Viggo Björck’s hockey role model is Sidney Crosby. At the World Championships in May, the 18-year-old Swede got to play against the Pittsburgh Penguins captain for the first time.
“A super, super cool moment,” Björck said. “When you’re on the ice you think about your own stuff and you’re in the moment, but going down the tunnels and seeing him off ice, you didn’t expect this to happen this year, so it’s a cool moment.”
After the game, which Canada won 5-3, Björck approached Crosby in the media mixed zone and asked for one of his sticks.
“Of course, you’re a bit nervous,” the Djurgardens centre said. “I didn’t expect him to stand right behind me but, I mean, when I got my chance I took it.”
Björck had told his older brother Wilson, a Vancouver Canucks prospect, that if he got the chance he would ask Crosby.
Crosby eventually delivered an autographed stick and Björck left his first World Championship with a cherished souvenir.
“I have not collected that many, but this is a guy that I looked up to and idolized,” he said. “I mean, it’s a part of hockey history.”
Crosby spoke highly of Björck after the game.
“He’s pretty poised and you can tell he’s competitive,” Crosby told Swedish broadcaster SVT. “He’s not the biggest guy, but sees the ice well. Good shot, does everything well, but it was more the way he competed. He looked like he was really assertive with the puck. He played well.”
Björck, who produced 15 points in 42 games in the Swedish Hockey League, has received similar reviews all season while rising up draft boards. He came in No. 4 on TSN director of scouting Craig Button’s final list and was No. 5 on TSN’s final draft consensus list unveiled on Monday.
During a conversation with TSN, Björck talked about his admiration for Crosby and shared who he found to be the toughest opponents at the World Championship. The 18-year-old also explained how his compete level is so high despite the fact he stands just 5-foot-9.
The following is an edited transcript of the interview.
TSN: What do you appreciate about Crosby?
Björck: I don’t know him personally, of course, but it feels like he’s a guy that really dedicates himself to the sport and does the things right to make his team better and try to help his team win. It feels like he does everything perfect.
TSN: Is there an area of his game that you try to bring into your game?
Björck: Hard to say that you’re going to, like, try and play like him, but he’s kind of an all-around guy. He’s a super-skilled forward, but it seems like he’s good on the defensive side as well. That’s kind of what I try to be as well.
TSN: Crosby is your role model, but our director of scouting, Craig Button, calls you the Swedish Nick Suzuki. What do you think of that comparison?
Björck: That’s huge praise. Suzuki is a super, super talented guy. He’s a superstar in the NHL. So, I mean, if I work hard then maybe one day that would be great.
TSN: Who is the toughest opponent you faced at the World Championship?
Björck: Ah, great question. There’s a lot of people that were really good. I mean, of course, [Macklin] Celebrini was really good. And in the Switzerland [quarter-final] game that we got knocked out in, Nico Hischier was tough to play against, and Roman Josi was good there as well. There’s a lot of good NHLers there.
TSN: What’s it like to face Hischier?
Björck: Also an all-around guy. It seems like he’s up there in the attack, but still manages to get himself back to the defensive side as well. He was strong all over the ice.
TSN: What did you take away from the World Championship experience?
Björck: It gives you experience and also a confidence boost. You get to play a lot of the NHL players and get to play with them as well. It gives you a confidence boost that, I mean, you can handle yourself fairly well against those guys. It’s not an easy task, but I think I did okay.
TSN: We’re just days away from the draft, what are you feeling?
Björck: It’s a moment that you’ve been looking forward to. It’s gonna be super fun, I hope. Nothing else you can do now. Just sit and wait for your name to get called.
TSN: Do you have any favourite memories of watching the draft growing up?
Björck: I haven’t really watched the names get called but, you know, I’ve been following who gets picked. I remember [Rasmus] Dahlin getting drafted No. 1. That’s a pretty big moment for Sweden. As a Swede, you’re proud.
TSN: You made a lot of people in Sweden proud this season. What were you most proud of about the year you had?
Björck: I played pretty good in the World Juniors. We were a very good team and I’m happy to have been a part of that and helping us to get the gold medal. That’s a big thing.
TSN: You were so good in Minnesota with nine points in seven games at the World Juniors. Why do you think you were able to raise your level in that event?
Björck: I didn’t play that much the first half of the season and then getting to go there and play junior hockey again and get a lot of minutes, it was super fun.
