Sweden unveils roster for 2025 World Juniors including draft-eligible Eklund
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Sweden named its roster for the 2025 World Junior Championship on Wednesday, highlighted by the return of nine players who won silver last January.
The Tre Kroner named 14 forwards, seven defencemen and three goaltenders to their roster.
Axel Sandin Pellikka, selected 17th overall by the Detroit Red Wings in 2023, will make his third appearance at the tournament. The 19-year-old blueliner had two goals and six points as Sweden lost in the final on home ice to Team USA in 2024.
Vancouver Canucks' 2023 11th-overall pick Tom Willander also returns on defence and is joined by a pair of seventh-round picks in Calgary Flames prospect Axel Hurtig (selected in 2023) and Montreal Canadiens prospect Rasmus Bergqvist, who was picked 224th overall in this year's draft.
In addition to the experience of returning players, the forward group includes 2025 draft-eligible prospect Victor Eklund, who was listed at No. 11 in Craig Button's latest ranking. Forward Anton Frondell, who was the top Swedish player in Button's rankings at No. 5 overall, did not make the team.
Sweden will open their 2025 World Juniors on Boxing Day against Slovakia. The team will also play Kazakhstan, Switzerland and Czechia in Group B at the tournament in Ottawa.
Sweden's 2025 World Juniors Roster
Goaltenders
Marcus Gidlof
Melker Thelin
Melvin Strahl
Defencemen
Axel Sandin Pellikka
Tom Willander
Theo Lindstein
Wilhelm Hallquisth
Axel Hurtig
Viggo Gustafsson
Rasmus Bergqvist
Forwards
Otto Stenberg
Felix Unger Sorum
David Edstrom
Zeb Forsfjall
Anton Wahlberg
Linus Eriksson
Victor Eklund
Jack Berglund
Isac Hedqvist
Felix Nilsson
Oskar Vuollet
David Granberg
Herman Traff
Dennis Altorn