On Saturday, The New Jersey Colonials announced their next 12U coach for the 2023-24 season; it will be 15-year NHL veteran Travis Zajac. The former New Jersey Devils forward joins a long list of NHL alumni to return as youth hockey coaches. Most notably in recent memory, Hockey Hall of Famer Jarome Iginla and two-time Stanley Cup champion Trevor Daley.
The New Jersey Colonials announce Travis Zajac as the 12U Minor 2012 AAA Head Coach for the 2023-24 season. Zajac joined the Colonials this season as an assistant with the 2012's who are fighting for an AYHL playoff spot. @NJDevils @AYHL @AtlanticDistr pic.twitter.com/UWWd2hYn7W
— NJColonialsYouthHockey (@colonials_nj) January 14, 2023
Zajac, along with countless other former pros, return to the game they know to shepherd the next generation of hockey players. In this case, he will likely lead his son, Zenon Zajac, and his soon-to-be 12U squad through the ‘23-24 season and beyond.
Iginla, Daley and now Zajac, are some of the more notable alumni on the North American youth hockey scene.
The most memorable of all is likely that of Hockey Hall of Famer Martin St. Louis. The former Stanley Cup champion made headlines last season as a youth hockey coach, going from coaching his son’s 13U Mid-Fairfield Jr. Rangers to the Montreal Canadiens’ bench last February.
Much like Iginla and Daley, Zajac enjoyed a long NHL playing career, last suiting up in the 2020-21 season with the New York Islanders.
Per the club’s release, “Zajac’s coaching philosophy is about teaching real skills that help kids make proper reads, create good habits and stay safe on the ice.”
This year’s Colonials 12U squad is in the midst of a playoff push in the Atlantic Youth Hockey League (AYHL). With the addition of Zajac, the Colonials are hoping it will put their program over the top as an attractive destination in a heavily populated youth hockey region.
Jarome Iginla has been a fixture in youth hockey since officially retiring as a player in 2018. Helping coach the respective teams of his two sons, Tij and Joe, Iginla also helped build the 2006 Boston Jr. Eagles into a top program during the 2018-19 season. The 2008-born Boston Jr. Terriers were also beneficiaries of his services for three seasons as well.
Beginning with the 2021-22 season, Iginla has served as head coach of the RINK Hockey Academy Kelowna’s U15 team. After a successful first season that saw the team skate to a 42-15-1 record, things have picked up where they left off. Currently at 35-6-0, Kelowna has been a constant in the World Rankings since the start of the season. Iginla’s son, Joe, is also a member of this year’s U15 roster.
Iginla also relies on Patrick Wiercioch as an assistant coach. Wiercioch brings a wealth of experience, including an AHL Cup Championship, World Championship Gold Medal and 11 seasons of professional hockey.
For 2009-born Florida Alliance, Trevor Daley steers the ship. Considered a non-traditional hockey market to some,the sport continues to grow at a rapid pace in South Florida. Daley now looks to continue on its trajectory.
As an added perk, Daley’s son, Trevor, is a standout for the Alliance. At the second annual Champions League Tournament last month, he collected 13 points en route to the team winning the championship.
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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 — two American and three Canadian — entered the 2008-born International Silver Stick tournament in their respective WHH Top-10 Rankings on Thursday. All of them would survive pool play before clashing in the single-elimination playoffs over the weekend, including the No. 1-ranked Vaughan Kings.
Ranked No. 1 in the world among U14 teams, Vaughan came into the tournament as winners of 17 in a row. On top of that, they hadn’t allowed a single goal against in four straight games. That impeccable defensive effort would continue throughout their weekend at Silver Sticks. If it sounds familiar, it’s because the Kings won last year’s U13 tournament in Whitby as well.
Running a championship back at one of the most iconic youth hockey tournaments in North America is no easy feat. This year’s run by Vaughan was an historic one though.
Before Silver Sticks, the Kings had posted four consecutive shutouts, including a 3-0 victory over No. 6 York Simcoe Express. When tournament action started on Thursday, they picked up right where they left off with an 8-0 shutout of the Pittsburgh Predators and 7-0 shutout of Fox Motors.
The scoreless streak would be snapped by unranked Barrie Colts on Friday, when they took the Kings to a 2-2 tie.
Pool play concluded with Vaughan earning a top seed in the playoffs. Joining them would be four other teams ranked in their respective Top 10s. In fact, the Kings’ quarterfinal matchup drew No. 10 Peterborough Petes on Saturday night. An opponent that Vaughan defeated 4-2 on Dec. 9th, the playoff rematch followed a similar script with a 3-1 decision this time.
The Soo Jr. Greyhounds defeated No. 8-ranked Toronto Jr. Canadiens in the opposite quarterfinal. The Jr. Greyhounds — a bubble team just on the outside of our latest rankings — boosted their resume with a strong outing, including the 2-1 win over Toronto. That position the Soo in the Kings’ path in a stellar final four matchup. Vaughan again got it done at both ends, winning with its third shutout of the tournament 4-0.
