Road to WJC´s continue & Sweden names Under-18 squad

By Peter Westermark
Sweden has named the national Under-20 team that will participate in the four nations exhbition tournament in Uddevalla, Sweden, November 10th to 12th.

The Uddevalla tournament is the last exhibition tournament before the start of the World Junior Championships in late december. The team picked to participate in Uddevalla will make up the core of the team that will travel to Russia, so the tournament is a good indication of how high the expectations should be on the Swedes.

This year´s team lack the flash that last year´s Swedish WJC entry had with players such as the Sedin-twins and fast rising Red Wings prospect Henrik Zetterberg. Instead, they will have to rely on a team effort.

The advantage of having more players who are regulars on their club-teams than Swedish teams have had in previous tournaments should be a factor, and a better finish than last year´s quarter-final exit is in the cards in spite of the lack of star quality.

Frölunda´s Henrik Lundqvist enters the tournament as the number one goaltender. He was drafted by the New York Rangers 205th overall last summer and has played four games for Frölunda in the Elitserien. Johan Backlund from Skellefteå will try to unseat him, but has a tough task on his hands.

The defense is somewhat on the small side. Four of the eight defensemen chosen are six feet tall or shorter. The biggest defenseman is Lars Jonsson, who is listed at 6´2, 200 pounds. The seventh overall Bruins pick is expected to be a leader, especially offensively. Jonsson is currently a regular on Leksand´s defense and has scored once in eleven Elitserien games.

The other Bruins 2000 first round pick, winger Martin Samuelsson also included in the squad. Samuelsson has scored seven goals and three assists in eight games for Hammarby in Sweden´s second league, the Allsvenskan. Another player to keep an eye on is Frölunda´s Jari Tolsa. The Detroit draftee has made a smooth transition to the Elitserien after starring in the soft Swedish junior league.

Twelve players come from Allsvenskan-clubs and almost everyone of these players hold down a regular spot with their respective club-team.

A big surprise is that Frölunda winger Jens Karlsson, a highly touted 2001 Draft prospect, is not included in the squad. Instead, another 2001-prospect, 1983-born Fredrik Sjöström made the team. Both Sjöström and Karlsson has seen spot duty with Frölunda in the Elitserien.

Full roster can be found here.

Sweden names Under-18 squad

Coach Kjell-Rune Milton and his staff has assembled the team that will participate in the Under-18 five nations cup in West Valley City, Utah, USA.

The team, that consists only of 1983-born players, boasts nineteen players that are eligible for the 2001 NHL Entry Draft, should they choose to opt in.

Interesting names include big AIK-center Yared Hagos and 2002-eligible Skellefteå-born MoDo winger Joakim Lindström.

Full roster can be found here.