Like father, like son
Sweden goalie Herman Liv dedicated his first World Juniors victory to the memory of his father, Stefan Liv.
Liv never got to play in front of his father. He was 5 years old when Stefan was one of 44 victims when the plane carrying his Lokomotiv Yaroslavl team in the Kontinental Hockey League crashed shortly after takeoff Sept. 7, 2011.
“I know how much Dad meant for people and for me, and to live up to him is my goal,” Herman said. “I want to be the same person he was; he cared about people. In the net, I just want to be myself.”
Liv, who is eligible for the 2026 NHL Draft, turned in a 16-save performance in an 8-1 win against Germany in the preliminary round on Dec. 29. The 19-year-old, who plays for Almtuna in Allsvenskan, Sweden’s second division, was called upon to make a few big saves with Sweden holding a 2-1 lead and Germany on a 5-on-3 power play for 49 seconds early in the second period.
“He won some big games for the team,” Sweden coach Magnus Havelid said. “He’s such a positive guy, very steady. As a goalie, you can really trust him and my players want to play in front of him.”
Herman has seen some video of his father, who was selected by the Detroit Red Wings in the fourth round (No. 102) of the 2000 NHL Draft, and played professionally for 12 seasons, mostly in Sweden. Stefan made Sweden’s roster for the Olympics twice (2006, 2010) and the IIHF World Championship six times, but he never played in the World Juniors.
“I think we have the same ability to win games and step up when it’s most important,” Herman said. “I know he was really good at that, and I think I have a bit of that.”
