Ola Wagstrom was happy to accept a co-GM position with Team Sweden, and seems proud of his national heritage. After working together with Snussu to lead Team Scandinavia to a gold medal victory in the S44 World Juniors Championship, and with Scandinavia off to a hot start in the S45 WJC, Wagstrom knows that Sweden is the place to be for the next generation of superstars. Wagstrom himself is one of many up-and-coming players that should play a major role for the nation in the future.

"Right now, we have a lot of really young players coming up the ranks, and there's a lot of opportunity here for the youngsters. We're committed to giving guys playing time, and that's something I intend to maintain as co-GM. When you think real life Swedish stars, you think Rasmus Dahlin, Erik Karlsson, and Victor Hedman. I'm going to be looking for that elite defenseman superstar to be that Swedish legend in SHL. Puck-moving guys are the hallmark of our nation, and that fluid passing is a strategy we intend to employ," said Ola Wagstrom. "Overall, I think the future is very bright for us in IIHF affairs."

Wagstrom, the second overall pick in the S44 SHL Draft, is regarded as one of the faces of the nation's future, alongside budding star wingers David Fantobens and Hippo Passamus. With experience from the WJC, he was recommend as a co-GM pick by some of his teammates, and was quick to accept the offer. Beyond just forward talent, Sweden also boasts arguably the finest young netminder in the game, Kata Vilde, who is a frontrunner for the SHL's rookie of the year award and a lock for an All-Star appearance. If Sweden signs a few more youngsters, they could be eyeing a gold medal run in the IIHF in a few seasons, and that's what Wagstrom has in mind.

"I am super stoked to be the co-GM of Sweden, and I'll do my best to guide us into the future. Too many teams are focused on winning now, but I'm focused on building from scratch and putting together a juggernaut. I'm very excited and confident in our players and our abilities to represent our country, and I think we'll be getting some hardware in a few season's time. I think I'll be at 1000 TPE in 3 seasons time for sure, so I want to be a leader on the ice as well," said Ola Wagstrom. "I'm looking forward to meeting my fellow members of the next generation. We're going to do great things. Go Sweden go! " 

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