DETROIT – Axel Holmstrom made hockey headlines earlier this year when he broke the Sedin twins' record for the most points by a junior in the Swedish Hockey League playoffs.
The Detroit Red Wings have been keeping a close eye on the 6-foot-1, 198-pound center since selecting him in the 7th round (196th overall) of the 2014 NHL Entry Draft. Now, after the 18-year-old was named the Swedish Junior Hockey Player of the Year, the Red Wings signed him to a three-year entry-level contract.
The teen has made a bit of a name for himself at the national level. And no, he's not related to former Red Wings forward Tomas Holmstrom, who also came up through the Swedish league.
As an overlooked 7th-round pick, Axel Holmstrom could be the next feather in the Red Wings scouting cap. He scored 18 points in 16 games with Sweden's U-18 team in 2013-14 and another 7 points in 11 games with the U-20 team this past season.
He was at the Red Wings prospect camp this past summer, and now he's sure to be there again this year before possibly heading to Grand Rapids. However, he'll likely spend next season on loan to a Swedish team.
Keep his name in mind -- should be an easy one to remember.
Axel Holmstrom #25 of Team Sweden gets a shot away against Team Finland during a quarter-final game in the 2015 IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship at the Air Canada Centre on January 2, 2015 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Claus Andersen/Getty Images)