Pro Hockey has been a regular at the World Selects tournament series across all age groups, both boys and girls. They’ve competed in North American and European events, with headquarters in Toronto, Ontario, Canada and Sweden. Pro Hockey has won a World Selects Invitational three times — all at the 12U elite level by their North American branch — but will set its sights on the 15U tournament this May in Nashville.
Players like Ryan Roobroeck, Gavin McKenna and William Sharpe were a part of Pro Hockey’s last WSI championship, winning the 2019 tournament in Bolzano, Italy. Roobroeck is widely considered one of the top 2007-born prospects in Ontario, and actually led the 12U WSI in scoring that year with 15 goals and 22 points. McKenna is a potential candidate for the first overall selection in the upcoming WHL Bantam Draft, and is a dynamic forward who led the U18 Canadian Sports School Hockey League (CSSHL) in scoring with 23 goals and 65 points. Sharpe (8) were significant contributors during that championship run as well. Sharpe has the potential to be a high selection in the draft as well; he was a top producer from the back end this winter for Yale Hockey Academy’s U15 team, leading all CSSHL defensemen with 19 goals in 21 games.
McKenna and Sharpe are far from the only Western Canada prospects in the lineup for Pro Hockey, though. Cole Reschny, Reese Hamilton and Hudson Kibblewhite represent some of the best talent that Saskatchewan and British Columbia have to offer. The lineup is balanced, strong, and a serious contender for the 15U championship next month.
Pro Hockey has competed in the WSI on several occasions, bringing top-level talent to the tournament with names like Mitch Marner, Jakob Chychrun, Evan Bouchard and Shane Wright. This year’s lineup will certainly continue that trend in hopes of leaving the Music City as 15U world champions.
World Hockey Hub will have exclusive coverage leading up to, and throughout, the 2022 15U World Selects Trophy. Be sure to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok and YouTube for previews, updates, top prospects, highlights, interviews and more!
The Sweden Selects program had been represented at each of the first 11 World Selects Invitational tournaments dating all the way back to 2009 in Riga, Latvia. In 2021, though, that streak ended when European teams faced significant travel challenges surrounding COVID-19.
This May, the Swedes return with a purpose, and one goal in mind: win the 15U World Selects Trophy in Nashville.
They’ll have plenty of weapons to get the job done, starting with Djurgårdens IF goaltender Love Härenstam, who’s fresh off a national championship run. He went 15-2-0 this season — including 5-0-0 in the U16 playoffs — with a .943 save percentage as one of the best goalies in the country.
A winter club teammate of Härenstam’s, Anton Frondell led DIF in scoring with 25 goals and 43 points on a team that had 26 players older than him, including 22 from the 2006 birth year. Frondell was a leading scorer the last time he represented Sweden Selects as well, at the 12U WSI in Bolzano, Italy.
Forward Jakob Ihs-Wozniak and defenseman Oliwer Sjöström round out the team’s leadership group. Ihs-Wozniak led Luleå IF in scoring, and spent time playing for both the program’s U16 and U18 teams this winter. Sjöström was a top defender in Sweden all season long for IF Björklöven.
Sweden Selects has won three WSI tournaments all-time. Two of those have been at the 15U age level, with the most recent coming in Philadelphia in 2015. That squad featured future NHL Draft picks Ryan Merkley, Rasmus Sandin, Lucas Wernblom and Oliver Wahlstrom.
World Hockey Hub will have exclusive coverage leading up to, and throughout, the 2022 15U World Selects Trophy. Be sure to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok and YouTube for previews, updates, top prospects, highlights, interviews and more!
The last time the Czech Knights came across the Atlantic for an international tournament, they brought gold back with them.
Two years ago, standout ‘07s Adam Benak and Vaclav Raichl dominated the U13 PeeWee Quebec International Tournament, as the Knights went 5-1-0 against teams from Quebec, Ontario and Wisconsin. They made it all the way to championship Sunday, where the Knights defeated the Mid-Fairfield Jr. Rangers 3-0 as the best team at one of the most iconic tournaments in youth hockey.
Today, that group returns stateside — with Benak and Raichl, as well as many other top players from Czech — with their sights set on winning another historic tournament in the sport; the 15U World Selects Trophy in Nashville.
