Norwegian defenceman Stian Solberg is showing he can be a two-way force at the 2025 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship.
photo: PHOTO: © INTERNATIONAL ICE HOCKEY FEDERATION / MATT ZAMBONIN
When Stian Solberg was drafted in the first round by the Anaheim Ducks in 2024 (23rd overall), scouting reports focused heavily on his physical presence.
Could the young Norwegian defenceman’s bone-crushing bodychecks make him the second coming of Niklas Kronwall or Luke Schenn? Ducks general manager Pat Verbeek didn’t shy away from such comparisons, dubbing Solberg “a left-shot Radko Gudas that’s maybe three inches taller.”
What wasn’t on most hockey observers’ bingo cards was Solberg’s ability to produce meaningful offence. So when the brawny 19-year-old stepped up with three goals in one IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship game, it was an eye-opener. And that wasn’t against some nation just fighting to avoid relegation. On Wednesday, Norway fought back from a 5-1 deficit against an American squad boasting NHL stars like Clayton Keller, Zach Werenski, and Jeremy Swayman before it fell 6-5 in overtime.
“I haven’t gotten a hat trick since, I don’t know, I was maybe 10 years old?” Solberg said with wide-eyed exuberance. “So of course it’s big to get a hat trick and against the U.S. too. It’s huge!”
Could the young Norwegian defenceman’s bone-crushing bodychecks make him the second coming of Niklas Kronwall or Luke Schenn? Ducks general manager Pat Verbeek didn’t shy away from such comparisons, dubbing Solberg “a left-shot Radko Gudas that’s maybe three inches taller.”
What wasn’t on most hockey observers’ bingo cards was Solberg’s ability to produce meaningful offence. So when the brawny 19-year-old stepped up with three goals in one IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship game, it was an eye-opener. And that wasn’t against some nation just fighting to avoid relegation. On Wednesday, Norway fought back from a 5-1 deficit against an American squad boasting NHL stars like Clayton Keller, Zach Werenski, and Jeremy Swayman before it fell 6-5 in overtime.
“I haven’t gotten a hat trick since, I don’t know, I was maybe 10 years old?” Solberg said with wide-eyed exuberance. “So of course it’s big to get a hat trick and against the U.S. too. It’s huge!”
“Everybody watching, probably including the U.S. team, can just see what he has,” added Norwegian forward Andreas Martinsen, an ex-NHLer playing in his 13th Ice Hockey World Championship. “He just plays. He doesn’t think. He just goes out there and does things, and he’s a great player.”
Indeed, Solberg – who made his Ice Hockey World Championship debut (2+1=3 in seven games) in Norway’s 11th-place finish last year – has been doing it all for coach Tobias Johansson’s Polar Bears, who are still seeking their first win.
In addition to scoring four goals in four games in Herning, the 189-cm, 92-kg Oslo native is averaging 26:44 in ice time per game. That’s second only at this tournament to Werenski (31:38), who has only played the one game versus Norway, and directly ahead of both Norwegian captain Emil Lilleberg (26:07) and German captain Moritz Seider (24:37).
Incidentally, the 24-year-old Seider – Detroit’s top blueliner and a two-time World Championship all-star – was Solberg’s favourite non-Norwegian player growing up. Yep, he’s that young.
It’s vital for kids like Solberg to step up if Norway hopes to maintain the top-division place it has enjoyed continuously since 2006. This Norwegian squad’s average age is just 25. Other noteworthy U25 team members include the 24-year-old Lilleberg, coming off his second NHL season with Tampa Bay, and 19-year-old stud forward Michael Brandsegg-Nygard, who spent 2024-25 with Skelleftea after becoming the highest-drafted Norwegian ever (15th overall to Detroit in 2024).
“I think we have a great generation coming up with younger players,” said Solberg. “We had some really good players a couple years ago, but they’re all starting to get older, like [Patrick] Thoresen, [Mats] Zuccarello, [Mathis and Ken Andre] Olimb, [Martin] Roymark. So younger guys have to come in and fill their roles. The team is getting younger and Norway has a good future ahead. I feel like we have played pretty good in all of our games.”
