Anton Frondell hopes to snap Sweden's gold medal drought at the 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship.
photo: © INTERNATIONAL ICE HOCKEY FEDERATION / MICHELINE VELUVOLU
Anton Frondell led Sweden with a whopping nine shots in Friday’s opening 3-2 win over Slovakia at the 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship. Is it a sign of things to come?
Clearly, the top Chicago Blackhawks prospect from Djurgarden, who scored two points, was jacked up for his tournament debut.
On the power play, the 18-year-old Frondell notched the opening goal with a big one-timer in the first period, and then set up Djurgarden teammate Victor Eklund to make it 2-0 in the second period. Frondell was named Sweden’s Player of the Game.
Clearly, the top Chicago Blackhawks prospect from Djurgarden, who scored two points, was jacked up for his tournament debut.
On the power play, the 18-year-old Frondell notched the opening goal with a big one-timer in the first period, and then set up Djurgarden teammate Victor Eklund to make it 2-0 in the second period. Frondell was named Sweden’s Player of the Game.
In Minnesota, Swedish head coach Magnus Havelid will lean heavily on the 186-cm, 91-kg forward from Tragsund. A constant scoring threat blessed with a great shot, Frondell also knows how to play a hard two-way game, which should serve him well in the NHL.
Asked to comment on playing with Frondell, Eklund said: “It’s so much fun, especially today! He uses his body a lot. I saw he smoked a guy into the boards, so that pumps me up a lot. With us, it’s like give and take, and I know where he’s at every time I’m on the ice.”
Based on his all-around first performance at Grand Casino Arena, you could say Frondell is a good early bet to join the contenders for tournament MVP honours.
Chosen third overall by Chicago in the 2025 NHL Draft, Frondell is already breathing some rarified air. He is one of just eight Swedish top-three selections in draft history, including Mats Sundin (#1, 1989), Daniel and Henrik Sedin (#2 & #3, 1999), Victor Hedman (#2 in 2009), Gabriel Landeskog (#2, 2011), Rasmus Dahlin (#1 in 2018), and Leo Carlsson (#2 in 2023).
Frondell could in theory dispense insights about what it’s like to be a first-round pick to Ivar Stenberg, who scored the breakaway winner versus Slovakia. Stenberg, the younger brother of St. Louis Blues forward Otto Stenberg and a natural dipsy-doodler, is having an historic SHL rookie season with Frolunda HC with 24 points in 25 games. The 18-year-old winger is projected to go top-five in 2026.
However, Frondell notes that Stenberg hasn’t been consumed by the hype: “We're roomies here, and he’s relaxed. He doesn’t think about that. He doesn’t talk about it. So I think he’s handling it well. He's just playing here. His game is everything he can do.”
Asked to comment on playing with Frondell, Eklund said: “It’s so much fun, especially today! He uses his body a lot. I saw he smoked a guy into the boards, so that pumps me up a lot. With us, it’s like give and take, and I know where he’s at every time I’m on the ice.”
Based on his all-around first performance at Grand Casino Arena, you could say Frondell is a good early bet to join the contenders for tournament MVP honours.
Chosen third overall by Chicago in the 2025 NHL Draft, Frondell is already breathing some rarified air. He is one of just eight Swedish top-three selections in draft history, including Mats Sundin (#1, 1989), Daniel and Henrik Sedin (#2 & #3, 1999), Victor Hedman (#2 in 2009), Gabriel Landeskog (#2, 2011), Rasmus Dahlin (#1 in 2018), and Leo Carlsson (#2 in 2023).
Frondell could in theory dispense insights about what it’s like to be a first-round pick to Ivar Stenberg, who scored the breakaway winner versus Slovakia. Stenberg, the younger brother of St. Louis Blues forward Otto Stenberg and a natural dipsy-doodler, is having an historic SHL rookie season with Frolunda HC with 24 points in 25 games. The 18-year-old winger is projected to go top-five in 2026.
However, Frondell notes that Stenberg hasn’t been consumed by the hype: “We're roomies here, and he’s relaxed. He doesn’t think about that. He doesn’t talk about it. So I think he’s handling it well. He's just playing here. His game is everything he can do.”
Anton Frondell (left) was named Sweden's Player of the Game after the 3-2 win over Slovakia.
Both Frondell and Stenberg have a long way to go before they can rival the NHL and international exploits of the aforementioned Swedish superstars. Currently, like Stenberg, Frondell is making an impact against men in the SHL.
As these World Juniors kick off, he is tied for Djurgarden’s lead in goals (10) with 33-year-old Canadian forward Charles Hudon, a former Montreal Canadien. He went viral in October after scoring a slick “Michigan” goal versus Rogle.
