The 2023 12U World Selects Trophy was held this week in Bolzano, Italy. Eight teams from seven different countries participated in the annual tournament. The players were not distracted from the stunning views and food of the host city, as the games were action–packed with great talent on display. In the end, Toronto Elite emerged victorious over Pro Hockey after getting hot once the playoff round kicked off on Saturday. Here’s how they got to the final contest, and who were the biggest performers.
Despite scoring first in its introductory matchup of the tournament, Toronto was unable to keep the Czech Knights at bay for the rest of the contest. The Knights went on to score three unanswered goals. Despite a heroic performance in net by Ethan Rodrigues, where he made 32 saves on 35 shots, Toronto was unable to claw its way back. It was a difficult game for Elite to stay out of the penalty box as well, as they were whistled for six infractions. The Czechs were able to take advantage of two of those power plays.
Following that loss, Toronto regrouped and posted wins against Finland, Slovakia, Sweden and Latvia to close out pool play. In total, they out-scored their opponents in that run 21-6. The squad displayed great depth as well, with 12 of its 14 skaters recording at least one point across the preliminary round. Finishing first among the team were Liam Kozlowski and Adrian Leung, who had identical stat lines of four goals and three assists. Numbers that were good enough to tie with five other players for fifth overall among all skaters. Goaltending also played a crucial role in Toronto’s pool play performance. While Rodrigues continued to get playing time, Jordan Strathlee emerged as a valuable asset to form a dynamic tandem. He would finish with a 1.00 goals-against average and .931 save percentage over the club’s first five games. The two also each recorded a shutout.
Finishing with a 4-1-0 record, Toronto secured the No. 2-seed heading into the playoff round, which gave them a bye into the semifinals. Joining them with a straight ticket to round 2 was the No. 1-seeded Knights. No. 3-seed Slovakia guaranteed a matchup with Toronto with a victory over Latvia in the quarterfinals. The Czechs were positioned to battle No. 5-seed Pro Hockey in their quarterfinal clash.
Caden Down finished pool play with two goals and five points, and didn’t miss a beat once the playoffs began. His goal in the first period against Slovakia ignited a three-goal opening frame for Toronto. In the second, Jordan Hussain emerged as a secondary scoring threat. With Toronto holding to a 4-2 lead, Hussain struck twice in just over a minute to open up a 6-2 lead in the second period. He added a third point with an assist on Cameron Steven’s late goal in regulation to wrap up a 7-2 win. Pro Hockey defeated Finland in the semifinals, which set up a tilt with the heavily-favored Knights. After the Czechs scored first, Finn Helminen responded quickly for Pro Hockey and tied the game at 1.
Pro Hockey scored twice more early in the second period to take a 3-1 lead. Showing their resolve, the Knights found their way back to evening the score with two goals from Petr Potač. Lachlan McGuire stunned the Czechs when he put home a shot with just over a minute left in regulation. A win that set up a championship game meeting with Toronto.
The opening frame was a statement from Toronto, where they opened up a 4-1 lead by its end. Down scored twice, and Hussein notched another assist on a goal from Leung. Lachlan McGuire managed to get Pro Hockey on the board to make it a 2-1 game before Toronto redoubled the lead. Despite numerous attempts to cut into the deficit, Pro Hockey was unable to get back in the game. A big reason for that was the team’s ability to keep McGuire in check for the second period. As a result, they were crowned 2011-born champions with a 5-2 final. McGuire finished pool play second overall in scoring with four goals and nine points. He had six goals and seven points to his name heading into the championship game. Hussein and Down ended up tied for second in playoff scoring with Pro Hockey’s Brendan Rogers with four points each.
Want more coverage of the 2023 World Selects Invitational series? WHH is the exclusive media provider of all 12 WSI events, so be sure to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, Discord and YouTube for the latest news!
When the U14 Girls World Selects Invitational kicked off on Wednesday, there were 12 participating teams with hopes of being the last club standing. After 60 preliminary round games and playoff quarterfinals, there are four teams remaining. France, Minnesota Prospects, Sweden Selects and North American Prospects are the four clubs left with an opportunity to be crowned champions on Saturday.
France began their pool play schedule with back to back shutouts against Italy Selects and Pro Hockey. In its next two contests, they suffered losses to Midwest Prospects and North American Prospects by scores of 2-1 and 5-0, respectively. They rebounded in the final game with a 5-0 victory over Swiss Selects. Maëlie Moussier led the team with four points, all assists. She collected one in every game but the loss to NA Prospects. Second in team scoring was Isabella De Gaulmyn with one goal and two assists. 11 of France’s remaining 15 skaters all recorded at least one point across the five preliminary round games. In the three wins, France held opponents to four shots twice, and 12 shots once. In the two losses, they gave up 29 and 21 shots.
France entered the quarterfinals as the No. 5-seed and was once again matched with No. 4-seed Midwest Prospects. It was another close game, with a strong defensive and goaltending effort backstopping France to a 2-0 victory. Following a scoreless first period, Sophie Gailly broke the deadlock close to four minutes into the second. Domitille Ratto doubled the lead with a power-play goal near the end of regulation. In net, Maya Bidet Visconti and Alice Chevrier were unbeatable. The duo split duties and turned aside six shots and 14 shots, respectively, for the combined shutout. Next up, France will try and replicate another strong effort against the No. 1-seed North American Prospects. Whether France’s defense holds up or if the NA Prospects can find a way to break through should make for an intriguing semifinal matchup.
