With his big shots and bright potential, Anton Johansson is the latest player to come out of the golden Sweden-to-Michigan pipeline.

If you ever happen to find yourself in Leksand, Sweden, in the glories of “midsommer,” Anton Johansson has got your itinerary mapped out. “We would go hiking,” he said. “Or fishing.”

“It’s really just a village,” the 22-year-old defenseman said, humbly, of the place he has called home the last few years of his life.

There’s no need to be humble about Leksand, with its lush, green forests and glittering blue waters of Lake Siljan. It looks so much like something out of a Swedish folk tale that one wouldn’t be surprised to spot trolls and gnomes wandering around. The clay-red spire of a 13th century church rises over the town of fewer than 6,000 inhabitants, an age-old destination for “church boats,” long wooden vessels built for 60 people to row themselves across the water to attend services.

“There is a lot of history there,” Johansson said, pointing out another thing to do in warm weather, when Leksand hosts one of Sweden’s biggest summer celebrations. Crowds can watch as choirs and fiddlers arrive by church boats at the priest’s jetty below the church.

Notable people from the village include opera singer Andres Dahlin and hockey players Filip Forsberg and Johan Hedberg. When the church boats are docked and the weather dips into the minus-5 Fahrenheit range, it’s all about what’s happening at the rink.

Tegera Arena, which seats over 7,000 people, is home to Leksands Idrottsförening, or Leksands IF, a pro team currently in Sweden’s second division, HockeyAllsvenskan. Anton and his family, including hockey-playing brothers Simon and Victor, moved to Leksand in 2018 so their father Thomas could act as general manager for the team.

Thomas played 21 pro seasons in Sweden and won two bronze medals with Team Sweden at the IIHF World Championship. Older brother Simon, a defenseman, plays pro in Switzerland and enters his 10th season in 2026-27, while younger brother Victor, also a defenseman, is embarking on his first full season as a pro in Sweden.

One of Anton’s biggest thrills was making his professional debut with Leksands IF in the 2021-22 season, which also meant that the GM lived in the same house as him.

“It was weird at the beginning,” Johansson said. “He was Dad at home and boss at work.” But there were perks to this living arrangement as well. “It was great because he would share all these tips and tricks with me.”

Even though the Swede loved playing in Leksand – ”I had such a good time there” – it wasn’t all an easy, carefree, highly enjoyable situation, or as they say locally, "att glida in på en räkmacka,” which literally translated means “to slide in on a shrimp sandwich.” (In Sweden, a luxury open-faced shrimp sandwich, räkmacka, is associated with wealth and indulgence. Sliding in on one implies your path is completely smooth and easy.)

In a social media post, Johansson wrote about the disappointment that ended his time in Leksand: “6 great seasons in the blue and white jersey have been an honor, (but) they definitely did not turn out (to be) the ending I wanted unfortunately … You will always have a big piece of my heart!” 

In March 2026, just before Johansson returned to Grand Rapids for his second end-of-season stint with the Griffins, Leksands IF was relegated from the premier Swedish Hockey League (SHL) after losing its relegation playoff series with a 2-1 overtime loss, ending Leksand's seven-season run in Sweden's top tier. Leksands was 10 seconds away from winning in regulation. It was a hard pill for him to swallow, but in a way it made for a smoother transition back to the Griffins, where he had spent some time at the end of the 2024-25 season. After all, as his parents encourage him when he is down about the peaks and valleys of professional sports, “it’s just hockey.”

That viewpoint has given him perspective throughout his career, including when a huge highlight of his sports life thus far – competing for Team Sweden in the 2024 World Junior Championship – also became a case of dashed hopes, when Sweden came up short against the gold-winning American team. Remembering the loss, the 6-foot-4 player made a face and shook his head. It’s always painful to come so close to grabbing gold for one’s country, only to have to sit there and listen to another anthem playing during the medal ceremony. 

But a balanced outlook goes a long way in hockey and in life. When Leksands IF lost in the relegation round, it was time for a change of scenery. It was time to follow in the footsteps of his brother, Simon, who had played for the AHL’s Iowa Wild for two seasons, and his cousin, Alexander Wennberg, a star forward for the San Jose Sharks. It was time to follow his dreams to Michigan, a preferred destination for Scandinavian stars. 

Being drafted by the Detroit Red Wings in 2022, and then signed by the team in 2025, has been Johansson’s “proudest moment” so far, a sentiment shared by lots of his countrymen, dating back to 1972 when defenseman Thommie Bergman became Detroit’s first Swedish player. 

