It’s a packed slate of games to watch this weekend. The Vaughan Kings battle Toronto Nationals in a Top-10 tilt on Monday. Tappara Sininen and TPS tangle in a Top-10 matchup between 2008s in Finland. The week concludes with a contest between Flemingsbergs IK and Transgunds. Then, a clash in Russia between CSKA Moscow and Lokomotiv Yaroslavl.
This tilt will be anything but cozy, as the No. 23 Toronto Nationals (34-12-3) will attempt to notch their first win against No. 13 Vaughan Kings (36-6-2) this season.
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| Monday, January 30 @ 6:55 PM EST Westwood Arena 2 |
In the previous two matchups, Vaughan skated away winners by scores of 5-4 and 4-0. The Nationals know they have the skill to compete with Vaughan, but it will be no easy task. The Kings come in winners of their last seven.
Keep an eye on the blue line for Toronto, as it will be tasked with shutting down one of the best offenses of any 2011-born team. Vaughan has an impressive plus-145 goal differential to date.
Pete’s Pick: While the first game between the two clubs was close, Vaughan showed there might just be more of a skill disparity here than meets the eye. That said, the Nationals will have some extra pep to try and finally nab a win. They will drop a close one, 4-2.
Craig’s Pick: Nats are 4-1-1 since their 4-0 loss to Vaughan earlier this month. And despite being unranked, they’ve actually fared alright against Top-10 opponents with a 5-4-1 record. This month alone, they beat No. 10 Oakville Rangers 4-0 and No. 9 Toronto Titans 5-1. I think the Nats have a good showing here, but ultimately Vaughan wins, 4-2.
No. 3 Tappara Sininen (22-2-5) and No. 5 TPS (21-6-0) should expect fireworks when the two drop the puck on Saturday.
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| Saturday, February 4 Sentteri AL |
Tappara has been unbeaten in six games since the continuation of group play for 2008-born teams began with the New Year. For TPS, it has been a bit of a slower start, settling for a 2-2-0 record in group play. This will be the first head-to-head battle between the two in their group setting.
Statistically, Tappara has been bringing the firepower. The top three point getters in the group all hail from the club. Jonatan Seppälä (5G, 10A), Eemil Mattanen (7G, 7A) and Jermu Myllä (6G, 7A) sit atop the leaderboard.
Attempting to counter that three-headed attack will be TPS’ Miro Aaltonen, who’s knack for finding the back of the net has shown strong. He has buried seven goals in just four games.
Pete’s Pick: These teams have played in some high-scoring games in group play this far, so offense will be a focal point. Tappara’s main players will get it done in this one, boosting them to a 5-2 win.
Craig’s Pick: Whatever the line is on total goals, take the over. I’m expecting a shootout north of eight goals scored in this one. I think that type of game favors Tappara and its high-powered offense. I’ll take the ‘Battle Axe’ to win 6-4.
No. 6 Sweden-ranked Trångsunds (10-3-4) will look to strengthen its resume when it faces off against No. 1 Flemingsbergs IK (33-3-4).
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| Saturday, February 4 Stortorpshallen |
Back on Dec. 19, the two sides skated to a 3-3 tie. Flemingsbergs took a 3-1 lead into the second period before Trångsunds struck twice quickly at the start of the second frame to even the score.
Flemingsbergs has been one of the premier units for the better part of the last two months. Since Dec. 3, they are unbeaten in seven games.
Pete’s Pick: Flemingsbergs took its foot off the gas in the last tilt between these two. I don’t think they underestimate their opponent this time, taking a 4-2 final.
Craig’s Pick: Flemingsbergs may be the better team on paper, but I think Trångsunds proved a lot in that 3-3 tie. The ability to dig themselves out of a 3-0 deficit and outshoot FIK in the process shows they can compete. Players like Jonatan Tapper, Alexandros Tsioulis and Malte Olenius will be ready to prove themselves in the rematch, and get a 3-1 win for Trångsunds.
No. 2 CSKA Moscow (23-2-0) and No. 18 Lokomotiv Yaroslavl (15-7-0) will break their stalemate in the season series. A third game this weekend will break the 1-1 tie between these ‘06 Russian teams.
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| Sunday, February 5 |
Yaroslavl got the best of CSKA, 5-3, in the first matchup on Sept. 25. CSKA evened the series up with a 4-1 victory on Nov. 27. Alexei Elblaus and Vadim Dudorov stood out in the two games for Lokomotiv, registering four and three points, respectively. The two forwards are among the highest scorers for their squad. Dudorov has garnered 10 goals and 35 points to lead Lokomotiv, with Elblaus’ 20 points just behind.
Ivan Okunev had been the leader for CSKA all season long, currently with 44 points (21G, 23A).
Both teams have spent the entire 2022-23 season among the Top 10 in Russia.