The Knights will be among a half-dozen European-based programs traveling abroad to compete in the international event. They could certainly be considered one of the early favorites to win the entire tournament as well.
Benak is already a member of the Czech U16 national team. He is a fantastic skater with a high hockey IQ and can single-handedly change the flow of the game. The 5-foot-6 forward did so at the 2020 PeeWee Quebec, as the leading scorer of the tournament and continues to impress this season. Playing against opponents one and two years older than him, Benak led his U17 HC Plzen squad in scoring with 31 goals and 64 points in 34 games.
Raichl is strong at both ends of the ice and has a knack for creating offensive plays with each shift; a proven playmaker for U17 HC Litvinov. Jan Chovan is a Slovakian-born forward who currently plays U16 in Finland. He scored 16 goals and 45 points for Tappara.
The Czech Knights are a selects program that has previously competed in the World Selects tournament series under the Czech Selects name. Peter Jonak is the program director and his teams have won a WSI elite tournament on three separate occasions in 2011, 2015, and 2018. None of those championships came at the 15U age group, though, so Benak, Raichl and Chovan will look to add another accomplishment to the Czech trophy case.
World Hockey Hub will have exclusive coverage leading up to, and throughout, the 2022 15U World Selects Trophy. Be sure to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok and YouTube for previews, updates, top prospects, highlights, interviews and more!
It is one of the most iconic events in youth hockey.
The 2022 World Selects Trophy 15U tournament returns to Music City, USA, for the second consecutive year. A field of 32 teams from the United States, Canada, Sweden, Finland, Norway, Central and Western Europe will feature some of the absolute best 2007-born youth hockey players in the game today. More than a dozen different countries will be represented at the 13th annual 15U WSI — a tournament that has seen more than 400 future NHL Draft picks and 1,000 NCAA athletes during its run.
The 2022 event is sure to be loaded with top talent yet again, with programs like DraftDay, Pro Hockey and ELD Hockey Academy representing the best players from across Canada. Stateside, various programs come from coast to coast. From the California Patriots to New England’s Exposure Hockey, and everywhere in between. Hockey hotbeds like Minnesota, Michigan and Massachusetts represented by MN Fire, International Stars and Power Play Operations. Other notable programs like 1NE Academy, DHI Octane, HD Engine, Live Polar Hockey, Northstar Elite, Pittsburgh Oilers, Topline Selects and Total Package Hockey filling in any gaps throughout the lower 48.
European programs like Sweden Selects, Finland Selects, Norway Selects and Czech Knights will compete on behalf of their native countries. Alps Selects are made up of as many as eight central European countries on its own, and Barys will bring some of the best from western Europe.
Teams will take to the ice on Wednesday, May 11, where they will compete in five pool games. The top 20 teams will advance to the elimination rounds that will begin on Saturday morning, and will be whittled down to a champion by Sunday afternoon. Complete tournament schedule, standings and stats will be available HERE.
World Hockey Hub will have exclusive coverage leading up to, and throughout, the 2022 15U World Selects Trophy. Be sure to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok and YouTube for previews, updates, top prospects, highlights, interviews and more!
Known globally as the premier international event in youth hockey, the World Selects Invitational (WSI) tournament series is slated to begin April 12th, and returns with high expectations for all 11 events scheduled for the 2022 spring season. From 18U girls to 2010-born boys, the mountains of Chamonix to the honky tonks of Nashville, the lineup of events is second to none for this world-class spectacle. For five consecutive weeks, elite youth hockey athletes of various age groups and genders will compete in exotic cities in the ultimate clash of culture and competition.
14U Girls Elite in Chamonix, France
April 12 – 16, 2022
Some of the best amateur girls hockey players on the planet will be in the resort area where France, Switzerland and Italy all come together in the heart of Europe. Near the base of Mont Blanc — the highest summit in the Alps — the only thing more unique than the scenic landscape is the backdrop at the Courmayeur Ice Rink. This event is typically the first opportunity for girls athletes to experience the WSI; a starting point for future events and locations in the years that follow.
