The World Youth Championships wrapped up in Prague on Sunday, with three teams securing titles. West Can Prime, East Coast Prime and Pro Selects Slovakia emerged victorious in the 2011, 2010 and 2009 divisions, respectively. All entered the playoff round as the respective No. 1-seeds of their birth year.
What a great last day in Prague at the World Youth Championships! Congrats to our winners 2011 WestCan Prime, 2010 East Coast Prime & 2009 Pro Team Selects! Finished off the day with a river cruise of the Vlatava River 🚢 @PrimeHockeyNA pic.twitter.com/r9X0x8SVAQ
— PLAY Hockey (@playhockeyna) June 4, 2023
Three tournament champions from three different countries hoisted the WYC trophy. American 2010-born Bobby Spang, Canadian ‘11 Brody Antignani and ‘09 Oliver Ozogany from Slovakia were key contributors in their respective divisions. All helped their squads claim gold in Europe over the weekend.
A large reason why West Can was able to find itself with a perfect 5-0-0 record heading out of pool play was the team’s dynamic offense. The biggest contributors of that attack were Brody Antignani (15G, 13A) and Beck Van Kemenade (7G, 21A). Picking up where they left off, West Can shut out Europe Hockey Selects in the quarterfinals, 5-0. Van Kemenade’s incredible play-making ability was on display, helping him record a goal and three assists. In the championship, the duo combined for another seven points in a 6-2 victory over Midwest Prime.
The two forwards ended as the second and third leading scorers across the entire tournament. They were second only to Max Prudovsky, who finished with 18 goals and 29 points for East Coast Prime.
In the preliminary round, East Coast Prime bested West Can Prime by a score of 7-2. In that game, Matthew Lynn had his best game of the tournament for East Coast by scoring three goals and two assists. Helping Lynn propel East Coast into the championship game was Bobby Spang. Spang entered the playoffs as co-leader of the team with Lynn 12 points. Over the next two playoff contests, Lynn added three points (1G, 2A) and Spang nabbed six (4G, 2A). A solid showing that allowed Spang to end up as the second overall scorer among the 2010 division behind West Can’s Liam Pue. Pue was the best goal scorer of any 2010-born skater, putting up 19 goals.
In the championship game, East Coast’s defense and goaltending held Pue off the scoresheet. Without production from its leading scorer, West Can struggled to put up offense. However, Spang and Lynn continued their production, combining for four points. With the 5-1 win, East Coast secured the 2010 division.
No other team in the 2009 division was able to produce quite like Pro Selects Slovakia. Across seven games, the team produced a tournament-best goal differential of plus-34. Heading the charge were Oliver Ozogany and Elias Matousek, who finished their runs with 20 and 16 points, respectively. The two ended as the top point-getters for ‘09 players. The next three following them in the Top 10 also hailed from Slovakia.
In the final meeting, East Coast Prime had the daunting task of trying to halt Slovakia’s potent firepower. But armed with some of the most gifted players at the tournament, Slovakia secured a 10-1 win. Ozogany and Matousek alone combined for eight points. Slovakian forward Michal Lazovsky totaled the most goals among 2009-born skaters with 10.
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With pool play wrapping up today at the World Youth Championships in Prague, a clearer picture is beginning to emerge as to playoff matchups heading into the weekend. The top two teams from the ‘09,’10, and ‘11 divisions have already locked up spots. The remaining four teams in each birth year will face off in play-in games to determine the third and fourth seeds for playoff positioning. One player who led East Coast Prime to secure one of those top seeds was 2011-born forward Max Prudovsky. After pool play, Prudovsky leads all skaters across all birth years with 17 goals and 27 points in just five games. He has also scored at an incredible pace of 5.40 points per game. Here’s a look at who else has stood out thus far and which teams have the best chances to compete for the championship…
A main reason why West Can Prime and East Coast Prime were able to finish as the top two teams in the 2011 division was scoring depth. Matching the incredible output by Prudovsky was West Can’s Brody Antignani (11G, 11A) and Beck Van Kemenade (6G, 15A). Carter Watson has been a dependable secondary source of offense behind Prudovsky, collecting 11 goals and 24 points. In the lone matchup between the two teams in the preliminary round, Antignani notched a hat trick and Van Kemenade added a goal as well. Prudvosky was held to two assists. West Can will attempt to keep their perfect 5-0-0 record alive in the playoffs, and don’t be surprised if it’s these two squads battling it out for the 2011 championship on Saturday.
