After missing out on a medal for the first time in four years at the 2011 World Junior Championship in Buffalo, the Swedish Ice Hockey Association has high hopes of rebounding in grand fashion later this month.
Team Sweden coach Roger Rönnberg on Monday revealed the 23-man roster he'll take with him to camp in Olds, Alta., from Dec. 17-23, in preparation for the 2012 WJC in Edmonton and Calgary.
The 2012 WJC will run Dec. 26 to Jan. 5, 2012. Sweden will be in Group A, along with Russia, Switzerland, Slovakia and Latvia. Preliminary-round games will take place at the Scotiabank Saddledome.
Five players from last year's team that finished fourth after losing 4-2 to the U.S. in the bronze-medal game were invited to the camp. The list includes defensemen John Klingberg of Frolunda HC and Patrik Nemeth of AIK IF and forwards Johan Larsson of Brynas IF, Johan Sundstrom of Frolunda HC and Max Friberg of Timra IK.
The roster also includes four players taken in the first round of the 2011 Entry Draft -- defensemen Oscar Klefbom of Farjestads BK (No. 19, Edmonton) and Jonas Brodin of Farjestads BK (No. 10, Minnesota), and forwards Mika Zibanejad of Djurgardens IF (No. 6, Ottawa) and Rickard Rakell (No. 30, Anaheim) of the Plymouth Whalers in the Ontario Hockey League.
Eleven NHL teams will have prospects at the camp, including three each from the Minnesota Wild (Brodin, Larsson, Lulea goalie Johan Gustafsson), the Chicago Blackhawks (Sudbury goalie Johan Mattsson, AIK forward Joakim Nordstrom, Sarnia forward Ludvig Rensfeldt) and the Anaheim Ducks (Friberg, VIK Vasteras forward William Karlsson, Plymouth forward Rickard Rakell).
The top three prospects from Sweden for the 2012 NHL Draft also were invited to the camp -- Leksand center Filip Forsberg, Frolunda forward Sebastian Collberg and Djurgardens forward Pontus Aberg.
SWEDEN 2012 WJC CAMP ROSTER
GOALIES -- Anton Forsberg, MODO Hockey (Columbus); Johan Gustafsson, Lulea (Minnesota); Johan Mattsson, Sudbury Wolves, OHL (Chicago)
DEFENSEMEN -- Mattias Backman, Linkopings (Detroit); Jonas Brodin, Farjestads (Minnesota); Fredrik Claesson, Djurgardens (Ottawa); Petter Granberg, Skelleftea (Toronto); Oscar Klefbom, Farjestads (Edmonton); John Klingberg, Jokerit (Dallas); Patrik Nemeth, AIK (Dallas)
FORWARDS -- Pontus Aberg, Djurgardens (2012 draft eligible); Sebastian Collberg, Frolunda (2012 draft eligible); Filip Forsberg, Leksands (2012 draft eligible); Max Friberg, Timra (Anaheim); William Karlsson, VIK Vasteras (Anaheim); Johan Larsson, Brynas (Minnesota); Joakim Nordstrom, AIK (Chicago); Rickard Rakell, Plymouth Whalers, OHL (Anaheim); Victor Rask, Calgary Hitmen, WHL (Carolina); Ludvig Rensfeldt, Sarnia Sting, OHL (Chicago); Johan Sundstrom, Frolunda (N.Y. Islanders); Erik Thorell, Farjestads (2012 draft eligible); Mika Zibanejad, Djurgardens (Ottawa)