He’s particularly impressed with what Lilleberg – his partner in the opening 2-1 loss to Kazakhstan – brings to the table.
“Of course, there are not a lot of D-men playing in the NHL from Norway,” Solberg said. “So I’m always trying to look at him. What is he doing in the locker room? What is he like with people? How is he treating the guys in the team? He’s a really professional guy, and of course I’m looking up to him. He’s a couple years older than me and a really good guy. So he’s a good role model for me.”
If life had taken a slightly different turn, Solberg might not have ended up in hockey. While his parents weren’t top-level pro athletes, they were both sports-minded. His father Christian competed in skiing and his mother Helene was a sprinter. They first put their son into football, but soon discovered his preference for hockey instead. Solberg simply was not meant to follow in the footsteps of Erling Haaland or Martin Odegaard.
After making rapid progress in the Valerenga system, he also made inroads with the national team, competing at one U18 Worlds (2023) and one top-level World Juniors (2024).
Solberg made the jump to a classic SHL club this season and fit right in with Farjestad. Not only did he suit up for 47 regular season games (3+9=12), but he also logged 13 Champions Hockey League games (2+7=9). The teen also cracked Norway’s Olympic qualification roster back in August and made his mark in three games (0+2=2), even though the Norwegians won’t be heading to Milan.
He did, however, get a taste of the California lifestyle when the Ducks organization summoned him to North America to join the San Diego Gulls for the end of the AHL regular season. It came as a bit of a surprise as Farjestad was about to enter the SHL playoffs, ultimately exiting in the first round versus Skelleftea in six games, while the Gulls were destined to miss the post-season.
Indeed, Solberg – who made his Ice Hockey World Championship debut (2+1=3 in seven games) in Norway’s 11th-place finish last year – has been doing it all for coach Tobias Johansson’s Polar Bears, who are still seeking their first win.
In addition to scoring four goals in four games in Herning, the 189-cm, 92-kg Oslo native is averaging 26:44 in ice time per game. That’s second only at this tournament to Werenski (31:38), who has only played the one game versus Norway, and directly ahead of both Norwegian captain Emil Lilleberg (26:07) and German captain Moritz Seider (24:37).
Incidentally, the 24-year-old Seider – Detroit’s top blueliner and a two-time World Championship all-star – was Solberg’s favourite non-Norwegian player growing up. Yep, he’s that young.
It’s vital for kids like Solberg to step up if Norway hopes to maintain the top-division place it has enjoyed continuously since 2006. This Norwegian squad’s average age is just 25. Other noteworthy U25 team members include the 24-year-old Lilleberg, coming off his second NHL season with Tampa Bay, and 19-year-old stud forward Michael Brandsegg-Nygard, who spent 2024-25 with Skelleftea after becoming the highest-drafted Norwegian ever (15th overall to Detroit in 2024).
“I think we have a great generation coming up with younger players,” said Solberg. “We had some really good players a couple years ago, but they’re all starting to get older, like [Patrick] Thoresen, [Mats] Zuccarello, [Mathis and Ken Andre] Olimb, [Martin] Roymark. So younger guys have to come in and fill their roles. The team is getting younger and Norway has a good future ahead. I feel like we have played pretty good in all of our games.”
He’s particularly impressed with what Lilleberg – his partner in the opening 2-1 loss to Kazakhstan – brings to the table.
“Of course, there are not a lot of D-men playing in the NHL from Norway,” Solberg said. “So I’m always trying to look at him. What is he doing in the locker room? What is he like with people? How is he treating the guys in the team? He’s a really professional guy, and of course I’m looking up to him. He’s a couple years older than me and a really good guy. So he’s a good role model for me.”
