Sweden’s development programs are on a high. In 2026, for the first time, Tre Kronor won IIHF World Championship gold at both U20 and U18 level. That continues an eight-year run of medals in men’s age-group hockey for the Nordic powerhouse.
The U18 gold in Slovakia was particularly impressive. The team was disrupted in the build-up when one of its leading players opted to stay in Gothenburg and contest the SHL playoffs with his club. That left head coach Johan Rosen without the two players who would be Sweden’s highest draft picks in this summer’s NHL draft.
Then, the preliminary round brough a painful 1-9 loss against the USA before restructuring the offense unleashed a powerful new strike top line. That trio of Marcus Nordmark, Alexander Command and Elton Hermansson proved too much for the competition, sparking a 10-goal rout of Denmark before disposing of Canada, Czechia and host nation Slovakia in the playoff rounds in Trencin.
But for head coach Rosen, reflecting on the tournament, success was less about an inspired tactical shift and more about the commitment of his players.
“The character in the group was unbelievable,” he said. “We struggled a little bit before [the tournament], there were some issues back home. Some of the guys came straight from the playoff finals, and then we had some sickness on the team.
“So that was a bit of a reason for the meltdown against the USA.
“But from that game we had some talks with the guys, we worked with them. We always knew what we’re capable of and we bounced back right away against Denmark. After that we just kept going. I can’t take much credit, these guys are so good they did a lot of the work themselves.”
Four of Sweden’s golden roster were chosen in the first round of the draft, helped by the profile boost that comes from successful international play. Rosen took charge of the group when they were U16 players and moulded a championship team from them.
For Hermansson, who finished joint top scorer in Slovakia and was then selected by the LA Kings at #19, it was a special experience.
“It’s been incredibly fun playing with these guys, just unbelievable,” he said. “We’ve had two great years.
“Winning this championship with these guys, I’ll carry that with me all my life.”
When asked about his overriding memories of the class of 2026, Rosen has no hesitation: “The skill level. It’s unbelievable how much skill there is in this group.
“But it’s also the work ethic. I’ve been working with the 2008 year-group for two years, we had different players coming into the group. I think I used 53 players during a two-year span but every time a new guy came in he really belonged.
“It was like a club team. That first day you’re just meeting everybody then after maybe a week, it was almost like they have been there for years.”
An extended sequence of success raises expectations for Sweden. While Rosen is excited for the future, he’s also cautious not to underestimate the challenge ahead. Asked if the Swedes had established a dominant position in age-group tournaments, he downplayed the idea: “I think we’re up there, but we’re competing with all the other nations.”
But, as work starts on the 2010 year-group in August and the coach seeks to build another medal contender for the 2028 U18 Worlds, there is excitement about the next crop of rising stars.
“We have a lot of skilled year groups to come and it will be fun to keep working with them,” he concluded.
The U18 gold in Slovakia was particularly impressive. The team was disrupted in the build-up when one of its leading players opted to stay in Gothenburg and contest the SHL playoffs with his club. That left head coach Johan Rosen without the two players who would be Sweden’s highest draft picks in this summer’s NHL draft.
Then, the preliminary round brough a painful 1-9 loss against the USA before restructuring the offense unleashed a powerful new strike top line. That trio of Marcus Nordmark, Alexander Command and Elton Hermansson proved too much for the competition, sparking a 10-goal rout of Denmark before disposing of Canada, Czechia and host nation Slovakia in the playoff rounds in Trencin.
But for head coach Rosen, reflecting on the tournament, success was less about an inspired tactical shift and more about the commitment of his players.
“The character in the group was unbelievable,” he said. “We struggled a little bit before [the tournament], there were some issues back home. Some of the guys came straight from the playoff finals, and then we had some sickness on the team.
“So that was a bit of a reason for the meltdown against the USA.
“But from that game we had some talks with the guys, we worked with them. We always knew what we’re capable of and we bounced back right away against Denmark. After that we just kept going. I can’t take much credit, these guys are so good they did a lot of the work themselves.”
Four of Sweden’s golden roster were chosen in the first round of the draft, helped by the profile boost that comes from successful international play. Rosen took charge of the group when they were U16 players and moulded a championship team from them.
For Hermansson, who finished joint top scorer in Slovakia and was then selected by the LA Kings at #19, it was a special experience.
“It’s been incredibly fun playing with these guys, just unbelievable,” he said. “We’ve had two great years.
“Winning this championship with these guys, I’ll carry that with me all my life.”
When asked about his overriding memories of the class of 2026, Rosen has no hesitation: “The skill level. It’s unbelievable how much skill there is in this group.
“But it’s also the work ethic. I’ve been working with the 2008 year-group for two years, we had different players coming into the group. I think I used 53 players during a two-year span but every time a new guy came in he really belonged.
“It was like a club team. That first day you’re just meeting everybody then after maybe a week, it was almost like they have been there for years.”
An extended sequence of success raises expectations for Sweden. While Rosen is excited for the future, he’s also cautious not to underestimate the challenge ahead. Asked if the Swedes had established a dominant position in age-group tournaments, he downplayed the idea: “I think we’re up there, but we’re competing with all the other nations.”
But, as work starts on the 2010 year-group in August and the coach seeks to build another medal contender for the 2028 U18 Worlds, there is excitement about the next crop of rising stars.
“We have a lot of skilled year groups to come and it will be fun to keep working with them,” he concluded.