Only one team remains undefeated throughout pool play and the quarterfinal round. A large reason why North American Prospects found themselves entering the playoff round as the top-seeded club was a result of its goaltending. Statistically, Bailey Unruh and Rylee Allison have been the best players between the pipes at this year’s tournament. They have held teams to just three goals across six games thus far. Unruh has recorded a 0.32 goals-against average and .962 save percentage. Allison, meanwhile, has a 0.50 goals-against average and .947 save percentage.
Despite a 5-0-0 record in preliminary round play, it wasn’t as easy as it sounds. Three victories came via shutout, but it was the Finland Selects and Czech Selects that gave NA Prospects some nervous moments. Jaiden Krushelniski, leading scorer for NAP with seven goals, put the team on her back in a thrilling 3-2 overtime victory against Finland. Down 2-1, she scored the tying goal late in the second period before finishing off the win with the overtime winner. Maya Dutton notched the game-winner in a 1-0 victory against the Czechs.
In their quarterfinal matchup with Draftday, Krushelniski collected another three goals and Dutton added another in a 5-1 final. A rematch is now in the cards against France in the semifinals, who fell to NAP 5-0 in pool play. If this second battle between the two sides plays out like the first, all eyes will be on Dutton and Krushelniski. Two players that will make life difficult for France to try and contain.
No other team scored more in the preliminary round than Minnesota Prospects. Recording 29 goals across five games, they were led by Carmen Benedict’s seven goals and nine points. Her point total was good enough to tie for second overall in pool play with Sweden Selects’ Ebba Hesselvall. Minnesota displayed some of the best depth of any team throughout its lineup, as all but one player recorded at least one point. For an offense that averaged close to six goals a game, time would shortly tell if they could keep up a dynamic attack in the playoffs.
And continue it did, as they bested the defending-champion Czech Selects in the quarterfinals, 6-4. Things got off to a quick start when Amálie Karásková put the Selects up 1-0 just 59 seconds into the game. 25 seconds after, Mia Sutch struck twice in just under three minutes to give Minnesota a 2-1 lead. Helena Neckářová tied the game at 2 shortly after before Karásková collected her second goal minutes later. The Prospects swung momentum back in their favor when they pounced for four goals in the final several minutes of the period to take a 6-3 lead into intermission. The second frame was not as eventful as the first, but Karásková managed to complete her hat trick with her second shorthanded tally.
As a result, Minnesota will take to the ice against Sweden Selects in the semifinals. With players such as Sutch, Benedict and Hesselvall, it should be a fast-paced tilt with goals galore on both sides.
Heading into the final day of pool play, the Sweden Selects were one win away from a perfect 5-0-0 record. Instead, they skated to a 1-0 loss to Pro Hockey. Through fate – or just a coincidental result from overall team records – they were tasked with a second game with Pro Hockey a mere few hours later. The main difference being that the winner would move on to the semifinal round of the playoffs.
Abbey Petro was in goal for a 26-save shutout in the first meeting, but Emily Perrier started between the pipes for the second. Right from puck drop, Sweden attacked with full force and jumped out to a 3-0 lead by the end of the first period. Emma Holmberg scored twice, and Ebba Hesselvall added one as well. After the third goal, Petro was put back in the crease. The move seemed to have ignited a fire in Pro Hockey. Coming out of the intermission, they scored the next two goals which cut Sweden’s lead to 3-2. In search of the equalizer, Petro was pulled for the extra attacker. Instead it was the Selects scoring twice on the empty net to secure a 5-3 win.
Stemming from that result, No. 2-seed Minnesota Prospects will now take on No. 3-seed Sweden for a chance at the championship game. Both squads like to score, and have plenty of top-tier talent among their rosters. If the goaltending of Minnesota holds, Sweden may be in for a long game. But if past results are any indication of things to come, the Selects know a thing or two about putting pucks in the net.
World Hockey Hub will have continued coverage of the Girls U14 World Selects Invitational! Follow WHH on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, Discord and YouTube for the latest news, updates and more!
Nearly 70 games are in the books at the 15U World Selects Invitational in Nashville. The tournament nears the halfway point, as playoff matchups will begin Friday afternoon and a champion ultimately crowned on Sunday. WHH takes a look at 10 teams with the best odds of winning the ’08 Elite world championship.
Disclaimer: This is purely for entertainment purposes only. We do not encourage sports betting on youth hockey games in any form.
 | Western Selects |  | 2-1 |
 | CCM Selects | | 3-1 |
 | Finland Selects |  | 3-1 |
 | ID Selects | | 5-1 |
 | Minnesota Blades | | 8-1 |
 | SKA Yunost |  | 8-1 |
 | Swiss Selects |  | 15-1 |
 | Minnesota Lakers | | 16-1 |
 | DevCo Hockey |  | 20-1 |
 | National Hockey Prospects | | 30-1 |
Led by a pair of Los Angeles Jr. Kings in Tyus Sparks, Logan Stuart and Noah Davidson, Western Selects comes in as the current front-runner through four games. Each Jr. King has scored at least three goals apiece, with Sparks leading the charge with seven points. They did fall 5-1 to another favorite on the list, Minnesota Blades.
