In the fourth round of the 2026 Draft, Utah selected goaltender Carl Axelsson. Learn more about one of the newest members of the Mammoth below!
The Basics
Axelsson is from Danderyd, Sweden. The 19-year-old’s father, Niklas, was a goaltender as well. He played for the University of Minnesota Duluth, Vallentuna BK (Division 1, Division 2), and IK Vaxholm (Division 1, Division 2) during his career.
Road to the Draft
After youth hockey, Axelsson started his junior hockey career in Sweden. Axelsson played for SDE HF in Stockholm at the U16 (Division 1 and SM) level before making the jump to J18 Region level. In addition to SDE HF, Axelsson played for Linköping HC and Skellefteå AIK at the J18 level. In his final two seasons in Sweden, Axelsson advanced to the J20 Nationell level with Skellefteå.
Starting with the 2024-25 season, Axelsson left Sweden to play hockey in North America. During the 2024-25 campaign, he played four games with the Sioux Falls Stampede (USHL) and 19 games for the Austin Bruins (NAHL). During his draft year, Axelsson played 44 games for the Muskegon Lumberjacks (USHL). He had a 28-14-1 record, a 2.48 goals-against average, a .916 save percentage, and two shutouts with the Lumberjacks last year.
After two years of junior hockey in North America, Axelsson is set to play for the University of Minnesota Duluth this season, following his father’s footsteps. The 2026-27 season will be his first year of college hockey.
International Experience
Axelsson has played for his home country of Sweden three times in his career, at the U16, U18, and U20 levels. In 2022, Axelsson was a part of Sweden’s 4 Nations team. During the 2023-24 season, he was on the roster for Sweden’s Hlinka Gretzky Cup and played for Sweden at the World Junior A Challenge. Last summer, Axelsson participated in the 2025 World Junior Summer Showcase.
