NY Islanders prospect Victor Eklund propels Sweden to their first win of the 2026 World Junior Championship

The World Junior Championships are officially underway, with Sweden and Slovakia kicking off the action this afternoon.

A matchup that many expected to be dominated by a loaded Swedish roster was anything but.

A highly competitive and physical game, the Slovaks refused to back down to the Swedes, with NY Islanders prospect and 16th overall pick from this past summer's draft, Victor Eklund, playing a significant role in the Swedes coming out on top.

Eklund excels in first game of WJC

Early in the first period, Eklund sprung his national team and SHL teammate with Djurgården, Anton Frondell (Chicago Blackhawks), on a breakaway, but as Frondell beat the goaltender, the puck rang off the pipe.

Frondell would eventually pot the first goal of the tournament on the man-advantage, giving the Swedes the lead. Four minutes later, with the Swedes up a man once again, Eklund recorded his first tally, gaining position in front of the goal, deflecting the puck into the back of the net. 

Today, Eklund was everything the Mathieu Darche and Director of Amateur Scouting, Trent Klatt, expected him to be when they selected the forward this summer.

Despite standing only 5’11”, Eklund was battling for every puck and laying the body into anybody he could for 60 minutes.

“We use the term ‘dawg,’ D-A-W-G,” Craig Button said on the TSN broadcast. “Victor Eklund is a dawg.”

Sweden and Eklund have a day off tomorrow, but will be back in action at 2 pm on Sunday, taking on Switzerland, and will take on the Americans on New Year's Eve in a matchup that could determine the winner of Group A.