Pete’s Pick: While Lokomotiv have put together a solid season, CSKA is just a notch above the rest of their birth year. Okunev is the real deal, and he single handedly could win this game for CSKA, but I like their depth better than that of Yaroslavl. CSKA goes up in the season series by the final whistle, 5-1.
Craig’s Pick: Lokomotiv is the only team in Russia with wins over the No. 1, No. 2 and No. 3 teams in the country. They’ve played opponents tough all season long. If — and it might be a big if — Lokomotiv can keep Okunev at bay, they just might steal another upset. Lokomotiv with another upset, 4-3.
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Each week, World Hockey Hub highlights a few of the most exciting upcoming games in youth hockey.
Two of the top 2009-born teams in Sweden kick off our slate of games to watch this week. Djurgårdens IF battles Södertälje SK on Thursday in a Top-10 tilt. Mississauga Rebels and Toronto Jr. Canadiens tangle in a Top-10 matchup between 2007s in Canada. The week concludes with a weekend series between Chicago Mission and Shattuck-St. Mary’s. Then, a clash in Finland between Kärpät Musta and Kärpät Valkoinen.
After suffering a 6-0 defeat to No. 3 Djurgårdens IF (26-12-7) on Dec. 1, No. 5 Södertälje SK (13-5-6) now has plans for avenging that loss when the two 2008-born opponents meet this week.
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| Thursday, January 26 Scaniarinken |
In order to do so, however, the dynamic duo of Lexus Zahn (9G, 7A) and Nick Travergård (8G, 8A) will need to be stopped. Both players not only lead Djurgårdens in points, but sit atop their group table in scoring as well. They have been key catalysts to the team’s current eight-game unbeaten stretch.
In the 6-0 outing, Zahn and Travergård each collected three points, showing that they are the true play drivers for the club when it comes to offensive zone time. Patric Hellström and Lucas Brauer will have to step up for Södertälje if there is any chance of emerging victorious. Their dependable, two-way approach to the game has paid dividends, allowing them to record 10 and nine points, respectively.
Pete’s Pick: I don’t expect another blowout for Djurgårdens, but I do believe they will nab the win here for the second time against their group foe. I chalk that loss up to Södertälje still finding its footing as a team. Since then, they have put up numbers against the top Sweden teams.
Craig’s Pick: I’m a Zahn and Travergård fan here too. Södertälje comes out of the gate strong, and maybe even holds onto a lead early. However, Djurgårdens top tandem is too much to overcome. I’ll take DIF 4-2 in a close one.
No. 1 Shattuck-St. Mary’s (39-2-2) will wrap up their season series with No. 11 Chicago Mission (25-12-5) this weekend. It will be the second time the two squads will have battled in close to a week. On Jan. 20, Shattuck defeated Chicago 4-1.
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| Saturday, January 28 @ 4:10 PM CST Fifth Third Arena |
All games thus far have been tightly contested. With both programs occupying Top 10 spots in the U.S. for the majority of the season, no one was really expecting anything less. What will ultimately settle these final games will be the big blueliners of Chicago taking away space from Shattuck’s frightening attack. All six of Mission’s defensemen are either close to or over six feet, with three also weighing in at 170 lbs.
Granted, Shattuck will have a gameplan to work around this fact given the familiarity between both rosters. However, it does not make the feat of actually dealing with players of that size on the ice any easier.
Ryker Lee and Jack Galanek have been revelations for Shattuck, as they have collected 155 points between themselves. John Delaney was a standout for Chicago in the last two-game series, totaling three points (1G, 2A).
Pete’s Pick: These will be two more close games, with Mission wanting to prove they have what it takes to skate with the truly premier talent of their birth year. Despite being on home ice, which should give them some extra jump, I still think Shattuck skates away with two wins.
Craig’s Pick: I like Shattuck as well. They’re unbeaten in their last 27 outings, and winners of 19 of their last 20. Mission managed a 4-4 tie back in December, jumping out to a 4-0 lead before Shattuck rallied from behind. I don’t see Shattuck playing from a deficit again — at least not by four goals — so I’ll take the Sabres as winners in both games.
The No. 20 Mississauga Rebels (28-8-9) will try to finally get in the win column against the No. 9 Toronto Jr. Canadiens (34-8-3) in their third game of the season on Sunday.
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| Sunday, January 29 @ 2:15 PM EST Scotiabank Pond 4 |
After skating to a 2-2 tie in their first tilt back in October, the Jr. Canadiens bested the Rebels 5-3 on Dec. 17. Unbeaten in their last four outings, Mississauga will aim to end Toronto’s impressive 12 game unbeaten streak. While on paper this may be looking like a David versus Goliath meeting between two ‘07 programs, Mississauga has held their own against some Top 10 teams in Canada. A highlight of their season was edging out No. 1 Toronto Marlboros, 2-1 in the early weeks of the schedule.
Pete’s Pick: Mississauga has given some top teams headaches this season, and this game shouldn’t be any different. But talent-wise, the Jr. Canadiens hold a significant advantage, and they take this one 4-1.
Craig’s Pick: Jr. Canadiens are the better overall team, but Mississauga to me appears to be a more consistent bunch. You know what you’re going to get from this group on a nightly basis. Toronto can run a bit hot and cold, and may very well come out firing. However, I’m gonna take the Rebels’ consistent approach, as they catch the Jr. Canadiens on an off night. Rebs run 3-2 in this one.
With the continuation series well underway in the next stage of group play in Finland, two 2009 programs prepare to continue their season series. Currently up 2-1 after three games, No. 7 Kärpät Valkoinen (19-4-1) will hope to squash No. 9 Kärpät Musta’s (19-3-2) attempt to even the season series on Sunday.
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| Sunday, January 28 Raksila 2 |
It is a crucial time to be playing the best hockey of the season, and that is the case for these programs. Each is off to a 4-0-0 start in the continuation series of group play. All signs are pointing to fireworks when they clash.
Offense will be on full display in this meeting. At the end of the initial group stage, the two leading scorers hailed from these clubs. Musta’s Joona Väkeväinen totaled 27 goals and 49 points, with Valkoinen’s Niklas Helppi 31 goals and 44 points close behind. Both players have picked up where they left off just a few games into the next batch of group games. In two games, each player has recorded nine points. Kantola Leevi of Musta leads all skaters with 12 points.
Pete’s Pick: I’m inclined to go with Valkoinen here, but I think Leevi’s performance to begin the next stage of group play will get them over the hill and even the season series up. Musta takes a 3-2 final.
Craig’s Pick: I gotta imagine games like these are so exciting for Kärpät — and other clubs that divvy up players into multiple rosters — when you field two teams, and they’re uber competitive and evenly matched head-to-head. In the spirit of good competition, I like Musta to even the season series as well.
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With most youth hockey clubs moving into the second half of their seasons, primetime matchups can be found throughout schedules. One team that took advantage of important dates on their calendar were the No. 17 Bishop Kearney Selects.
First up was a matchup against No. 20 Mount St. Charles, who the Selects dispatched in a 5-0 win. Next, the No. 21 Pittsburgh Penguins Elite were waiting in the hopes a major victory of their own could crack them into the Top 10. Bishop Kearney had other plans, edging out the Penguins in overtime, 5-4.
If the Selects can keep up their torrid streak, their climb up the 2006 world rankings won’t be slowing down anytime soon. With a current 11-game win streak, the sky’s the limit.
2007-born No. 1 Little Caesars proved again just how much of a powerhouse they are this season by sweeping a three-game series against No. 19 Shattuck-St. Mary’s. With just three losses to their name all season, the three wins against Shattuck extended a current five-game win streak.
The No. 10 Mid-Fairfield Jr. Rangers were benefactors of the Buffalo Jr. Sabres’ tough three-game slate against the No. 8 Pittsburgh Penguins Elite. MFJR also bested No. 18 Mount St. Charles with a decisive 5-1 final result to propel themselves into the Top 10.
Taking the series, 2-1 over the Jr. Sabres wasn’t the only impressive marker for the Penguins. They also earned a hard-fought tie against No. 6 Long Island Gulls. That, coupled with two wins against Buffalo, has them holding firm.
The No. 4 Boston Jr. Eagles showed off their stingy defense by holding the No. 17 Minuteman Flames’ explosive offense at bay in two straight games. In total, the Jr. Eagles have only let in 68 goals this season, where the Flames have peppered opposing nets for 263 goals.
Something was bound to give in the two-game set, and Boston proved it had the defensive structure to end up on top. No. 15 Little Caesars also rose in the U.S. standings thanks to also shutting out the Flames, 3-0 in their one-game tilt.
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.
Five teams closed out the 2022 calendar year with impressive runs in December. It was a big stretch for 2007-born teams like Kiekko-Espoo, Little Caesars, Toronto Marlboros and Täby HC. Not forgetting the performance from ‘06 Spartak Moscow, either. WHH takes a look at a few programs across all countries and birth years that established themselves among the best of the best in youth hockey.
2007-born Little Caesars has been on an absolute tear. Heading into the month of December, they were in the midst of a 35-game unbeaten streak. They carried that hot stretch into last month, where they rattled off 11 straight victories. During that time, they bested two Top-10 teams. No. 10 U.S.-ranked Compuware fell 9-3 and No. 7 Canadian-ranked Southern Tier Admirals, defeated by a final score of 4-1.
Riding that momentum, they then were tasked with a semifinal showdown at the Marlies Classic against the No. 1-ranked ‘07 team in the world, Toronto Marlboros. While Caesars may have come up short in the contest, they didn’t go down without a fight, being eliminated 4-3 in overtime. That was only Caesars’ third loss of the season, bringing their overall record to an impressive 45-3-2.
It was generally a slow month across all birth years for Finnish youth hockey, but top-ranked 2007-born Kiekko-Espoo laced up its skates for five matchups. Winners of all five, the highlight of their schedule was a tilt against No. 4 HIFK on Dec. 10.
In a back-and-forth-affair, K-Espoo placed its faith in Aapo Vannine and Tomas Racz, who both tallied a goal and assist each. Across the club’s five victories of the month, they outscored opponents 35-9.
Kiekko now sits at 25-3-1 overall for the season.
While the victory against Little Caesars was one of the highlights of their December, the Marlboros experienced much more success than that. After kicking off the month with back-to-back losses against No. 10 Mississauga Senators and Vaughan Kings, they got back on track rattling off 12 wins.
Their biggest victories occurred in the Marlies Holiday Classic, where after edging Caesars, the No. 11 world-ranked Halton Hurricanes stood in the Marlies’ way. Staying true to their reputation of an offensive powerhouse, they rolled past Halton 4-1 to nab the gold medal.
Ending the month with a 12-2-0 record and primed with a plus-145 goal differential. The Marlboros will look to continue their extensive win streak into the New Year.
No. 12 IFK Täby HC further proved in December that their spot in the world rankings is no fluke.
And that when it comes to ‘07 Swedish teams, they stand out above the rest.
In six games the club had in group play, five were against programs in the Top 10 of Sweden. First, they topped No. 8 SDE Hockey with a 7-4 win. Then Täby topped Solna SK, 4-0.
‘The season of giving’ continued as Täby handed out , a 7-3 decision to No. 9 Flemingsbergs IK. Then, followed it up with a 4-1 showing against No. 2 Djurgårdens IF. Putting a stamp on the 6-0-0 stretch were victories over No. 5 Södertälje and No. 3 Nacka HK.
Viggo Björck and Isac Nilsson stand as the current team leaders in point scoring. Björck tallied six goals and 15 points. Nilsson just behind compiled six goals and 10 points across the team’s six games.
No. 4 Spartak Moscow did not have the busiest December, but they made sure to get results in the five games they played. Garnering a 4-1-0 record, three of their matchups came against teams not only in the Top 10 of Russia, but among the Top 25 in the world rankings.
A close 3-2 win against No. 5 Dynamo Moscow would kick off their slate of games. But their next meeting with No. 2 CSKA Moscow would be a frenetic, high-scoring affair, with Spartak escaping with a 6-5 win.
No. 18 Lokomotiv Yaroslavl would end Spartak’s eight-game winning streak. The next weekend, Spartak knocked off Lokomotiv 2004 Yaroslavl in a 3-1 decision. One final win, 4-2 over No. 7 Krylia Sovetov, would close out the month for Spartak.
Ivan Kosarev led the team in December with six goals and 13 points. Overall leading scorer Silantiy Kozhushko would pot four goals and nine points.
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It was quite the successful run for the 2008-born Pelicans at the 2022 Viima Hockey Tournament in Helsinki, Finland. On top of nabbing the gold medal out of a field of top Finnish-ranked opponents, two of their players were named to the tournament’s All-Star Team.
The Pelicans were placed in Group A along with KalPa, Kärpät and Jokerit. Group B featured No. 1 HIFK, Kiekko-Espoo, No. 5 JYP and No. 6 TPS.
The tournament started off rocky for the Pelicans, with a 3-1 loss to Jokerit and a 1-1 tie against KalPa. It seemed as if they were headed to a second straight defeat before defenseman Juho Piiparinen knotted the score late to salvage the tie. For his efforts in the game — and the tournament — Piiparinen was named top defenseman at the Viima Tournament.
After narrowly avoiding disaster, the Pelicans rattled off two straight victories over Kärpät and HIFK. That was enough to gain entry into the championship game.
The finale provided a rematch with KalPa, this time with the gold medal on the line.
And what a final game it was.
After KalPa opened up a 2-0 lead, the Pelicans responded with goals about two minutes apart to even things up. In the second period, Joel Tolvanen would score his second goal of the game to put KalPa back in front, 3-2. However, the Pelicans’ leading scorer, Luka Arkko, used his fifth goal of the tournament to tie the game for a second time.
Late in regulation, Arkko would add to his resume with his second goal of the match and the eventual game winner. Making the comeback all the more impressive was that the Pelicans managed to get four pucks past the top goaltender of the tournament, Kasper Koivunen. He had only let in four goals once in all of KalPa’s previous games.
Arkko would finish the tournament with six goals and 11 points while teammate Piiparinen led all Pelicans defenders with three goals and four points.
