Detroit Red Wings goaltender Magnus Hellberg has started three of Team Sweden’s first four games at the 2022 IIHF World Championship, most recently backstopping the Tre Kronor to a 3–2 shootout win over Team Sweden on Wednesday.
Hellberg, 31, remains undefeated in six World Championship appearances during his career, posting a 6–0–0 record and a .932 save percentage. Sweden currently ranks atop Group B at the 2022 Worlds with 11 points in four games.
The host Finns outshot Sweden by a 31–25 margin in Wednesday’s game. Adam Larsson opened the score for the Swedes in the first period before Finland roared back with a pair of goals (Mikko Lehtonen, Sami Vatanen) in the middle frame; Joel Kellman found the back of the net early in the third period to restore the tie.
Finland tested Hellberg twice in overtime and five times in the shootout but failed to score even once. The 6’6″ goaltender denied Finnish forward Toni Rajala with a glove save to end the skills competition after five rounds.
The Red Wings signed Hellberg to a one-year, $800,000 contract back on April 13. His deal only covered the remaining balance of the 2021–22 season, setting the stage for Hellberg to become an unrestricted free agent again this July.
Hellberg appeared in just one game with the Red Wings in 2021–22, stopping 20 of 23 shots in the season finale against the New Jersey Devils on April 29. Detroit won the game by a 5–3 score.
While Boston Bruins goaltender Linus Ullmark is heading to Finland to join Team Sweden for the rest of the 2022 Worlds, he’ll be hard-pressed to dislodge Hellberg from his starting role at the tournament. Hellberg has a perfect 3–0–0 record and a .927 save percentage in three games with the Tre Kronor this year.
Team Sweden will return to action on May 21 to take on the United States before wrapping up the preliminary round of the 2022 Worlds with games against Norway and Latvia on May 22 and 24.
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