Latest news with #Djurgården
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Ex-Hab Signs Two-Year Deal In Sweden
American-born Finnish right winger Jesse Ylönen, 25, has signed a two-year contract with Djurgården IF, the Stockholm-based SHL club announced on Tuesday. 'It's an honor to get the chance in such a legendary team,' said Ylönen. 'I know how much hockey means in Stockholm. I've heard that they have the best fans and the loudest arena in the league.' 'This is a really exciting player who has played a number of seasons in North America and a number of games with Montreal,' said Djurgården sports director Niklas Wikegård. 'Jesse is only 25 years old and, like the entire club, is in a phase where he wants to get better. We do not see him as a finished product, but as a player who we believe can take his game to the next level with good training and under good leadership.' Ylönen was born in Scottsdale, Ariz. in 1999 while his father, Juha Ylönen, was a player for the Phoenix Coyotes. He was raised in the Helsinki suburb of Espoo, where he played for the local Blues club, before playing three Liiga seasons for the Lahti Pelicans, recording 57 points in 130 regular-season and playoff games. Ylönen was chosen in the second round, 58th overall, by the Montreal Canadiens in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft. Between 2021 and 2024, he played in 111 NHL games for the Habs, recording 29 points and 14 penalty minutes, but spent the majority of the time with the AHL's Laval Rocket. Ylönen split the 2024-25 season between the Tampa Bay Lightning and Nashville Predators organizations, but did not play any NHL games with either team. Ylönen joins a Djurgården team that just earned a promotion from the HockeyAllsvenskan and is in the process of building a competitive SHL roster. The team will have the consensus top-two ranked European draft prospects in 18-year-olds Anton Frondell and Victor Eklund, as well as veteran center Marcus Krüger, who was a two-time Stanley Cup champion with the Chicago Blackhawks. 'Exciting times await Djurgården and I look forward to being a part of it,' said Ylönen. Photo © David Kirouac-Imagn Images Djurgarden Pair Leads NHL Central Scouting 2025 Final European Skater Rankings NHL Central Scouting released its final rankings for the 2025 NHL Entry Draft on Tuesday and, among the international skaters, to no one's surprise, the Djurgården pair of center Anton Frondell and right winger Victor Eklund top the list.
New York Times
22-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Why Anton Frondell is 2025 NHL Draft's most difficult top prospect to evaluate
Evaluating Anton Frondell ahead of the 2025 NHL Draft is anything but straightforward. Depending on who you ask in the NHL, he's either a future franchise center or a solid middle-six contributor. Scouts are split, with some seeing him worthy of a top-three selection, while others view him somewhere between six and 10. Advertisement The variance in opinion stems from Frondell's Jekyll-and-Hyde spectrum of performances over the past two years. All players have good games/events and bad ones, but Frondell's have been more pronounced than usual. On his best nights, Frondell looks like a player who can tilt the ice in his favor. His season in the Allsvenskan with Djurgården was a major selling point: 25 points in 29 games against men, production comparable to what William Nylander and David Pastrnak posted at similar stages and slightly behind Elias Pettersson's Allsvenskan numbers in his draft season. That's elite company and a big reason why some scouts are bullish on him. As a 16-year-old, his numbers in Sweden's top junior level were among the best in recent memory. On the international stage, he showed he could rise to the occasion, most notably at the U18 Five Nations tournament in February 2024, where he scored two clutch late goals to upset the United States on their home ice. Moments like that reinforce the belief that Frondell has the potential to be a true difference-maker. However, inconsistencies have clouded his evaluation. Despite strong performances in some tournaments, Frondell had forgettable showings in others, even against relatively modest competition. For instance, during the U18 Five Nations tournaments in both November and February, he was a mixed bag, producing some strong games but also disappearing at times. His production against U18 players was actually worse in his draft season than in his draft-minus-one season. At the 2024 World Junior A Challenge, he was solid but unspectacular as a 17-year-old, tallying just four points in five games against a fairly average talent pool. He also didn't even touch a point/game against in Sweden's top junior league in 10 games played this season. Advertisement During the spring playoffs with Djurgården, fellow draft-eligible Victor Eklund earned regular minutes, but Frondell's ice time shrank. After Djurgården secured promotion to the SHL, Frondell joined Sweden's roster at the U18 World Championship. Expectations were high, but he registered only three points in five games and didn't make a major impact, even though he faced strong opposition, arriving just in time for the medal round. Compared to draft-eligible peers like James Hagens and Porter Martone (who are late 2006s like Eklund while Frondell is a 2007), who dominated the previous year's tournament, Frondell's