Two highly ranked prospects for the 2026
NHL Draft went head-to-head on Tuesday night. On one side was standout forward
Ivar Stenberg. On the other stood Viggo Björck, who finished last season by
breaking the all-time scoring record in Sweden’s junior league. Also in
Djurgården’s lineup were 2025 third-overall pick Anton Frondell and another
former first-rounder, Victor Eklund.
Ivar Stenberg was asked about his journey
to this point prior to the game.
“It’s about building on last year’s
playoffs. There were things that were good and that I wanted to carry forward,
even though it’s difficult,” said Ivar Stenberg to TV4 before the game.
Is there any part of your game you still
need to develop further?
“It’s about getting better with the puck
and in decision-making. I want to be stronger on the puck and know when to make
certain decisions. Mostly, it’s about becoming more mature in my game and a bit
more grown-up.” He continues: “The coach wants me to play my game and do the
things that define me,” said Ivar Stenberg before the game.
The game between Frölunda and Djurgården
was the only matchup of the day and drew major interest. The all-time
attendance record for an indoor hockey game in Sweden was set, with 13,950 fans
packing Avicii Arena in Stockholm.
Victor Eklund created the game’s first big
chance. He battled his way to the puck and fired a low shot, with Anton
Frondell lurking for the rebound. But Frölunda goalie Lars Johansson was there
to turn it aside.
It took until the 18th minute for the first
goal to arrive. Buffalo Sabres’ 2019 fifth-round pick Filip Cederqvist
capitalized on a rebound after a scrambled sequence in front. It all started
with a breakaway from Erik Thorell that Magnus Hellberg stopped but couldn’t
control the rebound on, allowing Cederqvist to score his second goal of the
season. Before the period was over, Max Friberg made it 2–0 for Frölunda, who
went into the intermission with a two-goal lead.
During the first intermission, Islanders
first-rounder Victor Eklund of Djurgården wasn’t satisfied with the
game.
“We’re cutting corners a bit. We’d rather
take a wide turn instead of stopping and chasing the puck. That’s what we need
to work on.” He continues: “We’re not working at 100%, and that’s something we
have to fix before the second period,” said Victor Eklund to TV4 during the
first intermission.
Frölunda goal scorer Filip Cederqvist, on
the other hand, was much more positive during the intermission.
“Djurgården came out really strong, which
was expected on their home ice. They pushed us back, but we kept them fairly
well to the outside. Then it was nice to get two goals at the end of the
period.” He went on to describe his goal: “I saw that Thorell was open, then
the puck bounced out and I was in the right place,” said Filip Cederqvist to
TV4.
A strong start to the second period from Anton Frondell
Djurgården struck early in the second
period. Chicago’s third-overall pick Anton Frondell worked the puck down into
the offensive corner before sliding a slick pass back to Albin Grewe, who fired
it into the top corner. Strong plays from both the goal scorer Grewe and the
playmaker Frondell.
Midway through the second period, Frölunda
restored their two-goal lead through Filip Hasa. Holding the puck confidently
at the blue line, Hasa ripped it high past Magnus Hellberg in the Djurgården
net. Just a minute later, Frölunda added another goal to lead 4–1.
Before the period was over, Djurgården’s
August Berg fired a shot from the blue line to make it 4–2. That gave
Djurgården a glimmer of hope, but it was short-lived as Frölunda extended their
lead to 5–2.
Stenberg picks up two assists in the third
Frölunda wasted no time getting on the
board in the third period. Just 55 seconds in, Filip Cederqvist carried the
puck in and set up Jere Innala, who shoveled home the 6–2 goal. The assist gave
Cederqvist his fourth point of the game.
A seventh goal followed for Frölunda, with
Ivar Stenberg carrying the puck into the zone before moving it along to Theodor
Niederbach, who set up Max Lindholm to make it 7–2. Frölunda piled on four more
goals to finish with an 11–2 win, while Djurgården looked every bit the newly
promoted SHL side. Stenberg picked up another assist on the power-play tally
that capped the scoring at 11–2.
Among the young players, Ivar Stenberg and
Anton Frondell stood out the most. Frondell had a strong second period,
creating a scoring chance and picking up an assist on Albin Grewe’s goal.
Stenberg was a constant threat, showing majestic puck control throughout the
game. He was rewarded with an assist for carrying the play that led to
Frölunda’s 7–2 goal. He also picked up an assist on the final goal after being
involved in the power-play setup.
Another Goalie Moves From NHL To KHL
Canadian goaltender Louis Domingue, 33, has signed a one-year
contract with Sibir Novosibirsk, the KHL club announced on Thursday.
Ilya Samsonov Signs Multi-Year KHL DealGoaltender Ilya Samsonov returns to the KHL, signing with Sochi after his NHL chapter concludes. A potential North American clause offers a path back. 