15U Girls Elite in Chamonix, France
April 19 – 23, 2022
Less than 48 hours after the 14U girls vacate the rink, hotels, local shops and restaurants, the 15U girls pick up right where their younger counterparts leave off. More exciting action, more sight-seeing and another world champion crowned after the older girls take their turn on the ice. Current NCAA standout and Canadian native, Katie Chan holds the all-time tournament scoring record with 23; a mark that hasn’t been touched since 2015.
12U Boys Elite in Bolzano, Italy
April 26 – 30, 2022
A team from Canada or Russia has accounted for each of the last five 12U Elite championships. The best boys from the 2010-birth year and below will take to the ice in the South Tyrol city of Bolzano. PalaOnda Ice Arena has hosted several WSIs in previous years, and will do so once again with teams from around the world expected to be in attendance. In 2016, Matthew Savoie (28), Ivan Miroshnichenko (27) and Shane Wright (22) finished one, two and three in scoring in what proved to be one of the highest-scoring events in the tournaments’ history. Six years later, that trio of names is slated to be high first-round picks in this summer’s NHL Draft.
14U Boys Elite in Bolzano, Italy
May 3 – 7, 2022
The boys go back-to-back in Bolzano, with the 14U Elites stepping in the very next week. The 2008s were supposed to make their WSI debut in the spring of 2020, before COVID-19 shut down — or restricted — international travel for the next 18 months. So two years later, the world will get its first look at top-level 14U talent. The past five teams to win the 14U tournament have come from five different countries: East Coast Selects (USA), DraftDay (CAN), RUSS Moscow (RUS), Finland Selects (FIN) and Czech Selects (CZE). The 2022 event is anyone’s to win.
2009 Boys AAA in Chamonix, France
May 4 – 7, 2022
The AAA series of WSI tournaments is unique, in that it works similar to that of relegation and promotion in soccer leagues. If a team wins the AAA tournament, they could find themselves competing in the elite event the following season. It’s a way for any AAA-level player to enjoy the same experience as the elite events, while potentially earning a spot in the following season’s premier field of teams. One of four WSI events — joining 14U and 15U girls, and 13U boys elite — slated to be in Chamonix, it is the most WSI tournaments hosted in one location in a single season.
2010 Boys AAA in Prague, Czech Republic
May 4 – 7, 2022
The first event of the spring in the city of Prague, this field of teams will have a heavy European contingent. In fact, it will be the most diverse group out of all WSI events with representatives from Alps, Austria, Czech, Denmark, Finland, Norway, Poland, Russia, Slovakia, Sweden and Ukraine. The week will be filled with the beautiful sights of medieval castles and gothic cathedrals, as well as an competitive champion looking to climb the WSI ladder to greater heights in the years to come.
15U Boys Elite in Nashville, Tennessee, USA
May 10 – 15, 2022
DraftDay is the reigning, defending, two-time champion of the 15U Elite tournament. The event moved to the Music City for the first time last summer, and will return again this May. The best 2007-born athletes on the planet will be on-hand to compete for the world championship in one of the most highly-scouted events of the summer. Mitch Marner, Mikko Rantanen, Adam Fox, Andrei Svechnikov, Miro Heiskanen, Moritz Seider, Trevor Zegras… More than 400 current, former, and soon-to-be NHL players first competed in this very tournament. Get your first look at the next wave of elite hockey talent right here.
13U Boys Elite in Chamonix, France
May 10 – 14, 2022
Running parallel to the ‘07s, the best ‘09s will be competing at the same time, just on the other end of the globe. With great coordination, the team at World Hockey Group is able to plan and execute multiple events in multiple countries, seamlessly. European teams have won three of the last four 13U world championships, and will once again feature a heavy contingent of nearby teams. Belarus, Czech, Finland, Latvia, Russia, Slovakia and Sweden are expected to be represented, among others. A 13-year-old Connor Bedard once led this tournament in scoring with 32 points in seven games and didn’t win the championship.
2008 Boys AAA in Prague, Czech Republic
May 11 – 14, 2022
The last boys event in Europe for 2022, it will run concurrently to the 13U Elite event which will be happening less than 1,000 kilometers away from each other. The Letňany Ice Rink has been home to several WSI champions in years past, and 12 teams will have a shot at being the next to do so in 2022. “The City of A Hundred Spires” has breath-taking sight lines of old architecture and beautiful bridges that span across the Vltava River. The boys’ European finale should feature plenty of fireworks with teams from as many as 11 different countries.
