Emil Bemström Bio
Emil Bemström, born on 1 June 1999 in Luleå, Sweden, is a Swedish professional ice hockey forward who currently plays for SC Bern of the Swiss National League. He made his professional debut in the Swedish Hockey League before being selected by the Columbus Blue Jackets in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft. Across his career, Bemström has suited up for clubs in Sweden, Finland, North America, and now Switzerland, while also representing Sweden in international competition.
Early Life and Background
Emil Bemström was born on 1 June 1999 in Luleå, a northern coastal city in Sweden, although he grew up in the small town of Trosa. He first laced up the skates with local club Järna SK before entering the youth system of Leksands IF, one of the most respected development programs in the country. Standing 6 feet 0 inches tall and weighing around 190 pounds, he developed into a skilled, right-shooting forward with a sharp offensive instinct.
Hockey runs in the Bemström family. His father, Jörgen Bemström, played 517 games in the Swedish Hockey League, then known as Elitserien, and also represented the Sweden men’s national ice hockey team in five international games. That lineage gave Emil an early grounding in the demands of the professional game and shaped his understanding of what a long career in the sport required.
Path to Hockey
Bemström made his professional debut with Leksands IF during the 2016–17 Swedish Hockey League season, appearing in five scoreless games before a bout of pericardium inflammation sidelined him for two months. The following year, with Leksands competing in the HockeyAllsvenskan, he produced 8 goals and 15 points in 33 games and scored his first Allsvenskan goal in a 3–1 win over IK Oskarshamn in October 2017. He was selected 117th overall by the Columbus Blue Jackets in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft.
In May 2018, Bemström signed a two-year contract with Djurgårdens IF, returning to the top Swedish league, and the move paid off immediately. In the 2018–19 season, he opened his SHL account against Frölunda HC on 15 September 2018 and went on to lead the league in goals and power-play goals, finishing with 23 goals. He earned Rookie of the Year honors, the SHL scoring title, and the Swedish ice hockey journalists’ junior player of the year award, while helping Djurgården reach the championship round with 5 goals and 10 points in the playoffs.
Emil Bemström Career
Early Career (2016–2019)
Across his time with Leksands IF and Djurgårdens IF, Bemström established himself as one of Sweden’s most promising young forwards. His combined production in the SHL and Allsvenskan showcased the shot, speed, and hockey sense that had made him a draft pick. The 2018–19 breakout in Stockholm was the springboard that convinced the Columbus Blue Jackets to sign him to a three-year, entry-level contract on 15 May 2019.
NHL Breakthrough with Columbus (2019–2024)
Bemström made the Blue Jackets out of training camp in 2019, and was expected to help offset the offseason loss of Artemi Panarin. He delivered a solid rookie year, posting 10 goals and 20 points in 56 games and showing the kind of offensive touch the Blue Jackets had hoped to add. When the 2020–21 NHL season was delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic, he accepted a loan assignment to Finnish club HIFK of the Liiga, where he tallied 8 goals and 17 points in 16 games. Back in North America, his production dipped to just three goals, but all three came on 3 May 2021 in his first career NHL hat trick against the Nashville Predators and goaltender Juuse Saros.
Subsequent seasons in Columbus were marked by injuries, including an oblique strain suffered early in 2021–22, and shuttling between the parent club and the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters. He led the AHL in scoring early in 2022–23 before being recalled by the Blue Jackets, and he set a career high with 22 points in 55 games that year. After 12 games and 4 points to begin 2023–24, he was placed on waivers on 15 November 2023, cleared, and was assigned to Cleveland.
Pittsburgh Penguins Era (2024–2025)
On 23 February 2024, the Blue Jackets traded Bemström to the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for forward Alexander Nylander and a conditional 2026 sixth-round pick. He scored on his Penguins debut, a power-play goal in a 7–6 win over the Philadelphia Flyers on 25 February 2024, and finished with 3 goals and 5 points across 24 NHL games. Unable to crack Pittsburgh’s roster for 2024–25, he was assigned to the AHL’s Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, where he posted 23 goals and 48 points in 48 games and was selected to the 2025 AHL All-Star Classic on 25 January 2025. Brief NHL recalls to replace injured stars Sidney Crosby and Michael Bunting produced one assist in 14 total NHL games for Pittsburgh, and he became an unrestricted free agent after the season.
Driving Style and Strengths
Bemström is best known for his quick, accurate shot, his work on the power play, and his instincts around the opposing net. He is comfortable in a top-six offensive role when given consistent ice time, and his game has historically flourished in European leagues where puck possession and skill are emphasized.
Notable Events and Milestones
Among his signature moments, Bemström’s first career NHL hat trick against the Nashville Predators on 3 May 2021, his 2018–19 SHL scoring title with Djurgårdens IF, and his 2025 AHL All-Star Classic selection stand out as defining chapters of his career.
Emil Bemström Career Wins
While the structure of professional hockey does not lend itself to win totals in the same way individual sports do, Bemström’s trophy case features the 2018–19 SHL Rookie of the Year award, the SHL scoring title that same season, and a junior player of the year honor from the Swedish ice hockey journalist association. He also represented Sweden at the 2019 World Juniors, the 2022 IIHF World Championship, and the Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament in August 2016.
International Highlights
Bemström debuted for Sweden’s junior side at the 2016 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament and returned to the national junior program for the 2019 World Juniors. He graduated to the senior team for the 2022 IIHF World Championship, marking his arrival among Sweden’s top professional players.
Emil Bemström Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Hockey is a family tradition for Emil Bemström. His father, Jörgen Bemström, was a long-time Swedish Hockey League defenseman and a five-game veteran of the Sweden men’s national ice hockey team, giving Emil a direct connection to the highest levels of the game from a young age.
Personal Life
Emil Bemström grew up in Trosa, Sweden, before pursuing his professional career across Europe and North America. Details of his marital status and children are not publicly confirmed in available sources.
2025 Season Performance
After being left without a qualifying offer from the Pittsburgh Penguins, Bemström signed a one-year contract with SC Bern of the Swiss National League on 12 August 2025, ahead of the 2025–26 season. The move represented a return to top-level European hockey for a forward eager to re-establish himself as an everyday offensive contributor.
With Bern, Bemström is expected to play a prominent role in the team’s top six and on the power play, where his shot and scoring touch have historically been most effective. The Swiss league offers a possession-based style that suits his skill set, and his prior production in Sweden and Finland suggests he should be able to produce at a strong rate.
For Bemström, the 2025–26 campaign is an opportunity to remind NHL teams of the talent he showed in his 2018–19 SHL scoring title run and his 2019–20 NHL rookie season. A productive year in Switzerland could position him for a return to North America, while solidifying his standing as one of Sweden’s most experienced forwards on the European circuit.