Stenberg scores twice in 25 seconds in 1st game with Sharks

SAN JOSE -- Ivar Stenberg gave an indication of what’s to come with the San Jose Sharks on Saturday.

The No. 2 pick in gthe 2026 NHL Draft scored two goals in 25 seconds in the third period of an 8-1 victory against the Los Angeles Kings in the 2026 Rookie Faceoff at Tech CU Arena.

Stenberg, who turns 19 on Sept. 30, played on a forward line with 2025 No. 2 pick Michael Misa and Igor Chernyshov, who had 19 points (nine goals, 10 assists) in 28 NHL games last season.

He made it 6-1 on a redirection before one-timing a backhand feed from Chernyshov to complete a nifty tic-tac-toe passing play at 11:36 to give San Jose a 7-1 lead.

"It was fun," Stenberg said. "First (game) in a long time, but super fun. (Misa and Chernyshov are) really good players."

Stenberg is making the adjustment to the smaller North American-sized rink after playing with Frolunda of the Swedish Hockey League last season, when he had 33 points (11 goals, 22 assists) in 43 games.

It was only his first game here, but Stenberg said he felt comfortable.

"It's fun, but yeah, it's different,” he said. “I’ve got to learn as quickly as possible. Just getting stronger (and) faster (will help me adjust). Work on everything. Shoot the puck. I've been working the whole summer."

John McCarthy served as Sharks coach Saturday and was impressed by what he saw from Stenberg, who could potentially see time on a line this season with center Macklin Celebrini, the No. 1 pick in the 2024 NHL Draft who was fourth in the League in 2025-26 with 115 points (45 goals, 70 assists) in 82 games. McCarthy is entering his fifth season as coach for San Jose of the American Hockey League.

"It's an adjustment, right? It's an adjustment for him coming over here, and I thought he handled himself well," McCarthy said. "Obviously, they were dynamic off the rush; like, the one goal was pretty impressive. You know the skill comes through in times like that."

The Sharks will face the Utah Mammoth in another rookie game on Sunday, but McCarthy said he wasn’t sure if Stenberg would be in the lineup. Training camp is scheduled to begin Thursday, when Stenberg is hoping to continue to impress in his quest to make his official NHL debut against the Florida Panthers on Oct. 1.

"It's super fun to see all the fans and how good they are. This makes me really excited," Stenberg said. "It's nice to get going, and yeah, (I'm) ready for training camp."