‘Unflinching’ Viggo Björck isn’t too small for the NHL – period

May 20, 2026, 10:00 EDTUpdated: May 19, 2026, 13:19 EDT

‘Unflinching’ Viggo Björck isn’t too small for the NHL – period

Credit: Steven Ellis

Sweden is typically a gold medal contender at the IIHF Men’s World Championship.

While they haven’t won it all since 2018, they have taken home bronze the past two years. Their 49 total medals are second only to Canada at 53. But if they’re going to come through this year, they’re going to need a bit of help.

Of the 25 players initially named to the roster, the Swedes had played a combined 292 World Championship games – 13th out of the 16 competing teams. They also brought a significantly younger roster at 27.52 by average age, good for 10th. For reference, they had the second-oldest squad at 28.92, with more than double the number of games played a year ago.

Leading the way on the top line: a pair of 2026 NHL Draft prospects, Ivar Stenberg and Viggo Björck. Stenberg is considered by many to be the top challenger to go first overall to the Toronto Maple Leafs outside of Gavin McKenna.

But right now, many eyes are on Björck, the team’s first-line center. He had to truly claw his way to making this team, but he had a pair of goals in his first two Euro Hockey Tour games leading up to the event. He was consistent enough to keep himself on the roster for the main event, becoming the first U-18 player to make the Swedish lineup in the team’s history. Björck registered his first goal and nabbed an assist to lead Sweden to its lone victory to date against Denmark.

His biggest fan might actually be Canadian superstar Sidney Crosby – the player Björck idolized with a poster on his wall growing up. The pair went up against each other on the opening day, with Canada winning.

“Being a younger guy at this tournament, I can relate (to the pressure),” Crosby told Swedish outlet SVT. “Not being that young, but being a young guy isn’t easy… He’s pretty poised, he’s pretty competitive. He’s not the biggest guy but sees the ice well, has a good shot. He looked like he was really assertive with the puck.”

Listed at 5-foot-10 and 172 pounds, Björck definitely lacks the size teams crave in a center. But that hasn’t slowed him down – he’s absolutely fearless. He hasn’t found a player he wasn’t afraid to go up against in this tournament. We’ve seen him win battles against guys like Stanley Cup champion Ryan O’Reilly (6-foot-1, 216 pounds), David Tomasek (6-foot-2, 209 pounds) and even 6-foot-8 monster Malte Setkov. In a sense, it’s like watching a younger Zach Benson. The Buffalo Sabres forward has made a name for himself for being afraid of absoutely nobody despite being 5-foot-10 himself.

“He’s not afraid on the ice,” Chicago Blackhawks forward Anton Frondell said during the World Juniors. “He wins every puck battle. He’s always in front of the net, and his playmaking is insane, too.”

The nephew of famed Swedish singer Charlotte Perrelli spent the past year playing against men, registering 15 points in 42 games with Djurgårdens. Björck even spent the latter half of the season as the team’s No. 1 center, which is already a testament to his maturity and skill. And before you say his point total doesn’t seem too impressive, the other 19 U-18 SHL skaters combined for four points this season. Björck was also one of the top players at the World Juniors, helping Sweden win gold for the first time since 2012.

Now, he’s a potential top-10 prospect for 2026.

“He’s one of the most mature guys I’ve ever met, even though he’s 17,” said New York Islanders prospect Victor Eklund in December. “I would say he’s more mature than me, to be honest, both on the ice and off the ice. He plays huge. He plays mature, he does what takes to to win.”

Björck can play both center and the wing, and while scouts wish he’d be bulkier, his hockey IQ is off the charts. Björck’s shot is incredibly deceptive, especially on the power play. He doesn’t give you much to work with if you’re a goalie – and it’s because he doesn’t need to. Quick, accurate and always in a dangerous spot.

Björck is a natural facilitator who is always looking for the right pass. Some younger centers can get a bit too anxious and give the puck up trying to make a fancy play. Björck knows when it’s the right time to hold on and rush the puck up himself and when it’s better for him to pass it off to a winger. He never stops moving and uses his lower center of gravity to win battles by his feet along the boards. The fact Björck has already played significant time this year as a No. 1 center shows how much his coaches trust him as a two-way threat, too – he doesn’t cheat on offense like many others his age.

The natural skill is there. But scouts are still so intrigued by the way Björck competes hard to win every physical battle, allowing him to shed the concerns of most other smaller forwards.

“He’s unflinching,” one scout said. “He’s not afraid of anyone – but bigger guys are afraid of him.”

Scouts also commended Björck’s decision not to bail on the Swedish junior league championship to join the U-18 World Championship squad earlier this year. Sweden’s hockey federation mandated that any players who participated must be present for the entire event. But Björck elected to stay and help Djurgårdens win a U-20 league title – and they did, with the young forward registering eight goals and 20 points in nine playoff games. It was good to see him and the Swedish federation stay on good terms, because the Swedes really need his energy right now. Sweden won gold at the U-18s without him, by the way.

Björck has another year on his SHL deal. But unlike in the KHL, it’s easier to release players from their contracts if an NHL opportunity arises. We’ll see if that’s the case or if the team that drafts him elects to send Björck back, as Chicago did with Frondell. There are some teams where Björck could probably step into a second-line role immediately. He has the hockey sense to make it work. But some might prefer him playing a full season of top-line minutes in Sweden instead, while keeping on a more patient path.

Either way, scouts aren’t worried about him anymore. They think Björck is the real deal – and if your team selects him in the top 10 this year, you’ll be very, very pleased.

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