Sweden’s U17 roster brings top young talent to the World U17 Hockey Challenge, including Milan Sundström and Oliver Sundberg, aiming to shine on the global stage.
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.
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
