Flames prospect William Stromgren looking to make his mark

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Sports NHL Hockey Calgary Wranglers Calgary Flames

Picked in the second round, 45th overall, in the 2021 NHL Draft, Stromgren stayed in Sweden for two years after getting selected

Published Sep 17, 2023 • Last updated 14 hours ago • 4 minute read

Forward William Stromgren takes part in the 2023 Calgary Flames’ prospects training camp at WinSport in Calgary on Thursday, September 14, 2023. Photo by Gavin Young /Postmedia

It isn’t only about impressing the coaches.

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Sure, part of the goal for William Stromgren at the annual Young Stars Classic in Penticton, B.C., is to show the Calgary Flames and Wranglers staff what he can do when given a chance on the ice.

You’re always trying to put your best foot forward in front of the bosses.

But they’re not the only ones. There’s another person the young Swedish winger wants to impress.

“Show myself, too, what I’ve been improving on and working on this summer, getting stronger and getting bigger,” Stromgren said from Calgary, shortly before the Flames’ prospects headed west to B.C. “It’s not always for the coaches. You’ve got to love the game and have fun being around the guys you like to be around.”

Stromgren is something of a curiosity for Flames fans.

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Picked in the second round, 45th overall, in the 2021 NHL Draft, Stromgren stayed in Sweden for two years after getting selected.

He came to Calgary in March to sign a three-year, entry-level contract and appeared in two games late in the season for the AHL’s Wranglers before heading back to Europe.

For most, that means the Young Stars tournament is the first chance to get a close look at the 20-year-old on a North American ice surface, although he did play for Sweden at the 2023 IIHF World Junior Championship, recording one assist in seven games.

That cameo with the Wranglers in the spring, though, was invaluable for Stromgren.

“The big thing was what a difference there is between playing in Sweden professionally and the AHL. It was good to meet the boys and the guys I’ll be playing with,” Stromgren said. “That was the plan, to get here and get a feeling and get to know the guys. It wasn’t the plan to be on for a couple games here, but it was fun.

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“It’s a big jump from the bigger rink to the smaller rink. It goes faster, so you’ve gotta be ready. It was all good, I liked it and then headed home.”

WRANGLERS REPORT: Stromgren eager to get started

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So what exactly should Flames fans be expecting from Stromgren? On the day he was drafted, Flames director of amateur scouting Tod Button described him as a good skater with dynamic offensive upside, but stressed that he still had a lot of developing to do.

Some of that development has obviously taken place over the past two years.

Stromgren, a native of Ornskoldsvik, didn’t put up massive numbers while playing in Sweden. In 45 games with Brynas IF of the Swedish Hockey League, he recorded three goals and five assists, and also scored a goal and added two assists in one game for Brynas IF J20.

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How will that translate to the North American game? Stromgren will almost certainly be playing his hockey with the Wranglers this season, but he got a head start on his preparations for the season when he arrived in Calgary mid-summer to skate with a big group of pros, including Flames forward Dillon Dube.

And he entered the Young Stars tournament feeling confident and ready to compete.

“It’s all for a reason, you’ve gotta show up and do your best and show an example for the rest of the team,” Stromgren said. “Everybody wants to be at their best to get to the highest level and you’ve got to go through these tournaments and do your best at them.

“All the coaching staff wants to see everyone’s best and they want to see that everybody’s giving 100%.”

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ICE CHIPS

One guy who seems to be really turning heads in Penticton is Adam Klapka.

The 6-foot-8 Czech winger picked up the overtime winner in Saturday night’s 4-3 win over the Edmonton Oilers’ young guns after also drawing the penalty that gave the Flames the power-play during which he scored.

Ilya Nikolaev, selected in the third round of the 2019 NHL Draft, also notched a pair of goals for the Flames, while Matthew Coronato ripped a pretty shot into the back of the Oilers net from the top of the circle in the third period to pick up his first goal of the tournament.

The Flames had a practice day Sunday before returning to game action against the Winnipeg Jets on Monday (11 a.m. MT). The game can be streamed live on the team’s website.

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