Good news, everybody! The Calgary Flames will have representation at the IIHF World Junior Championship over the Christmas holidays. And, as has become tradition throughout the franchise&#8217;s history, it&#8217;s Sweden that&#8217;s come through.
Flames prospect – and current Calgary Hitmen blueliner – Axel Hurtig has been named to Sweden&#8217;s national junior team and will represent his country (and the Flames and Hitmen) at the annual event.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
Sweden&#39;s roster for the 2025 WJC. <a href="https://t.co/sigBwFcCoL">pic.twitter.com/sigBwFcCoL</a>
&mdash; Uffe Bodin (@UffeBodin) <a href="https://twitter.com/UffeBodin/status/1864288103290036660?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 4, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
It&#8217;s Hurtig&#8217;s third time representing Tre Kronor at a major international event, having previously suited up for Sweden at the 2022 World Junior A Challenge and the 2023 Under-18 World Championships. As a matter of fact, it was Hurtig&#8217;s performance at the Under-18s – helping his country capture a silver medal – that played a big part in the Flames selecting him in the seventh round of the 2023 NHL Draft.
A product of scenic Högas, Sweden, the 19-year-old Hurtig joined the Hitmen this fall after being selected by the club in the CHL&#8217;s Import Draft in 2023. He ended up staying in Sweden in 2023-24 as he recovered from shoulder surgery, playing that season with his club team Rögle BK (in the SHL and J20 Nationell) and on loan to the third-tier pro team Kristianstads IK.
In 25 games with the Hitmen this season, Hurtig has one goal and four assists for five points. He also boasts an impressive plus-18 rating, tied with Tij Iginla for 14th among all players in the WHL, sixth among all defencemen in the WHL, and second among all rookie defencemen in the WHL. (2024 Flames draft choice Eric Jamieson, of Everett, is among the five blueliners with a better plus/minus.)
However you want to slice it, Hurtig&#8217;s having a strong rookie season in the WHL, and that season has earned him an opportunity to play at the World Juniors.
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Good news, everybody! The Calgary Flames will have representation at the IIHF World Junior Championship over the Christmas holidays. And, as has become tradition throughout the franchise's history, it's Sweden that's come through.

Flames prospect – and current Calgary Hitmen blueliner – Axel Hurtig has been named to Sweden's national junior team and will represent his country (and the Flames and Hitmen) at the annual event.

https://twitter.com/UffeBodin/status/1864288103290036660

It's Hurtig's third time representing Tre Kronor at a major international event, having previously suited up for Sweden at the 2022 World Junior A Challenge and the 2023 Under-18 World Championships. As a matter of fact, it was Hurtig's performance at the Under-18s – helping his country capture a silver medal – that played a big part in the Flames selecting him in the seventh round of the 2023 NHL Draft.

A product of scenic Högas, Sweden, the 19-year-old Hurtig joined the Hitmen this fall after being selected by the club in the CHL's Import Draft in 2023. He ended up staying in Sweden in 2023-24 as he recovered from shoulder surgery, playing that season with his club team Rögle BK (in the SHL and J20 Nationell) and on loan to the third-tier pro team Kristianstads IK.

In 25 games with the Hitmen this season, Hurtig has one goal and four assists for five points. He also boasts an impressive plus-18 rating, tied with Tij Iginla for 14th among all players in the WHL, sixth among all defencemen in the WHL, and second among all rookie defencemen in the WHL. (2024 Flames draft choice Eric Jamieson, of Everett, is among the five blueliners with a better plus/minus.)

However you want to slice it, Hurtig's having a strong rookie season in the WHL, and that season has earned him an opportunity to play at the World Juniors.
<h1>This article is brought to you by Alberta Blue Cross</h1>
<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-130957" src="https://publish.flamesnation.ca/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2099/08/ABC_Logo_Stacked_RGB_Cyan.png" alt="" width="380" height="117" />
Don’t let the hassles and risks of travel keep you from making connections that matter. From lost baggage and trip cancellation to medical emergencies, Alberta Blue Cross has you covered on every adventure. Best of all, Flight Delay Service is included. Travel worry-free with travel insurance from Alberta Blue Cross and get access to 24/7 assistance if you need it. If you’re traveling to the U.S. – you’ll get access to one of their largest healthcare networks which provides direct payment to hospitals. This means you won’t have to pay medical expenses out of pocket. Protect your next trip today at <a href="http://ab.bluecross.ca/travel" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://ab.bluecross.ca/travel&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1725732020556000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0r078NBA08t8ZEv1_BFG2N">ab.bluecross.ca/travel</a>.

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