PWHL Montreal signs Lina Ljungblom to three-year contract
One of the most prolific scorers in Europe is ready to take her talents to the PWHL.
On Monday, Montreal signed forward Lina Ljungblom to a three-year contract, beginning next season.
Lina Ljungblom a officiellement signé un contrat standard de trois ans 🙌
L’attaquante suédoise a été repêchée en 15e ronde au repêchage 2023 de la LPHF. Après une saison spectaculaire, Ljungblom a été nommée joueuse la plus utile de la SDHL en inscrivant 23 buts et 46 points… pic.twitter.com/SNC2QSFxVl
Ljungblom was originally selected by Montreal 90th overall, the final pick, in the inaugural PWHL Draft last fall. As she was still under contract with the MoDo Hockey of the SDHL, she remained on Montreal’s protected list.
“Our team is extremely happy to be welcoming Lina with open arms in Montréal,” general manager Danièle Sauvageau said in a release. She is a dynamic and explosive player who will add depth to our offensive game. She was named league MVP last season in Sweden, and her arrival in Montréal will be a great asset for our team. Our fans will love seeing her do her thing on the ice.”
While Montreal went on to have a pretty good season, Ljungblom was sensational back in Sweden. The 22-year-old had a career year, scoring 46 points in 36 games, finishing third in league scoring. Her 23 goals placed her tied for second in the SDHL, one behind Luleå HF’s Petra Nieminen. Ljungblom’s play helped MoDo reach the finals, ultimately getting swept by Luleå in three games.
Despite coming up short with her team, the Skövde native was named the SDHL’s most valuable player. Although she has played in her homeland for her entire career, Ljungblom is ready to move to the PWHL.
“I’m so excited to be a part of Montréal,” Ljungblom said. “When I watched the games during the last season, I felt that it would be a dream come true to play for that team, in front of their great fans. I’m now so happy to finally be able to do that.”
Ljungblom has represented her country since she was 15, winning a Youth Olympic gold medal in 2016. She took home silver with Sweden at the 2018 IIHF Women’s Under-18 World Championship, and has been on the senior national team since the 2019 IIHF Women’s World Championship. Ljunglom also played for Damkronorna at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing.