IRVINE, Calif. -- Stian Solberg had never gripped a baseball until he strolled out to the pitcher's mound before a Los Angeles Angels game in June.
Solberg and forward Beckett Sennecke were invited to make the honorary first pitch two days after being selected by the Anaheim Ducks in the first round of the 2024 NHL Draft.
Even though Solberg felt outside his comfort zone, the 18-year-old Norway-born defenseman hit his target, something he performed quite well in Eliteserien, that nation's top professional hockey league, the past 2 1/2 seasons.
Solberg will take another big leap forward this season when he moves to Farjestad of the Swedish Hockey League.
"When you're going to take a new step, you're going to have to be smarter, faster, stronger, everything, so I'm just going to work at everything," he said during Ducks development camp last month.
Solberg became the second Norway-born player ever taken in the first round when Anaheim selected him with the No. 23 pick. Forward Michael Brandsegg-Nygard became the first when the Detroit Red Wings took him at No. 15.
Anaheim general manager Pat Verbeek, who played 20 seasons in the NHL before retiring in 2002, said during the draft that Solberg reminded him of a throwback from his era. As far as current players, Verbeek compared him to Ducks defenseman Radko Gudas, except Solberg is "about three inches taller."
"I love how aggressive he is, how physical he is," Verbeek said of Solberg, who's listed at 6-foot-2, 205 pounds. "There’s an edge in his game that we really liked."
Solberg said he developed his physical style of play after moving from forward to defenseman as a 14-year-old.
"I was a kid when I started playing and I'm still a kid, so I had to get bigger and stronger to keep up with the old guys," he said. "Just worked at that my whole life and try to always be the strongest guy in the league."
Solberg had 15 points (five goals, 10 assists) in 42 games for Valerenga of Eliteserien last season, and nine points (two goals, seven assists) in 17 playoff games.
Anaheim paid close attention to Solberg at the 2024 IIHF World Championship in May, when he was considered one of the top three players for Norway. He had three points (two goals, one assist) in seven games and averaged a team-high 22:44 of ice time.
Solberg was teammates with veteran NHL forward Mats Zuccarello of the Minnesota Wild, who became the first Norway-born player to skate in the Stanley Cup Final with the New York Rangers in 2014.
"I watched him for two weeks, just like how he acts, off the ice too," Solberg said. "Just how he talks to people and how professional he is all the way."
This season, Solberg will join Farjestad, a team with several other top NHL prospects, including goalie Damian Clara, who was selected by the Ducks in the second round (No. 60) of the 2023 NHL Draft.
"I don't have a spot that I'm really bad at," Solberg said, "but things can get better."
