Rasmus Bergqvist is a Swedish champion. Skelelfteå completed the double, winning the league and then cruising through the playoffs to grab the Le Mat Trophy with both hands, and it is difficult to see another team taking it away from them when looking at the upcoming season.
The good thing is that Bergqvist played 40 games in SHL, with an average time on ice of 11:02. He was used as a sixth and seventh defenceman throughout the season and was sat for some games. In order for him to get more time and exposure he was loaned out to Östersund in HockeyAllsvenskan for four games. Unfortunately for Bergqvist (and the other SHL teams) Skellefteå had all their players available in the playoffs and Bergqvist didn’t get a chance to play a shift.
There were some rumours in Sweden about a move for Bergqvist after sitting for the playoffs, even though he has another year on his contract with Skellefteå. This hasn’t happened, and one has to imagine he has been promised a bigger role within the team for next season, even if it stays on the third pairing. I know other teams are interested in the raw defensive talent that Bergqvist is, and Skellefteå will need to use him this season or they will lose him for the following year.
Strengths
When you watch Bergqvist play, you watch his team in the defensive zone because that’s where he is used most of the time. He clears out in front of the net with ease, even fighting for position with seasoned professionals. He reads the defensive aspect of the game well, and has matured in his defensive duties. He found his position better and he got to the boards to lock players up in a more structured way than the previous year.
He has also been smarter with his physicality. Last year he received a two-game suspension for a crosscheck to the neck, and he must have learned from that. He is still in those areas but he is more level-headed. Even with the situation regarding usage, he isn’t prone to try to do too much but rather push just up to the referee’s line without crossing it.
Weaknesses
There is a hint of offence, and at moments it is clear for everyone to see, but he would rather go for a change and let others handle that part of the game. I hope to see more in that regard from him next season because he needs to add some strings to his lyre to become a more complete player all over the ice.
Skellefteå is the team to beat in the SHL, but you’d want to see Bergqvist more on the penalty kill. Competition is fierce and one can’t argue with the coaches who won both titles last season.
Grade: B-
It is tough to grade Bergqvist this year, and one has to consider that he plays for a stacked team. To get 40 games with limited ice time and no chance to play in the playoffs must be a tough pill to swallow for the defenceman. However, when he played, he played his role to the best of his abilities with barely a mistake, maybe just one major error over his season that led directly to a goal. He is not a player that gives a lot of highlights to work with, but that doesn’t frustrate him; he knows his role and what to make of it.
I was asked about Filip Eriksson and Bergqvist from another Montreal Canadiens journalist before the 2025-26 season and I said that the one to keep an eye on is Bergqvist, even if Eriksson’s numbers might be more impressive. I will say the same thing for the 2026-27 season. Bergqvist’s game is suited for the North American style of hockey, and when the time comes I wouldn’t be surprised if Bergqvist at least gets a chance to show himself in Laval.
