Why Felix Unger Sorum returned to Carolina Hurricanes prospect camp a better player

Felix Unger Sorum is 18 years old and looks it.

The Carolina Hurricanes’ forward also is listed at 170 pounds and looks it. He’s 5-foot-11 and slight of build, still a lanky teenager.

But don’t let his looks deceive you. Unger Sorum is coming off his first year of professional hockey, competing against players in the Swedish Hockey League a decade older than he is and often considerably stronger, and holding his own.

A year ago, Unger Sorum was taken by Carolina in the second round of the NHL draft. He attended the Canes’ prospects development camp. He then was asked back for the big team’s preseason training camp, the youngest player in any NHL camp, and got to play in two of Carolina’s preseason exhibition games, finishing with two assists.

After a 5-2 win over Tampa Bay at PNC Arena, Canes coach Rod Brind’Amour quickly singled out Unger Sorum.

“I thought the youngest kid on the ice was pretty good,” Brind’Amour said. “He just turned 18 and you weren’t sure how he was going to take the moment. It looked like he had no problem. You like to see that, especially in these kinds of games.

“He was solid. You don’t teach some things (like) that kind of poise. Some guys just have it and you can see he has it. And he’s just a kid.”

And now, he’s back in Raleigh.

Unger Sorum has returned for the team’s development camp, saying Monday that some of the lessons learned a year ago in training camp translated into his play during the season in the SHL. He played 35 games for Leksands IF in 2023-24.

“I didn’t have so many expectations before the camp,” Unger Sorum said. “It was just really fun that I had the chance to just be there. Of course, you get confidence from it. It was a big confidence boost, and I tried to build on it when I got home.

“It was my first pro season and it was really fun.”

Unger Sorum was one of Sweden’s best performers in the IIHF World Junior Championship, helping win a silver medal. After his season with Leksands, he was chosen for the Swedish national team for the World Championship, joining such players as Erik Karlsson, Victor Hedman and Rasmus Dahlin in Prague – the Swedes took bronze in the 2024 Worlds.

Unger Sorum played just two games in the World Championship. But just to be selected for that team at age 18 is noteable.

Defenseman Dominik Badinka, a second-round pick by the Canes in the recent NHL draft in Las Vegas, played against Unger Sorum in the SHL this past season while with Malmo IF.

“He’s smart, a smart player,” Badinka said Monday after the on-ice session. “As you see, he’s not big right now but that’s going to come with age also and training. When he gets bigger, I think he can be a top-six forward, for sure, in the NHL.”

You won’t hear Unger Sorum say that. Not yet.

“I don’t know,” he said, smiling. “I’ve got to gain some weight, of course, and muscles. I can become a much better player than I am now. But we’ll see.”

Cam Abbott, the newly hired head coach of the Chicago Wolves, again the Canes’ AHL affiliate, is heading up the on-ice portion of the development camp at Invisalign Arena. Abbott, 40, spent parts of eight seasons as head coach with Rogle BK of the Swedish league.

In talking about Unger Sorum, he used many of the same adjectives and words others have used – “‘smart,” “high hockey IQ” and “playmaker” among them.

“He’s a very talented player who has a bright future,” Abbott said. “At the same time, he knows there are a lot of things he needs to work on and get better at to be the complete NHL player that he will be some day.

“Among his talents for sure is that vision and that playmaking ability and hockey sense that he does have. As he improves in other areas, it will be obvious to us all how talented and how skilled he is.”

There should be options for the Canes and Unger Sorum this coming season. He could go back to the SHL, a good, tough league, for another season. He could go to Chicago for AHL competition, getting a lot of playing time. He also could make the Canes roster.

Unger Sorum, who will turn 19 on Sept. 14, said he tries not to think so much about such things. Nor, he said, does he think so much before games or when he’s on the ice.

“Just go out and play,” he said.

So far, so good. He just hopes come September, when the Canes crank up training camp again, he’ll be considered good enough.