LAS VEGAS — Michael Brandseg Nygard became the first Norwegian-born player to be selected in the first round of the NHL Draft when the Detroit Red Wings selected him 15th overall at the 2024 Upper Deck NHL Draft held at the Sphere in Las Vegas on Friday.
“It means a lot,” forward Branzeg Nygard said. “When I heard my name, I just felt a surge of energy throughout my body. It was just a great experience.”
“This has been a dream of mine for a long time, and now I’ve achieved that dream. I’ll keep working hard and hopefully become an NHL player sometime soon.”
If that wasn’t big news already, Norwegian native Stian Solberg was picked in the eighth round and traded to the Anaheim Ducks, capping off an unforgettable opening season for Norwegian hockey fans around the world.
“It was a big moment for me, my family and all the hockey fans in Norway,” Solberg said. “It was a really special moment for me and I’ll never forget it.”
The Ducks moved up eight spots to select a defenseman in a trade with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Brandseg-Nygaard and Solberg, both born in Oslo, played alongside Valerenga for seven seasons at various age levels and are good friends.
“As I was about to go on stage, Stian came up to me and it was so nice to give him a hug,” said Brunseg Nygaard. “We are each other’s biggest supporters and we encourage each other a lot in school and practice.”
Solberg said about 15 Norwegians were taking part in the draft and planned to celebrate.
“I think [Brandsegg-Nygard] “He was interviewing when I was selected and he’s really happy for me and I’m really happy for him,” Solberg said. “There was no competitiveness… maybe a little bit, but that’s what happens when you’re 18 and best friends. I’m really happy for him and I’m just going to enjoy tonight and take it all in.”
Norway became the 26th country to have at least one player selected in the first round of the NHL Draft. The country had had 24 draft picks prior to this year.
“It means a lot,” Solberg said. “Norway is not a big hockey country, so I hope I can be a role model for the younger players and be someone they can look up to.”
Forward Marius Holtet was selected by the Dallas Stars in the second round (42nd overall) of the 2002 NHL Draft, becoming the highest-rated player ever to come from Norway.
“I feel like community hockey in Norway is becoming more and more professional and the young players are getting better and better,” said Brunseg Nygaard. “I feel like original hockey has developed a lot in the last year. There are a lot of good players in Norway who are my age or younger.”
Branzeg Nygaard and Solberg are the first two Norwegians selected in the same NHL Draft since goaltenders Lars Folden (181st overall, Boston Bruins) and Steven Soberg (117th overall, Washington Capitals) were selected in the 2011 NHL Draft.
“Norway puts a lot of time and effort into hockey and they have beautiful rinks in Norway and there are a lot more of them,” Solberg said. “Obviously, we younger players are improving so they have people to look up to as role models. The younger generation in Norway is improving.”
Brandzeg Nygaard (6’1″, 207 lbs.) is a right winger who played for Mora in Sweden’s second division Allsvenskan. The right-handed shooter recorded 18 points (8 goals, 10 assists) in 41 regular season games.
Brandseg-Nygaard, who recorded the most points in a single Allsvenskan postseason game by a draft-eligible player (10 points, four goals and six assists in 12 games), will play for Skellefteå in Sweden’s top professional men’s league next season.
“Norway has very developed training methods in other sports that can be applied to hockey,” said Jukka-Pekka Vuorinen, the NHL’s head of European scouting. “We have several players who play in Sweden at a young age. Brandzeg Nygaard is already at a high level physically and mentally compared to players his age. He played a good, tough game in Sweden and has played a big role playing in the men’s second division the past two seasons.”
Solberg (6’1″, 205 lbs.), a defenseman for Valerenga in the Elite Hockey Liiga, Norway’s top professional men’s league, has earned 15 points (5 goals, 10 assists) in 42 games, the fourth-most points by a defenseman under the age of 19 in Elite Hockey Liiga history. Solberg is scheduled to play in Fallestad (SHL) for the 2024-25 season.
Each player represented their country at the 2024 IIHF World Championship in the Czech Republic. At 18, Solberg was the second-youngest player to have competed in the tournament, while Brandseg-Njall, also 18, was the third-youngest.
“Solberg has made his mark mainly at his own rink,” Vuorinen said. “He played better and opened everyone’s eyes at the World Championships.”
Oslo-born forward Espen Knudsen is the Norwegian-born player with the most NHL games played (207) among players selected in the NHL Draft. He was selected in the 10th round (204th overall) by the Hartford Whalers in 1990.
“Norway has always had a fair number of players on the European ice rinks, but not many stars,” Vuorinen said. [Brandsegg-Nygard and Solberg] It will show new paths in the coming years.”
