The traveling Viking comes from Skövde, about two hours east of Gothenburg by train. It is a town more known for handball and the army regiment than ice hockey. Still, Max Friberg went for ice hockey in his youth, and was selected to represent the team from Västergötland in the annual TV-pucken tournament for 15 year-olds in Sweden.
Friberg scored two goals in five games, but his team was relatively bad, and were knocked out in the group stage. He continued to develop within the Skövde organisation, making his debut for their senior squad the same year as he played in TV-Pucken (the 2008-09 season).