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Sweden Reveals World Juniors Squad

Sweden has unveiled its roster for the 2026 World Juniors. Below is the star-studded lineup, filled with intriguing prospects and draft-eligible talent.

Sweden enters the tournament with a roster that includes 16 drafted players, three of whom were selected in the first round. The lineup is also interesting from a draft perspective, as it features four first-time draft-eligible players and five who went undrafted in previous years.

Swedish head coach Magnus Hävelid has high expectations heading into the tournament. A major focus this year has been scheduling two exhibition games against Canada to measure themselves against the favorites early on.

“We dream of winning gold and aim to challenge the United States and Canada, who have to be considered the favorites in the tournament. We need to grow together as a really strong team and group, and that’s the goal for this training camp. If we succeed with that, we know we have several game-breakers on this team, and that can take us a long way,” said Magnus Hävelid, head coach of the Junior Crowns.

“We were invited by Canada to hold our training camp there. We felt it was appealing because we have many players who weren’t at the World Juniors last year, so it will be a good experience for us to play on the smaller rink and get a sense of what’s required against the gold favorites. Switzerland will also be a good benchmark,” says Magnus Hävelid.


Sweden’s World Juniors roster and NHL rights

Goaltenders
Love Härenstam (2025 round 6 #179 overall by St. Louis Blues)
Herman Liv (Undrafted)
Måns Goos (2025 round 5 #158 overall by Dallas Stars)    

Defensemen
Felix Öhrqvist (Undrafted)
Leo Sahlin Wallenius (2024 round 2 #53 overall by San Jose Sharks)
Sascha Boumedienne (2025 round 1 #28 overall by Winnipeg Jets)
Viggo Gustafsson (2024 round 3 #77 overall by Nashville Predators)
Felix Carell (Undrafted)
Victor Johansson (2024 round 4 #120 overall by Toronto Maple Leafs)
William Håkansson (2026 NHL Draft)
Alfons Freij (2024 round 2 #37 overall by Winnipeg Jets)    

Forwards
Lucas Pettersson (2024 round 2 #35 overall by Anaheim Ducks)
Milton Gästrin (2025 round 2 #37 overall by Washington Capitals)
Linus Eriksson (2024 round 2 #58 overall by Florida Panthers)
Ivar Stenberg (2026 NHL Draft)
Anton Frondell (2025 round 1 #3 overall by Chicago Blackhawks)
Valter Lindberg (Undrafted)
Viggo Björck (2026 NHL Draft)
Loke Krantz (2025 round 7 #218 overall by Seattle Kraken)
Liam Danielsson (Undrafted)
Eddie Genborg (2025 round 2 #44 overall by Detroit Red Wings)
Jack Berglund (2024 round 2 #51 overall by Philadelphia Flyers)
Wilson Björck (2025 round 5 #143 overall by Vancouver Canucks)
Eric Nilson (2025 round 2 #45 overall by Anaheim Ducks)
Casper Juustovaara Karlsson (2026 NHL Draft)
Victor Eklund (2025 round 1 #16 overall by (New York Islanders)

Notable omissions:
D Malte Vass (2025 round 3 #76 overall by Columbus Blue Jackets)
D Gabriel Eliasson (2024 round 2 #39 overall by Ottawa Senators)
F Melvin Fernström (2024 round 3 #93 overall by Vancouver Canucks, rights belong to Pittsburgh Penguins)

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Kilmarnock v Rangers: Pick of the stats

  • Kilmarnock have lost 12 of their past 14 league meetings with Rangers, although the two exceptions both came at home, 1-0 wins in August 2023 and October 2024.
  • None of Rangers' past 11 league visits to Kilmarnock have been drawn, with the Glasgow side winning five and losing six since a 0-0 stalemate in April 2017 under Pedro Caixinha.
  • Kilmarnock are winless in eight league games (D2 L6), last going longer without victory in the Scottish Premiership in March 2021 (10).
  • Rangers have drawn their past three games in all competitions, last drawing more in a row in March 2015 (5), and last doing so as a top-flight club in November 2005 (4). In the league, the Ibrox side have already drawn eight of their 14 matches in 2025-26, their joint-most ever at this stage of a league campaign, alongside 1978-79.
  • Although Rangers rank second-highest for shots per game in the Scottish Premiership this season (15.2, behind Celtic's 16.5), they have the third-lowest shot conversion rate (8.9%), netting 19 times from 213 shots.
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Giants promote Paul Bien, add Curt Casali, Javier Lopez to front office

Giants promote Paul Bien, add Curt Casali, Javier Lopez to front office originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SAN FRANCISCO — When Buster Posey first took over the baseball operations department a year ago, he added two longtime friends — former Giants GM Bobby Evans and former agent Jeff Berry — to help him navigate the new job. As he begins year two, Posey is turning to former teammates, as well.

The Giants announced on Friday that Curt Casali and Javier Lopez have returned to the organization as advisors to the baseball operations department. The bigger move with that department was a notable promotion. Paul Bien has been promoted to assistant general manager after years as the organization’s vice president of baseball analytics.

Bien joined the Giants in 2012, the middle of a three-year title run that Posey and Lopez were huge parts of. He has had a steady rise through the front office over the past decade and is responsible for overseeing the organization’s analytics department. Bien is instrumental in the player-acquisition process and he has sat in on interviews this offseason as the Giants have filled out their coaching staff. Bien joins Jeremy Shelley as assistant general managers to Posey and GM Zack Minasian.

