Photograph credit score: Micheline Veluvolu
Filip Ekberg is having a U18 World Championship like no different Swedish participant ever has.
The Ottawa 67’s ahead grew to become Sweden’s all-time single event scoring chief Friday night time when he recorded his seventeenth level on his tenth purpose in a 4-3 semi-final win over USA.
He’d add an help later within the recreation and sits on 18 factors heading into tonight’s gold medal recreation towards Canada.
“It’s not one thing I attempted to consider,” Ekberg stated of breaking the file. “We’re not right here for ourselves; we’re right here to win a gold medal like a staff.”
Along with his 18 factors, Ekberg’s 10 targets are additionally a Swedish file. He’s additionally one level shy of tying Toronto Maple Leafs star William Nylander for the Swedish all-time factors file of 19 on the event. Moreso, the only event scoring file is 22 factors set by the USA’s James Hagens final 12 months.
“I get to play with actually actually good and expert gamers,” Ekberg stated of his teammates. “If you happen to cross them the puck they’ll rating and they’re going to discover you as properly.”
However whereas he was honoured to be within the file books, it’s successful gold tonight that he solely cares about.
“That’s what we got here for,” Ekberg stated. “That’s what all people on our staff needs and now we’re right here.”
Sweden went 3-1-0 within the round-robin with their lone blemish a 6-3 loss to the USA. After they cruised previous Finland 7-2 within the quarterfinals, they bought their revenge towards the hosts with a 4-3 victory within the semis. Sweden have beforehand received gold on the U18 World Championships twice with their most up-to-date success coming in 2022.
“They’re a extremely expert staff,” Ekberg stated of Canada. “We all know they’re a superb staff however we are attempting to give attention to ourselves. If we play like [we did in the semis] and never quit too many possibilities we have now a superb likelihood to win.”
The thirty third total decide within the 2024 CHL Import Draft by Ottawa, Ekberg had a stable first season within the OHL. In 53 video games, he tallied 16 targets and 45 factors with a +5 score whereas he was listed in NHL Central Scouting’s Last Rankings forward of the 2025 NHL Draft.
However he’s turned heads this week in Texas to the purpose that his draft inventory can have risen. After he ended the OHL common season on an 11-game level streak (6G/11A), his recreation has hit one other degree on the U18’s.
“I got here in with loads of confidence into this event and that has stored going from my final recreation in Ottawa,” Ekberg stated.
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