St. Louis Blues prospect Love Harenstam has been named to Team Sweden's 2026 IIHF Men's World Championship roster.
After earning his way through the pre-tournament games, St. Louis Blues goaltending prospect Love Harenstam has officially earned a spot on Team Sweden’s 2026 World Championship roster.
In his lone pre-tournament game, Harenstman came out victorious while posting a .938 save percentage and a 2.00 goals-against average.
Harenstam will join Oskar Sundqvist on Sweden’s roster. Additionally, Harenstam joins a list of several U-20 players, including Chicago Blackhawks’ Anton Frondell, Philadelphia Flyers’ Jack Berglund, and potential top-10 picks in the 2026 NHL draft, Ivar Stenberg and Viggo Bjorck.
Harenstam had an excellent 2025-26 season. He was outstanding for Södertälje SK in HockeyAllsvenskan, posting a .920 SP and a 1.81 GAA in 32 games. He took home rookie of the year honors and goaltending of the year honors, playing in Sweden’s second professional league at just 19 years old.
Harenstam was also phenomenal for Sweden at the World Junior Championships as an 18-year-old, backstopping the Swedes to a gold medal. He finished the tournament with a .911 SP and a 2.43 GAA, winning all six of his starts. He took home goaltender of the tournament honors as well.
Joining Harenstam in Sweden’s crease for the World Championship are Blackhawks Arvid Soderblom and SHL veteran Magnus Hellberg. Soderblom finished the NHL season with an .880 SP in 26 games, while Hellberg recorded a .904 SP in 40 games. In pre-tournament play, Hellberg played three games, Soderblom played twice, and Harenstam played just once.
Due to experience, it appears Hellberg will be the starting goaltender, but the battle for the backup spot remains up for grabs. Harenstam’s recent track record this season indicates that he can step up when needed and could outlast Soderblom for the backup role.
The tournament takes place in Zürich and Fribourg, Switzerland, and runs from May 15 to 31.
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