With the Pelicans securing gold and KalPa earning a hard-fought silver, K-Espoo edged past HIFK, 4-3, for the bronze.
All-Star Team honorees:
Goaltender:
Kasper Koivunen, Kalpa
Defensemen:
Juho Piiparinen, Pelicans
Nooa Järvenpää, Kiekko-Espoo
Forwards:
Luka Arkko, Pelicans
Oliver Torkki, HIFK
Eemil Saari, JYP
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The 2007-born No. 4 Bishop Kearney Selects laced up the skates against three Canadian opponents last week. After tying the Waterloo Wolves 1-1, their schedule strengthened with dates with No. 5 Halton Hurricanes and No. 8 Peterborough Petes. A 3-1 win against the Petes was secured but the Selects dropped a tough matchup against the Hurricanes, 5-1.
All eyes were on the premier tilt between No. 1 Toronto Marlboros and No. 2 Little Caesars at the Marlies Holiday Classic. More than bragging rights were on the line in this one. It was an opportunity for each club to not only prove their standing within their own country but in the global youth hockey landscape as well.
The Marlboros came into the game winners of 10 straight, while the last loss for Caesars came all the way back on Aug. 28th. An astounding stretch of 46 unbeaten games, which recently included a 4-1 W against No. 23 Southern Tier Admirals. Undaunted however, the Marlboros managed to dig deep and slip out a 4-3 victory, validating their place at the top.
There was movement among the Top 10 for 2008-born Sweden teams, thanks largely to contests from the Folke Lindström Cup. Boo HC, who went undefeated at the tournament to win gold, bumped up to the No. 4 spot. Silver medalists Mälarö Hockey also used a strong showing to slide up to No. 5.
Both sides will try and use the confidence gained from their tournament run to translate into league-play wins. Boo currently has a 2-0-4 record in Sweden’s Group Play, compared to the 5-1-1 record of Mälarö. Stronger results in the win column could mean more upward movement as the second half of the season progresses.
No. 3 Dynamo Moscow attempted to hold onto its grasp of the top spot among 2008-born Russian teams. However, they could not contain the dynamic play of No. 1 CSKA Moscow’s premier point scorers.
This season, Roman Rizvanov has collected 27 goals and 36 points for CSKA. In the game against Dynamo, he factored in on all six goals his squad managed to throw into the back of the net. Following the win, CSKA managed to defeat Lokomotiv Yaroslavl, 5-2, to further bump them to the No. 1 position.
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, 200, 2010 and 2011 birth years.
Florida Alliance captured the 2023 Champions League title this past weekend in their home state. It was a pair of prolific scorers leading the way at various points of the tournament.
Justin Fernandez and Trevor Daley were unstoppable at different times, creating a one-two punch that carried the 2009-born club to a 6-1-0 record. That was enough to earn a tournament championship against international competition at the Florida Panthers IceDen.
Fernandez led the Alliance in scoring through the round-robin play to kick things off in a big way. He registered five goals and five assists in four games; a more than two-point-per game average. Only a collection of Finnish skaters — Toomas Reijonen, Aleksi Leinonen and Jusso Fredrikson — topped or matched Fernandez in preliminary-round scoring.
With that impressive display of offensive production, teams knew they had to keep tabs on Fernandez heading into playoffs. There, he was contained to five total points in three games. Still an impressive stat line but certainly slowed from his round-robin pace.
So that’s when Trevor Daley took over.
In the quarterfinals against the NA Stars, Daley recorded two goals and an assist to power the Alliance to a 7-1 win. The son of former Stanley Cup champion Trevor Daley, he set up Florida’s first goal, which evened the score 1-1 in the middle of the first period. Then, the younger Daley went on to score the go-ahead goal eight minutes later.
Daley added another strike in the second period to make the score 5-1. That effectively putting the game out of reach and secured the win for his Alliance squad.
In the semifinals, Daley again helped the Alliance to victory with a 6-3 win over Finland-based Tappara. Florida was the only team to beat Tappara in the tournament, after they prevailed 5-1 in the preliminary round on Dec. 29th. In the New Year’s Eve semifinal rematch, Daley posted a goal and two assists. First, he set up Reese Tracy’s goal that made it 2-0 early in the first period. Later on, Daley scored to make it a 5-3 game before getting the second assist on Fernandez’s power-play goal. That performance solidified Alliance’s spot in the final.
The scoring spree from Daley continued into the final. He factored into all but one of Alliance’s goals in a 5-1 victory over SPA Futures. After Logan Anderson scored a goal for Florida early in the first period, Daley set up Fernandez for another tally. Daley wasn’t done there, as he scored a short-handed goal after that. Florida went up 3-0 quickly.
After SPA scored to pull within two, Daley found the back of the net for his second goal of the night. And moments later, he’d put a bow on his performance — and the team’s tournament run — by setting up Fernandez once again to round out a four-point night.