Lopez has been Mike Krukow’s primary backup on the broadcast team in retirement, but he joined Posey, Minasian, Shelley, Bien and others from the front office at the GM Meetings in Las Vegas last month. The left-hander spent seven seasons in San Francisco, winning three titles and the Willie Mac Award.

Lopez still will be involved with NBC Sports Bay Area’s Giants broadcasts.

Casali backed up Posey in 2021 and spent parts of three seasons with the Giants. The popular catcher is viewed within the industry as a potential future manager, much like Cleveland Guardians manager Stephen Vogt and Texas Rangers executive Nick Hundley, who at one point was a candidate for the job that went to Tony Vitello. Casali played for the Giants in 2024 and spent this past season in the Cincinnati Reds front office.

The additions give the Giants eight advisors to the front office. In addition to Evans, Berry, Casali and Lopez, the Giants have former managers Bruce Bochy and Dusty Baker, longtime coach Ron Wotus and John Barr, the man who drafted Posey.

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Edgecombe shows knack for doing ‘whatever it takes' on 1st career game-winner

Edgecombe shows knack for doing ‘whatever it takes' on 1st career game-winner  originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

VJ Edgecombe didn’t pause.

For rookies — and for anyone — it’s natural to stop and stare as a crunch-time shot is launched. But the Sixers’ 20-year-old guard saw De’Anthony Melton block Tyrese Maxey’s jumper and reacted first. As is his habit, he knew where to be and was determined to get there. 

The result was a first career NBA game-winner, a put-back layup with 0.9 seconds on the clock. Despite blowing a 24-point lead Thursday night to the Warriors, the high-drama Sixers sit at 12-9. 

Edgecombe’s vital rebound was no fluke. He’s grabbed 1.9 offensive rebounds per game — second among rookies to 7-foot-1 Hornets center Ryan Kalkbrenner — and has at least one offensive board in 16 of his 18 games. 

“I’m athletic,” he said. “Just try to use my athleticism. The shot goes up, people tend to relax. I’m a victim of it. So I know the opportunity is going to present itself for me to grab the board. And like I said, I can jump, so I just try to jump before them, to be honest.”

Maxey sat to Edgecombe’s left at the postgame press conference podium. Instead of being grateful after Edgecombe’s put-back and celebrating a presumed win, he chased down Melton and blocked his layup attempt on the other end at the buzzer. 

“Rese probably ran a 4.2 (40-yard dash) or something,” Edgecombe said with a smile. 

Maxey enjoyed swatting his good friend and former teammate, who returned Thursday from a torn ACL. 

“Honestly, I just didn’t want him to call me in a couple minutes saying he beat us,” Maxey said of Melton. “I’m just happy to see him out there. He was at my house for two, three hours yesterday just chopping it up and talking about life. … I told him I’d give him one jump shot because he was struggling early. I gave him one middie in the third. But I’m just happy that out he was out there, man. It was good to see him. I told him he can’t guard me, so it’s all good.”

While Maxey continued to be a scorching scorer, posting 35 points, Edgecombe’s final box score stats were not sparkling. He chipped in 10 points, six rebounds, five assists and three steals, but he committed five turnovers and only played 24 minutes in his third game since returning from a left calf injury.

None of his previous mistakes ever seem to matter in the final moments. 

“He’s had some of these games where he just hasn’t done much, and then down the stretch he’ll hit a big three, get a big rebound,” Sixers head coach Nick Nurse said. ”I just thought, ‘Let’s go back with him and maybe he’ll make a play.’ He’s got a nose for the ball and he’s got a nose for what’s going on out there. Even though he’s a rookie, he can make those plays.”

The Sixers had their game-winning chance because Edgecombe stole Pat Spencer’s inbounds pass and called timeout with 8.2 seconds left. 

“Just watching basketball, to be honest,” Edgecombe said of his defensive instincts. “I knew how much time they had to inbound the ball and I knew they had no timeouts left. He had to throw the ball somewhere and everyone was just contesting that one little spot. I just dove on the ball. 

“It’s more just reading their eyes because people tend to telegraph their passes a lot. So just trying to read their eyes and make a quick play on the ball.”

Edgecombe has shined late in many of the Sixers’ ultra-tight early-season contests. 

He’s played 54 minutes in “clutch” situations, which the NBA defines as the final five minutes of games within five points. Edgecombe has shot 10 for 13 from the field and 4 for 6 from three-point range, pulled down 11 rebounds and dished out seven assists. 

“I just want to win,” he said. “Whatever it takes for me to do that, I’ll do it. I don’t care about (anything) else. 

“If they need me to make a shot, I’m going to make the shot. If they need me to grab a rebound, I’ll grab the rebound. Get a steal, get a stop … I’ll do it. Whatever it takes to win, because winning feels great and losing (doesn’t).” 

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Rui Borges’s timely Sporting revival built on talent and a lucky charm

The Portuguese credits his loyalty to his trusty Casio watch for helping the head coach lift the Lisbon club after Ruben Amorim’s messy exit

If there is a stoppage in what is sure to be a supercharged Dérbi de Lisboa on Friday, the Sporting head coach, Rui Borges, will likely look down to check the watch he considers a lucky charm.

The black Casio – bought for €20 while still playing for his hometown club Mirandela in north-east Portugal, 150km inland from Porto – is a symbol of his superstitious nature and one he has maintained on his journey from the obscurity of being an amateur coach to making a mark on the biggest stage in club football.

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