Sara Hjalmarsson will hit the ice in full stride when PWHL camps open in November. The Swedish veteran, who was a fifth round pick, 35th overall, of the PWHL's Toronto Sceptres in 2025, has signed to start the season in the SDHL with Linkoping.
Hjalmarsson, 27, spent the last two seasons captaining Linkoping after five seasons in North America playing NCAA hockey for Providence.
Her contract with Linkoping includes an out-clause to allow Hjalmarsson to join the Sceptres when their camp begins.
"It was exciting to follow the draft and very fun to be drafted," said Hjalmarsson in a translated news release. "Then I had to think about what would be best for me and I felt pretty early on that I wanted to stay in LHC. Many players are still there from last year, and I feel very comfortable in the group. Both the team and the organization are taking steps in the right direction. We want to get better all the time, and it will be fun to contribute this fall as well."
A member of Sweden's leadership group for their women's senior national team, Hjalmarsson will again represent Sweden this year at the Olympic Games and World Championships. For Linkoping, while the signing is short term, it's an opportunity to give their team an early boost and help them get off to a strong start.
"The last piece of the team building puzzle is in place and it feels incredibly good that Sara chooses to sign a new one-year contract with the Club," said Sabina Eriksson, general manager of Linkoping's women's team in a translated statement. "Sara is one of the top players we have in Sweden. She has meant a lot to us during the last two seasons and she will do so again this season."
In the last two seasons with Linkoping, Hjalmarsson has 64 points in 67 games.