If life had taken a slightly different turn, Solberg might not have ended up in hockey. While his parents weren’t top-level pro athletes, they were both sports-minded. His father Christian competed in skiing and his mother Helene was a sprinter. They first put their son into football, but soon discovered his preference for hockey instead. Solberg simply was not meant to follow in the footsteps of Erling Haaland or Martin Odegaard.
After making rapid progress in the Valerenga system, he also made inroads with the national team, competing at one U18 Worlds (2023) and one top-level World Juniors (2024).
Solberg made the jump to a classic SHL club this season and fit right in with Farjestad. Not only did he suit up for 47 regular season games (3+9=12), but he also logged 13 Champions Hockey League games (2+7=9). The teen also cracked Norway’s Olympic qualification roster back in August and made his mark in three games (0+2=2), even though the Norwegians won’t be heading to Milan.
He did, however, get a taste of the California lifestyle when the Ducks organization summoned him to North America to join the San Diego Gulls for the end of the AHL regular season. It came as a bit of a surprise as Farjestad was about to enter the SHL playoffs, ultimately exiting in the first round versus Skelleftea in six games, while the Gulls were destined to miss the post-season.
Nonetheless, Solberg transitioned nicely to the smaller North American rink, which suits his rugged style. He scored in back-to-back home games at Pechanga Arena versus the Calgary Wranglers on 29 March and the Abbotsford Canucks on 2 April and did his best to leave a favourable impression with Gulls coach Matt McIlvane.
What was it like to live in San Diego, a large American city far removed from his previous experiences in Norway and Sweden?
“I love the city,” Solberg said. “It’s a beautiful city. Nice beaches, nice people, nice stores, nice roads. I would say it's pretty comparable to Europe, like you can walk places, and you don’t have to take a car. And there’s good weather. You can wear shorts every day all year and you can go golfing.”
Naturally, he dreams of making the next step and suiting up with the Ducks in the not-too-distant future. If he and Anaheim’s many other hot prospects – like the U.S.’s Cutter Gauthier, whom Solberg complimented for scoring a “beautiful goal” versus Norway – continue to make rapid progress, there may be less golf circa April and May for the members of their NHL club.
Solberg learned a valuable lesson against the Americans, one that he can carry into Norway’s remaining Group B games against Switzerland, Denmark, and Hungary: “Never, never give up. You never know what’s going to happen if you don't give up. And just always compete and do your best. You can’t do more than that.”
With that kind of attitude, you can expect him to be a big hit in Anaheim. And perhaps at the 2030 Olympics in the French Alps, when he will be all of 24 years old. He’s got a lot to look forward to.
“It's always fun to play hockey and live the life I do,” Solberg said with a smile. “It’s fun to be a hockey player, and it’s even more fun when it’s going well.”
What was it like to live in San Diego, a large American city far removed from his previous experiences in Norway and Sweden?
“I love the city,” Solberg said. “It’s a beautiful city. Nice beaches, nice people, nice stores, nice roads. I would say it's pretty comparable to Europe, like you can walk places, and you don’t have to take a car. And there’s good weather. You can wear shorts every day all year and you can go golfing.”
Naturally, he dreams of making the next step and suiting up with the Ducks in the not-too-distant future. If he and Anaheim’s many other hot prospects – like the U.S.’s Cutter Gauthier, whom Solberg complimented for scoring a “beautiful goal” versus Norway – continue to make rapid progress, there may be less golf circa April and May for the members of their NHL club.
Solberg learned a valuable lesson against the Americans, one that he can carry into Norway’s remaining Group B games against Switzerland, Denmark, and Hungary: “Never, never give up. You never know what’s going to happen if you don't give up. And just always compete and do your best. You can’t do more than that.”
With that kind of attitude, you can expect him to be a big hit in Anaheim. And perhaps at the 2030 Olympics in the French Alps, when he will be all of 24 years old. He’s got a lot to look forward to.
“It's always fun to play hockey and live the life I do,” Solberg said with a smile. “It’s fun to be a hockey player, and it’s even more fun when it’s going well.”