Daley finished with 13 points in the tournament, while Fernandez had 15. Additionally, Reese Tracy registered 14 points in the seven contests. While Daley, Fernandez and Tracy led the charge up front, it was Nello Torriero taking care of business at the other end. He logged every minute of goaltending duties for Florida, finishing with a 6-1-0 record, a .854 save percentage and 1.86 goals-against average with one shutout. In five of his seven games, he held the opposition to a one goal or fewer.
SPA came up short in the championship game, but it wasn’t from a lack of effort from two talented forwards. Samuel Pisarcik led the playoffs in scoring with 10 points in three games, while Oliver Ozogany had seven.
Pisarcik, a forward from HK Dukla Trenčín in Slovakia, finished the tournament with 14 points over his seven games. Ozogany, a forward who plays for HOBA Bratislava in Slovakia in the regular season, had 13 during his trip to Florida.
With the tournament all wrapped up, Fernandez ended up leading the whole field in scoring with 15 points. Tracy was right behind him with 14, as was the aforementioned Pisarcik of SPA and Reijonen of the Kiekko-Espoo Blues out of Finland. Reijonen was the only skater to produce that many points in just six games, compared to seven for the rest of the group.
Kasper Aihinen of Kiekko-Espoo finished with a .901 save percentage and 2.57 goals-against average in five games – he was the only goaltender to crack the .900 save percentage mark. Torriero, as previously mentioned, posted a 1.86 goals-against over his seven contests for tops in that category.
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The second day of Champions League play among 2009-born programs saw all eight participants complete their preliminary round schedules. Teams will be re-seeded based on their positions of group play with the playoff rounds beginning Friday, Dec. 30.
One of the most impressive runs at this year’s tournament has been that of Seacoast Performance Academy Futures, who has gone 3-0-0. SPA opened their slate of games with a thrilling 6-5 comeback victory over Finland-based Kiekko-Espoo Blues. Down 4-2 at one point early in the second period, they tallied four unanswered goals en route to the win. Bolstering the offense for SPA were Pavol Strnadel (2G, 2A) and Oliver Ozogány (1G, 2A). Both players are tied with Max Malicerík (4G, 1A) for second in overall team scoring.
Led up front by Juuso Frederiskon (1G, 7A), Toomas Reijonen (5G, 3A) and Luca Santala (4G, 2A), K-Espoo would get back in the win column in their next two games. Outscoring Mountfield HK and NA Stars by a combined score of 15-3 placed them second in the group. As an added note, all three players led Group A in scoring.
Kiekko Blues would finish second in group A with a 2-1-0 record, followed by Mountfield (1-2-0) and NA Stars (0-3-0).
While Seacoast ran away with Group A, the race for the top spot in Group B was much more of a dogfight. Tappara and Florida Alliance stood equal with 2-0-0 records heading into their final game of the round robin format, which just so happened to be against one another.
Sent to an early power play, Tappara would open the scoring off a goal from Oliver Raimovaara. But just 23 seconds later, Kyle Hofelich would even the score at 1 thanks to a great individual effort.
Then the Justin Fernandez show began.
Fernandez capped off a pretty passing play between Trevor Daley and Reese Tracy to put Florida up 2-1. Shortly after, he sniped home his second goal of the contest increasing the lead to 3-1. Daley would tally a goal of his own towards the end of the first period for a 4-1 advantage. At 12:49 of the second period, Fernandez beat Tappara netminder Kai Tummonen for the third time of the afternoon to cap off his hat trick.
A strong performance that garnered Fernandez 10 points (5G, 5A), securing second in total scoring among all skaters at the tournament. The flashy forward currently sits behind Tappara’s Aleski Leinonen’s three goals and 11 points.
Tummonen finished with 24 saves on 29 shots, while Nello Torrio’s 22 saves on 23 shots helped backstop Alliance to the win.
Tappara would finish group play at 2-1-0, followed by Geneva Futur Hockey’s 1-2-0 record and HC Slovan ending at 0-3-0.
After all is said and done with regards to re-seeding, SPA will be tasked with taking on Alliance in their next matchup. With these two squads ending up in first place of their respective groups, expect the goals and emotions to run high. It will be imperative for SPA to start the game on time, as most of Florida’s offense in the Champions League has come in the first period. Seacoast, on the other hand, has found the back of the net evenly across both periods up to this point.
Also top of the list for SPA is to not be deterred by Torrio. Alliance’s saving grace between the pipes has statistically been the best goalie, racking up a 0.67 goals-against average and .938 save percentage. SPA will likely counter with Nicko Zack Havel in net.
Set your alarms and prepare the coffee because you won’t want to miss when these two teams drop the puck at 9:00 AM tomorrow morning.
