Stenberg second overall as seven Swedes picked in first round of NHL Draft

[p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/stenberg-ivar/UwurqeCM/"]Stenberg[/a] [/b]was picked only behind fellow left-wing [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/mckenna-gavin/KjQB6194/"]Gavin McKenna[/a], who was selected first by the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/toronto-maple-leafs/ShE7Z8G3/"]Toronto Maple Leafs[/a]. It is the earliest a Swedish player has been taken in the NHL Draft since [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/carlsson-leo/ryQdsEH4/"]Leo Carlsson[/a] was selected second by the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/anaheim-ducks/4CM4ojpD/"]Anaheim Ducks[/a] in 2023.[/p][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/news/2026-nhl-draft-tracker/AFZaniPG/"]Follow Flashscore's 2026 NHL Draft tracker here >>[/a][/b][/p][p]Not turning 19 years old until September, Stenberg amassed 33 points in the Swedish Hockey League (SHL) last season for [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/frolunda/pAG4OqEE/"]Frolunda[/a], one of the league's best performances by a teenager, as he and the Gothenburg club also lifted the Champions Hockey League (CHL) title.[/p][embed guid="54b247ee-87f0-4321-9c75-9d049be7823d" url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-mPYazQVK7U" social-type="youtube" /][p]Swedish flags would be waving again before the top 10 players were selected - taken eighth overall by the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/winnipeg-jets/r3L8pAaJ/"]Winnipeg Jets[/a] was centre [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/bjorck-viggo/pQJ0LsfE/"][b]Viggo Bjorck[/b][/a], capping off a brilliant 2025/26 season for the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/djurgarden/Q7UY6Hrs/"]Djurgarden[/a] player, who notched 18 points in his debut SHL season before becoming the youngest Swedish player ever to feature at the World Ice Hockey Championships last month.[/p][p]But you don't need SHL and international experience to get noticed by the NHL, as [b]Alexander Command[/b] proved when he was selected 12th by the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/new-jersey-devils/Kh0O591A/"]New Jersey Devils[/a], having never made a senior appearance for [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/orebro/Y3RLgQQn/"]Orebro[/a].[/p][p]HV 71 defenceman [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/gustafsson-malte/AuPDzkOB/"][b]Malte Gustafsson[/b][/a] was then the very next pick by the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/new-york-islanders/xESz5TGG/"]New York Islanders[/a], before [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/hermansson-elton/z32NeaXh/"][b]Elton Hermansson[/b][/a] of HockeyAllsvenskan side MoDo was taken 19th by the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/los-angeles-kings/CIDo8i2o/"]Los Angeles Kings[/a]. [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/leksand/6X2ODGwL/"]Leksands[/a] junior player [b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/lagerberg-hoen-jonas/f1lj29hJ/"]Jonas Lagerber Hoen[/a][/b] was selected 25th by the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/ottawa-senators/noTCHmWM/"]Ottawa Senators[/a] and then another Djurgarden skater, [b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/nordmark-marcus/YXx12hCE/"]Marcus Nordmark[/a][/b], was the Anaheim Ducks' first-round pick, 28th overall.[/p][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/news/2026-nhl-draft-tracker/AFZaniPG/"]The NHL Draft continues on 27th June, follow it with Flashscore's tracker.[/a] [/b][/p]