There is one team that has a clear target with this tournament, and that is to win and add to that relatively empty World Junior Championship cupboard. Sweden only has two golds. Adding a third is the only thing that counts with the tournament at home in Gothenburg.
The team is built upon the under-18 team that won gold in Germany in 2022. Players such as Hugo Hävelid, Mattias Hävelid, Elias Pettersson (the defenceman), Elias Salomonsson, Axel Sandin-Pelikka, Jonathan Lekkerimäki, Otto Stenberg, Liam Öhgren, and Noah Östlund make for a very strong foundation for a team built to go deep. Adding players like Tom Willander, David Edstrom, Filip Bystedt, and Felix Unger Sörum makes it formidable.
Even with this lineup, there are two players that are missed: Calle Odelius (injury) and Leo Carlsson playing with the (Anaheim Ducks). Especially Carlson’s absence is notable as the true star power and goal-scoring touch that he provides would have added a layer to the Swedish blueprint. But every team misses someone; Conor Bedard would have been quite the addition to Canada, as just as another example.
It will be Magnus Hävelid’s first tournament as a head coach, and from what I have seen so far he is more of an in-game coach than what Tomas Montén was, something that can only be good when you consider the pressure that he will be under as the tournament goes on. It’s on home ice, and even if I don’t put a lot of stock in the big-ice conoundrum as Canadiens and Americans tend to, it will benefit the European teams with the crowd at their backs. Sweden will be a formidable opponent even if it is rumoured that 3000-plus Canadians are in town to cheer on Team Canada.
Preliminary roster
| # | Player | Position | League | Current team (NHL) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 35 | Hugo Hävelid | G | HockeyAllsvenskan | Djurgårdens IF |
| 1 | Kevin Reidler | G | USHL | Dubuque Fighting Saints (OTT) |
| 30 | Melker Thelin | G | HockeyAllsvenskan | IF Björklöven (ARI) |
| 5 | Mattias Hävelid | D | SHL | Linköping HC (SJS) |
| 6 | Anton Johansson | D | HockeyAllsvenskan | Leksands IF (DET) |
| 0 | Theo Lindstein | D | HockeyAllsvenskan | Brynäs IF (STL) |
| 2 | Elias Pettersson | D | SHL | Västerås IK (VAN) |
| 3 | Elias Salomonsson | D | SHL | Skellefteå AIK (WIN) |
| 4 | Axel Sandin Pellikka | D | SHL | Skellefteå AIK (DET) |
| 24 | Tom Willander | D | NCAA | Boston University (VAN) |
| 11 | Isac Born | F | SHL | Frölunda HC |
| 18 | Filip Bystedt | F | SHL | Linköping HC (SJS) |
| 15 | David Edstrom | F | SHL | Frölunda HC (VGK) |
| 21 | Zeb Forsfjäll | F | SHL | Skellefteå AIK (SEA) |
| 23 | Jonathan Lekkerimäki | F | SHL | Örebro HK (VAN) |
| 27 | Oskar Pettersson | F | SHL | Rögle BK (OTT) |
| 19 | Rasmus Rudslätt | F | HockeyAllsvenskan | AIK |
| 25 | Otto Stenberg | F | SHL | Frölunda HC (STL) |
| 16 | Felix Unger Sörum | F | SHL | Leksands IF (CAR) |
| 10 | Fabian Wagner | F | SHL | Linköping HC (WIN) |
| 22 | Anton Wahlberg | F | SHL | Malmö Redhawks (BUF) |
| 20 | Liam Öhgren | F | SHL | Färjestad BK (MIN) |
| 12 | Noah Östlund | F | SHL | Växjö Lakers HC (BUF) |
2023 tournament returnees in bold
After suffering a concussion in a pre-tournament game, Jakob Norén was replaced by Theo Lindstein
Strengths
The line with Liam Öhgren, Noah Östlund and Jonathan Lekkerimäki is a line that can score on any team. They have played together since kindergarten, so the chemistry is there, even if they are on different teams at the moment. The fact that they play in the SHL against men will help them in regard to the physical play that the North American teams will bring come the playoffs.
In the games leading up to the tournament, Anton Wahlberg has been the player that replaced Öhgren in a way to score by committee and getting a better balance throughout the team, according to Coach Hävelid. After the game against USA, I wonder how long it will be before the Djurgården line will play together again.
David Edstrom’s play in Frölunda has been impressive and a Frölunda line with Edstrom, Stenberg and Hasa could also be created, even if it is more likely that Edstrom and Stenberg will be partnered with someone else, most likely Felix Unger Sörum.
Add the typical swashbucking, speed-skating defence with players like Sandin-Pelikka and Willander, along with the bigger ice surface which really should benefit such players, and the stage is set.
Hugo Hävelid was a standout player in the U18s, however lately he has been challenged in the position as a number-one goalie by Melker Thelin, who has had a strong season in HockeyAllsvenskan with Björklöven. However Hugo Hävelid has the experience and big-game success before and will probably be the goalie getting the first shot in the tournament.
Weaknesses
I would go to Coach Hävelid as a weakness since he is a bit unknown and the tournaments leading up to the WJC haven’t been as successful as expected even if it’s partly due to the fact that he has tried to get a team to gel, along with evaluating the role players for the last couple of spots. Still, the focus on a World Junior tournament at home is a lot greater than the World Under-18s that he is used to.
The lack of a true superstar like Carlsson will test Sweden, a player who really could carry the team and someone that you could lean on in times of difficulty. This is what it all comes down to, and in absolute star power Sweden falls behind USA and Canada.
Projection
Not getting a medal would be a catastrophe in Sweden, and fans are demanding a Final appearance at least. Even if many are looking for a gold medal there are just a few things that points to Sweden’s advantage: the bigger ice surface and the home crowd. One has to wonder if that is enough, especially as the crowd is fickle and can turn quiet at times. Also, Scandinavium is a multi-sport arena; the crowd is far from the ice and won’t put pressure on the referees to the same degree as an arena that is a pure hockey rink.
Sweden should still reach the semifinals with ease. After that it is the luck of the draw. Making it to the Gold Medal Game is a realistic goal, but winning it might be a step too far.
