A pair of Norwegian teenagers are about to make NHL Draft history

Credit: Michael Brandsegg Nygard and Stian Solberg (Steven Ellis/Daily Faceoff)

The IIHF’s cameras caught a slight glimpse of Michael Brandsegg-Nygård’s smile when he hit the ice with Patrick Thoresen and Mats Zuccarello at the 2024 IIHF Men’s World Hockey Championship.

Two legends of the Land of the Midnight Sun. Thoresen’s NHL career was brief, but he still made his presence known with the Edmonton Oilers and Philadelphia Flyers in the mid-2000s. He’s the most productive Norwegian in World Championship history, and still going strong nearly 20 years after his first international tournament. And then there’s Zuccarello, by far the most prominent NHLer out of Norway. With a 15-year NHL career under is belt, he continues to be an extremely productive playmaker with the Minnesota Wild.

Getting to play, learn, and thrive from them was an incredible moment for Brandsegg-Nygård, who is expected to overtake Marius Holtet (42nd overall in 2002) as the highest-drafted player in the nation’s history. Only four Norwegians have been drafted over the past decade, and just 23 dating back to Bjørn Skaare’s selection in 1978. Even Zuccarello went undrafted.

But Brandsegg-Nygård isn’t expected to be the only Oslo native to get taken on Day 1 in Vegas on Friday. His good friend, Stian Solberg, may have done enough playing back home to earn the coveted distinction.

The pair are close friends, having come through the ranks with Vålerenga – one of the top hockey programs in the country. Brandsegg-Nygård quickly developed into a physical, two-way power forward, while Solberg would eventually switch to defense a few years ago – a move that has clearly paid off.

But, a quick side note: the story of how Solberg became a defenseman is pretty funny. At the 2024 NHL Draft Combine in Buffalo earlier this month, Solberg told reporters he only switched to defense at the age of 14. While playing in a tournament with his Norwegian squad, Solberg said one of his teammates got in trouble for urinating in the team’s shower, and they needed someone to help fill a spot on the blueline.

And the rest is history.

Sharing a draft year with a friend is always special, but it means differently when you’re both expected to go in the first round. There’s a realistic chance of them going back-to-back midway through the first round, honestly.

On the ice, they’re both menacing figures. Brandsegg-Nygård has one of the best shots in the game, and his competitive nature allows him to overpower opponents in the second-tier Swedish league. MBN had 18 points in 41 games with Mora, leading all U-19 scorers while playing against men. He had five points in seven games at the World Championship, his first major senior-level international hockey event.

What makes Brandsegg-Nygård so interesting is how difficult he makes himself to play against. He’s one of the most active skaters out there, just moving at full pace all the time. If he wants to move you, he will. And with a shot release like his with good hockey sense and puckhandling, there’s many projectable tools here for a player with high upside.

“He’s a hard guy that you want on your team,” Solberg said. “He likes to shoot the puck, he’s a great skater, he can pass really well. He plays hard with his body, and he creates a lot of energy.”

Solberg, meanwhile, is one of the most violent defensemen in the draft, and his ability to dominate against NHL stars at the World Championship helped open the eyes of scouts that didn’t get to see him too closely back home. He played over 20 minutes a night, showing some smart decision-making after spending his this year play against men with Vålerenga.

Solberg is such a fluid skater at 6-foot-2 and 201 pounds. He has an excellent shot, but he also has a mean streak that makes him so difficult to beat in a 1-on-1 situation. It didn’t seem to matter who he battled against this year – Solberg didn’t lose many battles. And it makes sense – he’s one of the hardest-hitting players in the draft, if not THE hardest. And the fact that he’s a play killer that skates well means he won’t be one of those tough guys who just floats into the NHL and struggles.

Solberg has enough raw skills to be tantalizing. I think his lack of true offensive upside will hurt him, but I have been impressed with his powerful shot and his improved two-way game. He’s not an all-around defender, but you could fit in a top-four sooner rather than later and be impressed with him.

“I really like his style, he’s tough,” Brandsegg-Nygård said. “It’s hard to play against him. He’s so calm with the puck, too. He sees the ice well. I’d rather play with him than against him.”

Off the ice, they’re extremely close, too. Brandsegg-Nygård said they do a little bit of everything to keep themselves entertained and laughing and having a good time. They went to school together growing up, and would do school together in a small classroom while both playing against men.

“We’ve got a lot of energy in both of us,” Solberg said, with a smile.

“It doesn’t matter what we’re doing, we just like to do things together,” Brandsegg-Nygård said. “Just like making jokes and having fun.”

Next year, the pair will be rivals for the first time in their pro careers. Brandsegg-Nygård will be skating with the SHL’s Skellefteå AIK, while Solberg will make the move over to play for Färjestad BK. MBN’s deal is a one-year deal, while Solberg is signed until 2026. Things can change, and they’re both a few years away from being NHL-ready. But scouts seem to love what they both bring to the table, so much so that they’re unlikely to wait long on draft day.

And it’s a day they’re excited to spend together.

“We want to make our country proud,” Solberg said. “We’re just going to have a great time, there are going to be a little Norwegian group there in Vegas, some coaches and friends and family. It’s going to be fun.”

Even if just one of them gets taken in the first round—most likely MBN—it’ll still be a history-making moment for a proud hockey nation. Norway might not win often, sitting 12th in the IIHF rankings, but they’ve been in the top division since 2006. They even beat Canada in 2023, just days before the Canadians won gold. Brandsegg-Nygård and Solberg look to be big parts of the program’s future, regardless of what happens to them at the NHL Draft.

“Zuccarello helped me a lot with his NHL experience and gives me a lot of motivation,” Brandsegg-Nygård said. “Hopefully, me and Solberg can give a lot of kids back in Norway the motivation to get going.”

A pair of Norwegian teenagers are about to make NHL Draft history

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