Jets draft Swedish forward Viggo Bjorck with eighth overall pick at 2026 NHL Draft, Manitoba’s Carels goes sixth - BERITAJA

For the 2nd consecutive NHL draft, the Winnipeg Jets person selected a Swedish subordinate successful the first round.

With the eighth wide pick, the Jets selected five-foot-nine centre Viggo Bjorck, who played pinch Djurgardens successful the SHL, signaling 15 points successful 42 games.

Bjorck was besides 1 of Sweden’s apical players astatine the World Junior Hockey Championship, picking up 9 points successful 7 games and helping Sweden triumph gold.

“I deliberation I’m a competitory player. I play big, moreover though I’m not the tallest,” Bjorck told reporters pursuing the draft. “I effort and beryllium smart retired there, usage my encephalon a lot.”

He says he’s heard awesome things about Winnipeg and is excited to get to the city.

“Great environment, really bully unit and players. I’ve seen the fans are astonishing arsenic good successful the achromatic shirts. It’s gonna beryllium fun.”

Bjorck will beryllium connected manus astatine Winnipeg Jets Development Camp which starts Monday astatine the Hockey For All Centre.

His action comes 1 twelvemonth aft the Jets picked Swedish defenceman Sascha Boumedienne pinch the 28th wide prime successful the 2025 draft.

Just earlier the Jets announced their pick, a Manitoban heard his sanction called arsenic defenceman Carson Carels from Cypress Rivers was selected sixth wide by the Calgary Flames.

The blueliner had a monster play pinch the Prince George Cougars of the Western Hockey League, scoring 20 goals and adding 53 assists successful 58 regular play games.

Carels was besides a portion of Team Canada astatine the World Junior Hockey Championship.