Ivar Stenberg
| Ivar Stenberg | |||
|---|---|---|---|
_by_Sandro_Halank%E2%80%93043.jpg) Stenberg in 2025 | |||
| Born |
30 September 2007 Stenungsund, Sweden | ||
| Height | 180 cm (5 ft 11 in) | ||
| Weight | 83 kg (183 lb; 13 st 1 lb) | ||
| Position | Winger | ||
| Shoots | Left | ||
| NHL team Former teams |
San Jose Sharks Frölunda HC | ||
| National team |
 Sweden | ||
| NHL draft |
2nd overall, 2026 San Jose Sharks | ||
| Playing career | 2024–present | ||
Ivar Stenberg (born 30 September 2007) is a Swedish professional ice hockey player who is a winger for the San Jose Sharks of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was selected second overall by the Sharks in the 2026 NHL entry draft. He previously played for Frölunda HC of the Swedish Hockey League (SHL).
Playing career
[edit]Stenberg started playing ice hockey for his hometown team Stenungsund Stingers when he was four years old.[1] He played above his age group alongside his older brother Otto, during their youth careers, the brothers were part of Stenungsund's teams that won Göteborgs-Posten's annual youth tournament, the GP‑Pucken – one of Sweden's largest competitions for players aged nine to twelve – on all four occasions in which they participated.[1]
At age 13 he represented Bohuslän/Dalsland in the 2021 TV-pucken – a Swedish national under-16 ice hockey tournament for district teams – recording one assist in five games. He followed in his older brother Otto's footsteps and joined Frölunda HC to play for their junior academy for the 2021–22 season. Playing for the under-16 team he recorded 11 goals and 21 assists for 32 points in 21 games, and five goals and one assist in six games of the under-16 Swedish championship.
He captained Gothenburg at the 2022 TV-pucken, recording four goals and four assists in eight games. He recorded nine goals and 23 assists for a total of 32 points in 12 games with Frölunda's under-16 team during the 2022–23 season, and one goal and four assists in two games of the qualifications for the under-16 Swedish championship, and one goal and two assists in three games of the championships. During the season he also made his debut with the under-18 team in the J18 Region, recording six goals and 11 assists in 12 games, and three goals and five assist in 14 games of the J18 Nationell – a continuation series of J18 Region with the five best teams from each division qualified. He recorded no points in five games of the under-18 Swedish championship playoffs.
Stenberg was named alternate captain of Frölunda's under-18 team for the 2023–24 season, he recorded five goals and 27 assists for a total of 32 points in 18 games of the J18 Region, and 18 goals and 12 assists for a total of 30 points in 13 games of the J18 Nationell. In the under-18 Swedish championships Stenberg recorded five goals and eight assists for a total of 13 points in five games. During the season he made his debut with the under-20 team, recording three goals and five assists in nine games of the J20 Nationell, and two assists in six games of the under-20 Swedish championships.
The following year Stenberg played three games in the J18 Region, recording one goal and seven assists, and only one game in J18 Nationell where he recorded one goal and five assists. During the autumn he spent the majority of the time in the J20 Nationell where he recorded 13 goals and 15 assists in 11 games,[2] before making his professional debut for Frölunda HC in the Swedish Hockey League (SHL) at 17 years old on 12 October 2024, in a game against Linköping HC.[3][4]
During the 2025–26 season, he recorded 11 goals and 22 assists in 43 games. His 33 points ranks fifth in SHL history among players 18 years old or younger.[5] On 26 June 2026, he was drafted second overall by the San Jose Sharks in the 2026 NHL entry draft.[6] He signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the Sharks on 2 July 2026.[7]
International play
[edit]| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
| Men's ice hockey | ||
| Representing Sweden | ||
| World Junior Championships | ||
 | 2026 United States | |
| World U18 Championships | ||
 | 2025 United States | |
On 24 October 2023, Stenberg was named to Sweden's roster for the 2023 World U-17 Hockey Challenge.[8] During the tournament he led the team in scoring with seven goals and three assists in seven games and won a bronze medal. His seven goals tied for the tournament lead.[9] During a preliminary round game against Canada Red, he recorded four goals and one assist.[10][11]
On 30 July 2024, Stenberg was named to Sweden's roster for the 2024 Hlinka Gretzky Cup.[12] During a preliminary round game against Switzerland he scored four goals and three assists.[13] He finished the tournament with four goals and six assists in five games and won a bronze medal.[14]
Stenberg represented Sweden at the 2024 World Junior A Challenge where he led the tournament in scoring with seven goals and four assists in five games and won a silver medal.[15]
