No need to worry, there is still a Stalberg on the UVM men’s hockey team.
With Viktor Stalberg off to the Toronto Maple Leafs, his younger brother Sebastian  joined the Catamounts for the 2009-2010 season.

The younger Stalberg comes to UVM from the Frolunda Indians hockey team in Sweden.

Although the mileage that separates Sweden and Vermont is extensive, Stalberg had been considering UVM ever since his older brother decided to enroll.

“It felt like the perfect way to go because there aren’t a lot of possibilities in Sweden to get an education and play hockey,” Stalberg said. “Vermont has always been the first choice for me.”

Now that Sebastian made the decision to come to UVM, he will have to adjust to the differences from Sweden.

Stalberg said that this season is going well so far, though Vermont is very different from home.

“Everyone has been very helpful and tries to help me adjust to the lifestyle,” Stalberg said.

“It’s a little hard to keep up with the language here in the beginning, but it’s getting easier and easier.”

Stalberg will also have to carve out his own identity on the ice and on the team separate from being Viktor’s younger brother.

Head coach Kevin Sneddon said that he wants Stalberg to know that he has already accomplished this by being a different hockey player.

“The first thing we wanted to make Sebastian aware of, was the fact that we were recruiting him because of his skills and abilities and not because he was Viktor’s brother,” he said “Sebastian is a different style player than Viktor and we really liked how he played the game.”

Though the elder Stalberg is no longer with the Catamounts, there are always questions about his new role on the Maple Leafs. Sebastian said that he does not mind answering these questions about his brother.

“I’m very happy about his success,” he said “It’s just fun to hear good things about him.”

With three games down in the 2009 season, Sebastian already recorded an assist and is adjusting quite well to the Catamount style of hockey.

“It’s a big difference in practices compared to what I’m used to back home, but I feel like I am getting better each day,” Stalberg said.

“I think Sebastian, as well as all of our freshmen, has done a remarkable job of adjusting to college hockey,” Sneddon said.

“We are extremely pleased with Sebastian’s contributions to date and look forward to his continued growth as a student-athlete here at UVM,” he said.

Though the season is still young, Stalberg is confident in the team’s potential to be strong in the games to come.

“I really feel like we have a great team that can go all the way this year,” Stalberg said. “We are getting better and better as each day goes by.”