24-year-old was longshot prior to season, worked his way onto roster with superior play this season, chosen over veterans Mattias Ekholm, Hampus Lindholm
ST. LOUIS – Early prognosticators didn’t even have Philip Broberg having a sniff of making the Sweden Men’s Winter Olympic hockey roster for the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympic games in Italy.
The St. Louis Blues defenseman, despite the odds against him, had other ideas.
On Friday, the 24-year-old did what many didn’t think he would do: be chosen to represent his country for the first time at the highest level when he was named to Sweden’s Olympic roster.
“Extremely honored,” Broberg said Friday after a 4-3 win against the Vegas Golden Knights. “It’s a dream-come-true. I’m very excited about it.
“Got a call from the coach (Sam Hallam) a few days ago. It’s a dream-come-true. I’m very excited.”
Broberg joined the likes of Victor Hedman (Tampa Bay Lightning), Rasmus Dahlin (Buffalo Sabres), Erik Karlsson (Pittsburgh Penguins), Jonas Brodin (Minnesota Wild), Rasmus Andersson (Calgary Flames), Oliver Ekman-Larsson (Toronto Maple Leafs) and Gustav Forsling (Florida Panthers).
Among those not on the initial list – of course there could be injuries that can change things – include Mattias Ekholm (Edmonton Oilers) and Hampus Lindholm (Boston Bruins) at the top of the list.
So for Broberg, who is having a fantastic season with the Blues, to get the consideration speaks volumes.
“It does because Sweden has developed great defensemen for decades now,” Blues coach Jim Montgomery said. ‘There’s a plethora in our league. It does speak volumes about what he was able to accomplish.”
Broberg is averaging 23:15 and has 13 points (two goals, 11 assists) in 42 games this season for the Blues and was likely chosen for the leaps and bounds he’s taken as a defensive player.
“It’s a well-deserved and earned reward for how much he’s continued to progress in his career, not only in St. Louis but from when he did when he got drafted,” Montgomery said. ‘More so than anything, in the game you see his physical tools, his ability to create off-man rushes offensively, his ability kill plays, his willingness to take away time and space and win battles 1-on-1 offensively and defensively, but the thing that has really improved with him is his mindset. His mindset has gone from being a good player in this league, and I’m just talking since I’ve been working with him now to trying to become an elite player, and because that mindset has been every day in practice and every game, even when he doesn’t have legs – that’s a hockey player’s term – you don’t feel like you can get up and go, he pushes himself right through that. I’ve seen first periods when he hasn’t been on, the second and third period he’s our best player. And that’s the will machine and the kind of guy you want to build around to get the culture to where you want, the culture to be. And that’s kudos to him and his mindset that he’s developed as a young man early in his career.”
Broberg, acquired via offer sheet from the Oilers along with forward Dylan Holloway on Aug. 20, 2024, was on a mission to at least be under consideration.
“Before the season we set goals and I think this was one of the goals for sure,” Broberg said. ‘I’m very excited about the opportunity I’m going to get. It’s going to be fun.
“I think we have a very good roster with a lot of very good players. I’m excited to meet all the guys and get a chance to play with them as well.”
How much Broberg gets to play is anyone’s guess, but with Sweden, which opens on Feb. 11 at 2:10 p.m. (CT) against Italy, if they need a shutdown player to be in a plethora of situations, Broberg should be under heavy consideration. He has played 23-plus minutes 22 times this season.
“I think defensively, I think that’s been a big focus for myself,” Broberg said. “Grow defensively and be hard to play against, have good sticks, be physical. I think that’s a big, big thing. I still want to create offense as well, but that’s just a plus.”
Being a lifelong Swede from Orebro, the hometown of Stanley Cup champion Carl Gunnarsson, Broberg now gets to make his own memories.
“I think the best memory I have is (Niklas) Lidstrom scored that game-winner and they won the gold obviously (in 2006 over Finland),” Broberg said. “I have that memory a lot and I’m excited to be a part of the team there.”
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