Frondell & Eklund Withdraw From World Junior Summer Showcase; 16 Drafted Players Still On Swedish Roster

Anton Frondell and Victor Eklund will not play for Sweden at the upcoming World Junior Summer Showcase, the Swedish Ice Hockey Association tweeted on Monday.

According to HockeyNews.se, both players have a busy summer with NHL development camps and Djurgården’s professional summer training camp. The pair of 18-year-olds were part of the team that helped Djurgården ascend from the second-tier HockeyAllsvenskan to the top-tier SHL, and the move up is seen as a big step in their development.

Frondell was drafted third overall by the Chicago Blackhawks and Eklund went 16th to the New York Islanders. Both have already signed entry-level NHL contracts and both have been loaned back to Djurgården for the upcoming season.

That leaves 16 drafted players on the 25-man roster – scroll down for the complete list.

Report: Anton Frondell Will Sign With Blackhawks This Week; Won’t Attend Training CampReport: Anton Frondell Will Sign With Blackhawks This Week; Won’t Attend Training Camp Swedish center Anton Frondell will sign an entry-level contract this upcoming week with the Chicago Blackhawks, the team that took him third overall at this year’s NHL Entry Draft, according to Swedish journalist Gunnar Nordström.

The roster includes a pair of 17-year-olds who are consensus top-10 picks in the 2026 NHL Entry Draft: Ivar Stenberg, a late-2007-born player, and 2008-born Viggo Björck. Due to his birth year, Björck is still U-18 eligible but his inclusion on this roster likely means he will not play for Sweden at this year’s Hlinka Gretzky Cup. That would be consistent with how the Swedes have prioritized the U-20 Showcase over the U-18 summer tournament in the past.

The World Junior Summer Showcase runs from July 27 to Aug. 2 in Minneapolis, Minn. It features the junior national teams of Sweden and Finland and two teams each of Canadian and U.S. players. It is generally used as an evaluation tournament for the IIHF World Junior Championship, which this year will also be in the state of Minnesota from Dec. 26, 2025, to Jan. 5, 2026.

Islanders Sign Victor Eklund But He’s Probably Returning To Sweden TooIslanders Sign Victor Eklund But He’s Probably Returning To Sweden Too Swedish winger Victor Eklund, 18, has signed a three-year entry-level contract with the New York Islanders, the team that drafted him 16th overall at the recent NHL Entry Draft, the club announced on Monday.

Goaltenders: Herman Liv, Örebro HK; Carl Axelsson, Sioux Falls Stampede USHL; Love Härenstam, Skellefteå AIK – St. Louis Blues.

Defensemen: Felix Öhrqvist, Linköping HC; Leo Sahlin Wallenius, Växjö Lakers – San Jose Sharks; Sascha Boumedienne, Boston University NCAAWinnipeg Jets; Victor Johansson, Leksands IF – Toronto Maple Leafs; Alfons Freij, IF Björklöven – Winnipeg Jets; Carl-Otto Magnusson, Frölunda HC; Viggo Gustafsson, HV71 – Nashville Predators; Gabriel Eliasson, Barrie Colts OHLOttawa Senators.

Forwards: Lucas Pettersson, MoDo Hockey – Anaheim Ducks; Melvin Fernström, Örebro HK – Pittsburgh Penguins; Linus Eriksson, Timrå IK – Florida Panthers; Ivar Stenberg, Frölunda HC; Viggo Nordlund, Skellefteå AIK – Carolina Hurricanes; Eric Nilson, Djurgårdens IF – Anaheim Ducks; Jack Berglund, Färjestad BK – Philadelphia Flyers; Wilson Björck, Djurgårdens IF – Vancouver Canucks; Valter Lindberg, Skellefteå AIK; Liam Danielsson, Örebro HK; Alexander Zetterberg, Minnesota State University NCAA; Viggo Björck, Djurgårdens IF; Filip Ekberg, Ottawa 67’s OHL – Carolina Hurricanes; Eddie Genborg, Linköping HC – Detroit Red Wings.

Photo © David Reginek-Imagn Images: Coach Magnus Hävelid oversees the Swedish bench at last year's World Junior Summer Showcase.

Helenius & Hemming Highlight Finnish U-20 Roster In Home TournamentHelenius & Hemming Highlight Finnish U-20 Roster In Home Tournament Ahead of next week’s World Junior Summer Challenge in Minnesota, a series of games involving four U-20 teams is taking place in Vierumäki, Finland on Sunday and Monday. Two teams from Finland – essentially an A-team and a B-team – will host the Czech and Swiss national junior teams once each.

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