By: Ryan Bosworth | Follow me on Twitter / X @RyanJBosworth
Elias Lindholm was one of seven Bruins players to participate in the IIHF World Championship this week in Sweden and Denmark. The 30-year-old center headed overseas to represent his native country, and since doing so, he’s been turning heads and bringing positive attention to himself thanks to his dominant performances.
Despite a largely underwhelming 2024–25 season, hampered by a back injury, Lindholm finished the year on a high note. Centering Boston’s top line between Morgan Geekie and David Pastrnak, he began to show flashes of what could become a formidable trio in the upcoming campaign. Over his final ten games, Lindholm posted 4-6-10, including several multi-point performances.
Lindholm joined Team Sweden for the IIHF World Championship and has been on fire ever since. Through just six games, he’s racked up six goals and four assists for a total of ten points. He made an immediate impact in Sweden’s tournament opener, recording a goal and an assist in their 5–0 shutout win over Slovakia. Since the opening game of the tournament, Lindholm has upped his game in every opportunity he’s been given, even if he isn’t finding the scoresheet every game.
In Sweden’s 4–2 win over Austria, Lindholm didn’t find the back of the net but still made an impact, notching two assists on goals by Alexander Wennberg and Jonas Brodin. He was held off the scoresheet in Sweden’s narrow 2–1 victory over Finland but bounced back with a goal and an assist in a dominant 6–0 win against Latvia.
The game that truly began to turn heads was Sweden’s 4–0 victory over Slovenia. After a scoreless first period, Lindholm broke the deadlock with a goal to give Sweden a 1–0 lead, setting the tone for the rest of the game.
Late in the second period, Lindholm struck again to extend Sweden’s lead to 2–0, then completed the natural hat trick with a third goal, making it 3–0. After such a quiet year offensively, it’s very promising to see him string goals together.
In Sweden’s most recent game against France, Lindholm found the back of the net once again, scoring his sixth goal of the tournament. The Swedish center consistently positions himself well to generate scoring chances, which is an encouraging sign for his upcoming season with the Black and Gold.
The style of play Lindholm has carried from the end of the Bruins’ regular season into international competition is exactly what Boston hoped for when they signed him. He’s playing a reliable two-way game and contributing steady point production.
While his scoring pace may not always be this goal-heavy, if he can maintain the confidence he’s showing now, he’ll be well-positioned to deliver the consistent offensive support the Bruins have been lacking heading into the 2025–26 season.
Sweden will square off against Canada tomorrow, May 20th, at 2:20 EST, where Lindholm will look to continue his dominant play against a strong Team Canada.
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