​  Jun. 24—’Twas the night before Christmas (Eve)And all through the Rec CenterHockey fans were stirringIn awe of Ivar Stenberg—-It was nearly six months ago today that hockey fans in southeastern Minnesota were treated to a rarity. As part of the lead-up to the 2026 IIHF World Junior Championships in the Twin Cities, two games in the Pre-Tournament Series were held at the Rochester Recreation Center.Some of the best U20 players in the world were in Rochester for a brief time.On Dec. 23, the matchup featured Team Switzerland — which took over the lower level of the Rec Center for nearly 10 days, holding its pre-WJC camp there — against Team Sweden, which won the gold medal two weeks later at Grand Casino Arena in St. Paul.Sweden’s roster — and its lineup in Rochester — featured 18 players who had already been drafted by NHL organizations. But it was one of the team’s eight undrafted players who routinely caught the eyes of spectators that night.Ivar Stenberg, an 18-year-old left-shot winger, had fans’ attention locked on the ice whenever he was on it, from the time warmups started through the final buzzer. Listed that night at 5-feet-9, 181 pounds (he measured 5-11, 183 at the NHL Scouting Combine two weeks ago), Stenberg didn’t disappoint.The third-youngest player on the Swedish roster, he had four goals and six assists across seven games at the WJC to help his country win gold for the first time since 2012.Later this week, Stenberg’s name will most likely be among the first five called at the 2026 NHL Draft. Some outlets project him to be selected as early as No. 2 overall by the San Jose Sharks (Penn State forward Gavin McKenna is projected as a near-consensus No. 1 overall pick, though it’s possible the Toronto Maple Leafs could throw a curveball and select Stenberg). Nearly every draft source has Stenberg projected in the top five overall, never falling past the Chicago Blackhawks at No. 4.He’s the best of a group of players who are likely to be drafted this week who appeared in one or both of the WJC Pre-Tournament games at the Rec Center in December. Here’s a look at those players and where they could be selected in next week’s Draft, at the KeyBank Center in Buffalo, N.Y. Round 1 will take place on Friday, June 26, on ESPN. Rounds 2-7 are set for Saturday, June 27, on ESPN+ and NHL Network.—F Ivar Stenberg (5-11, 183, age 18): The No. 1-ranked International skater by NHL Central Scouting, Stenberg is ranked No. 1, 2 or 3 overall by all of the top draft sources. Tony Ferrari of The Hockey News, and Jason Bukala from Canada’s SportsNet, have Stenberg ranked No. 1 overall. San Jose, which holds the No. 2 overall pick, made a splash last Wednesday, when it traded for 26-year-old right-handed defenseman Michael Kesselring. The Sharks only had to swap late-first round picks to make the deal, sending pick No. 20 to Buffalo and receiving Kesselring and pick N      ​Read More