CCM Selects has won, and won big in all four games so far. We talked about some of their standouts thus far, and they’ve continued to tear it up into Day 2. Through four games, their average margin of victory 7.75 goals. However, their opponent’s combined record in the tournament is 1-13-0.
Viljo Kahkonen and Oliver Torkki have shown out to be two of the most productive ’08s in the tournament. That duo has led Finland Selects to a 3-0-0 start, and has combined for 17 points; the team as a whole has scored 22 goals.
ID Selects is loaded with some of the top talent in the U.S. That includes forward Cam Nimmer whose fresh off of a national championship run. Michael Berchild leads the team with six points. That’s matched by defenseman A.J. Francisco who began the tournament with points in three straight games.
ID Selects will open up Friday morning action against SKA Yunost. That matchup could have significant playoff seeding implications as well.
As mentioned, Minnesota Blades did beat Western Selects on Thursday. Forward Riley Zupfer posted three points in the win for Minnesota. He leads the team in scoring with seven points, and factored in on half the Blades’ offense.
Want more coverage of the 2023 World Selects Invitational series? WHH is the exclusive media provider of all 12 WSI events, so be sure to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, Discord and YouTube for the latest news!
Heading into a matchup with No. 2 Spartak Moscow back on March 18th, CSKA Moscow could not have been feeling better about its season. At the time, they were winners of 36 straight contests and the perennial No. 1 team in the WHH Rankings. But Spartak was able to do what no team had done, and defeated CSKA 6-5 in an overtime thriller. Seven skaters from both squads collected two or more points.
Not letting that loss set them back, CSKA rebounded by emerging victorious in its next nine outings since then. Five of those came during an undefeated run at the Vladislav Tretiak Cup last weekend. 12 participating teams were placed in two divisions of six, with CSKA finding a spot in Group B. Joining them were No. 4 SKA Strelna, Metallurg Cherepovets, Kazakhstan, Metallurg Novokuznetsk and Buffalos. In the five group wins, CSKA out-scored opponents 61-11.
No. 9 Ak Bars Kazan entered the championship game with an undefeated group play record as well, but eventually fell to CSKA. But it was not the first tournament CSKA secured a championship this season. They kicked off the 2022-23 campaign with a first-place finish at the Alexander Ovechkin Cup last August.
A large reason CSKA has found success this season is a talented group of skaters led by one of the most dynamic duos in youth hockey. Roman Andreev and Nikita Siniken have been the definition of consistency, each amassing more than 100 points. One or both of their names are found on the final scoresheet often more than once on a daily basis. Andreev has recorded at least one point in every regular season game dating back to August 27th. For Siniken, there has yet to be a contest outside of tournament play where he has failed to register at least one point. Persistent offensive output that has allowed Andreev to score 84 goals and 124 points while Siniken has scored 64 goals and 142 points.
Want more coverage of Russia and its top youth hockey players and teams? Follow WHH on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, Discord and YouTube for the latest news, updates and more!
Some of the top young prospects in youth hockey will converge on Toronto for the HHOF Future Legends Invitational. Established in 2017, this invite-only event was designed to showcase some of the top talent at the boys U12 age level and girls U13 age level.
The tournament is unique to youth hockey for a multitude of reasons. The main one being that upon arrival, individual players are unaware of what team they will be competing for in the tournament. It’s not until the opening ceremonies on Thursday afternoon, when players are ‘drafted’ onto evenly balanced teams. Those teams are named after iconic Hockey Hall of Famers such as Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux, Bobby Orr, Nicklas Lidstrom, Martin Brodeur and Patrick Roy, among others.
Once assigned to a tournament team, players compete in four pool-play games before a single-elimination tournament starts on Saturday. In addition to playing high-level hockey against top competition, players are thrust into a locker room with new teammates. Former winter club teammates also transition to foes, as they compete against one another for the weekend.
The weekend’s festivities include a private viewing of the Hockey Hall of Fame in downtown Toronto. Participants can get an up close, intimate look at the Stanley Cup, and other historical pieces.
The Future Legends Invitational is still in its infancy, compared to the rich histories of The Brick Invitational (33 years) and PeeWee Quebec (62 years). In fact, some of the earliest participants from the Future Legends tournament have yet to reach NHL Entry Draft eligibility. However, that hasn’t stopped participants such as Michael Misa, Matthew Schaefer, Will Horcoff and Christian Humphries from forging a future in hockey.
After receiving exceptional status, Misa was selected first overall in the 2022 OHL Priority Selection as an ‘07 selected amongst players from the ‘06 birth year. One year later, Schaefer went first overall in the 2023 OHL Priority Selection. Both were standouts from the Future Legends Invitational in 2018. Another notable alumni from that year was the first overall pick in the 2022 WHL Bantam Draft, Gavin McKenna. The Yukon Territories native most recently set the record for most points scored in the Canada Winter Games. He’s scored 18 points in 16 WHL games already, and will play his first full season of junior hockey next fall.
