Several Swedish hockey players with NHL experience are making moves back to the Swedish Hockey League (SHL) amid recent announcements and reports. Defenseman Sebastian Aho is set to join Växjö next season, while Robert Hägg has extended his stay with Brynäs until 2028. Samuel Johannesson is reportedly joining Frölunda immediately to bolster their defense.
Recent developments in the SHL highlight a trend of experienced Swedish players returning from North America. According to Norran, 30-year-old defenseman Sebastian Aho, who has played 190 NHL games for the New York Islanders, has decided to move to Växjö for the upcoming season after leaving the Islanders in 2024 for the Pittsburgh Penguins without further NHL appearances. Aho, a former SM-gold winner with Skellefteå in 2014, will not return to his old club but follow the path of other Skellefteå alumni like Niclas Burström, Petter Granberg, and Martin Lundberg to Växjö. This season, Aho recorded one goal and four assists in 12 AHL games for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.
In a confirmed extension, 31-year-old defenseman Robert Hägg has signed with Brynäs until the spring of 2028, as announced on Friday. After 11 years in North America, Hägg has adapted well to the SHL, contributing 14 points (4 goals, 10 assists) in 44 games and participating in two Tre Kronor tournaments. Brynäs sport chief Johan Alcén stated, “Robert är en otroligt värdefull spelare och person att ha i sitt lag. Hans uppoffrande spelstil och karaktär är av absolut högsta klass och det ger en trygghet både på och utanför isen.” Hägg added, “Jag trivs otroligt bra i Brynäs IF och känner verkligen att det här är rätt plats för mig. Det känns som att vi har något riktigt spännande på gång i laget.” This follows recent extensions for Kieffer Bellows and Jakob Silfverberg.
Expressen reports that 25-year-old defenseman Samuel Johannesson has agreed to join Frölunda immediately, though sport chief Fredrik Sjöström has not officially confirmed it. Johannesson, who struggled with 11 points in 26 AHL games for the Springfield Thunderbirds, will cover injuries to Linus Högberg and Filip Hasa. He is expected to be placed on waivers to exit his NHL contract with the St. Louis Blues, allowing Frölunda—currently with only five available defensemen—to strengthen ahead of the playoffs.