The Ice Bears Selects will take on Midwest Prime and Top Speed will clash with Europe Hockey Selects in the play-in games later today to determine the fourth and fifth seeds.
There has been no better goal scorer among 2010 players at this year’s tournament than Liam Pue. Averaging close to three goals per game, Pue was only held off the scoresheet once in five pool play contests. He amassed 16 goals in those games. The next closest skater to that total is teammate Reid Nicol, who currently sits with nine. Across all divisions, Pue’s goal total is second only to Prudovsky. With a 4-1-0 record, West Can Prime will enter the playoff round in second behind East Coast Prime.
It comes as no surprise that East Coast has been helped by the dynamic play of forward Matthew Lynn. Lynn, who skated with the No. 1 Philadelphia Jr. Flyers this season, was a constant source of leadership and production for the team. He has carried that momentum into the WYC, tied for first in team points with Bobby Spang. The forward duo has each collected 12 points. Lynn’s best game came against West Can, where he put up three goals and two assists. The lone blemish on East Coast’s run was a 7-6 shootout loss to Midwest Prime. Following that, the team rebounded with a 7-0 shutout of Pro Selects Slovakia. Given the skill on each roster, it’s shaping up to be a rematch between East Coast and West Can for the ‘10 title.
Pro Selects Slovakia is set to take on STASA Hockey, while the North Wind Selects will attempt to defeat Midwest Prime in the play-in games later today.
Pro Selects Slovakia have been able to handle each team they have squared off with thus far. The offense that Oliver Ozogany and Elias Matousek have provided has been a spark to an undefeated run. Each forward has recorded 14 points and a combined credit on three game-winning goals. Armed with one of the more daunting attacks among the ‘09s, Slovakia has scored at least seven goals in four of its five pool play games.
Holding down second place, Midwest Prime, is the favored team to be able to contend with Slovakia for the championship. However, in their preliminary round meeting, Slovakia bested Midwest 7-2. Ozogany and Matousek each impressed in that game with three points each. In order for Midwest to have any chance in a rematch, team depth will need to be stronger. The trio of Dominic Slevin, Grady Anaka and Gianfranco D’Agata have supplied most of the points for Midwest. If anyone has a chance to slow down Slovakia, it’s them.
TSH Selects drops the puck against East Coast Prime to settle positioning in the first play-in game. Following that tilt, Top Speed will drop the puck with Crazy Hockey to see who moves on to the playoffs.
You can catch all the playoff action this weekend with live streams of the games HERE.
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This week, the World Youth Championships will host the second event of its spring season in Prague, Czech Republic. Players born in 2009, 2010 and 2011 will be split into three divisions of six teams each. Among those age groups will be participants from six different countries. The first stop of the World Youth Championship was held earlier this month in Philadelphia for those born in 2006, 2007 and 2008.
Over the course of the next four days, teams will compete in five pool-play matchups. Following that, the top four seeds in each division will advance to a semifinal playoff round. A champion will be determined by Saturday. Teams began arriving in the city last weekend, with many taking in the sights and sounds to get in the spirit.
Unreal first half of the WYC Prague in the books! Now time for some hockey 🏒 pic.twitter.com/NTNTbZ4gHG
— PLAY Hockey (@playhockeyna) May 30, 2023
TSH Selects and Top Speed are two of the 2009-born teams with loads of talent. Viggo Mallmin led No. 1 Swedish-ranked Brinkens IF to gold at the 2023 Uplandia Trophy. He will look to do the same here for Top Speed. Bolstering that squad will be Marks Gusevs from No. 4 SDE Hockey. Priam Lelang — a teammate of Mallmin’s on Brinkens — will be skating for TSH. The forward pair of Eric Wei and Conny Törnqvist will also aid TSH. Both hail from No. 2 Kiekko-Espoo Blues II.