In the States, Humphries was one of the top scorers this season for the U.S. National Team Development Program (USNTDP). He was also a part of the inaugural Future Legends Invitational in 2017. One year later, Detroit native Will Horcoff would follow that path to Toronto for the invite-only showcase and compete against Misa, Schaefer, McKenna and others. More recently, one year later, Horcoff is set to follow in Humphries’ wake again to the USNTDP next fall.
Almost 200 of the top 2011-born boys youth hockey players will be in Toronto for the Future Legends Invitational. Roughly 100 girls from the same birth year, and 160 boys from the 2012 birth year will also compete in their respective age groups. Draft ceremonies are slated to begin Thursday, with off-ice combine testing and games to start shortly after.
Girls division games begin at 8 a.m. EST on Friday, while both boys divisions get underway on Thursday afternoon. All games are available to watch on HNLive.ca. Players will participate in on- and off-ice testing, meant to replicate the experience that prospects undergo during the NHL Combine. The Future Legends Invitational is an all-encompassing experience for youth hockey players to feel like the pros. Draft ceremonies, combine testing, elite-level games and exclusive tours of the Hockey Hall of Fame make this a must for top-level youth hockey players.
World Hockey Hub will have exclusive coverage of the HHOF Future Legends Invitational throughout the weekend. Be sure to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, Discord and YouTube!
The U14 Girls World Selects Invitational kicked off on Wednesday in Chamonix, France. Twelve teams from nine countries are competing for the chance to be crowned world champions. All participating teams have two games under their belts after the first day of action. Here’s some of the biggest headlines out of the tournament thus far.
The Sweden Selects made a major statement in their first two contests of the preliminary round. Facing off against Midwest Prospects and Draft Day — two North American-based clubs — Sweden outscored them both by a combined 10-2. A major reason for that offensive explosion was the dependable two-way play of Ebba Hesselvall. Facing a 1-0 deficit after the first period against Midwest, Emma Holmberg tied things up 18 seconds into the second. Hesselvall would score her first two goals following that to secure a 3-1 win. Not done there, Hesselvall kicked off the scoring in the club’s second game of the day; an eventual 7-1 win over DraftDay. She would add three assists as well, ending the day atop the leaderboard with three goals and six points.
If the Sweden Selects were all about offense, France was all about defense in its first two matchups of the U14 WSI. Italy Selects and Pro Hockey squads were unable to solve the incredibly tight defense of France, as both were shutout 2-0. Italy was only able to produce three shots on goal, while Pro Hockey managed 14. Of the seven players to record at least one point thus far, three hailed from the dependable blue line corps of France. Leana Galibert, Domitille Ratto and Naïs Vala Viaux all collected assists. Adding to the team’s scoring depth are Maëlie Moussier and Gabrielle Roussel. Both forwards are tied for the team lead in points with two apiece.
The North American Prospects were down 2-1 in the second period to the Finland Selects and needed a big play to even the score. Just over three minutes after Finland’s second goal, Jaiden Krushelniski found the back of the net to tie the game. That pushed the game to overtime, where Krushelniski would again beat goaltender Peppi Kontio for her second goal of the game. That secured the victory for North American Prospects.
In the team’s second game against Swiss Selects, Krushelniski kicked off the scoring with a power-play goal in the first period. She would add her fourth of the tournament with an insurance goal in the second period to complete a 3-0 shutout win. One of the best goal scorers so far, it will be interesting to see how long Krushelniski can continue her torrid scoring rate.
World Hockey Hub will have continued coverage of the Girls U14 World Selects Invitational! Follow WHH on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, Discord and YouTube for the latest news, updates and more!
Following a solid showing at the U15 Ontario Hockey Federation championships, the 2008-born Soo Jr. Greyhounds carved out a spot in the Top 10 for the first time this season. Skating to a 6-1-1 record, they handled most teams they faced, including No. 3 Elgin-Middlesex Canucks. But it was two matchups against No. 1 Vaughan Kings that allowed them to stand out. In their first meeting, the Jr. Greyhounds bested the Kings 2-0. In a rematch with the championship on the line, Vaughan regained its form to shut out Soo 4-0. Still, a solid showing with two wins against ranked opponents gave the Soo enough of a jolt to crack the top-tier Canadian of their birth year.
Since April 15th, the Toronto Marlboros have collected three massive victories to propel them into the ‘11 Canadian Top 10. With a 6-5 win over No. 2 Toronto Jr. Canadiens and a two-game sweep of No. 10 Toronto Nationals, the Marlboros made a statement among fellow Ontario programs. Going back to the beginning of the month, the Marlboros have faced off with the Jr. Canadiens three times before their most recent win. In those matchups, the Marlboros went 1-1-1. In the two battles with the Nationals, the Marlboros outscored them 12-5.
Coming in as winners of their past two contests, the SKA Silver Lions made the jump from No. 5 to No. 4 with victories over SKA Strelna and Dynamo St. Petersburg. Back on April 1st, Strelna edged past the Silver Lions in overtime, setting the stage for a rematch between the two on April 15th. Resulting in a 5–3 win, the Silver Lions leapfrogged Strelna among the Russian ‘06 Top 10.
