Sweden’s Roster for the World U17 Hockey Challenge

Sweden’s roster for the World U17 Hockey Challenge features plenty of upside with several intriguing young talents. The Hockey News International takes a closer look at the team, including comments from head coach Thomas Paananen on the selection.

“It will be exciting and inspiring to head into our first tournament of the season. During the games against Finland in Nyköping, the coaching staff and I noticed that the players have taken steps forward in their development, which shows that our clubs in Swedish hockey are doing good work. It’s also positive that these players are competing in U18 leagues, where they are given important roles on their teams,” says Thomas Paananen, head coach of Sweden’s U17 national team.

The tournament will take place from October 31 to November 8 in Truro, Nova Scotia. In addition to Sweden, the field includes two teams from Canada, as well as Finland, Czechia, and the United States. For Sweden, it will be the first time this age group gets to test itself against the best players in the world.

“We are looking forward to playing against the best players from this age group. This will be our first time playing on the smaller North American ice surface, and we will experience a different style of play and a different level of speed. It’s an important part of the development process for our players,” says Paananen.

The roster is full of talent, and several players deserve a closer look. One of them is Milan Sundström, son of former NHL forward Niklas Sundström. Milan has inherited his father’s playmaking ability and pairs it with a reliable two-way game fueled by his high hockey IQ.

Another Swedish player to keep an eye on is skilled forward Oliver Sundberg. After 11 games in the Swedish U18 league, Sundberg has recorded an impressive 19 points, with five goals and 14 assists. He combines high-end skating with excellent puck skills, making him one of Sweden’s most intriguing prospects for the 2027 NHL Draft.

Team Sweden Announces U18 Roster for the November Five Nations Tournament Sweden announces its U18 roster and schedule for the November Five Nations Tournament in Ulricehamn, with insights from coach Johan Rosén. Text by Jacob Smeds.

The Swedish roster for the World U17 Hockey Challenge

Goaltenders

1 GK Fabian Salasca Nääs

30 GK Vilmer Salén Forsberg

Defense

2 D Arvid Billing

3 D Elliot Lahtinen

5 D Noel Stenlund

7 D Douglas Johnsson

8 D Olle Törnqvist

20 D Tom Bjurman

25 D Jesse Suopanki

Forwards

10 F Olle Zetterstedt

11 F Wiggo Forsberg

14 F Milan Sundström

15 F Vilgot Nygren

17 F Milo Helte

18 F William Olofsson

19 F Loui Karlsson

21 F Olle Willén

22 F Alfred Nordén

23 F Oliver Sundberg

24 F Noel Nord

28 F Alexander Thunblom

29 F Noah Nilsson

Kachlir, Hartl Headline Czech U-17 World Hockey Challenge Team Lukáš Kachlíř and Michal Hartl lead a talented Czech U-17 squad featuring promising NHL draft prospects ready to conquer the World Hockey Challenge.