16U Boys Elite in Boston, Massachusetts, USA
May 26 – 30, 2022
The United States Hockey League (USHL) Draft and Ontario Hockey League (OHL) Priority Selection are slated to take place just days before this event. Many of the 2006-born participants in this tournament will be fresh off having their names called in one or both leagues, and should be one of the biggest events of the summer for the age group. Hosted in the heart of college hockey country, it’s an easy destination for nearby scouts to get to, with more than a dozen Division-I universities within an hour drive of the venue.
18U Girls Elite in Prague, Czech Republic
July 27 – 30, 2022
The finale of the World Selects tournament series, the oldest age group of girls has closed things out as the final event of the season for the last several years. Hosted in one of the most historic and colorful cities in Europe, Prague is filled with old architecture, beautiful scenery and excellent hockey at the nearby ice arena. Typically one of the smaller fields of teams, the 18U group only consists of eight-to-ten teams, providing for a very intimate and exclusive experience for participating players.
World Hockey Hub will have exclusive coverage of all the action, highlights, recaps, top performers and more from all 11 World Selects events. Be sure to follow WHH on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok and YouTube for the latest regarding WSI, and learn more to get involved in future events.
NASHVILLE — DraftDay-Black won the 2019 World Selects championship at the 15U age level, and after the tournament’s one-year hiatus in 2020, the program returned to defend its title as the best at the age group.
The 2021 World Selects Trophy concluded on Friday with the ‘06 Elite championship game at the Ford Ice Center in Bellevue. It was the 64th game in five days, and the matchup in the finale pitted the No. 1 Everest Academy against No. 2 team DraftDay-Black.
Top-seeded Everest Academy was a perfect 8-0 heading into the final. Forward Tyron Fevry led the team in scoring and was one of the top scorers in the entire tournament with nine goals and 15 points through eight games. Teammate Jack Dean came on in the elimination rounds as well, as he produced six of his 10 points in the first three rounds of playoffs. Goaltender Easton Rye played 143:33 of action in the tournament before finally surrendering a goal in the second half of the semifinal game against the Detroit Jr. Red Wings. Rye, like most of Canada, had not played game action in almost a full calendar year, yet shined in his return to the ice with three shutouts and a .966 save percentage.
No. 2-seeded DraftDay-Black featured a star-studded lineup of top 2006-born prospects including a trio of Minnesota natives Max Plante, Ben Miller and Henry Lechner. Plante’s playmaking ability and distribution of the puck allowed him to lead the tournament in assists (nine) and fueled DraftDay’s top line to a combined total of 18 goals.
The squad dropped just one game the entire tournament; a 2-1 shootout decision at the hands of Exposure Hockey. Vlad Bryzgalov maintained a 0.50 goals-against average and .966 save percentage, second only to opposing championship net minder Rye at the other end of the ice. Bryzgalov split starts with Jackson Silverberg, who also posted an impressive 0.80 goals-against average and .957 save percentage in the tournament.
Just 1:39 into the game, DraftDay’s Cal Hughes opened the scoring with a wrist shot past Andrew Gaulton. Everest — as it had done much of the tournament — was quick to respond just over a minute later when defenseman Ty Henry fired a wrist shot past Silverberg.
The first half of the contest featured chances from both teams in what proved to be a physical matchup. It seemed like every pass or shot attempt was quickly followed by an opposing player finishing their check on an opponent.
With just under eight minutes left in the first half, defenseman Adam Kleber made an impressive forehand-backhand move to get around a defender, and snapped off a shot to make it 2-1 for DraftDay. The opening 20 minutes concluded with great pace, as both teams traded scoring chances.
However, a three-minute stretch to begin the second half would blow the game wide open, leaving DraftDay with a stranglehold on the game and Everest reeling.
Goals by Logan Hensler, Henry Brzustewicz, Cal Hughes and Max Plante came in rapid succession; the first of the sequence coming less than three minutes apart from the last tally. Just 2:52 of game action and the score swelled from a one-goal battle to a five-goal deficit.
