Photo: Jonas Ljungdahl / BILDBYRÅN
Landsbro, Sweden.
It’s a village like many across the slightly hilly, green southern Swedish landscape.
It’s home to not even 1500 inhabitants and a scattering of traditional red barnyard buildings.
It’s nestled between Vetlanda and Sävsjö, themselves all of roughly 13,000 and 5000 inhabitants, respectively.
The nearest SHL towns are Jonköping (HV71) and Växjö (Lakers). They’re each a little over an hour’s car ride away, even if Växjö is geologically 14 kilometers closer.
Chances are, you’ve never heard of Landsbro. You may be seeing its name for the first time ever as you read this. We certainly won’t hold it against you.
But rest assured that Sweden’s ice hockey community knows exactly where it is. It’s a place where ice hockey is a way of life and special talents are formed every winter.
Often unassuming and often mired in the country’s lower leagues, the Boro-Vetlanda club can nonetheless point to an impressive history of native sons who found their way to the professional hockey sphere.
One such young hometown player has been as unassuming in his rise to being a sneaky hot draft topic this summer as the area he comes from. Indeed, Wiggo Sörensson has been a sidenote in many a scout’s notebook all season long for wherever he’s played, magic has happened.
Yep, and well, he technically suited up for six different teams along the way.
Having turned 18 last April, the 5-foot-11, 180-pound Sörensson has displayed beaucoup skills all season long, most particularly in helping his hometown team gain promotion to the HockeyEttan, Sweden’s third pro circuit. There, he was his team’s top scorer, delivering 48 points in 37 games in the effort.
Then he topped things off by chipping in six points and a +6 in six games for Team Sweden at the U18 Worlds. Yep, you know, the one that won gold.
Oh yes, there’s that too.
By then, he was more than just a note in the scouts’ notebooks.
An exhilarating skater with deft mitts who can often be seen setting up teammates, dashing by defenders, or downright powering his way to the goal, the hockey world has only just started to learn who Sörensson is and what he’s capable of. And whether it’s on the ice against older juniors, against men, and against the best the world has to offer in his age group, or off the ice in managing life with type 1 diabetes, a condition that requires daily treatment, he’s been very used to facing challenges.
In preparation for NHL Draft 2026, we were fortunate enough to have a chance to hear from a very cordial Sörensson as part of the following Q&A.
1) You're coming off a long season where you wore many different jerseys, to say the least. How has this past season been for you and your development - aside from being very busy?
It’s been a great season! It’s been a lot of fun. I’ve had a chance to play with a bunch of different teams at different levels, and I’ve been part of three teams that won championships this year. It’s been really special and something that I feel has helped me develop in a number of ways. By getting to play with all these different teams, I’ve had the opportunity to face various challenges that have all helped me improve myself and many parts of my game, both on and off the ice.
2) You come from a small community. When you grow up in a place like this, how much access do you have to ice time and rinks? And what role does the sport of ice hockey play in your community?
Ice hockey has always been the best thing I know and there’s always been a lot of ice and practice time to be had between Landsbro and Vetlanda. Being a skilled player for a smaller club, I’ve had the opportunity to suit up and play for lots of teams in different age groups. In addition to all these organized games I’ve been part of, there’s a lot of community access to public skating at the ice rink in Landsbro. This has been a big part of Boro-Vetlanda’s hockey history and culture. Over time, the club has produced a lot of good players who went on to have pro careers and play at elite levels. A few examples would be Erik Karlsson, Johan Franzén, and Linus Karlsson. And there are more.
3) You spent most of this season playing for your local club Boro-Vetlanda, where you played for both the junior and men’s teams. Has it always been a source of pride for you to represent the local community and the place where you come from?
Absolutely. For sure. I’ve always felt a great sense of pride in playing for my hometown club. At the same time, it’s been my love of ice hockey that has always played the biggest role in it all.
Photo: Jonas Ljungdahl / BILDBYRÅN
4) You eventually suited up for the Växjö program over portions of the second half of the season, getting into several U20 contests and concluding the year with six very successful games with the U18 team. What motivated this transfer to the well-known Växjö program and how exactly does a junior player get to be loaned out within the Swedish junior system?
On the one hand, I have a lot of friends who play for Växjö. And I just love playing as much as I can. On the other hand, I’ve been open to getting as much playing time as I can. The loan to Växjö was made possible by a form of dual registration that both clubs have to agree to. The Swedish Ice Hockey Federation has stipulations regulating how players can be loaned out to different clubs, well aware that it’s valuable experience for individual players to play and develop at different levels. And it also naturally helps teams strengthen and fill out their line-ups.
5) Judging by your stats, you had no problem adjusting to the competition with Växjö but how different or difficult was it for you to make that switch to new teammates, coaches, systems, etc.?
Well, it’s clear that different clubs will have different ways of playing. But at some point, it’s all just hockey and as a player, you try to incorporate as much of your own ability, hockey sense, and instincts as possible. Already knowing so many people in the Växjö organization certainly made it easier to fit in and play the games for them.
