Sweden has been the Group B standout at the 2026 Olympics, but they won't be for long. That's because Sweden remains a women's hockey nation on the rise who will soon be a regular medal contender.
Sweden has made noticeable leaps and bounds on the international women's hockey stage. The good news for the rest of the hockey world however, is that Sweden is only getting better.
Sweden's current national team is the second youngest at the Olympics averaging only 24.04 years in age.
Many of Sweden's top performers have years ahead of them on the international stage. Among those on their roster who fall into that category are starting netminder Ebba Svensson Traff (21), top four defenders Mira Jungaker (20) and Jenna Raunio (19), and forwards Hilda Svensson (19), Thea Johansson (23), Lina Ljungblom (24), Hanna Thuvik (23), and Josefin Bouveng (24).
Only Anna Kjellbin (31) and Lisa Johansson (33) stand out as players who may age out ahead of the 2030 Olympics, meaning Sweden will only need to make replacements for upgrades, not attrition.
At the PWHL level, the league has limited representation in Sara Hjalmarsson (28, Toronto Sceptres), Kjellbin (Toronto Sceptres), Ljungblom (Montreal Victoire), and Maja Nylen Persson (25, New York Sirens). That number will grow in the upcoming 2026 PWHL Draft as Bouveng, Thea Johansson, and Sofie Lundin (25) have all expressed their intent to declare, while others including Thuvik could also choose to declare.
It's the NCAA, where Svensson, Jungaker, Raunio, Bouveng, Nicole Hall (21), and Ida Karlsson (21) all currently play where Sweden's biggest boost will come from in the next two seasons. This group, among others will all join the PWHL in the coming seasons.
Goaltenders Felicia Frank (Quinnipiac) and Lisa Jonsson (Northastern) have been spectacular for their teams, and look like potential starters for Sweden in the future. Sweden has 20 skaters in the NCAA right now as well, with non-national team members topped by Julia Perjus, who has scored more than a point per game this season with Mercyhurst and rookie defender Maja Ålenius.
Domestivally, defender Tuva Kandell will be ready by 2030. She was having a spectacular NCAA career with Northeastern before returning to Sweden this year. She joins a burgeoning group of young Swedish players including current national team teens Mira Hallin and Ebba Hedqvist.
As one of the only nations outside USA and Canada with a well developed pathway from initiation to pro for women, Sweden's pipeline however, extends well beyond existing national team members and contenders.
Teen standouts like Edit Danielsson, Ebba Westerlind, Moa Stridh, Tilde Grillfors, Tilia Lindgren, Inez Nygren, Ebba Hesselvall, Isabelle Leijonhielm, Linnea Natt Och Dag, and Nellie Svensson are all on the way.
By the time 2030 rolls around, Sweden should be firmly in the mix with Finland and Czechia regularly challenging for medals.