Ivar Stenberg is a Swedish winger drafted second overall by the San Jose Sharks in 2026, one pick after Gavin McKenna. His 33 points for Frölunda in 2025-26 were the most by an 18-year-old in the SHL since Daniel and Henrik Sedin in 1998-99. He signed a three-year entry-level contract with San Jose on 2 July 2026.
| Fast facts: Ivar Stenberg | |
|---|---|
| Current team | San Jose Sharks |
| Position | Left wing, can also play right wing |
| Shoots | Left |
| Born | 30 September 2007, Stenungsund, Sweden |
| Height / weight | 5’11” / 190 lbs, per the Sharks |
| Drafted | 2026, first round, 2nd overall, San Jose Sharks |
| Contract status | Three-year entry-level contract signed 2 July 2026, running through 2028-29 at a $1,075,000 cap hit |
| Jersey | No. 41 |
How good is Ivar Stenberg?
Ivar Stenberg produced one of the best teenage seasons in SHL history. His 33 points in 43 games in 2025-26 were the most by an 18-year-old since 1998-99, when Daniel Sedin had 42 and Henrik Sedin 34, and only four players had ever scored more at that age: Daniel Sedin, Markus Näslund, Thomas Sandström and Henrik Sedin.
He is a playmaker first. Twenty-two of those 33 points were assists, and his ten-game point streak between 30 October and 6 December 2025 was the longest ever by an SHL player aged 18 or younger at the time, according to the Sharks. Frölunda coach Robert Ohlsson told NHL.com before the draft: “He doesn’t get shy or hide, he still has that give-me-the-puck mentality.”
What are Ivar Stenberg’s career stats?
Ivar Stenberg came through Frölunda’s junior teams and made his SHL debut on 12 October 2024 against Linköping, aged 17.
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | P |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-24 | Frölunda J18 | J18 Nationell | 13 | 18 | 12 | 30 |
| 2023-24 | Frölunda J20 | J20 Nationell | 9 | 3 | 5 | 8 |
| 2024-25 | Frölunda J20 | J20 Nationell | 27 | 26 | 27 | 53 |
| 2024-25 | Frölunda HC | SHL | 25 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| 2025-26 | Frölunda HC | SHL | 43 | 11 | 22 | 33 |
| 2025-26 | Frölunda HC | Champions Hockey League | 12 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
He added six points in 12 SHL playoff games in 2024-25 and four in six in 2025-26. His 2025-26 SHL season brought him Årets Junior, the Swedish junior player of the year award first given in 1961-62, and SHL Rookie of the Year, where the other finalists were Anton Frondell and Viggo Björck. Frölunda also won the Champions Hockey League that season, beating Luleå 3-2 in overtime in the final on 4 March 2026.
Who drafted Ivar Stenberg?
The San Jose Sharks drafted Ivar Stenberg second overall on 26 June 2026 in Buffalo, after the Toronto Maple Leafs took Gavin McKenna with the first pick. By draft day, experts were divided between the two for first overall, NHL.com reported. San Jose added defenceman Keaton Verhoeff at No. 9 in the same first round.
On draft night Stenberg was asked about playing with Macklin Celebrini. “That would be sick. Just give him the puck, and he will fix it. He’s a special player,” he told NHL.com.
Is Ivar Stenberg NHL ready?
Going into 2026-27 training camp, his place on the roster was not settled. After the Sharks announced his entry-level contract, he was named to their roster for the Rookie Faceoff in San Jose from 12 to 15 September, and main camp was due to open on 17 September, according to San Jose Hockey Now. The Sharks open the 2026-27 regular season at home to Florida on 1 October, and the channels are in our guide to how to watch the San Jose Sharks.
Todd Marchant, the Sharks’ director of player development, told NBC Sports Bay Area: “His play will dictate where he’s ready, but he’s a very talented player.” An NHL scout quoted anonymously by the same outlet projected 30 to 40 points in a top-nine role, with some games in the AHL with the San Jose Barracuda possible.
What position does Ivar Stenberg play?
Ivar Stenberg is a left winger who can also play the right side. NHL.com listed him at left wing at the draft, and EliteProspects has him at both wing positions. “I would say left, but it doesn’t matter. I feel like I can play on both,” he told San Jose Hockey Now after signing with the Sharks.
What is Ivar Stenberg’s contract?
Ivar Stenberg is on a three-year entry-level contract worth $3,225,000, with a $1,075,000 cap hit, running from 2026-27 through 2028-29, according to PuckPedia’s contract data. The annual amounts rise from $1,025,000 to $1,075,000 to $1,125,000. PuckPedia lists the deal as slide-eligible, which means it moves forward a year if he plays fewer than ten NHL games in a season. Otherwise he is due to become a restricted free agent in 2029.
His cap hit is $141,667 a season higher than the one on his older brother Otto’s entry-level deal.
Is Ivar Stenberg related to Otto Stenberg?
Yes. Otto Stenberg is Ivar’s older brother, born on 29 May 2005. The St. Louis Blues drafted Otto 25th overall in 2023, and he played 32 NHL games in 2025-26, with three goals and seven assists. The youngest of the three brothers, Knut, is a defenceman.
The family home had a room set aside for hockey, where the brothers played a lot of floorball. “We still compete in everything,” Ivar told The Hockey News. “We fight a lot, and there has been some fisticuffs and some tears along the way.”
What has Ivar Stenberg won with Sweden?
Through the 2026 World Championship, Ivar Stenberg had won medals at five of his six international tournaments for Sweden.
| Year | Tournament | GP | G | A | P | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | World U-17 Hockey Challenge | 7 | 7 | 3 | 10 | Bronze |
| 2024 | Hlinka Gretzky Cup | 5 | 4 | 6 | 10 | Bronze |
| 2024 | World Junior A Challenge | 5 | 7 | 4 | 11 | Silver |
| 2025 | U18 World Championship | 7 | 8 | 5 | 13 | Silver |
| 2026 | World Junior Championship | 7 | 4 | 6 | 10 | Gold |
| 2026 | World Championship | 8 | 4 | 4 | 8 | Quarter-final |
Across the six tournaments he scored 62 points in 39 games, 1.59 a game. The 2026 World Junior gold was Sweden’s first since 2012. Stenberg had a goal and two assists in the 4-2 final against Czechia and tied Jack Berglund for the team lead with ten points. At the 2026 World Championship, where Sweden lost 3-1 to Switzerland in the quarter-final, he won Bästemanspriset as Sweden’s best player, the youngest winner in the award’s history at the time.
Where is Ivar Stenberg from, and how tall is he?
Ivar Stenberg was born on 30 September 2007 in Stenungsund, on Sweden’s west coast north of Gothenburg, and grew up in Stora Höga, just south of the town. His boyhood club, Stenungsunds HF, received 50,000 kronor through his SHL Rookie of the Year award.
The Sharks list him at 5’11” and 190 lbs. EliteProspects has him at 182 cm and 82 kg, which is about 6’0″ and 181 lbs.