However, the true “glansdagar," or glory days, of Swedish influence took off under the legendary Hakan Andersson, one of the most successful scouts in hockey history. Originally a fishing guide, he was hired by the Red Wings in 1990 and helped propel the organization to four Stanley Cup championships (1997, 1998, 2002, 2008). He became famous for his serendipitous Swedish finds who went on to become NHL superstars, including Henrik Zetterberg, Tomas Holmström, and Johan Franzen. 

Red Wings legend Nicklas Lidstrom continues to advance Swedish and European talent for the Red Wings through his role as vice president of hockey operations, a position he has held since January 2022. Living in Sweden, Lidstrom is the gatekeeper of the next generation of Swedish players through scouting, mentorship, and player development, working alongside former Griffin Niklas Kronwall in the tracking and nurturing of European prospects.

Lidstrom noted Johansson's progress, telling the Swedish website hockeysverige.se, "Anton has become more stable in his play. That comes with more experience and with the confidence from getting to play a bit more. I also think he's very good with the puck, mobile, and good at getting his shots through.”

As Detroit’s AHL affiliate since 2002, the Griffins have long been the developmental home for future Red Wings. The golden pipeline between Sweden and Michigan has produced a rich, ongoing story, which Johansson became part of by signing with Detroit. 

Signed to a three-year, entry-level contract on March 13, 2025, “AJ,” as his teammates call him, made the jump to North American hockey in late March of that year, joining the Griffins for a few regular-season games. This past March, he was again reassigned to Grand Rapids from Leksands by Detroit. Joining the Griffins at the end of each of the last two seasons, Johansson made a splash, totaling 19 regular-season games (with an impressive 11 points: 2-9—11) and 11 playoff contests. This last season, his influence was more noticeable, as he picked up six points (2-4—6) in his eight games with the club. 

The imposing defenseman is eager to play in Grand Rapids, showing what he can do as a player known for his hard right-handed shot and his ability to intimidate his opponents on the ice.

Though Swedes are known for their finesse, Johansson also hopes to bring “a little bit of grit.” In the SHL, fighting is not the norm. In fact, “if you drop your gloves you get suspended,” he said. For him, a player with panache and artistry means being “a guy who handles the puck with heart.”

He’s had a superb role model in his big cousin, Wennberg, who enters his 13th season in the NHL as an alternate captain for San Jose, with 425 career points and a sterling reputation as a good guy. As a seasoned veteran who mentors the Sharks’ younger players, Wennberg also takes the time to guide his cousin, nine years his junior.

Johansson’s relationship with Wennberg “means a lot to me,” said the young defenseman. “We talked a couple of times this summer. [Wennberg] says I should always be myself, and that I should see where every opportunity takes me.” 

“[Johansson] has all the potential to be a good defenseman,” said Wennberg. “Obviously, he’s a big guy with a good shot and is hard to play against. He must play his game and stick to it and be a little tough on the ice.”

Griffins assistant coach Brian Lashoff agrees that Johansson has the toughness he needs to succeed on North American ice. “He has an edge to him and a competitiveness to him that serves him well,” Lashoff said. “The American League is a hard league, the style is a little more of a sandpaper style [compared to the Swedish mode]. We’ve seen [Johansson exhibit] that in important games for us.” 

Lashoff is full of praise for Johansson. “He can transport the puck to our forwards and play both sides of the ice,” he said. “He’s continuing to take the steps to become an elite defenseman.”

Besides, the young Swede’s sunny personality is a bonus on the bench and in the locker room. “He’s great to have around the room,” said Lashoff. “He has a great, energetic personality that a lot of people will feed off of. He jokes around with the guys, and he’s very supportive and loud – in a good way – for his teammates.”

As Johansson adjusts to the cultural changes, rink size, and “sandpaper style” of his first full year in North America, he may get a little bit homesick for his fairy tale village, his mother’s meatballs and mashed potatoes, and Leksandsbröd, the traditional Swedish Crispbread made in town. He may also miss his animals back home, including a horse that he took care of a couple of times this summer.

But Johansson is excited to come back to Grand Rapids, to leave it all on the ice every night, and to meet the high expectations of his coaches and fans. He already knows that the Grand River downtown is the place to cast a line with his fellow fishermen on the team, and where to get the best postgame grub. “I love 123 Tavern and Gin Gins,” he said.

Leksand may be over 4,000 miles away, but Johansson carries it in his heart as he works hard to make his dreams of playing in the NHL come true. He believes in himself, and he’s not alone. Johansson, predicts his more famous cousin, Alexander Wennberg, “is going to do amazing.”

Photo by Nicolas Carrillo/Griffins