With No. 5 CSKA Moscow idle, SKA St. Petersburg nabbed two victories to move up to No. 4 among 2008-born teams in Russia. One of those wins — a shootout victory against No. 10 SKA Strelna — continued a current four-game winning streak for the team as well. St. Petersburg has been one of the most consistent teams this season, currently sitting with a 41-0-2 record. Before a 3-2 overtime loss to Dynamo St. Petersburg on April 1st, you would have to go all the way back to January 11th to find SKA’s last loss.
Another team reaping the benefits of a major win against a fellow ranked club was the ‘11 Markham Majors. A matchup with the Sun County Panthers in the U13 All-Ontario Championships had significant tournament and rankings implications on the line. Following a scoreless first period, Markham would strike three times in the second frame to take a 3-1 lead into the third period. Justin Boudreau netted his second goal of the game to secure the 4-1 final. The Majors would go on to finish 7-0-1 with a championship and a new No. 2 spot among the Top 10 in the country. Sun County, who finished 3-4-1, dropped to No. 3.
Be sure to check out the complete world rankings, including Top 10s by country and World Top 25s for each of the 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011 birth years.
The Ontario Hockey League (OHL) conducted its annual 2023 Priority Selection, consisting of 2007-born youth hockey prospects. Players eligible to be selected must be from the province of Ontario. Or, American-born players from as far north as Michigan and Wisconsin, as far east as New York, and as far west as Iowa, Missouri, Arkansas and Louisiana. In total, 300 players would be selected from 79 different youth hockey organizations.
Projected to go first overall, Matthew Schaefer did in fact go to the Erie Otters with the top pick. He was the first of 12 Halton Hurricanes to be selected over the weekend. The top teams represented in the OHL Priority Selection coincidentally correlated to the top five teams ranked in the country. What’s that mean? The No. 1 and No. 2 teams in Canada — Toronto Marlboros and Toronto Jr. Canadiens — also produced 15 draft picks per team. The No. 3, No. 4 and No. 5 ranked teams followed in order as well. Peterborough Petes had 13 players called, while Halton had a dozen. Then, York-Simcoe Express rounded it out with 11 players selected.
Just weeks after winning the U16 OHL Cup and being named tournament MVP, Jake O’Brien went eighth overall to Brantford. His JRC teammates Luca Romano and Nico Addy went in the first round as well.
A Marlboros player didn’t come off the OHL Priority Selection board until the 15th pick, when Jeremy Martin went to the Flint Firebirds. It’s the first time since 2008 that a player from the Marbloros wasn’t selected in the top ten picks. Despite the delay, however, 14 other players including William Moore, Kieran Witkowski and Luke Dragusica would go in the 11 rounds.
With two first-round picks, Niagara doubled down on centers, taking highly-touted prospect Ryan Roobroeck at No. 2 and Mississauga Rebels’ Ethan Czata with the No. 5 pick. As the second overall pick, Roobroeck becomes the highest London Jr. Knights player to be selected since Ryan Suzuki went first overall in 2017.
Forty-eight players were selected from U.S.-based organizations. None produced more than Little Caesars, with nine selections. They’ve been the No. 1-ranked ’07 team in the world for much of the ‘22-23 season. Three of its players made the U.S. National Team Development Program’s (USNTDP) U-17 team for next fall. That didn’t stop the Saginaw Spirit from selecting a pair of Caesars players in Charlie Tretheway (96th overall) and Will Horcoff (98th overall). In total, seven players selected to the NTDP would also be selected in the OHL Priority Selection over the weekend.
Want more coverage of junior hockey drafts this off-season? Be sure to follow WHH on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, Discord and YouTube!
In May of 2022, the day started like any other for Kade O’Rourke, a 2011-born youth hockey player from Round Rock, Texas. Kade and his father, Dave, were training in Dallas preparing to leave for a tournament in Pittsburgh while Kade’s mother, Kristy, was back home. In the days leading up to the tournament, Dave and Kristy had begun to notice changes in Kade’s behavior. He was thirsty often. They found him drinking large amounts of liquid to stay hydrated in between numerous trips to the bathroom.
“Kade was waking up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom, which is obviously not normal for a kid his age,” said Kristy. “But Dave was up in Dallas with him at the time, so I wasn’t seeing Kade every day. I would just hear about it when we would FaceTime at dinner.”
Dave and Kristy continually had discussions about whether there might be something more serious going on with Kade. One theory questioned if it could be his sugar levels, or something more serious. Dave and Kade went back home for a weekend before the tournament, but the thought of this being a larger medical issue continued to weigh on Kristy’s mind. While Dave was having a discussion with a family friend — who was a surgeon — he was questioned if Kade was losing a visible amount of weight.
“I wasn’t sure if he was dropping weight or not, so we had him go weigh himself after he changed to go swimming and he had lost nine pounds in two months,” said Kristy.
She immediately called Kade’s primary care physician to schedule an appointment in the hopes of getting to the bottom of what could be happening with her son.
Weight loss, especially the amount that Kade had dropped despite being athletic and physically active, was a big surprise. Bells and whistles of a mother’s intuition began to go off in Kristy’s head. That’s not normal. This isn’t right. Something’s wrong. When she called to get her son an appointment with the doctor, the clinic’s earliest available opening wasn’t for nearly a week. Not good enough. Eventually, the operator on the other end of Kristy’s phone managed to squeeze them in for an appointment the following Monday morning.
