PROSPECT REPORT: Alfons Freij and Sascha Boumedienne

There are two Winnipeg Jets prospects at this year’s World Junior Hockey Championship and both represent Sweden.

Alfons Freij (2^nd round, 2024) and Sascha Boumedienne (1^st round, 2025) are set to help Sweden to World Junior glory. The Swedes do things a little differently when it comes to naming their team as it is announced via a live press conference, Freij was on a road trip with his pro team when he got the good news.

“It’s a dream come true. It means everything to get selected to such a big tournament like this, to test yourself against the best juniors in the world,”

“We were sitting on a bus, just some guys looking on the iPad. It’s me and two other guys from my team that got selected, it was a good road trip.”

The Swedes are in Group A this year with the host United States, Slovakia, Switzerland and Germany.

“I mean we got a good team for sure. We got some very good guys, and our main focus right now is to get the group,” said Freij from his hotel room.

“I’m just trying to help get the best out of the team, we got pretty good chances. I believe in jinx so I can’t say too much.”

Sweden has had lots of success during the round robin portion of the World Juniors but have only won gold twice (1981, 2012), they have 12 silver medals. Joining Boumedienne as first round picks in the NHL are forwards Anton Frondell (Chicago) and Victor Eklund (Islanders) plus 18-year-old Ivar Stenberg has been drawing a lot of attention from NHL scouts.

“We have an unreal team. Unreal top talent with a few of the top guys in the world. I feel like we have a deep team,” said Boumedienne.

“A well-rounded team from skilled guys that can score goals and make plays but also play the right way to guys that play really hard and are hard to play against.”

Freij and Boumedienne did not know one another until the Boumedienne was drafted by the Jets and they eventually met at development camp.

“He’s a very good friend of mine. It’s amazing to do this journey together, to be here together,” said Freij.

“It’s very big (opportunity) and we’re just loving every second.”

Boumedienne gave a scouting report of Freij for both on and off the ice.

“Tries to do the right thing with the puck every time and he’s a really good skater, you have a hard time beating him anywhere really and has a good stick,” said Boumedienne.

“Off the ice he’s an energetic guy that everybody wants to be around, kind of throws in funny jokes at times. A lot of guys love to be around him, great kind of leader and voice in our room.”

Boumedienne is having another solid season at Boston University with six points in 17 games. The 18-year-old said that both he and his teammates got off to a slow start but were getting up to speed before the holiday break.

“We’re a very young group that are just trying to figure each other out and try to get together as a group like any young team. So, I feel like at the end of the first half there we started to find our way, find the way we wanted to play and started to feel more as a team,” said Boumedienne.

“For myself, I felt like my start was pretty simil.ar to the teams, a little bit up and down. As of late, been feeling really good and just keep working on my all-round game, two-way game, winning puck battles, and trying to get up the ice a little more.”

Freij is playing in the SHL this season with Timra IK and has a couple of assists in 25 contests.

“It’s going good, we’re not the best, we’re not the worst, we’re in the middle. We’re not good with that to be honest. We have more. We have to be prepared for the other half of the season, we have more in us for sure,” said Freij.

“My role on the team is the offensive side, start with the offensive end, to play some power play sometimes. I’m learning more and more to be a two-way player, I’m learning from the other guys as well.”

Like any Jets prospect, Freij has had a lot of chats with the Jets director of player development Jimmy Roy and Mike Keane.

“I want to be better offensively, defensively but my main part is without the puck in the d-zone, to pin someone, I’ve got the size to use my body more,” said Freij.

“Be a little more aggressive in the d-zone, so that’s my main part I would say.”