Other matchups throughout the day are as follows:
NA Stars vs. HC Slovan – 10:00 AM EST
Mountfield HK vs. Geneva Futur Hockey – 2:15 PM EST
K-Espoo Blues vs. Tappara – 2:30 PM EST
For more coverage of the Champions League and other top youth hockey tournaments around the world, follow WHH on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok and YouTube.
While the month of December is known for chilly temperatures and festive greetings, the action inside the Panthers IceDen in Coral Springs, Florida, will be heating up. The venue will host the second annual Champions League tournament from Dec. 28 – 31st. Eight 2009-born teams from Europe and North America will tangle in a rare international event.
Participating Teams:
| Florida Alliance (United States) | Mountfield HK (Czech Republic) |
| Seacoast Performance Academy (United States) | Geneve Futur Hockey (Switzerland) |
| NA North Stars (North America) | Kiekko-Espoo (Finland) |
| HC Slovan (Slovakia) | Tappara (Finland) |
Any teams from similar countries will be split into different groups so that pool play provides unique international competition. After completing three preliminary-round games, teams will qualify for either the championship rounds or consolation rounds, based on in-pool standings. After a day of rest, the championship rounds will be held, where competition will follow an elimination-style playoff.
In some instances, there are also rosters that have been compiled to be all-star squads of sorts. Tappara and Kiekko-Espoo usually have numerous split quads for a majority of their regular season. Then, come tournament time, they compile the ‘best of the best’ players into one unit to strut their stuff on the big stage.
Three of the split squads from Kiekko-Espoo have been mainstays in the Top 10 of Finland in the WHH World Rankings. In the latest installment, K-Espoo Blues I, K-Espoo Blues II and K-Espoo EPS I hold positions as No. 1, No. 2 and No. 8, respectively.
In similar fashion, the NA North Stars are a melting pot of players from varying teams across North America.
Don’t count out teams like the Florida Alliance or Seacoast Performance Academy from making some noise at this year’s tournament. The Alliance have played some close games against the best in America. It certainly helps when your coach is two-time Stanley Cup champion Trevor Daley.
To take a deeper look into some of the more prominent matchups, click HERE.
Complete stats, standings and upcoming games are available HERE. For continued coverage of the Champions League, be sure to follow WHH on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok and YouTube.
Each week, World Hockey Hub highlights a few of the most exciting upcoming games in youth hockey. From the hottest rivalries to the biggest tournaments, we focus on matchups that will impact the landscape among top teams in the sport. This week’s action features plenty of international matchups from tournaments like Champions League in Florida, Marlboros Holiday Classic in Ontario and Folke Lindström Cup in Sweden.
There will be plenty of first-time meetings and intriguing matchups when play begins at the second-annual Champions League in Coral Springs, Florida, this Wednesday. Eight 2009-born teams from Europe and North America will take to the ice in the hopes of being crowned champions.
Day one will see one of the premier teams in Slovakia, HC Slovan, going up against Tappara.
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| Wednesday, December 28 @ 5:45 PM EST Panthers IceDen |
Pete’s Pick: This will pit top talent against top talent, with both programs being popular names in their respective countries. Tappara mainly has their players divided into different squads throughout group play, such as Tappara Sininen, Tappara Musta etc. Bringing the “cream of the crop” onto one team to go against the best from other European teams should be a recipe for success. I expect high offense and both goaltenders for each side to be working overtime in this one, an eventual 5-4 win for Tappara.
Craig’s Pick: I’m very curious to see how the Finns stack up in this international tournament. Last year, Kiekko went 0-6-0 as the lone representative in the event from Finland. I think Tappara — and Kiekko in its return trip to the tournament — fares better this time around. However, I like Slovan to win the matchup here in a scrappy one, 4-2.
On the second day of action, Mountfield HK will battle Kiekko-Espoo in a game that is sure to keep the scorekeepers busy. Mountfield enters competition as one of the best youth hockey teams in the Czech Republic. Countering their top-tier talent will be a roster full of the best Finland has to offer.
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| Thursday, December 29 @ 8:00 AM EST Panthers Iceden |
Pete’s Pick: Kiekko-Espoo Blues I and II hold down the top two spots in the Top 10 of ‘09 Finnish teams. Compiling a team of the best players from those two rosters, as well as No. 8 K-Espoo EPS 1, and you are bound for success. If K-Espoo brings even just half the top scorers that make up those blues teams, Mountfield is in for a long morning. With both offenses possibly canceling each other out, this one will come down to goaltending. K-Espoo wins in a high-scoring 5-4 affair.
Craig’s Pick: The Czechs typically tend to play a balanced style of hockey between skill and toughness. Kiekko-Espoo may out-skill Mountfield in this matchup, but the Czechs are just a little bit grittier here. I’ll take Mountfield in a 3-2, grind-it-out type of game.