“We were [at the doctor] for two minutes and they’re like, ‘You have to go to the hospital right now,’” Kristy said. “If we had waited until that Tuesday, Kade might have ended up in the ICU. He might have been in D-K-A, which is diabetic ketoacidosis. His blood was point-one away from being admitted to the I-C-U. If your blood P-H value hits seven or below the doctors said you are admitted to the I-C-U and he was at seven-point-one. Another twenty-four hours? He could have been admitted.”
Diabetic ketoacidosis is a condition that develops when the human body can’t produce enough insulin. Insulin plays a key role in helping sugar enter the cells in the body. Without enough insulin, the body begins to break down fat as fuel. Hence, the reason for Kade’s unexpected weight loss, rampant thirst and frequent bathroom trips.
Some parents might chalk up early warning signs to just working hard, or normal fatigue for a child playing youth hockey at a high level.
“My fault was just being that tough guy,” said Dave. “‘Oh he’s fine, he’s fine, he’s working hard, ready for the tournament. He’s just working hard.’ I mean all credit goes to Kristy for forcing us to go to the doctor when we did.”
From one youth hockey mother to the masses, Kristy believes it’s important to ‘trust your gut’ in these situations. Don’t ignore the warning signs and keep pushing until there’s an answer. But Kade’s doctors did not diagnose the condition right away, leaving Kristy and Dave to continue to wonder what could be wrong with their son.
Left in limbo, whether it’s for a day, a month or longer, the mind of a worrying parent can spiral quickly.
“It is frightening what runs through your mind, you know, as a parent when you kind of are faced with that situation,” said Kristy.
The family immediately transitioned from the primary care doctors to Dell Children’s Medical Center as directed. They swung back by their home on their way, preparing for a lengthy stretch in the waiting room. Kade grabbed his iPad to keep himself occupied, maybe a snack or two to tide over a nagging appetite. The O’Rourke’s were ready to settle in for a few hours in uncomfortable waiting room chairs and HGTV on a nearby television. When the automatic doors opened up at the medical center, however, they got a much different experience.
“We literally got there and there were people waiting for us,” said Dave. “They didn’t know how [Kade] was walking. We sat down on the bed and they told us he was going straight to the I-C-U. And we needed to plan who went with him.”
With no family history of diabetes, or friends who dealt with it, it was going to be a crash course in learning about the autoimmune disease for the family. In the process, a ‘new normal’ would be established for the O’Rourke’s.
“I didn’t know the difference between Type 1 and Type 2,” said Dave. “I thought, ‘Oh we’ll just fix this with diet’ and you know, we’ll get through this and things like that. But we were completely clueless.”
Type 1 diabetes — Kade’s diagnosis — is a chronic condition, meaning he will likely have to manage it for the rest of his life. Management includes frequent glucose tests to check his blood sugars, administering insulin injections, monitoring his diet and maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
Kade was later admitted to Dell Children’s, where a team of educators had an entire protocol set out for the family. They provided a series of classes that gave the O’Rourke’s a wealth of information, packed into eight hours.
Mom and dad were slowly coming to grips and understanding the magnitude of the situation. When a medical professional walked in and asked Kade how he was doing, his response would jolt Kristy.
“I just asked [the doctor] if I was going to be able to play hockey again,” said Kade. “That’s when it kind of hit me.”
After all, he was the one thrust into a funny blue gown that tied in the back. He was the one laying in an uncomfortable, strange bed in an unfamiliar room. He was the one poked with a needle and administered an IV drip of insulin. Lying there confused while doctors and parents exchanged questions and answers like a volley in a tennis match. A lot for a 10-year-old to process.
“It was just scary because I didn’t know what was happening,” he said. “I was scared and crying, wondering if I would be able to play hockey again. So I was nervous.”
The short answer was yes. Kade would be able to play youth hockey again.
The long answer? It’s going to take a lot of trial and error. Days, weeks, months to figure out how to manage Kade’s blood sugar levels during strenuous exercise such as practices, games and workouts. Even then, the approach to managing his insulin could change by the day, if not the hour. Kade could certainly play hockey again, but not without a total team effort and buy-in from family, friends, teammates and coaches.
Once Kade was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes, it was time for Dave and Kristy to begin to understand the scope of what goes into taking care of a child with this illness.
“They pack everything that you need to know to keep your kid alive,” said Kristy. “You have that eight-hour window of education and then they send you home and you have to know how to keep your kid alive.”
On top of that, a glucose monitor was placed on Kade right away to track his blood sugar levels at all times. The pre-teen saw it as an impromptu show-and-tell opportunity with his friends. Him and his buddies huddled around, fascinated by an electronic device monitoring what’s going on in his body in real-time.
“I just don’t know how people did it before technology,” said Kristy. “But it was overwhelming and you have to learn so much in a short amount of time before your child leaves the hospital. It was very nerve-racking but they were fantastic at the hospital.”
It was education that not only had to be done by Kade and his parents, but extended family members as well. Siblings, grandparents, anyone in the immediate circle took part in an orientation course where the whole family learned what Kade, Kristy and Dave were educated on.
