Victor Eklund
| Victor Eklund | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Born |
3 October 2006 Stockholm, Sweden | ||
| Height | 5 ft 11 in (180 cm) | ||
| Weight | 161 lb (73 kg; 11 st 7 lb) | ||
| Position | Right wing | ||
| Shoots | Right | ||
| NHL team Former teams |
New York Islanders Djurgårdens IF | ||
| NHL draft |
16th overall, 2025 New York Islanders | ||
| Playing career | 2024–present | ||
Victor Eklund (born 3 October 2006) is a Swedish ice hockey player who is a right winger for the New York Islanders of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was drafted 16th overall by New York Islanders in the 2025 NHL entry draft.
Playing career
During the 2023–24 season, Eklund split time between Djurgårdens IF and its under-20 team and in the J20 Nationell. He recorded seven goals and 18 assists in 30 games in the junior league, before being promoted. He then recorded one goal and three assists in 15 games in the HockeyAllsvenskan.[1]
On 27 June 2025, Eklund was selected 16th overall by the New York Islanders in the 2025 NHL entry draft. He signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the Islanders on 14 July.[2] After playing the 2025–26 season for Djurgårdens IF of the SHL and then the Islanders' AHL affiliate Bridgeport Islanders, Eklund was called up to the Islanders for their final game of the season against the Carolina Hurricanes on 14 April 2026 and recorded an assist on a goal by Bo Horvat.[3]
International play
| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
| Men's ice hockey | ||
Representing  Sweden | ||
| World Junior Championships | ||
.svg.png){kind=icon} | 2026 United States | |
| World U18 Championships | ||
.svg.png){kind=icon} | 2024 Finland | |
Eklund represented Sweden at the 2024 World U18 Championships where he recorded four goals and two assists in seven games and won a bronze medal.[4]
In December 2024, he was selected to represent Sweden at the 2025 World Junior Championships.[5] During the tournament he recorded two goals and four assists in seven games.[6] In December 2025, he was again selected to represent Sweden at the 2026 World Junior Championships.[7] He recorded two goals and six assists in seven games and won a gold medal. This was Sweden's first gold medal at the World Junior Championship since 2012.[8]
Personal life
Eklund is the son of former professional ice hockey player Christian Eklund. His brother, William, is a professional ice hockey player who was drafted seventh overall by the San Jose Sharks in the 2021 NHL entry draft.[9]
Career statistics
Regular season and playoffs
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 2021–22 | Djurgårdens IF | J18 | 16 | 3 | 6 | 9 | 8 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 2 | ||
| 2022–23 | Djurgårdens IF | J18 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 25 | 16 | 6 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 6 | ||
| 2022–23 | Djurgårdens IF | J20 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2023–24 | Djurgårdens IF | J18 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2023–24 | Djurgårdens IF | J20 | 30 | 7 | 18 | 25 | 26 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2023–24 | Djurgårdens IF | Allsv | 15 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 15 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 6 | ||
| 2024–25 | Djurgårdens IF | J20 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2024–25 | Djurgårdens IF | Allsv | 42 | 19 | 12 | 31 | 37 | 16 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 8 | ||
| 2025–26 | Djurgårdens IF | SHL | 43 | 6 | 18 | 24 | 22 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 4 | ||
| 2025–26 | Bridgeport Islanders | AHL | 9 | 3 | 7 | 10 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2025–26 | New York Islanders | NHL | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| SHL totals | 43 | 6 | 18 | 24 | 22 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 4 | ||||
| NHL totals | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
International
| Year | Team | Event | Result | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Sweden | U18 |  |
7 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 2 | |
| 2025 | Sweden | WJC | 4th | 7 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 2 | |
| 2026 | Sweden | WJC |  |
7 | 2 | 6 | 8 | 4 | |
| Junior totals | 21 | 8 | 12 | 20 | 8 | ||||
References
- ↑ Morreale, Mike G. (29 July 2024). "Victor Eklund of Sweden sees Summer Showcase as 'good opportunity' to impress". NHL.com. Retrieved 14 January 2025.
- ↑ "Islanders Sign Eklund". NHL.com. 14 July 2025. Retrieved 5 April 2026.
- ↑ Sears, Ethan (15 April 2026). "Eklund gets first point in debut on Horvat's 300th goal". New York Post. Retrieved 15 April 2026.
- ↑ Jurewicz, Chris (5 May 2024). "Swedes win bronze at U18 Worlds". IIHF.com. Retrieved 14 January 2025.
- ↑ Kennedy, Ryan (20 December 2024). "World Juniors: Sweden's Victor Eklund Enters The Spotlight". The Hockey News. Retrieved 14 January 2025.
- ↑ Punturi, Jacob (5 January 2025). "2025 Draft Prospect Raises Stock at WJC". SI.com. Retrieved 14 January 2025.
- ↑ Smeds, Jacob (5 December 2025). "Sweden Reveals World Juniors Squad". The Hockey News. Retrieved 5 December 2025.
- ↑ Podnieks, Andrew (5 January 2026). "Swedes win dramatic third gold". IIHF.com. Retrieved 5 January 2026.
- ↑ Bengtsson, Janne (16 August 2021). "William näste från hockeyfamiljen Eklund" [William is the next in line from the Eklund hockey family]. NHL.com (in Swedish). Retrieved 5 April 2026.
External links
- Biographical information and career statistics from NHL.com, or Eliteprospects.com, or Eurohockey.com, or The Internet Hockey Database