The Ducks have signed defenseman Stian Solberg to a three-year entry-level contract.
Solberg, 18 (12/29/05), was selected by Anaheim in the first round (23rd overall) of the 2024 NHL Draft. He scored 5-10=15 points with 47 penalty minutes (PIM) and a +2 rating in 42 games with Valerenga of the Eliteserien, Norway’s top professional league. He finished first in scoring among all skaters aged 18 or younger, while his 15 points are also the fourth-most by a defenseman 18 or younger in league history.
The 6-2, 205-pound defenseman also posted 1-3=4 points in 18 games for Valerenga in 2022-23, the most by a skater aged 18 or younger. In 71 career Eliteserien games, Solberg recorded 6-14=20 points with 59 PIM and a +4 rating. He becomes the second-highest ever player to be drafted out of Norway, following 2024 15th overall selection Michael Brandsegg-Nygard.
The Oslo, Norway native represented Norway at the 2024 IIHF World Championships, tallying 2-1=3 points in seven tournament games, and also the 2024 World Junior Championship, where he recorded 1-1=2 points in five games. He also appeared at the 2023 U-18 World Championship, earning one assist (0-1=1) in six games.