None of them would be on the ice with Kade though.
Coaches, teammates, even the parent group of Kade’s new team — the 2011 Toronto Jr. Canadiens — needed to have a baseline understanding of the disease.
“I knew that it would be a challenging time for Kade and his family but I also had no doubt that he had the strength and determination to persevere,” said head coach Bryan Cameron. “It was important for myself and the J-R-C family to be a support system for Kade and the O’Rourkes.”
‘JRC family’ is right. Perhaps the most special thing for Cameron was to see how Kade’s teammates adjusted to help their newfound brother in youth hockey.
“As a team we place the utmost importance on the health and well-being of our players before anything else,” said Cameron. “Everyone responded in a supportive and caring way when they found out about Kade’s diagnosis, and made it a priority to educate themselves so they could be helpful in any way possible. I’ve noticed many acts of kindness from the kids on a day-to-day basis such as helping out with monitoring his sugar levels while he’s on the ice, and participating in fundraisers.”
Hockey is one of the more unique communities in all of sports. It’s like an unspoken fraternity. Whether its players, coaches or parents, there’s an instant bond formed when you cross paths with a stranger. Very few outside the sport understand the challenges and struggles, triumphs and memories. The long car rides to the rink. Weekend tournaments. Mini-sticks in the hotel hallways. Smelly gear. Moms wrapped up in blankets sitting on metal bleachers. Dads lined along the glass of the offensive zone. Conversations completely change when, “Oh, I play hockey too!” or “What age level do you coach?” and, “We’re heading to (insert far away city) here for a tournament.”
So when the O’Rourke’s were thrust into a crash course on insulin, glucose levels and dietary restrictions, the hockey community was there to help. His new team provided an invaluable support system during this transitory phase. One that even included inactive goalies on the bench monitoring his glucose while Kade was on the ice for a shift. Additionally, fellow teammate Markus Maier would be a conduit to another valuable resource for the O’Rourke’s.
“My nephew and Kade play on the same hockey team,” said Deborah Maier, founder of GoodieGoodies Organic. “My brother was having Kade and his parents over one weekend and asked me to make some desserts everyone could have.”
Maier is a scientist, educator and entrepreneur in the wellness and sports performance industries.
This introduction would be a game changer for the O’Rourke’s.
Over the next few months, Maier became a close family confidant that they would lean on frequently. Maier believes that with a case like Kade’s, it is not just about changing the foods that go into the body. It’s about understanding that maintaining a good diet is just one aspect of healthy living. In a sense, all aspects of healthy living are like wheels on a car, all working together.
“With Kade, I definitely focused on nutrition fundamentals and continuing education,” said Maier. “All my programs start with biological fundamentals. The body is a closed system, meaning all parts affect other parts. Nutrition has many components itself: eating, digestion, absorption and elimination. We need all these aspects to work together in balance for optimal performance. Any one aspect can prevent the other factors from functioning.”
Kade was a medical marvel. Doctors were befuddled by his body’s natural ability to handle Type 1 diabetes in his current form. When he originally came into the hospital, Kade’s blood sugar levels were in the 400s. Medical professionals say kids his age would usually be lethargic and unable to skate. Meanwhile, Kade unknowingly was on the ice for two-and-a-half hours a day and exercised frequently.
For a youth hockey player like Kade, Dave said the biggest adjustment was when to administer insulin around games.
“When you’re into what they call the ‘honeymoon phase’, that’s when the adrenaline is pumped up, so Kade is still producing some insulin,” he said. “He would go into a game or even a practice and his blood levels would go up. Well, when they go up, you have to give insulin. So he would come off the ice and we would give him an injection.”
Coming off the ice, however, there’s a natural downward trend for Kade. That meant his levels would come down at the same time he was being issued insulin. The first couple weeks back at the rink became a risky game of trial and error.
‘How much insulin do we give him?’
‘What’s the right calculation?’
‘How to approach multiple games in a day versus just a practice?’
That, and much more as the O’Rourke’s tried to navigate their new normal with a new team, no less.
One trick that helped was developing some hand signals that could be seen during the game while on the bench. for example, holding up three fingers meant Kade needed to take three sugar tabs or gummies after a shift. Pointing to the tip of your finger meant he needed to test his blood sugars between periods.
During games, a phone was set next to the non-playing goalie. That player would call out Kade’s levels to him as he came off the ice . That helped him know where he was at and what, if anything, he needed to do. Go-to snacks that worked well? Applesauce pouches, sugar tabs and gummies, Kind Bars and miniature Snickers bars. Tools like Follow App, Sugarmate and Sugar Pixel have also been extremely useful.
In the summer of 2022, Kade made the move from the Dallas Stars Elite program to the Toronto Jr. Canadiens. Moving to Canada was a significant transition both on and off the ice, aside from the adjustment taking place in his life with Type 1 diabetes.
The Jr. Canadiens play in one of, if not, the most competitive youth hockey league in North America; the Greater Toronto Hockey League (GTHL). Seventy-eight alumni were on opening-night rosters when the 2022-23 NHL season began last October. Connor McDavid, Ryan O’Reilly, Mitch Marner, John Tavares, Tyler Seguin… The list of former players reads more like NHL All-Star announcements, and they all got their start in the GTHL. Not only was Kade moving halfway across the continent with a newly discovered chronic illness, the level of play on the ice was fixing to ramp up as well.
