Michael Brandsegg-Nygård
| Michael Brandsegg-Nygård | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Born |
October 5, 2005 Oslo, Norway | ||
| Height | 6 ft 1 in (185 cm) | ||
| Weight | 198 lb (90 kg; 14 st 2 lb) | ||
| Position | Right wing | ||
| Shoots | Right | ||
| Allsvenskan team Former teams |
Mora IK Vålerenga Ishockey | ||
| National team |
 Norway | ||
| NHL draft | Eligible 2024 | ||
Michael Brandsegg-Nygård (born October 5, 2005) is a Norwegian professional ice hockey forward for Mora IK of the HockeyAllsvenskan. He is considered a top prospect eligible for the 2024 NHL Entry Draft, projected to be the first Norwegian ever selected in the first round.[1]
Playing career[edit]
Brandsegg-Nygård made his senior professional debut for Vålerenga Ishockey of Norway's EliteHockey Ligaen (EHL) as a 16-year-old, appearing in eight EHL games in addition to playing at the under-20 level. He was offered a spot in the system of Swedish club Mora IK midway through the year, but chose to remain in Norway until the season ended.[2]
Turning down an offer of a full time EHL role with Vålerenga,[2] Brandsegg-Nygård moved to Sweden for the 2022–23 season, appearing in 11 games in the second-tier HockeyAllsvenskan and 35 in the J20 Nationell.[3] He made his Allsvenskan debut a week after turning 17, on October 12, 2022,[4] and scored his first goal in the league against Tingsryds AIF on November 7, 2022.[2]
In his draft-eligible season, Brandsegg-Nygård once again split time between the professional and junior levels. His shot, hockey IQ, and mature game were among the features lauded by scouts, who projected him as a first round pick and possibly "the best prospect Norway has ever produced."[3][5]
International play[edit]
| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
| Representing Norway
| ||
| Men's ice hockey | ||
| World U18 Championship | ||
 |
2022 Slovakia | Division I Group A |
| World Junior Championship | ||
 |
2023 Norway | Division I Group A |
Brandsegg-Nygård made his senior international debut at the 2022 MECA Hockey Games, appearing against Latvia and Denmark as a 17-year-old.[6][7]
At Division IA of the 2023 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships, Brandsegg-Nygård and the Norwegian team finished in first, earning promotion to the top division for the first time in nearly ten years.[8]
Returning to Team Norway for the 2024 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships, he had three goals and five points in five games, with an average of 17:22 of time on ice.[9] In the relegation match against Germany, Norway lost 5–4 in overtime to be sent back to Division IA.[10]
Personal life[edit]
Brandsegg-Nygård is the son of Kjell Richard Nygård, who played over 450 games for Vålerenga in the top level Norwegian EliteHockey Ligaen and made many appearances with the Norwegian national team.[11][12]
Career statistics[edit]
Regular season and playoffs[edit]
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 2020–21 | Vålerenga | NOR U21 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | – | – | – | – | – | ||
| 2021–22 | Vålerenga | EHL | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2021–22 | Vålerenga | NOR U20 | 25 | 24 | 18 | 42 | 20 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 4 | ||
| 2022–23 | Mora IK | Allsv | 11 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 6 | – | – | – | – | – | ||
| 2022–23 | Mora IK | J20 | 35 | 17 | 21 | 38 | 28 | – | – | – | – | – | ||
| 2023–24 | Mora IK | Allsv | 41 | 8 | 10 | 18 | 19 | 12 | 4 | 6 | 10 | 8 | ||
| 2023–24 | Mora IK | J20 | 7 | 5 | 7 | 12 | 10 | – | – | – | – | – | ||
| Allsvenskan totals | 52 | 9 | 12 | 21 | 25 | 12 | 4 | 6 | 10 | 8 | ||||
International[edit]
| Year | Team | Event | Result | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Norway | U18 (Div IA) | 
|
5 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 4 | |
| 2023 | Norway | WJC (Div IA) | 
|
5 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 10 | |
| 2024 | Norway | WJC | 10th | 5 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 0 | |
| Junior totals | 15 | 7 | 7 | 14 | 14 | ||||
References[edit]
- ^ Kennedy, Ryan (January 3, 2024). "World Junior Diary Day 4: Meet Norway's Best NHL Draft Class Ever". thehockeynews.com. The Hockey News. Retrieved January 11, 2024.
- ^ a b c Jansson, Martin (December 4, 2022). "Michael Brandsegg-Nygård om succén: "Blivit överraskad själv"". hockeysverige.se (in Swedish). Hockeysveirge. Retrieved February 29, 2024.
- ^ a b Maciag, Joe (December 11, 2023). "2024 NHL Draft Player Profile: Michael Brandsegg-Nygård". recruitscouting.com. Recruit Scouting. Retrieved January 11, 2024.
- ^ Bakkehaug, Wegard (October 16, 2022). "Michael (17) debuterte for Mora: - Egentlig litt overrasket". nitten.no (in Norwegian). Retrieved February 29, 2024.
- ^ Alanen, Lassi (August 20, 2023). "Future Vision: Michael Brandsegg-Nygård and the makings of a modern power forward". eprinkside.com. Elite Prospects. Retrieved January 11, 2024.
- ^ "Fremtidens A-landslagsspillere får sjansen i Trondheim". hockey.no (in Norwegian). October 28, 2022. Retrieved February 29, 2024.
- ^ "Michael Brandsegg-Nygård". hockey.no. Retrieved February 29, 2024.
- ^ Ellis, Steven (December 13, 2023). "2024 World Junior Championship Preview: Team Norway". dailyfaceoff.com. Daily Faceoff. Retrieved January 11, 2024.
- ^ Morreale, Mike G. (January 5, 2024). "2024 World Junior Championship: 10 things learned". NHL.com. National Hockey League. Retrieved January 11, 2024.
- ^ Kardaman, Katelyn (January 5, 2024). "Ostlund, Wahlberg win silver at World Juniors; Kulich takes home bronze". NHL.com. Buffalo Sabres. Retrieved January 11, 2024.
- ^ Boger, Christian (November 14, 2022). "Vålerenga-gutten Michael (17) med hockeysukess i Sverige. - Det har gått mye raskere enn jeg drømte om". vartoslo.no. Vårt Oslo. Retrieved February 29, 2024.
- ^ "Kjell Richard Nygaard". eliteprospects.com. Retrieved February 29, 2024.
External links[edit]
- Biographical information and career statistics from Eliteprospects.com, or The Internet Hockey Database