Team Sweden looked like one of the best teams at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup, but fell heartbreakingly to the United States in the gold medal game. One player who stood out was defensively reliable blueliner Theodor Knights. The Hockey News’ Jacob Smeds spoke with him before next week’s U18 Five Nations Tournament.

Theodor Knights is a player with highly projectable qualities heading into the NHL Draft. As a big physical defenseman, he checks a lot of boxes NHL scouts look for. He also has the ability to move pucks efficiently to his forwards even under pressure in the defensive zone. That earned him a ranking of 18th overall in Ryan Kennedy’s early season list. Knights himself has a clear understanding of what type of defenseman he is and where his strengths lie.

“I’m a defensive defenseman who puts the team first. I’m a team player in all areas of the game,” Knights said as he described his strengths. “My skating, my size and my physicality. That physical element is what I’m good at and what I really emphasize. I also think penalty kill is one of my strengths, taking away as much time as possible and getting in lanes.”

After the Hlinka Gretzky Cup, Knights got a brief taste of games with MoDo’s pro team (HockeyAllsvenskan, Sweden’s second tier) during preseason. Once the regular season began, he returned to the Swedish junior league U20 Nationell, where he has continued to showcase his upside.

“It’s gone well and it’s been a lot of fun to play. It’s been a little up and down at the start of the season, but I still think it can turn out well,” Knights said of his start to the season in the U20 Nationell.

Knights looked like a player well suited for the demands of international hockey at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup.

“Both U20 Nationell and playing for Team Sweden are a lot of fun. Playing for the national team is special when you face players from completely different cultures. But U20 Nationell is also a very good level and fun to play in with your club. The physicality is pretty similar. In U20 you face players who are a bit stronger, but in international play you really face the best players from each country.”

Looking back at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup in Slovakia, how did it go, both for the team and for you personally?

“For the team it went well. We had a very good team and we won our group. Unfortunately we lost the final, which was tough because we had such a good feeling in the group. For me personally it went well overall. You always want a little bit more, but in the big picture I was happy,” he said.

Team Sweden’s 2008 born group is extremely tight knit, something that became clear during the Hlinka Gretzky Cup.

“On the ice I think everyone accepts their roles. All the pieces of the puzzle are there. We have the ability to be very strong defensively and good offensively. And the team chemistry off the ice is great too, it’s fun to be together, talk, hang out. We play for each other.”

The loss to the United States in the final left a bitter taste for the Swedish players. It was a game heavily impacted by penalties, and Sweden was never able to find a rhythm. The penalty kill, which had been so strong throughout the tournament, also failed to execute at the same level in the gold medal game.

“In 5 on 5 play and outside of the penalty kill we were much better. We would have won the game without all the penalties. That’s why it’s really tough when a final gets decided like that,” Knights said.

The young Swedish players will take lessons from that loss in order to perform at their best when it truly matters at the U18 World Championship in the spring. But already for the Five Nations in November, there are things Knights wants the team to carry with them from the Hlinka Gretzky Cup.

“Revenge mentality. We want to win every game. And to bring the team feeling with us both on and off the ice, that everyone accepts their roles and plays as a team.”

Knights finishes with a clear message about how the team needs to approach the U18 Five Nations next week.

“Stay positive, never give up, and truly want to win at all costs. When we play with that level of hunger, we are very hard to beat.”

Part 4: Draft-Eligible Prospects to Watch in Sweden The Hockey News International wraps up its series spotlighting draft-eligible players to watch in Sweden. The series profiles 40 intriguing prospects, with Parts 1–3 available below.