2025 Top 25 Under 25 Honorable Mention Deep Dive: Lina Ljungblom

Editor's Note: This is a guest post from Dylan Nazareth. You can follow Dylan on Twitter (X) at @dylnaz.

Earlier we featured Lina Ljungbloom in our honorable mentions. Here, we dive a little deeper into her.

The 2024-25 Season

Lina Ljungblom’s PWHL debut was less of a gentle introduction and more of a head-first dive directly into the deep end.

Showing a lot of offensive promise and ambition in her game, Ljungblom was thrown right onto the Montreal Victoire’s top line alongside hockey royalty in Laura Stacey and Marie Philip-Poulin, and she dealt with the pressure like a champ. Coming in as one of the youngest players in the league at 22 years old, she quickly became a fan favourite with her bold presence in interviews and strong work ethic.

Unfortunately, she couldn’t find that offensive spark in her rookie year. In 29 games played, she had three goals and three assists. As Montreal’s secondary scoring suffered slower periods throughout the year, coach Kori Chevrie played around with the lines to try and get things going. Ljungblom often bounced around the top six, while occasionally playing winger on the fourth line. 

Ljungblom closed out the year as centre to Maureen Murphy and Abby Boreen, two of her frequent linemates throughout the year, but failed to earn any points through the final six games of the season and four playoff appearances. In her defence, the Victoire as a whole struggled to find the back of the net through that stretch, but it was a disappointing finish to her rookie campaign nonetheless.

Still, there was a lot to like about Ljungblom’s game in year one. Even though she wasn’t scoring, the 23-year-old showed she’s tough, hard-working, and versatile, bringing a competitive, 200-foot game. She excelled on the backcheck, showcasing a lot of promise defensively. Her physical presence led to scoring opportunities aplenty, and it’s only a matter of time before she finds her shot once again.

Career

Born in Skövde, Sweden, Ljungblom began her climb to the pros playing in her local development program. At 15 years old, she debuted with Sweden’s U18 team and just two years later, made her first appearance with the senior national team. Her international breakthrough came at the 2023 World Championships, scoring seven goals and adding three assists for 10 points in seven games.

In the 2020-21 season, she joined the SDHL’s MoDo Hockey after making her league debut with HV71 the year before. She hit 30 points in each of her first three seasons with the team, working her way up to assistant captain. In the 2023-24 season, she set career highs of 23 goals and 46 points in 36 appearances, finishing third in total points in the SDHL. In the postseason, she tallied a league-leading eight goals and added two assists in 10 games. She was named playoff MVP after MoDo fell to Luleå in the Finals.

After showcasing her talents on the world stage and with her club, she was selected 90th overall with Montreal’s last pick in the 2023 PWHL entry draft. Still contractually obligated to MoDo, she was unable to join the Victoire in their inaugural season.

Amidst a chaotic PWHL expansion this summer, the coveted young player’s future was uncertain, but she managed to remain in Montreal. Ljungblom will be one of the Victoire’s youngest skaters once again this season as she enters the second year of a three-year agreement with the team.

Future

Heading into her sophomore season, the goal for Ljungblom is simple: find the back of the net. If you’ve watched any amount of international hockey over the past few years, you know that she’s more than capable of it, and has already shown she’s putting in the work this summer. With exciting new pieces like Abby Roque and Shiann Darkangelo set to slot into Montreal’s offensive group, Ljungblom has the opportunity to take the boost from some new linemates and, once again, become the goalscorer she can be.

Heading into an Olympic year, she’s got some extra motivation to put out her best hockey. Sweden hasn’t seen a podium finish in women’s hockey at the Olympics since 2006, and while it may be a long shot right now, they’re certainly a team on the rise. Ljungblom has continuously shown a passion for representing her country and has been clear about her hunger for improved results. Chasing her breakthrough year in the PWHL, she’ll have to use that drive to light a fire on the ice heading into one of the biggest years of her career so far.

Too High or Too Low?

Last summer, Ljungblom landed 14th on The Ice Garden’s Top 25 Under 25, as she geared up to make her PWHL debut. But after a slow start to her North American career, it’s an unfortunate but deserved drop to honourable mention this season. Nevertheless, showcasing her all-around game in her rookie season with still enormous offensive potential, she’s definitely worthy of an honourable mention this year. And if she’s able to have the breakthrough season she’s chasing, she’ll easily be back in the top 25, or better, come next summer.