WJHC 2009-10 - Team Sweden

Team Canada may have turned a lot of heads with a 16-0 victory over Latvia on Boxing Day but Canadian fans have to be concerned over a potential gold medal match-up versus Team Sweden.



Magnus Paajarvi-Svensson had a goal and four assists to help Sweden stomp the Czech Republic 10-1 in the opening Group B game of the World Junior Hockey Championships. Sweden, with 18 NHL draftees on its roster, scored four goals in the first and another four in the third. Florida Panthers draft pick Jacob Markstrom had the easy victory in nets.



Team Sweden followed up their opening day victory with a 7-3 win over Austria. With two games under their belt, Sweden has outscored the oppostion 17-4. Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Anton Rodin each had two goals and an assist.

New Jersey Devils draft pick Jacob Josefson opened the scoring for Sweden before the game was a minute old with a top-shelf slapshot from the point. Ekman-Larsson, a Phoenix Coyotes pick, assisted on the goal.

Jacob Josefson, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, and other players from Team Sweden are available in various products from In The Game which are available at Canada Card World.

WJHC 2009-10 Preview - Oliver Ekman-Larsson

Oliver Ekman-Larsson is a special player and projects as a No. 1 defenseman in the NHL. He was selected sixth overall by the Phoenix Coyotes in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft and currently plays for Leksands IF in Sweden. The 6'2, 180-pound blueliner posted three goals and 14 assists in 39 games in the Allsvenskan, the top farm league in Sweden and had a league best plus/minus at +44.



Ekman-Larsson is a highly skilled defenseman blessed with uncanny hockey sense and impressive skating. He moves smoothly with incredible mobility. He is a playmaker with the potential to put up a lot of points.



Oliver Ekman-Larsson was born with skill as his grandfather, Kenneth Ekman, played on Sweden’s National team and represented his country at the 1972 Winter Olympics in Japan. Oliver will join Magnus Pääjärvi-Svensson on this years Swedish World Junior Hockey Championship team who will challenge Canada for the gold medal. Ekman-Larsson will remain in Sweden for 2009-10 season and potentially join the Phoenix Coyotes after that.

Oliver Ekman-Larsson has a few cards available in various ITG products and will have more with the release of In The Game's 2009-10 Heroes and Prospects which will be available at Canada Card World in late January.