modest output stood out for the wrong reasons. The Frondell debate ultimately boils down to two interpretations of his skill set: Case for optimism: Frondell has NHL-caliber tools. He's a strong skater, a highly skilled puck handler and a player who competes hard and doesn't shy away from physicality. His shot is high-end, with a release and velocity that can beat NHL goalies from distance. He also has the playmaking ability to facilitate offense. Scouts who are high on Frondell view his production in the Allsvenskan as a sign that he can handle difficult competition and believe that with time, he will iron out the inconsistencies. There's also the matter of Frondell's season arc. He started slowly, partly due to injury, but found his stride in the second half against men. The Frondell bulls see a player similar to Anze Kopitar or Aleksander Barkov — a big, responsible, two-way center who can anchor a top line and a guy you win with in the playoffs. They also caution about overreacting to his U18 World Championships, as players who were great against men but had a bad tournament, such as Pastrnak and Martin Necas, tend to slide in their draft years after a poor ending to their season. Case for caution: On the flip side, skeptics point to the uneven performances, particularly internationally, and concerns about his hockey sense. In games where Frondell isn't at his best, he can fade into the background. On his off nights, he doesn't look like a true play driver and can be someone who leans on his linemates to get him the puck in scoring positions. This leads some to project him more as a very good second-line center who brings size, compete and scoring punch but doesn't consistently tilt the ice like a franchise player. Names like Bo Horvat and Anton Lundell are thrown around for this side of the coin — who are still excellent players, mind you. Colleague Max Bultman noted Frondell's inconsistencies are similar to those of Elias Pettersson in his draft season. Pettersson ended up becoming a great player but those issues have lingered in his NHL career. Frondell's evaluation ultimately comes down to the interpretation of the data. You can view the exact same information as someone else, and tilt your head in a slightly different direction to look at it and come to a different conclusion. If you believe his flashes of high-end production and mature, translatable game against men are signs of a potential hard-to-play-against No. 1 NHL center, he's worth a top-three pick and potentially the No. 2 pick after Erie's Matthew Schaefer. Advertisement If you're more concerned about his streakiness and lack of dynamic, game-breaking traits, he fits more comfortably as a top-six center — valuable, but not necessarily someone to form your rebuild around. Personally, I lean toward the latter camp. Frondell has the potential to be a very good second-line center on a contending team. He's skilled, strong and competes hard, but over two years of viewings, the high-end offensive displays haven't been consistent enough to put him in the same category as someone like Michael Misa, who is a better athlete and much more consistent producer. That said, Frondell is still an excellent prospect and a true premium young center talent. Frondell embodies the complexity of projecting 17-year-olds into the NHL. There are a lot of variables that go into the mix between the physical maturity, the offensive tools, the character and the body of work can comprise over 100 games at varying levels of competition with different levels of stakes. I won't blink if Frondell is the second player picked, and similarly I won't if he goes seventh. His resume has the highest degree of uncertainty this year among the top prospects in the 2025 NHL Draft.
New Indian Express
09-05-2025
- Sport
- New Indian Express
Chelsea advances to Conference League final against Real Betis
Chelsea rested its regular starters and still comfortably advanced to the Conference League final by beating Djurgården 1-0 in their semifinal second leg of Thursday. The Premier League club advanced 5-1 on aggregate to set up a May 28 title match against Real Betis, which prevailed in extra time for a 4-3 aggregate win over Fiorentina to reach its first European final. At Stamford Bridge, midfielder Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall collected a through pass from Tyrique George before scoring the winner with a low left-footed shot in the 38th minute. "Amazing to be in the final," Dewsbury-Hall told TNT Sports. "We set our sights at the start of the season to get as far as we can in this tournament and it has been a long couple of months but one more game to go and and hopefully we can lift that trophy." Chelsea remains on course to become the first club to win all major European competitions. The Blues have claimed the Champions League (2012, '21), the Europa League (2013, '19), Cup Winners' Cup (1971, '98) and Super Cup (1998, '21). The final takes place in Wroclaw, Poland. Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca used only Marc Cucurella from the team that beat the new Premier League champion Liverpool 3-1 on Sunday. Sixteen-year-old midfielder Reggie Walsh was given his first career start and drew frequent fouls from the opposition defense. When he was used as substitute in the first leg, he became the third youngest player for Chelsea, the club said.
