by Ryan Smith | AHL On The Beat
For many 20-year-old NHL prospects starting their professional careers, the stress and long hours on and off the ice leave little time for anything not directly related to their journey toward a lifelong dream.
Because Otto Stenbergthat feeling doesn’t work – although his path to the NHL, from the 25th overall selection by St. Louis Blues in 2023, certainly far from the line.
The player from Stenungsund, Sweden, who is originally from Stenungsund, turned into a champion in his country at the age of 17 before being selected by St.
In the middle of the 2024-25 season, Stenberg was skating with the SHL’s Malmo Redhawks. Unlike the AHL, where player development is often a top priority for small league players, SHL clubs focus on recruiting experienced players to pursue league championships. This left Stenberg missing significant ice time.
It sees a greater opportunity for their hope to adapt to the North American game, the Blues’ special assistant to the general manager and his Swedish counterpart. Alexander Steen encouraged Stenberg to go independent and join the Springfield Thunderbirds just after New Years in 2025. Stenberg did just that, scoring a goal in his first AHL game on Jan. 18 and gained valuable experience in the back half of the AHL season.
“You’re going to compete against better players and bigger players all the time,” Stenberg said of his move to the AHL. “What I learned from that was my game without the puck – the Swedish League is defensive. When I moved here last year, I could tell. [the biggest adjustment] then I got used to the light ice and the speed of the game, the corner battles, the wall battles.”
After 59 games over parts of the past two seasons, Stenberg earned his first NHL recall in December and scored his first NHL goal in Chicago on Jan. 7. The AHL-to-NHL jump has gone well for the 20-year-old, who has produced seven points (1g, 6a) in his first 13 NHL games while posting a reliable plus-5.
As if enjoying his first NHL memory and finding success wasn’t enough for Stenberg, he is also in a unique and proud position, beloved by the NHL. Quinn Hughes, Eric Staalagain Luke Schenn have it.
See, Otto isn’t the only Stenberg making waves in NHL circles. Skating Frölunda in the SHL, 18 years old Ivar Stenberg — a forward like his older brother — has risen the ranks of pundits over the past year, with some even penciling him in as the first prospect heading into the 2026 NHL Draft.
Among the few surprises in Ivar’s meteoric rise is his older brother.
“He always has a lot of talent in everything. He’s good in every sport,” said Otto.
There was one thing that seemed to get in Ivar’s way on his journey to the top of his age group – his size.
“He was very small when he was young. When all the boys his age were growing up, he was a little smaller.”
What others may consider destructive, Otto believes Ivar has turned into fuel to direct his focus to a different place – his mind.
“He had to think hard and be smart on the ice,” Otto said. “I think that helped him when he started growing up, and now he’s on par with other boys (his age).”
Earlier this month, Ivar helped lead Sweden to its first IIHF World Junior Championship gold medal in 14 years, scoring 10 points in a seven-game stretch including a shutout in the final against Czechia.
Ivar’s brother was watching every step of the way, which Otto says is nothing new.
“I watched every game, and I watch almost every game [Frölunda] the game. I am very happy for him and all of Sweden. We were close (to gold) a few years ago. I was very happy with the team and proud of him.”
With the excitement of the World Juniors winding down, the rest of Ivar’s year will be busy, with meetings, phone calls, and interest from all over. So what advice does Otto have for his brother in navigating the hustle and bustle of the NHL draft?
“It’s a lot of fun when NHL teams want to talk to you,” Otto recalled of his 2022-23 season. “I told him to look at it in a positive way. When you have all those meetings during the season, sometimes it feels like it takes a lot of time, and sometimes you just want to sit at home and rest a little bit. When he plays, I told him to try not to think about it so much, take it as it happens, and I think he did a really good job with that.”
For the rest of the Stenberg family, the next phase of Otto and Ivar’s journey feels like one of limitless potential. Otto is no stranger to the competitive spirit that has fueled both of them in their rise to NHL ambitions.
“We’ve been competing against each other and we’ve had some great battles behind the scenes and in the ballroom at our house. The more you compete, I think that’s helped a lot in making us both better players.”
