Sharks’ William Eklund hospitalized in pre-World Championship game
San Jose Sharks winger William Eklund had a worrying Saturday while representing Team Sweden at the exhibition Czech Hockey Games tournament.
During a matchup against the host nation, he appeared to be cut on the left wrist, near his hand, while battling for the puck with Vancouver Canucks defenseman Filip Hronek.
The 22-year-old left the game, which Sweden went on to win 4-2, and was taken to a local hospital in Brno, Czechia, for further evaluation. However, later in the day, he posted on Instagram that he was in stable condition.
Scary stuff as Sharks forward William Eklund caught a skate to the wrist/hand area in a friendly game against Czechia.
His status for the 2025 IIHF World Championship is questionable.
pic.twitter.com/oLVJ8BqHgR
His agent, Todd Diamond, also told Sheng Peng of San Jose Hockey Now that “he’s stable… it looks like it didn’t cut any key tendons or nerves at the moment.”
Eklund has yet to be named to Sweden’s official roster for the 2025 IIHF World Hockey Championship, which will run from May 9 to 25 in Stockholm, Sweden and Herning, Denmark. This year’s championship serves as a partial precursor to next winter’s Milano-Cortina 2026 Olympic Games.
"Everything is fine"
William Eklund just posted this on his Instagram pic.twitter.com/Hw0dkfPHgY
In the NHL this season, Eklund scored 14 goals and 55 points through 77 games with the Sharks, emerging as an important piece of the hockey club’s rebuild, as he enters the final year of his entry-level contract.
The Sharks, meanwhile, finished last in the overall NHL standings, amassing just 52 points despite bright moments from Eklund, and top prospects Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith.
With wins against Switzerland and Czechia so far at the Czech Hockey Games, Sweden will be back on the ice on Sunday, taking on Finland in their final game of the exhibition tournament, leading up to their World Championship opener against Slovakia at the Avicii Arena on May 9.
Sweden’s Group A World Championship opponents include Austria, Canada, Finland, France, Latvia, Slovakia and Slovenia. At the same time, Group B consists of Czechia, Denmark, Germany, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Norway, Switzerland and the United States.