East Coast Prime in the 2010 division will have a few of the top names from the 2022-23 winter season. Among them will be forwards Matthew Lynn and Bo Christini from the No. 1 ranked Philadelphia Jr. Flyers. The two have led the Jr. Flyers in previous tournaments this season such as the Eastern Exposure Cup and Penguins Elite Mid-Winter Classic. Joining them will be defenseman Samuel Fishbone from No. 5 Boston Jr. Eagles and Jack Riehl from No. 9 Pittsburgh Penguins Elite.
For the 2011s, forward Tyler Kyle from former No. 10 U.S.-ranked South Shore Kings will patrol the blue line for East Coast Prime.
You can watch all of the on-ice action this week with live streams of the games HERE.
Want more from the World Youth Championships? WHH will have exclusive coverage of the tournament in Prague all week long. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, Discord and YouTube for more!
For the last 36 weeks, the most elite teams in AAA hockey have bolstered their resumes, won tournaments, league championships and national titles. The results are in, schedules completed and the World Rankings, presented by World Hockey Hub, have been finalized.
As the 2022-23 season comes to a close, we crown the No. 1 teams across six different age groups to finish as the best in the youth hockey landscape:
Ending the ‘22-23 campaign as National Champions among 2006-born U.S. teams, the Long Island Gulls cemented their status as the best program in that birth year. A 17-game unbeaten streak to start the season would only be a sign of further things to come for this squad. They secured a district title at the New York State Amateur Hockey Association (NYSAHA) with a 5-1 win over the Buffalo Jr. Sabres. That victory earned them a spot at USA Hockey Nationals, where the team skated to a 5-1-0 record. Long Island deservedly won the championship by shutting out Little Caesars 2-0 in the title matchup. In 15 of the 17 World Rankings updates this season, the Gulls were the No. 1 team.
Forward Jesse Orlowsky and defenseman Donato Bracco were invited to the USA Hockey’s National Team Development Program’s (USNTDP) annual U17 Evaluation Camp. Bracco was later announced as having earned a spot on the team. Earlier this month, five Gulls were selected in the United States Hockey League’s (USHL) Phase-I Draft. Orlowsky, Ethan Wyttenbach, Malachi McKinnon, Nicholas Sykora and Brendan DeFeo all had their names called.
You would be hard pressed to find another youth hockey team this season that won as much as ‘07 Little Caesars. After alternating wins and losses in the first four games of the year, the team hit its stride with a 46-game unbeaten streak. Along the way, Caesars nabbed titles at the CCM World Invite and USHL Youth Fall Classic. At USA Hockey Nationals, the skilled group was positioned as favorites to win the tournament. That was, until they fell in the semifinal round in overtime to Shattuck-St. Mary’s.
Despite a tough ending to an almost storybook season, players from Caesars were among some of the most popular this offseason. Goaltender Joey Slavick, defenseman Charlie Thretheway and forward Will Horcoff were named to the USNTDP U17 roster. Additionally, seven players — including Horcoff and Tretheway — were also chosen in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) Draft. Six others were also selected in the USHL’s Phase-I Draft as well.
The Vaughan Kings have held down the No. 1 spot in the ‘09 World Rankings for 24 consecutive weeks. They made their first big splash of the season by going undefeated at the Little Caesars Invitational. The team continued to roll along into the Vaughan Kings Classic, where they defeated York Simcoe Express in the final. The New Year began with another tournament win, this time by emerging as champions at the International Silver Stick. It was the second year in a row that the Kings were the last team standing at the major event. Next up was the Greater Toronto Hockey League (GTHL) Championships. It was here that Vaughan bested the Toronto Jr. Canadiens in a tough five-game series. The Kings wrapped up the campaign with an appearance at the U15 All-Ontario Championships. In the title game, they shut out the Soo Jr. Greyhounds 4-0.
