For Alex Wennberg, fatherhood has changed the way he sees hockey. Six weeks after welcoming his third child, the perspective he brings home with him now carries into the rink, where a new generation of players is beginning to find its way.
“All of a sudden you have kids, and it’s like a bigger picture of life.”
That perspective may be especially valuable for an 18-year-old Swede making his first steps in the NHL. A connection that could make Wennberg’s role as a veteran leader even more important.
Now, in the Sharks locker room, a new connection is forming between experience as a veteran alternate captain and a freshly drafted teen who play side by side on the same line. When Stenberg was drafted second overall, one connection may have mattered most. Wennberg sees a mirror — just 13 years into the past (and minus half his last name). Their paths look similar in geography, style, and, most importantly, the transition to the United States. Wennberg has been a huge piece of Stenberg’s development thus far this season.
“I feel like he’s just doing a great job,” Wennberg said.
Wennberg recognizes how challenging it can be to shift to the NHL. Coming from a Swedish hockey system and playing style, it takes time to synchronize with that kind of speed. As Stenberg settles in and gets to know the team, Wennberg’s leadership role has only deepened.
Wennberg is a 13-year-and-counting NHL veteran whose biggest value has been his experience. He was drafted 14th overall by the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2013 and became a major two-way center. Since then, he has played for three other teams (the Seattle Kraken and New York Rangers), where his expertise has led the way. His best season came in 2016-17, when he reached a career high of 59 points and 46 assists at just 22. He finished 13th in the NHL in assists that same year.
Over his three seasons in San Jose, he has shown he can stay resilient in all situations.
“Just a great human being,” Sharks Head Coach Ryan Warsofsky said. “The game is in slow motion for him. He can read off his teammates really well. Plays in all situations.”
The interesting part is how similar Stenberg’s development was to Wennberg’s.
Wennberg came through Frölunda’s system in Sweden before reaching the Swedish Hockey League and being drafted by Columbus. He made his NHL debut at 19 and eventually became a veteran center.
Years later, Stenberg followed a similar path through Frölunda, reaching the SHL as a teenager before being drafted No. 2 overall by San Jose in 2026. Now, their paths intersect in San Jose, with Wennberg having already experienced the Sweden-to-NHL transition Stenberg is just now beginning.
That’s what makes this connection vital. Wennberg understands the barrier and has been helping Stenberg cross it swiftly.
“It’s a totally new language,” Wennberg said. “Catching up with slang and hockey terms. I feel like it takes a while to get comfortable.”
The ever-so-positive center has noticed a change in just a month of Stenberg being in the U.S. Wennberg feels a newfound comfort within his linemate, and he’s looking forward to it.
“When it’s been like a little bit more than a month, I feel like he’s looking way more comfortable and getting to know the boys better as well,” Wennberg said. “Huge steps, and it’s going to be more fun to see him, like, getting into this more, into the season.”
For the Sharks, it’s a relationship worth leaning into. Stenberg’s growth will depend on more than talent, and Wennberg’s presence could be one of San Jose’s most important tools in getting the most out of its young star.
