The Ottawa 67’s traded away a core member from their organization — Brad Gardiner — but they hope their new highly skilled import forward will bring similar or even greater offensive value.
On Monday, the 67’s announced they had signed 5-foot-10 Swedish forward Filip Ekberg to an OHL Scholarship and Development Agreement.
Ekberg, 17, launched onto the scene after he scored a hat trick in his professional hockey debut in Sweden’s second-tier men’s league, HockeyAllsvenskan, at just 15 years old.
Filip Ekberg Video Analysis Thread 🧵
The 15-year-old scored 3 goals in his Allsvenskan debut for Almtuna IS vs. Östersund, becoming the first player his age to ever earn a point in the Swedish 2nd division.
With him on the ice, Almtuna controlled 94% xG.
(#64 in Red) pic.twitter.com/JP49vlCRyw
— Hadi Kalakeche (@HadiK_Scouting) March 11, 2023
Filip is a product of the Almtuna IS Swedish organization. He split last season playing for Almtuna’s U20 team in the J20 Nationell (29 points in 33 games) and HockeyAllsvenskan (two assists in 19 games). Additionally, he won bronze with Sweden at the U17 World Hockey Challenge and finished second on the team in points with eight.
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He’s considered one of the top 2007-born Swedish forwards along with Anton Frondell, Ivar Stenberg, Viktor Klingsell, and Milton Gastrin, who all played (except Frondell) together and won bronze at the recent 2024 Hlinka Gretzky Cup.
Ottawa used their first pick of the 2024 CHL Import Draft to select the Uppsala, Sweden native. 67’s fans can expect a creative, tactical offensive player who can get fans out of their seats with his skillset.
Here’s what McKeen’s Hockey Swedish scout Felix Robbins had to say regarding Ekberg:
“Filip Ekberg is a gifted playmaker and a dynamic puck handler. He’s always looking to push the pace when he has the puck. He’s got a good motor, plays vigilantly off the puck, and makes calm, tactical decisions with the puck on his stick. His shot is quick and accurate, though he doesn’t use it much. While he’s learned to deal with the physical tempo of a men’s professional league, his lack of size is still a sticking point and hinders him from making a greater impact on play as a whole. Even still, the high-end skill, pace, and intelligence should make him a lock for a top 6 role at the junior level.”
Ottawa hit the jackpot when they drafted Marco Rossi in the CHL Import Draft. Will they hit another one with Ekberg? The skill level he possesses shows remarkable promise.
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