Ivar Stenberg Continues a Family Tradition of Winning a Medal at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup

The younger brother of a first-round NHL draft pick had a performance to remember at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup. But Ivar Stenberg may not be the last brother to win a medal.

A bronze medal win at the 2024 Hlinka Gretzky Cup last Saturday carries a little more significance for one future NHL draft prospect.

One of the tournament's breakout stars was Sweden's Ivar Stenberg, the 16-year-old brother of St. Louis Blues' 2023 first-round pick Otto Stenberg.

The eldest Stenberg collected nine points in his only Hlinka Gretzky Cup appearance in 2023, winning the silver medal. As a 17-year-old, he netted five goals with four assists in five games while wearing the captain's 'C' on his jersey.

Two events later, his 2026 NHL draft-eligible younger brother Ivar was not on anyone's radar as a top Sweden prospect to watch.

However, thanks to remarkable chemistry with linemates Viktor Klingsell and Milton Gastrin, Stenberg raised his profile with 10 points in five games, including a seven-point performance against Switzerland.

"It's been good," the younger Stenberg called his performance. "I think I came up some levels."

Interestingly, this isn't the first time the Klingsell-Gastrin-Stenberg trio has played together. They clicked when they met at the recent U-17 Worlds in Prince Edward Island in November 2023.

"Milton is a strong two-way center and gives much pucks to me and Viktor," Stenberg said. "We make some plays, and it's been good. Viktor works really hard with a good shot."

Unsurprisingly, the line finished the round-robin at the 2024 Hlinka Gretzky Cup as the top scorers: Klingsell (first), Stenberg (second), and Gastrin (third).

Adam Benak's 11 points throughout the tournament broke up the Swedish stronghold on the top-scoring spots, forcing Stenberg to third and Gastrin to fourth.

According to his profile on eliteprospects.com, Stenberg is described as a cerebral tactician, dangler, and playmaker. Ultimately, those words only begin to describe his presence on the ice.

Watching him through the exhibition, round-robin, and medal games, it's clear he's got pose and confidence with the puck. Thanks to a smooth skating style, he can pick up the puck in his own end and then carry it into the opponent's zone like it was glued to his stick.

Whether Stenberg sets up shop around the faceoff circle or cycles the puck behind the net, his head is always on a swivel as he looks to find a teammate's stick.

Despite being billed as 5-foot-10 and 168 pounds, Stenberg is fearless in going into challenging areas to make plays and has a high hockey IQ to make space for himself with puck possession and create separation from defenders when someone else has the puck.

Stenberg said older brother Otto gave him some advice before the tournament as well.

"Have fun – it's an amazing tournament to play," Ivar Stenberg said.

The younger Stenberg added he doesn't model his game after his brother since they are different players.

"He is a little bit stronger and bigger than me," Ivar Stenberg said. "I must be smarter. He's a little bit two-way forward, and I'm a little offensive guy."

Thanks to a victory in the bronze medal game, Stenberg brought home another medal to add to his family's legacy at the event while outscoring Otto's totals with another year of eligibility in 2025.

Ultimately, this year might not be the last time fans hear about a Stenberg kid from Stenungsund at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup.

Ivar is only 16 and could return for next year's event, which will take place in Europe next summer. Meanwhile, a third Stenberg brother, Knut, is 14 and playing with Frolunda U-16 in Sweden.

When Ivar is aging out of the tournament, his younger brother could be poised to take over the family mantle at the event.

The Stenberg family embraces the opportunity to represent Sweden and are super close as Ivar and Otto train together in the summers.

Considering Sweden has a reputation for brothers, such as Henrik and Joel Lundqvist, Daniel and Henrik Sedin and Hugo and Mattias Havelid representing them in international hockey, it appears the Stenberg's are on pace to see all three brothers wear the iconic Tre Kronor yellow jersey at some point of their careers. 

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