‘He truly is a beast’

A couple of quick conversations with Viggo Bjorck reveal a magnetic personality to go along with an impressive scouting report.

Just a few days after the Winnipeg Jets chose the Swedish centre with the eighth overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, Bjorck arrived on the scene in Manitoba for development camp, ready to embrace the next step in his remarkable journey.

There were new teammates to meet, hands to shake, fitness testing to push through, sticks to tape and promotional videos to shoot.

But the last 12 months were essentially a whirlwind of activity for the guy who immediately becomes the Jets’ top prospect, so to see him handle tasks with aplomb should come as little surprise.

Bjorck is clearly not afraid of the glare of the spotlight, even if he doesn’t necessarily seek out the attention. Straddling that fine line between exuding a high level of confidence while also maintaining humility isn’t always easy — especially for a teenager — but the early indications are that Bjorck is well equipped to handle whatever challenges come his way.

“Things are settling down,” Bjorck said during a meeting with the local press corps that lasted nearly seven minutes. “I’m getting more comfortable and it’s nice meeting new people here. It’s good to see the environment.”

When you listened to how Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff and director of amateur scouting Mark Hillier talked about Bjorck’s abilities on the weekend, one couldn’t help but ask Bjorck if he thought playing in the NHL this fall was a possibility.

Once again, Bjorck was ready with an answer that didn’t sound rehearsed, but also one that made it clear he wasn’t about to get ahead of himself either.

“Yeah, well, that would be super cool,” said Bjorck, noting that discussions about his future will come at a later date. “We haven’t really decided if I’m going back to Sweden or those decisions. But I mean, everyone wants to play in the NHL, but we’ll see.”

“I’m getting more comfortable and it’s nice meeting new people here. It’s good to see the environment.”

Bjorck is under contract to Djurgardens of the Swedish Hockey League, but since he was chosen in the first round, he would be eligible to play for the Jets, the Manitoba Moose of the American Hockey League or with Djurgardens — once he signs his entry-level contract.

The Jets have an opportunity open at second-line centre and, while there will be competition for that job, Bjorck is someone whose skillset makes him a viable candidate to not only break camp but to potentially stick around for the long haul.

“Viggo is an unbelievable competitor, that’s probably No. 1,” said Jets defence prospect Sascha Boumedienne, who was chosen in the first round of the 2025 NHL Draft. “You won’t ever be able to take the puck off of him. He truly is a beast. He’s very good at protecting (the puck) and you can trust him all over the ice, use him in every aspect and be happy.

“He’s very reliable. You can use him on PK and power play and he’ll do a good job for you. You can trust him and he’s a great leader, too. He kind of leads by example and says stuff when he has to. He’s the perfect human being. He does things to a T and not only that, he brings everyone else up with him.”

Not only does Boumedienne have an idea what Bjorck is like as a teammate, as they captured a gold medal at the 2026 World Junior Hockey Championship in Minnesota in January, but they’ve known each other basically since they were infants — since their fathers played pro hockey together.

Boumedienne was in Winnipeg on Friday for the Jets draft party and admits he erupted in joy when he heard Bjorck’s name announced.

“That was unbelievable,” said Boumedienne. “I didn’t think Viggo was going to be there for us when Winnipeg had that eighth pick. Fortunately, he was there and I started jumping up and down. I don’t think there were a lot of people that were happier than me to see that pick go through.”

After watching the Carolina Hurricanes capture the Stanley Cup this spring, some observers can’t help but wonder if there are some parallels between how Bjorck and Logan Stankoven play the game, given the combination of skill and dogged pursuit of the puck.

“One hundred per cent,” said Boumedienne. “Watching (Stankoven) in the playoffs, he looks very competitive and he doesn’t want to lose a single puck battle. I feel like they’re very similar in that way.”

Several current Jets have welcomed Bjorck into the organization, including a phone call with Mark Scheifele and text messages from Gabe Vilardi, Cole Perfetti and captain Adam Lowry — who also addressed the prospects on Monday as part of development camp.

“He’s very reliable… He’s the perfect human being. He does things to a T and not only that, he brings everyone else up with him.”

Bjorck hasn’t seen much of Winnipeg since his arrival, but the early impressions were positive.

As for what he wants to get accomplished this week, Bjorck revealed one of the qualities that has allowed him to reach this point, while remaining hungry to tackle the road ahead.

“Well, it’s a development camp, right?” he said. “Listen to the coaches if they see anything, and be open to ask questions. Just continue, as usual, trying to get better.”

That unbridled passion and desire to get better is part of what caught the Jets’ attention in the first place.

“Just a real infectious personality,” said Cheveldayoff. “A player that knows who he is and knows what he is all about and plays the game that way.”

winnipegfreepress.com/kenwiebe