In December 2025, he was selected to represent Sweden at the 2026 World Junior Championships.[16] He led the team in scoring with four goals and six assists in seven games and won a gold medal. During the gold medal game against Czechia he scored one goal and two assists to help Sweden win their first gold medal at the World Junior Championship since 2012.[17]
Personal life
[edit]Stenberg's older brother, Otto, was drafted 25th overall by the St. Louis Blues in the 2023 NHL entry draft.[18] His younger brother, Knut, also plays ice hockey.[19]
Career statistics
[edit]Regular season and playoffs
[edit]| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 2022–23 | Frölunda HC | J18 | 14 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 4 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||
| 2023–24 | Frölunda HC | J18 | 13 | 18 | 12 | 30 | 10 | 5 | 5 | 8 | 13 | 8 | ||
| 2023–24 | Frölunda HC | J20 | 9 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 4 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | ||
| 2024–25 | Frölunda HC | J18 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2024–25 | Frölunda HC | J20 | 27 | 26 | 27 | 53 | 36 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2024–25 | Frölunda HC | SHL | 25 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 12 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 2 | ||
| 2025–26 | Frölunda HC | SHL | 43 | 11 | 22 | 33 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 4 | ||
| SHL totals | 68 | 12 | 24 | 36 | 10 | 18 | 3 | 7 | 10 | 6 | ||||
International
[edit]| Year | Team | Event | Result | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Sweden | U17 |  |
7 | 7 | 3 | 10 | 2 | |
| 2024 | Sweden | HG18 | |
5 | 4 | 6 | 10 | 4 | |
| 2025 | Sweden | U18 |  |
7 | 8 | 5 | 13 | 4 | |
| 2026 | Sweden | WJC |  |
7 | 4 | 6 | 10 | 6 | |
| 2026 | Sweden | WC | 7th | 8 | 4 | 4 | 8 | 6 | |
| Junior totals | 26 | 23 | 20 | 43 | 16 | ||||
| Senior totals | 8 | 4 | 4 | 8 | 6 | ||||
References
[edit]- 1 2 Rylander, Johan (25 October 2024). "Här är Frölundas nya supertalang Ivar Stenberg". Göteborgs-Posten (in Swedish). Retrieved 26 December 2025.
- ↑ Wheeler, Scott (4 October 2024). "Which NHL prospects have stood out early in the 2024-25 season?". The Athletic. Retrieved 18 October 2024.
- ↑ Kågström, Rasmus (12 October 2024). "Efter poängsuccén – 17-åringen får göra SHL-debut". hockeysverige.se (in Swedish). Retrieved 18 October 2024.
- ↑ "Max avgjorde, två poäng till Frölunda". frolundahockey.com (in Swedish). 12 October 2024. Retrieved 18 October 2024.
- ↑ "Maple Leafs should select Stenberg, analyst tells 'NHL Draft Class' podcast". NHL.com. 23 June 2026. Retrieved 26 June 2026.
- ↑ Stephens, Eric (26 June 2026). "San Jose Sharks select Ivar Stenberg with No. 2 pick in NHL Draft". The Athletic. Retrieved 26 June 2026.
- ↑ "Sharks sign forward Ivar Stenberg to an entry-level contract". NHL.com. San Jose Sharks. 2 July 2026. Retrieved 2 July 2026.
- ↑ "Ivar Stenberg från Stenungsund ska spela U17-VM i Kanada". ST-tidningen (in Swedish). 24 October 2024. Retrieved 18 October 2024.
- ↑ Karlsson, Måns (12 November 2023). "Sverige tog brons i World Under-17 Hockey Challenge". hockeysverige.se (in Swedish). Retrieved 18 October 2024.
- ↑ Kågström, Rasmus (7 November 2023). "Ivar Stenberg fyramålsskytt – Sverige vann målkalas mot Kanada". hockeysverige.se (in Swedish). Retrieved 18 October 2024.
- ↑ Brown, Jared (6 August 2024). "Exciting Performance from Younger Brother of Blues Prospect at Day 1 of the Hlinka Gretzky Cup". The Hockey News. Retrieved 18 October 2024.
- ↑ Jansson, Martin (30 July 2024). "Här är Sveriges trupp till Hlinka Gretzky Cup". hockeysverige.se (in Swedish). Retrieved 18 October 2024.
- ↑ Bodin, Uffe (7 August 2024). "20 poäng av Småkronornas superkedja i Hlinka Gretzky Cup". hockeysverige.se (in Swedish). Retrieved 18 October 2024.
- ↑ Gagne, Ryan (15 August 2024). "Ivar Stenberg Continues a Family Tradition of Winning a Medal at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup". The Hockey News. Retrieved 18 October 2024.
- ↑ Peters, Chris (15 December 2024). "Team USA Downs Sweden, Wins 10th Title At World Junior A Challenge". flohockey.tv. Retrieved 15 December 2024.
- ↑ Smeds, Jacob (5 December 2025). "Sweden Reveals World Juniors Squad". The Hockey News. Retrieved 5 December 2025.
- ↑ Podnieks, Andrew (5 January 2026). "Swedes win dramatic third gold". IIHF.com. Retrieved 5 January 2026.
- ↑ Jansson, Martin (7 January 2024). "Ivar Stenberg om att följa storebror Otto i JVM: "Gåshud"". hockeysverige.se (in Swedish). Retrieved 18 October 2024.
- ↑ Wheeler, Scott (28 June 2023). "Blues draftee Otto Stenberg defined by his versatility and play-driving". The Athletic. Retrieved 18 October 2024.
External links
[edit]- Biographical information and career statistics from Eliteprospects.com, or Eurohockey.com, or The Internet Hockey Database