by Ryan Smith | AHL Rhythm
For most 20-year-old NHL prospects about to embark on their professional careers, the pressure and long hours on and off the ice leave them with little time to do anything that isn't directly related to their own journey to a lifelong dream.
for Otto Steinbergthat perspective doesn’t apply — though his path to the NHL has certainly been far from linear since being drafted 25th overall by the St. Louis Blues in 2023.
The native of Stenonsund, Sweden, turned pro in his home country at age 17 before being drafted by St. Louis and playing 79 games in three seasons in the Swedish Hockey League against some players twice his age.
In the middle of the 2024-25 season, Steinberg skated with the Malmö Redhawks of the SHL. Unlike the AHL, where the development of young skaters is usually a priority, SHL clubs focus on adding to their experienced lineups in pursuit of a league title. This caused Steinberg to miss crucial ice time.
Special assistant to Blues GM, fellow Swede realizes prospects have better chance of adapting to North American game Alexander Steen Steinberg is encouraged to come to the United States and join the Springfield Thunderbirds shortly after New Year's 2025. Steinberg made it happen quickly, scoring in his first AHL game last Jan. 18 and gaining crucial experience in the second half of the AHL season.
“You get better players and bigger players every shift,” Steinberg said of his move to the AHL. “What I learned from that was how I played without the puck — the Swedish league is so defensive. When I moved here last year, I would say [the biggest adjustment] Getting used to the smaller ice and the speed of the game, the corner fights, the wall fights. “
After playing 59 games in parts of the past two seasons, Steinberg was recalled to the NHL for the first time in December and scored his first NHL goal on January 7 in Chicago. The jump from the AHL to the NHL has been going well for the 20-year-old, who already has seven points (1g, 6a) in his first 13 NHL games while also boasting a solid +5 rating.
As if it wasn't enough for Steinberg to enjoy his first NHL recall and experience success, he's also in one of the most unique and proud positions the NHL could ever love. Quinn Hughes, Eric Starrand Luke Schenn Experienced.
See, Otto isn't the only Steinberg making waves in NHL circles. Frölunda skates in the SHL, 18 years old Ivar Steinberg The forward, like his brother, has soared in experts' scouting rankings over the past year, with some even eyeing him as the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NHL Draft.
The least surprised by Ivar's meteoric rise was his brother.
“He was always talented in every aspect. He was good at every sport,” Otto said.
There seems to be one factor holding Ivar back on his path to becoming an elite player for his age group – his size.
“He was little when he was young. When all his peers were growing up, he was still little.”
What some saw as a detriment, Otto argued, was that Ivar became a fuel that led him to focus on another area – his mind.
“He has to think more and be smart on the ice,” Otto said. “I think it helped him once he started growing and now he's about the same size as other guys (at his age).”
Earlier this month, Ivar helped Sweden win its first IIHF World Junior Championship gold medal in 14 years, scoring 10 points in seven games, including an empty-net winner against the Czech Republic in the final.
Ivar's brother has been watching every step, and Otto says this is nothing new.
“I watched every game, almost every game [Frölunda] game. I'm happy for him and all of Sweden. We've been close (to gold) over the past few years. I'm very happy for the team and very proud of him. “
As the excitement of the World Juniors wears off, the rest of Ivar's year will be busy with meetings, phone calls and interest from all directions. So, what advice does Otto have for his brother amid the chaos of NHL draft preparation?
“It’s fun when NHL teams want to talk to you,” Otto recalled of the 2022-23 season. “I told him to look at it in a positive way. When you have all these meetings during the season, sometimes it feels like it takes a lot of time and sometimes you just want to hang out at home and relax. When he was playing, I told him to try not to overthink it and just go with the flow, and I think he did a really good job at that.”
For the entire Steinberg family, the next phase of Otto and Ivar's journey feels like there's so much potential. Otto was not naive about the competitive spirit that propelled both of them toward their NHL dreams.
“We always competed against each other and had some great battles in the backyard and in the game room at home. When you compete against each other that much, I think it helps a lot in making us better players.”