Not only does Frondell play for a high-profile, iconic Swedish club in Stockholm, but he’s also facing the pressure of adjusting to a higher caliber of hockey after competing in 2024-25 in the Allsvenskan. He’s up for the challenge.
“We got promoted last year, so I think everyone expected us to be last in the standings,” Frondell said. “We’re in the top half, so we're doing a good job as a team. For me, just trying to grow as a player, it’s harder than last year when I played in the second league. Now it’s more experienced guys I play against and with.”
As these World Juniors kick off, he is tied for Djurgarden’s lead in goals (10) with 33-year-old Canadian forward Charles Hudon, a former Montreal Canadien. He went viral in October after scoring a slick “Michigan” goal versus Rogle.
Not only does Frondell play for a high-profile, iconic Swedish club in Stockholm, but he’s also facing the pressure of adjusting to a higher caliber of hockey after competing in 2024-25 in the Allsvenskan. He’s up for the challenge.
“We got promoted last year, so I think everyone expected us to be last in the standings,” Frondell said. “We’re in the top half, so we're doing a good job as a team. For me, just trying to grow as a player, it’s harder than last year when I played in the second league. Now it’s more experienced guys I play against and with.”
There is reason for optimism about Frondell’s near-term NHL future. Look no further than the success that his soon-to-be Chicago teammate Connor Bedard – not to mention the likes of San Jose’s Macklin Celebrini and Anaheim’s Leo Carlsson – is having this season. Youth is king.
“I try to follow a little bit the games Chicago plays and stuff like that,” Frondell admitted. “But still, I’m playing back in Sweden for Djurgarden, and my focus is to do everything I can there. Our goal as a team is to make the playoffs. I can’t be thinking about other stuff, maybe in the future. Right now, it's more about what I can do in Djurgarden and how we can be good in the SHL.”
But here in Minnesota, Frondell is focused on ending Sweden’s World Junior gold medal drought.
“We have the opportunity to win,” Frondell said. “Sweden has two golds. The last one was 14 years ago [2012 in Calgary]. So we have everything to win, but it's not pressuring us.”
Still, the Swedish fans and media are clamouring for better outcomes. In 2025 in Ottawa, this traditional Scandinavian power finished fourth for the second time in three years. The year before, the Swedes settled for silver with a tough 6-2 loss to the Americans in the final.
All-time, the Swedes have the same number of silver medals (12) as the Canadians (10) and Americans (two) or the Finns (six) and Czechs (six, including the former Czechoslovakia) have put together. It’s a weird statistic, but one that underlines the difficulty that talented Swedish U20 teams have experienced in getting over the last hurdle.
According to Frondell, it will come down to self-belief.
“That’s the most important thing you need to have in a group if you want to stand there with the gold medal,” Frondell said. “So we’ve been talking since Day One about that. We're one big group. Everyone is here to win and plays their role in the game to win.”
Hopefully Frondell’s prowess and positive attitude can help build a winning approach for Sweden that carries over into the medal round.
“I try to follow a little bit the games Chicago plays and stuff like that,” Frondell admitted. “But still, I’m playing back in Sweden for Djurgarden, and my focus is to do everything I can there. Our goal as a team is to make the playoffs. I can’t be thinking about other stuff, maybe in the future. Right now, it's more about what I can do in Djurgarden and how we can be good in the SHL.”
But here in Minnesota, Frondell is focused on ending Sweden’s World Junior gold medal drought.
“We have the opportunity to win,” Frondell said. “Sweden has two golds. The last one was 14 years ago [2012 in Calgary]. So we have everything to win, but it's not pressuring us.”
Still, the Swedish fans and media are clamouring for better outcomes. In 2025 in Ottawa, this traditional Scandinavian power finished fourth for the second time in three years. The year before, the Swedes settled for silver with a tough 6-2 loss to the Americans in the final.
All-time, the Swedes have the same number of silver medals (12) as the Canadians (10) and Americans (two) or the Finns (six) and Czechs (six, including the former Czechoslovakia) have put together. It’s a weird statistic, but one that underlines the difficulty that talented Swedish U20 teams have experienced in getting over the last hurdle.
According to Frondell, it will come down to self-belief.
“That’s the most important thing you need to have in a group if you want to stand there with the gold medal,” Frondell said. “So we’ve been talking since Day One about that. We're one big group. Everyone is here to win and plays their role in the game to win.”
Hopefully Frondell’s prowess and positive attitude can help build a winning approach for Sweden that carries over into the medal round.