1
Gavin McKenna (L)
Left wing
Swedes in the NHL DraftSwedes in the 2026 NHL Draft
Cohort: 2008
Highest selection
#2
SJSIvar Stenberg (L)
Swedes selected
25
of 224 picks
In round 1
7
of 25 Swedes
Share of the draft
11 %
of all picks
The 2026 NHL Draft took place on June 26–27, 2026 in Buffalo, NY, USA. 25 Swedes were selected, including 7 in the first round. Ivar Stenberg was the first Swede selected, at number 2 in round 1. This ranked number 3 among the highest draft selections for a Swede in history.
2 of the 25 Swedes (8%) have played at least one NHL game since the draft. The class leaders in NHL games played are Ivar Stenberg (7 GP, 4 P) and Viggo Björck (7 GP, 0 P).
This draft year shares the record for Swedish first-round selections (7) and ranks 5 in Swedes selected. The Swedish draft class has combined for 4 points in 14 NHL regular-season games. That ranks as the 49th best Swedish draft class of all time by total points. 2 of 25 (8%) are still active in the NHL today.
The draft's top picks
The first 10 selections
Every drafted Swede
25 Swedes were drafted
25
Swedes
20
Teams
7
Rounds
Round 1
7 PICKS
2
8
12
13
19
25
28
Round 2
2 PICKS
51
61
Round 3
5 PICKS
76
83
84
87
88
Round 4
3 PICKS
115
122
128
Round 5
3 PICKS
130
134
138
Round 6
2 PICKS
166
184
Round 7
3 PICKS
200
213
218
Drafting teams
Teams that drafted Swedish players
Sorted by the number of Swedish players selected.
The road to the NHL
The draft class's NHL debuts
2 of the class's Swedes have made their NHL debuts, the first in 2026-2027. Pick a season to see every debutant.
More about the NHL Draft and the Swedes
Explore Swedish Draft history
Best draft classes→The best Swedish draft classes by NHL career output.First round→Every Swedish first-round selection, ordered by pick number.Teams→Which NHL teams have drafted the most Swedes?
From draft pick to NHL contract – what an entry-level contract means and how salary, bonuses and AAV work.