Chase Nyitray delivered the final blow with just under five minutes to play, before the clock counted down the final seconds and DraftDay-Black completed its 15U title defense.
The victory signified the conclusion of the tournament which featured players from three different countries, including Barys from Eastern Europe. A week filled with competition throughout the 20-team field. There were 29 games decided by two goals or less, including 13 by way of overtime or shootout.
The 2021 World Selects Trophy proved to be one of the biggest showcases of talent at the 15U age level. WHH will have tons of continued coverage and more content from the event coming your way including photos, highlights, player interviews and more. Be sure to connect with us on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Twitter and Facebook for the latest content!
NASHVILLE — Pool play concluded on Wednesday as all 20 participating teams completed their five-game schedules. The top 16 teams based on points in the standings would advance to the elimination rounds on Thursday. With plenty of movement still possible, some teams managed to play their way into the Field of 16 while others were essentially eliminated from contention by the end of the day.
With pool play completed, the official playoff bracket is as follows:
Ontario-based Everest Academy earned the top seed after a 5-0 record, including four regulation-time victories, earning 14 points in the standings. Standout forward Tyron Fevry is tied for the tournament lead in goals with seven and has factored in on eight of Everest’s 24 goals.
DraftDay-Black was the only other team to remain unbeaten in regulation, suffering just one shootout loss at the hands of Exposure Hockey. That shootout decision helped propel Exposure into the playoff picture, as Tij Iginla and Gavin Cornforth helped pick up two wins in the final day of pool play to sneak in as the 13-seed.
Walker Bright is the tournament’s leading scorer after Wednesday. He and teammate Matthew Frost combine to be the highest-producing duo at the event with 18 points between the pair. After posting a 4-1 record, Bright and Frost have elevated Bloodline Hockey to the No. 3-seed in the tournament as a strong contender for the elimination rounds.
All-American Prospects forward Ryker Lee had a big day with three goals and seven points. Three consecutive wins by AAP moved them into the No. 7-seed for Thursday for a matchup with Upstate Kings.
With the field now set for Thursday, the tournament will proceed with Round-of-16 and Quarterfinal games, whittling the remaining teams down to just four by the end of the day. Semifinals and championship games will conclude on Friday before the World Selects Trophy crowns its 2021 champion.
WHH will have continued coverage of the event including photos, highlights, player interviews and more. Be sure to connect with us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube for the latest content!
NASHVILLE — We’re past the halfway point of pool play at the 2021 World Selects Trophy after participating teams pulled double duty on Tuesday. The entire field now has three games under their respective belts, with just two games left on Wednesday before the Group of 16 is set for playoffs.
If Monday’s close games were any indication of how little separates the 20 teams from one another, Tuesday only validated the competition level in Nashville. There were 11 more games decided by two goals or fewer, with five more decided by way of shootout. Among those thrilling finishes was this beauty from Detroit Jr. Red Wings forward Brecken Smith.
That shootout victory was the second time the Jr. Wings were able to win in such fashion, as they are currently 3-0 and in good position to advance to the elimination rounds.
We also caught up with several standout players from the 2006-birth year, including one of the tournament’s leading scorers, Ben Miller of DraftDay-Black.
The 6-foot-2 forward out of Woodbury, Minnesota, is tied atop the scoring list with six goals and seven points through three games. Only Bloodline’s Walker Bright and Barys’ Abzal Alibek have been able to match him. Alibek exploded in the first game of the tournament with four goals against TPH Selects. He followed up that impressive performance with another goal against Black Bear Selects and two goals in a 3-1 win over NXT Level Hockey to lead all scorers with seven goals.
Ford Ice Center in Antioch experienced a flurry of high-scoring affairs, with back-to-back games resulting in opponents combining to produce 11 total goals. Southeast Elite tallied five unanswered in the second half against NXT Level Hockey to pull off a stunning come-from-behind 6-5 victory. That game featured eight different goal scorers, headlined by a three-point performance from Southeast’s Tyler Fortson.
Just a few hours later, Elite Hockey Group defeated the Brooklyn Knighthawks, matching that same total with a 6-5 finish of their own. That contest has nine different goal scorers, one of whom was EHG’s Joseph Delaurentis who has a goal in every game so far.