Business Upturn
09-05-2025
- Sport
- Business Upturn
Europa Conference League: Chelsea beat Djurgården 5-1 to make it into the finals
Chelsea have swiftly moved to the finals of the Europa Conference League as they beat Djurgården in the semifinals by 5-1 (aggregate). It was Dewsbury-hall who scored the only goal of the game for Chelsea. They will now be playing Real Betis in the finals of the Europa Conference League. Chelsea have booked their place in the UEFA Europa Conference League final after a commanding 5-1 aggregate victory over Swedish side Djurgården in the semifinals. The Blues secured a 1-0 win in the second leg, with Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall scoring the only goal of the match to seal their spot in the final. Advertisement Dewsbury-Hall's composed finish capped off a disciplined performance from Maresca's side, who managed the game with maturity after establishing a strong lead from the first leg. Chelsea's blend of experience and youthful energy proved too much for Djurgården across both legs. The West London club will now face Spanish side Real Betis in the final, aiming to lift their first-ever Europa Conference League title. With momentum on their side and confidence high, Chelsea will be looking to end their European campaign on a high note.
Metro
08-05-2025
- Sport
- Metro
Reece James hails 16-year-old star after Chelsea reach Conference League final
Chelsea captain Reece James 'didn't realise' just how good 16-year-old wonderkid Reggie Walsh was until his performance against Djurgården. Walsh played the full 90 minutes in Chelsea's 1-0 win over the Swedish club on Thursday to secure their spot in the UEFA Conference League final. The Blues next face Real Betis on May 28 as they look to get their hands on the trophy of the third-most prestigious European club competition. Walsh was singled out for praise after Chelsea cruised past Djurgården 5-1 on aggregate, with Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall netting the only second leg goal. England U17 international midfielder Walsh made his senior debut for Chelsea in the first leg, becoming the club's third youngest ever player. Wake up to find news on your club in your inbox every morning with Metro's Football Newsletter. Sign up to our newsletter and then select your team in the link we'll send you so we can get football news tailored to you. In the second leg, Walsh became Chelsea's youngest ever starter in a European competition at 16 years and 200 days. Speaking after the match, James told TNT Sports: 'I've seen him in training but training and games is different but this is the first time I have seen him play. I didn't realise how good he actually was.' Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca added: 'How good is he? You can see that he is a good player. 'He is that kind of player that we like, very good. For sure he is young and he has many things to do and to grow. 'Very happy for him, very happy for his family and he has to enjoy this moment.' At 16 years & 200 days old, Reggie Walsh becomes the youngest player to ever start a European match for so young that he was born five months after John Terry slipped & missed his penalty in the shootout during the 2008 Champions League final vs Man Utd. — Opta Analyst (@OptaAnalyst) May 8, 2025 Chelsea goalscorer Dewsbury-Hall also had kind words to say about Walsh after the match. 'I'm just here to try and guide the young players,' Dewsbury-Hall said. 'Reggie Yates is 16 and he was fantastic, composed. 'My job is just to tell them to play the game that got them there. You saw that with the players that played, very composed, very calm. That's a credit to the academy.' Chelsea were strong favourites to clinch the Conference League trophy before a ball was kicked this season and Maresca can't wait for the final. More Trending 'Very happy, the job is done tonight and now we have almost 20 days to prepare for this final and hopefully we can win this trophy,' he added. Maresca previously admitted that he was keen to face Real Betis in the Conference League final and the Italian's wish has now been granted. The Spanish side drew 2-2 against Fiorentina on Thursday night to progress 4-3 on aggregate.