“I’ve always had my eye on him as a player and when I was informed about the potential of his family relocating to Toronto for hockey, I knew our program would be pivotal in continuing his development and success in the sport,” said Cameron. “I knew Kade was the missing piece we were looking for and was happy to help with the adjustment.”
As a standout defenseman, Kade helped the Jr. Canadiens to a 67-6-3 record. They finished second in the GTHL during the regular season. Unfortunately, they were eliminated in the semifinals of the playoffs by the Toronto Marlboros. Still, Kade’s JRC squad would rank as high as second in the World Rankings as one of the best 2011-born teams in youth hockey.
With invaluable resources offered up from former teammates, as well as total buy-in from their current squad, Dave, Kristy and Kade look to help others in need. A youth hockey community that has been so good to them in such a short time, they now extend a helping hand to others in similar situations.
Kade O’Rourke from the Toronto Jr Canadiens stopped by practice today & got to join the boys in a lil’ shoot out practice.
— y – Milwaukee Admirals (@mkeadmirals) March 21, 2023
You should probably watch until the end. 👀 pic.twitter.com/PiHwwdgxPH
They launched KadeORourke.com in an effort to educate people on Type 1 diabetes, as well as the Team24 fundraiser. It’s also a direct line to the O’Rourke’s who hope to help others in the youth hockey community dealing with the disease.
“We just hope this helps out other families dealing with something like this,” said Dave. “One family, one single mom, one single dad, one kid. We’re pretty blessed with Kade’s teammates helping and his coaching staff and dietitians. We’re a very blessed family that we have an unbelievable village supporting us. But, you know, there are a lot of people that don’t have that village. So if we can just help anybody out there and say ‘It’s gonna be okay’, then that’s worth it.”
Kade hopes to one day play Division-1 college hockey at the University of Michigan and ultimately, the NHL. He draws inspiration from current NHL players such as Max Domi, Kappo Kakko and Luke Kunin. All three manage diabetes while playing hockey at its highest level. Only further proving that this disease can’t hold Kade back from achieving his dreams.
For more information on how Kade and his family manage Type 1 diabetes while playing youth hockey, visit KadeORourke.com!
Ilves and JYP clashed last Friday in one of the more exciting games of pool-play action at the 2023 Unikie U13 Spring Cup. A 2-1 win for JYP was one of six games decided by one goal on the first day of tournament action. Onni Olkkola’s goal with just under seven minutes left in the contest proved to be the game winner for JYP. The victory wrapped up a perfect 3-0-0 record in Group E. Ilves, despite the loss, finished second in the group.
It wouldn’t be the last time the two teams met in the tournament. Both JYP and Ilves managed to win in the semifinals to set the stage for a rematch on Sunday. Ilves jumped out to an early lead, thanks to a goal from Kalle Havakka six minutes into the game. However, 17 saves from Roni Rautiainen would hold Ilves to just the lone goal on the scoreboard. Veeti Virolainen, Terho Antila and Wäinö Tuomaala would fuel a comeback for JYP in a 3-1 championship victory. The win gave JYP its second of the tournament over Ilves, and fifth overall as they completed a 5-0-0 gold medal run.
Four of the top 10 scorers at the conclusion of the tournament all hailed from JYP. Kalle Viitanen led the tournament in scoring after producing back-to-back three-point games in pool play. He added another multi-point game in the semifinals against Kiekko-Espoo EKS to push his tournament total to five goals and eight points. Veeti Virolainen and Elias Rantanen also finished among the top scorers in the tournament with six points apiece. Rounding out JYP’s impressive lineup were Onni Olkkola, Terho Antila and Eliel Halonen, who all tied with five points.
Having a bevy of offensive options allowed JYP to dominate group play. Initially placed with Kiekko-Laser, Ilves and Kiekko-Espoo Blues, JYP outscored them all by a combined 14-1. Ilves was the lone team able to get a puck past Roni Rautiainen in net.
As a result of its first-place finish, JYP drew K-Espoo EKS in its semifinal game. Rantanen, Halonen and Olkkola all recorded at least three points in an 8-3 win. In the opposite semifinal, Ilves was matched with first-place finisher Tappara, who went 3-0-0 in group play. Juho Nyberg notched both goals and Mio Nieminen made 23 saves in a 2-0 win for Ilves. That set the stage for the championship rematch between JYP and Ilves.
With three of JYP’s top four scorers kept at bay, Ilves managed to get an early 1-0 lead. The trio of Viitanen, Rantanen and Olkkola combined for 11 of JYP’s 24 goals in the tournament. However in the championship, they struggled to find the back of the net in the rematch with Ilves. That’s when Terho Antila and Wäinö Tuomaala were able to break through, to gain a lead for JYP late in the championship.
The pair of goals from its depth players fueled JYP to a come-from-behind win over Ilves. The victory was their fifth of the weekend, and clinched the gold medal.
Want more coverage of Finland and its top youth hockey players and teams? Follow WHH on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, Discord and YouTube for the latest news, updates and more!