Nearly half the field has a goal differential of plus-or-minus three goals — one goal for each game played thus far — and only one of the 20 teams in the field has won all three games in regulation time. It has been an impressively competitive tournament just past the halfway point of pool play, and intensity will certainly pick up on Wednesday as teams try to squeeze their way into the playoff picture.
WHH will have continued coverage of the event including photos, highlights, player interviews and more. Be sure to connect with us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube for the latest content!
NASHVILLE — The 12th annual World Selects Trophy kicked off on Monday from the Ford Ice Center. It was a return to the rink after a one-year hiatus for the perennial spring tournament series. Like many events, the WST experienced a pause in action in 2020 thanks to COVID-19. Also like many events recently, it returned to the spotlight, ready for prime time in the Music City with 20 of the best 2006-born teams from around the world.
A slate of 64 games began with an 8:30 a.m. tilt between NSHDA Midwest Elite and NorthStar Elite-Minnesota. That ignited a continuous cycle of games on Rink 1 and Rink 2 at the Bellevue location that’ll culminate with the championship game on Friday afternoon.
Of the 10 games on Monday, eight of the 10 games were decided by two goals or fewer, with three of those needing a shootout to determine a winner. The day’s festivities concluded with a remarkable opening ceremony, filled with a live band on the ice, player introductions, video presentations and light shows as teams entered the playing surface. Parents and spectators enjoyed food and cocktails on the concourse of the Ford Ice Center, overlooking the energy in the rink below.
As Nash County Band performed at center ice, captains from each of the participating teams were recognized in front of a packed crowd. Then, emcee Cam McGuire, broadcasting voice of the Worcester Railers, officially announced the tournament was underway and the featured game of the evening could take place between DraftDay-Black and All-American Prospects.
Some early standouts after Day One include dominant individual performances, offensive outings and stellar play in net. First, a 6-2 victory by NXT Level Hockey, where Dillon Rud recorded a hat trick and teammate Camerin Cardona added a three-point performance of his own. The duo from NXT is tied for the lead in points after Day One. Then, in the featured game, Ben Miller scored four of DraftDay-Black’s seven goals; he currently leads the tournament in points after the first round of games.
Other notable performances include a 24-save shutout by Aidan Rasmussen, who backstopped his DHI Blizzard squad to a 2-0 win over Exposure Hockey. DHI is the only team so far to keep its opponent off the scoreboard.
Abzel Alibek from Kazakhstan also produced a four-goal game in his tournament debut for Barys. He scored three first-period goals and added another in the second to help his team defeat TPH Selects 6-4.
Games continue on Tuesday with 20 matchups on the docket. WHH will have continued coverage of the event including photos, highlights, player interviews and more. Be sure to connect with us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube for more!
The ‘20 in 20’ series takes a deep dive into each of the 20 teams competing at the historic World Selects Trophy in Nashville, Tennessee on June 28th. This 15U tournament is set to feature the best players in the age group from around the world with players from the U.S., Canada and Europe. Today, we take a closer look at Everest Academy.
Located in Vaughan, Ontario, Canada, Everest Academy is a co-ed private school for student-athletes. Regardless of a student’s passion, Everest provides a challenging, stimulating, safe and supportive learning environment where individuals strive to exceed their potential. Karl Subban, father of NHL Draft picks P.K., Jordan and Malcolm, serves as principal of the academy that boasts a number of other NHL and college alumni. Citing seven NHL Draft picks and more than 80 Canadian Hockey League (CHL) picks as well, Everest has seen the likes of Anthony Duclair (1995), Ben Jones (1999) and Kirill Maximov (1999) in recent years.
The academy serves as a training ground during the school day, allowing for players to compete for their local youth teams during the regular season. The 2021 tournament team is composed of players from the Greater Toronto Hockey League (GTHL), with 13-of-17 coming from the Markham Majors.
Canada has been in a fairly restricted shutdown throughout much of the last year, and many players in Ontario lost their entire 2020-21 winter seasons. The World Selects tournament could quite possibly be a return to action for many of the Canadian players in the field.
WHH is providing exclusive coverage of the 2021 World Selects Trophy. Follow us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube for the latest news regarding the international tournament later this month.