Stian Solberg Dazzles at World Championship, Keeps Norway from Relegation

Yahoo

23-05-2025

Jun 28, 2024; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Stian Solberg is selected by the Anaheim Ducks with the 23rd overall pick in the first round of the 2024 NHL Draft at The Sphere. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images
Stian Solberg solidified himself as a no-doubt first-round selection and one of the top European defensemen in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft following his performance at the 2024 IIHF World Championships, where he represented his native Norway.
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The way he competed against grown men, many of whom were NHL players, forced NHL front offices and scouts to take notice. He finished third on the team in scoring, with two goals and an assist, while averaging nearly 23 minutes per game at just 19 years old.
He was selected with the 23rd pick in the first round of the 2024 Draft, a pick the Anaheim Ducks traded up for, sending the 31st and the 58th picks to the Toronto Maple Leafs in return.
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Solberg made the transition from Eliteserien, Norway's top professional league, to the SHL, Sweden's top professional league, to play for Farjestad BK in 2024-25. He ultimately played 47 games in the SHL, scoring 12 points (3-9=12) before he was squeezed out of his regular spot in the lineup as the SHL playoffs approached.
The Ducks saw his ice time diminishing and decided to bring him over to North America early to get him regular playing time 90 miles down the road with the San Diego Gulls, as the Gulls' blueline was hit with a myriad of injuries down the home stretch of the season.
'In the end, we did need bodies,' Ducks director of amateur scouting and assistant GM Martin Madden said in an interview with The Hockey News when asked about the decision to bring Solberg to North America. 'We had a lot of injuries. I don't think they valued him enough in Farjestad to deserve to keep him around for longer. That's just my personal take.
'I think he proved in his short stint in San Diego and right now at the World Championships that he's a really valuable pro already. He can have an impact when you trust him with ice time.'
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Solberg played 10 games for the Gulls in 2024-25, tallying five points (2-3=5) before he was to return to Norway to prepare for this year's World Championships, where Norway was to ice a team with just four NHL draftees, hoping to avoid relegation and remain in the top division of international competition.
Norway finished with a 1-5-1 record, with the separating factor between them and the bottom two teams in the tournament being a dramatic 6-5 loss in overtime to the United States, in which Solberg put the team on his back and notched a hat trick, earning Norway a much-needed point in the standings.
Shift after shift, Solberg displayed his trademark brand of physicality and compete level while exploring the potential of his offensive skill with the puck on his stick. He won puck battles in tight space, made smart decisions on breakouts, and controlled play from the top of the offensive zone, where he manipulated defensive structures and regularly found quality shooting lanes.
He led Norway in scoring during the tournament with four goals and two assists in their seven games while playing in all situations, nearing the top of the scoresheet in TOI at the end of every game.
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Though he's dazzled at the international level and on larger ice surfaces, his game is even better suited for the narrower rinks in North America. The Ducks seem pleased with his development to this point, and he'll likely return to the AHL to play for San Diego in 2025-26, assuming a larger role where he'll play in all situations.
Solberg's play style is a perfect complement to the pure offensive skill currently within the Ducks' organization on the bluleline. He could ultimately blossom into a bona fide top-four defender and eat top minutes next to players like Jackson LaCombe, Pavel Mintyukov, Olen Zellweger, or Tristan Luneau. Early returns have been positive for the young Norwegian defender labeled 'the most violent player in the draft' a year ago at this time.
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