The ‘09 Toronto Jr. Canadiens had a strong finish to their ‘22-23 schedule. This allowed them to hold onto the No. 1 World Rankings spot since May 7th. Since that date, JRC were winners in 10 of its final 13 contests. The pinnacle of their season was a 5-0-0 run at the U14 OHL Cup. Included in that performance were victories over fellow World-ranked teams Don Mills Flyers and Sun County Panthers. The club was undefeated in three different stretches of at least eight games. One of the most offensively gifted rosters in the world, the Jr. Canadiens finished with an incredible goal differential of plus-199.
What else can be said about 2011-born CSKA Moscow that hasn’t been written already? The team opened their schedule with one of the best winning streaks in recent memory. Winding up in the win column in the first 36 games of a season is nothing short of spectacular. And when adversity finally did hit, they rebounded in full. After they suffered their only loss of the season — in overtime to Spartak — . The major players who helped CSKA’s incredible performance were the dynamic duo of Nikita Siniken and Roman Andreev. Siniken used stellar hockey sense and puck-handling skills en route to putting up 76 goals and 169 points. Andreev managed to record 98 goals and 165 points. Odds were one of these two were tasked with getting the job done if a big play was needed.
One of two teams from the Jr. Canadiens program to finish atop the World Rankings, the ‘11 squad for Toronto hit the ground running this season. Thrown into heavy competition early at the Toronto Marlboros Friendship, JRC collected its first trophy of the season with a tournament win. Shortly after, a perfect 6-0-0 weekend saw Toronto take gold at the CCM Motown. The team once more made it to another tournament final, this time at the International Silver Stick tournament. However, a solid run of championship success ended when they became runners up after a 4-2 loss to the Mid-Fairfield Jr. Rangers. The club added to their trophy case when they nabbed a title at the Vaughan Kings Classic by defeating Little Caesars 6-2.
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.
This week, eight teams will travel to Stockholm, Sweden for the 15U AAA World Selects Trophy. The annual tournament is an opportunity for teams to compete nationally among fellow players of their birth year. Czech Knights, Astana HC, Slovenia Selects, TPH Selects, DevCo Hockey, Finland SHD, Sweden SHD Yellow and Sweden SHD Blue will be the participating clubs. The top six squads will qualify for the playoff round, with the top two seeds securing automatic spots in the semifinals.
Of the players making up the rosters of Sweden SHD Blue and Yellow, five of the top Swedish ‘08 WHH-ranked programs will have numerous players represented. Nacka HK and Södertälje SK will have the most representatives with five each. Mikail Kim was a standout winger at the Uplandia Trophy back in April for Nacka. He will suit up for SHD Blue. Defenseman Arvid Ermeskog will join him as a crucial part of the team’s defensive unit. All five skaters from Södertälje will be on SHD Blue as well. Christian Furuvik’s heroics at the Folke Filbyter Cup helped Södertälje win gold. The team hopes he still has some of that magic left for this run.
Four players from Boo HC will lace up the skates for SHD Yellow. The trio of Viggo Fors, Lukas Svensson and Alexander Engman will be a hassle for any opponent. All three lit up the scoresheet at the Folke Lindström Cup, helping Boo to a championship. Defender Gustav Révay will be the fourth player from their group. Some of AIK Hockey’s top producers will be joining SHD Yellow as well. Defensemen Henry Nicolaysen and Sixten Zakrisson will bolster the blue line. Viggo Låhdö’s offensive skill will be a big boost to the roster’s forward selections. Låhdö and Nicolaysen finished as the top two point scorers for AIK at the Folke Lindström Cup and helped the team nab a second-place finish. Flemingsbergs IK rounds out the world-ranked portion of players with the addition of Salim Ismailov to SHD Yellow.
Given the immense talent divided among both Sweden teams, it would not be surprising to find one of them as the last team standing once the dust settles. Their preliminary round schedules are fairly similar and each has a matchup with the Czech Knights. The Knights went unbeaten in pool play last year and have already won championships at other World Selects events this year. They are a program that knows how to produce talent to win at these types of showcases. The Knights stand as the biggest obstacle in the way of any Sweden success. Time will tell if they will face off against one another in the playoffs. Should that happen, it will be a thrilling 40 minutes of hockey.
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