lakers, Sahlin Wallenius spent most of last season with the club’s top U-20 teams. He also represented Sweden at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup in the summer of 2023, recording five points in five games, and at last spring’s IIHF U-18 World Championship, recording three assists in seven games.
He was in the Lakers’ lineup for the team’s first SHL game of the season last month but didn’t see any ice time. He might still see some SHL action with the Lakers this season but he’s been loaned to Nybro, where he’s seeing top-four minutes. He’s signed with the Lakers through the end of the 2025-16 season.
After Saturday’s shootout win the Vikings are tied for ninth in the 14-team Allsvenskan with 14 points in 12 games. Saturday’s game took on special significance as it was a local rivalry with HC Kalmar, the club from a coastal town just 30 km away.
“I think we played well for 60 minutes,” Sahlin Wallenius said about the game. “The fact that it wasn’t enough for three points is unfortunate, but at least we managed to get two points and win the derby.”
While Sahlin Wallenius produced at nearly a point per game last season, things are obviously more difficult in the pros. He’s been producing more lately, though, and after Saturday’s two-point effort, he now has four points in his last five games. He showed some skill on the shootout goal too, making a move to his backhand and going upstairs.
“It’s always fun to score a goal and go with a bit of confidence,” he concluded.