TSN: Where do you keep the gold medal?
Björck: I have it hanging on a stick at home where I hang up all the medals I have.
TSN: When you look at it, what do you feel?
Björck: There’s just joy. I mean, all the memories come back. I think when I look back on it a couple of years from now, it’s gonna still feel the same. It’s a good memory.
TSN: By the way, where are you going to put that stick Crosby autographed for you?
Björck: Probably got to change that to the stick that I have for all the medals (laugh). Going to put Crosby’s stick there.
TSN: You won World Junior gold alongside fellow top prospect Ivar Stenberg. You also just played with the Frolunda winger at the World Championship. How much have you inspired each other and maybe pushed each other?
Björck: We’re good friends. Both of us want to perform as good as we can every night. I mean, of course, you notice when he plays good. I mean, he kind of always plays good, so it raises the standard on yourself as well. He’s a super nice guy and super talented. I think it’s gonna go well for him.
TSN: If you had to choose the best game you’ve played this season, what game would you choose?
Björck: I’ll probably pick one of the World Junior games. Maybe the Finland game [a 4-3 shootout win in the semifinals]. I played good, but missed a couple breakaways. But, I mean, gotta keep trying. Overall I played pretty good in that game. It was a super fun game and, yeah, happy that my teammates bailed me out. Hopefully I can return the favour another day.
TSN: What were you thinking when the breakaway misses were happening?
Björck: When you go the third time, it’s like, ‘Okay, now I’m gonna score this one.’ But, yeah, [Petteri] Rimpinen, he stopped me that day. So, I mean, you just gotta bounce back and try better next time.
TSN: Why do you think you’ve been able to excel despite not being the biggest guy?
Björck: There’s this narrative that you gotta be big and all that but, I mean, I think you can outwork some guys. You can just go in there and try your best and try to be smart in situations and get an advantage on guys. Just go in there and believe that you’re bigger than you are and just play your game.
TSN: How big do you feel on the ice?
Björck: I mean, you don’t go around thinking how tall you are in the middle of the game (laugh), but I believe I’m tall enough.
TSN: Where does your high compete level come from?
Björck: Good question. I’ve always grown up with my older brother, [20-year-old] Wilson. We’ve always been super close and competed against each other. Growing up, it was like land hockey or table tennis or basketball or ice hockey or whatever, I mean, it’s always been head-to-head and that creates a competitive mindset.
TSN: Who has bragging rights?
Björck: Oh, I think it’s pretty 50-50. No one lets anyone win too much. You always go down trying. But, yeah, there’s been a couple of rough matches.
TSN: The Canucks picked Wilson in the fifth round in 2025. What would it be like to join him in Vancouver?
Björck: It would be super cool. It’s always something that you dream of, you know, playing with your brother. So, yeah, that would be super amazing.
TSN: What was the conversation like with the Canucks, who own the third-overall pick, at the scouting combine?
Björck: It was pretty good. It’s pretty hard to keep track of every team that you talk to and all that but, I mean, I felt that it was pretty good.
TSN: There are four Canadian teams with picks in the top 10. How do you think you would handle the attention in a Canadian market?
Björck: I think it’s a good thing when people care about what you do. It’s always fun when you do stuff that people enjoy. I think it’s the same in Djurgarden where I play. The people around and the fans, they really care [a lot] about the team and they expect you to perform. It raises your standard on yourself and as a team. So, I mean, it’s nice.
TSN: Do you have a sense of when you’ll be picked?
Björck: Hard to say. You never know what happens on draft day. I said from the start of the year that top 10 would be a cool milestone. But then, like, when you think about it, does it really matter? You get to go to the organization that believes in you and you get the opportunity to make the most of it.
TSN: What song do you want to play when you’re picked?
Björck: I got to pick one of the songs by my aunt [Charlotte Perrelli]. She’s a singer.
TSN: Do you have one of her songs in mind?
Björck: I haven’t done this before so I don’t know what kind of songs that you should play, but she has a song called ‘Take Me to Heaven.’ She won the Eurovision singing contest [in 1999] with that one. So, yeah, hopefully that gets played.
TSN: Did she give you any advice as someone who performs on a big stage?
Björck: We have a good relationship. She says, ‘Just be yourself. Just go out there and have fun and do your best.’
