Theo Stockselius is focused on being a future difference-maker in the NHL.
The Calgary Flames’ forward prospect is already a feel-good story.
It was three years ago this month that Stockselius was diagnosed with thyroid cancer. He’d just turned 15 at the time.
After a pair of surgeries to treat the disease, that health scare is now behind him, although he was anticipating some reminders throughout August.
“I get up some memories when I Snapchat,” Stockselius told Postmedia during development camp. “I’m just happy that I’m not in the hospital when those memories are coming up. I’m glad to be healthy.”
The Flames are glad to have him in the fold. They welcomed Stockselius with a second-round pick, No. 54 overall, in the 2025 NHL Draft.
They see a lot of promise in his playmaking abilities.
They are excited that he’s on the radar to represent Sweden at the world juniors, with an important audition coming up next week.
They are optimistic that, as he builds strength, he could help at the faceoff dot and appreciate that he aims to emulate Mikael Backlund’s game, determined to be a trustworthy two-way centre just like Calgary’s current captain.
“With what he has already been through, you know the perseverance and the way he keeps going,” said Flames general manager Craig Conroy.
Indeed, it’s not often that a just-drafted NHL hopeful is already a cancer survivor.
These are, after all, 18-year-old kids.
“I had been sick, like, every week so my father took me to the hospital one day and they see that my thyroid was bigger,” Stockselius said, reflecting on his diagnosis in 2022. “So they took a test and said it was cancer. After that, I did two operations — one in the summer, in August, and one in November the same year. But after that, I’m fine. I go for check-ups every six months, but I’m feeling really good and it’s fine right now.”
Hockey, he will tell you, helped him through all the tests and treatments. He feels fortunate he wasn’t forced to miss too many games or practices and whenever he was on the ice, it would take his mind off the hospital visits.
Three years after his diagnosis, and one substantial step closer to realizing his NHL dream, Stockselius also finds a positive in an experience that no teenager should have to go through.
“Cancer is a really big thing,” he said. “So for example, if you have a bad game, it’s easier to forget that. Cancer is much bigger, so I think I’m stronger mentally after that.”
While the Flames would love to fast-track all of their pivot prospects, patience will be required with Stockselius. He just turned 18 in late July, which makes him the youngest player in their pipeline. He will need to add some serious bulk to a 6-foot-3 frame. He is currently listed at 193 pounds.
Stockselius will start this season with Djurgardens in Sweden’s junior league — he should be poised to put up big numbers after averaging 1.28 points per game last winter — but is shooting for a call-up to their SHL squad. As he put it: “I want to fight to take a place on the men’s team.”
This Flames prospect is also in the mix for a world-junior roster spot. While he didn’t score an invite to the summer showcase, he will have his chance to impress at a 5 Nations tournament that runs Aug. 28-31 in Czechia.
“Just his overall package, I think that’s what we really like about him,” Conroy said of Stockselius. “He’s smart, good hockey sense. He sees the ice well, makes plays, chips in offensively. He has it all, and he is still young. As you saw at development camp, he’s tall, but he’s thin right now. So as his body fills out, with the skill he has with his hands and the way he sees the ice, we’re really excited about him moving forward.”
As part of their pre-draft prep, the Flames consulted medical experts on whether Stockselius’ physical maturation was delayed by his bout with thyroid cancer.
They believe it was, bolstering their confidence he has plenty of room to grow. In fact, they hope size and strength could eventually be among his top traits.
“We did our homework on how it hindered his physical development and then would it hinder it further?” explained Flames director of amateur scouting Tod Button. “And everything came back, ‘No it wouldn’t.’
“To go from that to a second-round draft pick in the NHL, it’s pretty impressive.”
Sure is.
But Stockselius isn’t done writing this inspirational story just yet.
“It has always been a dream to be in the NHL and be drafted by a team,” he said during development camp. “Now, I’ve done one goal. My next goal is to play in the NHL.”