“After the game I thought that it was really fun and that playing that kind of game every time would be good for me to develop,” said Larsson, 19, a goalie for the Tri-City Storm, which plays in Kearney, Neb. “There was more traffic, more speed and better shots, so when the season was over, I thought about my future and decided coming over to the U.S.H.L. and being able to play a lot and having the chance to go to college after that would be best for me.”

Larsson, who was drafted by the Detroit Red Wings in the sixth round in 2016, currently leads the league’s goalies in every major statistical category, with a 14-4-0-0 record, a 1.45 goals-against average, a .946 save percentage and five shutouts. He recently committed to the University of Denver for next season and will represent Sweden at the world junior championship.

Tri-City Coach Anthony Noreen has two other Swedes on his roster. He said the U.S.H.L. was a great opportunity for European players to transition to more than just the North American game, with its smaller ice surfaces and generally more physical style of play. They can also adjust to a new language and culture “when their career doesn’t depend on it,” he said.

“We know they’re going to make mistakes, and that’s O.K.,” Noreen said. “We’re a development league, and we’ll help them learn through those mistakes. It also lengthens the runway for a player, so to speak.