6) Very shortly after your stint with Växjö’s U18 squad, you joined Team Sweden for the U18 Worlds in Slovakia. You had played roughly eight or nine test games for Sweden throughout the winter, but this is the first year whatsoever where you’ve been part of the national team program. How was that experience for you in Slovakia considering it was not only your first time playing for a national team at an official tournament, but also with being in another part of Europe and playing in front of an international audience?
For my part, I felt like I got into the swing of things with the national team program more and more with every game and tournament throughout the winter. That made it much easier for me to just dive into things with the team at the U18 Worlds. Otherwise, the tournament itself was simply an otherworldly experience that I could hardly have imagined myself ever being part of a few years back. Ultimately, it was just incredible to win gold there with Team Sweden. And we did it in front of such an unbelievable crowd!
7) Indeed, Sweden won gold and you chipped in with four goals, six points, and a +6 rating along the way. For the most part, your teammates were players you probably had hardly ever played with before. What do you think made it possible for you to step in and contribute like you did under these circumstances, with so little time to develop chemistry and work on tactics?
You know, I think it was my experiences from prior tournaments along the way that really helped me be ready for the Worlds. I’ve actually also known a lot of my teammates on that team for a while, like even from before our time with the national team program. That’s something that definitely allowed me to be confident in what I was doing and contributing on the ice.
The coaching staff was also terrific in guiding me towards finding just the right role in the team, one that allowed me to bring my game to the table and best help the team with my strengths along the way. All in all, the program was very patient with me all winter long, which I think really helped me mature and become a viable option for them at the U18 Worlds.
8) When you think about going from suiting up for Boro-Vetlanda’s J20 team last fall and then ending the season with a gold medal around your neck, what goes through your mind?
What really jumps out at me is that it’s the same sport, but in different places and at different levels. I’m always having fun when I’m playing hockey. And, even if in different ways, it’s every bit as much fun for me whether I’m with Boro’s U20 team or suiting up for Team Sweden.
9) Looking back at the whole season, what part of your skillset do you feel has improved the most?
Having played for different teams and at different levels, I’ve learned to take on different forms of responsibility. I’ve learned to be able to adapt my game to what the team needs of me, both as a player and a person.
10) And what do you think you really need to work on to take the next step in your development?
I want to be better capable of daring to contribute with and play my game more, to apply my skillset more, regardless of which team or at what level I’m playing at.
11) Looking forward, you have committed to staying in your hometown and playing for Boro-Vetlanda club next season. Indeed, you helped the team gain promotion to the 3rd circuit HockeyEttan next season. We can imagine that you have had some offers from teams and programs. How hard or easy was it for you to make this decision to stay with the program you’re most familiar with?
When we gained promotion, I immediately felt that it was right for me to be here, that this was a logical step in my developmental path. It’s just natural for me to remain here with Boro-Vetlanda and get my high school diploma right here at home while getting my feet wet and testing my metal in pro hockey played at a high level.
12) Are there perhaps other factors that make it favourable for you to remain in your hometown? After all, you will still be surrounded by family, among other things…
For sure! It’s definitely important and an advantage for me to have my family close by regularly. At the same time, I simply love playing hockey here with Boro. Taking the next step to the HockeyEttan is what I feel is absolutely the right thing for me at this point in my development.
13) Is there any chance you still have the option to be loaned out to Växjö’s junior program at some point next season? Is that a door that is still open?
The option of another loan is there, if felt to be beneficial. It’s something that my agent and I will visit and explore after the summer.
14) What do you think hockey in the HockeyEttan will be like now that you’ve had a full season of experience in the Division 2 circuit?
It’s a clear step up where I’ll now be facing a certain type of pro hockey player. Here in southern Sweden, the HockeyEttan is a strong league that features a lot of good players who have certain qualities. I’m really looking forward to taking this next step to this league with Boro and continuing my personal development as a hockey player there.
15) The SHL is widely considered perhaps the best league in continental Europe. And many young players make an impact there at an early age. We see how quickly things have gone for players such as Anton Frondell and Victor Eklund, for example. Is the SHL a league you hope to play in one day and do you watch the progress other young players have made there in recent years?
Certainly, the SHL really is quite a good league and it’s one that it would be cool to play in one day. And yes, it is extra special to see these young players coming up and being able to have such an impact right away.
16) Well, before next season begins, there’s going to be a big event this summer, and it is one you will surely be part of. We’re naturally referring to the NHL draft. Will you be attending the draft in Buffalo and what kind of thoughts do you have about it as it approaches?
No, I won’t be there in Buffalo for the draft. I’ll be following it here at home though. But honestly, I haven’t really given the draft a whole lot of thought. It would of course be extremely, extremely cool if a team decides to draft me.
17) In general, do you follow the NHL and the highlights, and is a possible future there something you think about?
Personally, I don’t watch a whole lot of NHL hockey, but I do follow the league. If the day should come when I end up being good enough to play in the NHL - and you’ve got to be really good - then it would be absolutely fantastic.
18) Lastly, how would you describe your game and how you approach new challenges? What kind of a player and competitor is Wiggo Sörensson?
I’d really have to describe myself as a strong-skating, smart hockey player who can adjust well to various settings and can be made use of in a variety of situations. I am a loyal player who does everything he can to help the team win each and every game!