From Dec. 27 – 29th, 2008-born teams will take part in the 2022 Folke Lindström Cup. Some of the very best the country — and birth year — has to offer will be in action, as four clubs in the Top 10 will take to the ice.
Overall, 10 teams will be split into two groups of five. Group A houses most of the premier teams like No. 5 Boo Hockey, No. 7 Djurgärdens IF, and No. 9 Mälmo Redhawks. The only ranked team in Group B is No. 6 Mäläro Hockey.
Flemingsbergs IK and Rögle BK — two bubble teams — will also be participants in group A and B, respectively. A strong performance by either could increase their chances of cracking the Top 10.
Here are a few matchups to keep an eye on this week…
Pete’s Pick: Back on Dec. 8, Boo edged out a 2-1 win over their current group opponent Djurgärdens. There is sure to be some carry over from that tilt, with the latter club wanting to get revenge for the loss. These two teams are the second game of the first day of the tournament, so early fireworks are to be expected. The winner in this one could get a nice boost in confidence for the rest of the tournament. Djurgärdens brings two of the top leading scorers in group play into the contest, Nick Travergård and Lexus Zahn. They nab a win in this one, 3-2.
Craig’s Pick: Boo has won both games against Djurgärdens this season, albeit by one goal each time. However, they outshot DIF by a noticeable margin both times and Leon Andersson backstopped them to victory in September and again two weeks ago. Djurgärdens has to go prove to me they can get pucks past Andersson. Until I see it, I’m riding with Boo by a 3-1 finish. Also, keep an eye out for forward Dante Islercelik. He’s got an assist in four of Boo’s last five games and factored in on three of the team’s five total goals against DIF this season.
Keeping things on day one of the schedule, Boo has their second game against Flemingsbergs.
Pete’s Pick: With this being both team’s second game of the day, this one will come down to whoever finds that last bit of energy in their legs. Flemingsbergs is off to a 6-0-0 start to their group, and come into the tournament feeling good about their game. Sharing a division with a split squad of Boo, there will be some familiarity between the two programs in regards to who they see on the ice. While a full squad of Boo’s top players may put up more of a fight, I expect Flemingsbergs to skate away with the victory here, 5-2.
Craig’s Pick: Yea, I like Flemingsbergs here too. They just beat Boo a week ago 6-3 in Group Play. While it was a split squad for Boo, it still featured names like Leon Andersson, Dante Islercelik, Erik Lanestrand and at least six other players that will also be skating in the Lindstrom Cup this week. Flemingsbergs for the win, but I don’t think they put up six goals a second time, 3-2 final.
For a full schedule and results of the tournament games, click HERE.
The Toronto Marlboros will be heating up the holiday season with their annual Marlboros Holiday Classic. Teams from the 2007 to 2010 birth years will be in attendance.
And with a tournament of this size, there are bound to be some exciting cross-border matchups that should keep fans on the edges of their seats.
First up from the 2007 birth year is a U16 contest between No. 8 U.S.-ranked Buffalo Jr. Sabres vs. Canadian No. 4-ranked Don Mills Flyers.
Pete’s Pick: Here’s the most interesting thing about this matchup…neither team has played an opponent on the other side of their border this season. With no previous head-to-head matchups, these two programs enter this one with some uncertainty about their foe. Things might start slow in a feeling-out process, but once the competitive juices get flowing, the fun will begin. This one could be decided by the flip of a coin, but give me Don Mills taking the win, 4-2.
Craig’s Pick: The Jr. Sabres have lost eight of their last 10, and four have been to teams ranked ahead of them in the U.S. Rankings. They desperately need to get back on track, and I think they could rack up a couple wins in the tournament. I just don’t think it happens here against DMF. I’ll take the Flyers 4-1, with a strong showing in this matchup and the tournament as a whole.
In the 2009 birth year, No. 8 Canadian-ranked Huron–Perth Lakers square up against Ottawa Myers Automotive. It will be the second time the two sides will battle, with the Lakers emerging victorious in a 3-1 game back on Nov. 27.
Pete’s Pick: I expect Ottawa to play hard in this one, as they are sitting as one of the bubble teams just outside the Top 10. Like many teams across the tournaments listed here, a strong showing could do wonders for their position moving forward not only in HEO play, but in the world rankings as well. A fact that will not be lost on these players. It will be close and hard fought, but the Lakers snag a second victory, 4-1.
Craig’s Pick: Huron-Perth has proved to be the better of the two teams for the majority of this season. They proved so back in November, and I think they do so again here. Andrew Menlove and Vaughn Barr have a combined 1.65 goals-against average this season, and gave up just one goal to Ottawa Myers last time out. That tandem should force multiple offenses to struggle this weekend, and help HP to another 3-1 win.
Stay up to date on the latest scores and information about the Marlboros Holiday Classic HERE.
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