- Alexander Command, the No. 12 pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, is a two-way center out of Sweden
- Command grew up watching NHL On The Fly at the kitchen table before school in Stockholm
- Read below for his self-awareness philosophy, competitive streak and the Nico Hischier comparison
Alexander Command’s NHL dream started at a kitchen table in Stockholm.
Long before the Devils took the Swedish center 12th overall in June, Command was up early with his dad, the iPad already glowing. “We had ‘NHL On The Fly’ on every morning,” Command told NHL.com’s Mike Morreale. “For 45 minutes before going to school, we’d watch game summaries and highlights while eating breakfast.”
He didn’t always think it would lead anywhere. “For most of my early teenage life, I was like, I can play hockey as long as I want to, but I’m never going to do it professionally,” Command said. “But here I am, standing here today.”
The 18-year-old points to one trait for closing that gap. “I think for me it has always been about self-awareness and pretty much know your own potential and how good you can be,” he said.
That edge shows up on the ice too. Devils reporter Amanda Stein asked Command about how competitive he is, and he didn’t dress it up:
His junior year backs up the motor. Command put up 44 points (17 goals, 27 assists) in 30 games with Orebro’s junior team last season, earned a look with the senior club in the SHL, and helped Sweden win gold at the 2026 IIHF Under-18 World Championship.
Scouts had him rising into the first round by draft night. Cam Robinson summed it up in three words:
Take a look at the game that got him there:
Command likes the Nico Hischier comparison, another pace-and-detail center who drives New Jersey’s game down the middle. He lands with a Devils group coming off a busy summer of additions under a new coaching staff.
Not bad for a kid who used to watch the highlights before school. Command admits it’s still sinking in. “It just feels pretty right, but of course just a bit overwhelming,” he said.
