English isn’t Wilson Björck’s first language, but that’s not why he struggled to find the words to express how he felt on Wednesday. 

The Colorado College freshman left wing from Sweden had a smile on his face at the podium in the team’s media room, one that coach Kris Mayotte said has been on his face since he returned to campus. 

On Monday night, Björck helped his home country of Sweden win gold in the 2026 World Junior Ice Hockey Championship for the first time since 2012. In the gold-medal game held at Grand Casino Arena in St. Paul, Minn., Sweden bested Czechia by a 4-2 margin.

“It’s been unbelievable, I’ve told some guys it’s been two days since I won a gold medal with another team and I’m just trying to sink that in and get back to everyday normal workouts. … It’s been crazy,” Björck said. “It’s been a dream since I started hockey and also to do that with my brother … I don’t really think it has sunk in yet. I don’t really know how to describe it.” 

Björck left the medal with mom after giving her a big hug and flew back to Colorado Springs on Tuesday night. Per Mayotte, he’s expected to play this weekend when CC hosts No. 4 North Dakota.

“He can’t wait. … He’s sped up, you can tell that he’s sped up. We look forward to him rejoining us,” Mayotte said.   

Björck played three games for Sweden during the tournament and joins Mark Stuart and Brett Sterling as the only CC players in program history to win gold in the tournament. Stuart, who was a team captain in the tournament, and Sterling helped Team USA win its first gold medal in 2004.  

Björck’s younger brother, Viggo, played seven games for the team and recorded nine points (three goals, six assists), second-most on the team. 

“It’s overwhelming and I’m so happy for his sake and for my sake,” Björck said about playing with his brother and winning for his country. 

Sweden was one of 10 countries competing for gold, including the United States, Canada, Finland, Switzerland and Germany. 

Team USA, the winner the last two years, was beaten by Finland in the quarterfinal round. 

Sweden’s and Czechia’s matchup marked the first all-European final since Russia and Finland in 2016. The win gave Sweden its third gold medal in history. Sweden won its first in 1981.  

As for Björck, he hopes to bring some of what he learned to help the Tigers in the second half of the season. 

“The (Swedish coach) told me I have to use my body more and I think that I can bring that to my game here,” he said.