In the championship stood the No. 2 team in the U.S., Chicago Mission. They knocked off No. 5-ranked and cross-town rival Windy City Storm in the quarterfinals, before defeating the Toronto Marlboros in the semifinals.
It only took one goal in the championship, as the Kings ended the tournament the way they started it, with a shutout, 1-0 over Chicago.
The two top-10 teams in the U.S. clashed for 2010 supremacy at Silver Sticks. No. 4 Chicago Mission edged out No. 5 Little Caesars 4-2 in the finale. Mission finished the weekend with a 6-0-1 record in Port Huron. Their final five games of the tournament were all decided by two goals or fewer as the battle-tested top-10 team grinded its way to a Silver Stick championship.
Mission rounded out pool play escaping a Top-10 matchup against No. 9 Buffalo Jr. Sabres with a 2-0 win. Then, they avoided an upset with a 5-3 victory over Brantford 99ers to advance to the elimination rounds.
In the playoffs, Mission edge out cross-town rival and No. 10-ranked Chicago Fury 4-3 Saturday afternoon. On championship Sunday, they had just enough to eliminate the No. 1 team in Canada, Toronto Jr. Canadiens with a 4-3 final. The other half of the bracket saw Little Caesars eliminate the Markham Majors by the same 4-3 score.
The championship between two top teams in America featured plenty of drama. It was the third time these two teams had met this season. Each team claiming a win in the series, the rubber match would not only tilt the scales but earn some hardware as well.. A 4-2 finish gave Chicago the Silver Stick championship, and a sixth consecutive game decided by a narrow margin.
They’re a battle-tested bunch, with 34 of their 51 games decided by two goals or fewer. Comfortable in close games, Mission’s composure paid off big time over the weekend, winning the Silver Stick championship.
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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 2007-born teams in the U.S. kick off our slate of games to watch this week. Shattuck-St. Mary’s plays host to Little Caesars on Friday in a Top-25 tilt. The next day, Dynamo Moscow and Dynamo Spartak tangle in a Top-10 matchup between 2010s in Russia. The week concludes with a double-header on Sunday. First, a matchup in Sweden between Nacka and Täby. Then, a clash in Canada between Toronto Jr. Canadiens and Don Mills Flyers.
2007-born No. 15 Shattuck-St. Mary’s (24-10-3) will kick off the second half of its 2022-23 season with a three-game set against No. 2 Little Caesars (47-3-2).
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| Friday, January 13 @ 7:00 PM MST Shattuck-St. Mary’s Ice Arena |
Caesars likes to score…a lot. With a plus-189 goal differential, it has been nearly impossible for any team to slow down their offense. As a result, this series will come down to the ability of SSM’s goaltending to keep the puck out of the net.
Grayson Hanggi and Garrett Glaser have pretty much split duties between the pipes this season. Glaser has seen action in 19 games compared to Hanggi’s 18. The stat lines for both are also similar. Hanggi has compiled a 11-5-2 record, with a 2.12 goals-against average and .906 save percentage with two shutouts. Glaser is 13-5-1, with a 2.02 goals-against and 9.19 save percentage, with three shutouts.
Both should see action across the three games, and are preparing to face massive amounts of rubber thrown their way from the Motor City boys.
Before the long holiday layoff, Shattuck took two out of three against the No. 10 U.S.-ranked Pittsburgh Penguins Elite.
Pete’s Pick: To come out of a holiday break against the top team in your birth year is a daunting task for anyone. And Caesars just hasn’t lost that often. Just their third loss all season came against the Toronto Marlboros at the Marlies Holiday Classic. It might take a game or two for Shattuck to shake off the rust as well. Pulling off a sweep is tough no matter how talented a team is, so I will give SSM the chance to take one game, but Little Caesars takes the series, 2-1.
Craig’s Pick: Shattuck has only lost three games at home all season. Lots of teams at every age group have traveled to Faribault, Minnesota, to take on the Sabres, just to fall in defeat. It’s a tough barn to win in. However, I actually think Caesars does it not once, not twice, but three times this weekend. LC may be the pound-for-pound best youth hockey team in America. There’s multiple high-level prospects on this team, and I don’t know that anyone in the country can compete with them right now. Series sweep for Caesars.
No. 8 Nacka HK (19-4-4) and its leading scorer Oliver Sundberg will face fellow ‘08 Swedish foe No. 12 IFK Täby HC (21-6-1) on Sunday.
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| Sunday, January 15 Tibble Ishall |
Sundberg has put up six goals and seven points thus far into group play. Trying to counteract that production will be Max Johanssén of Täby, who currently sits at five goals and eight points.
Those two will try to fill the back of the net, but will have to contend with two of the best goalies in order to do so.
Statistically, Täby’s David Eriksson and Nacka’s Gustav Stengård are the second and third best goalies of their birth year in Sweden, respectively. The numbers for each jump right off the stat sheet. Eriksson has gone 2-1-0, with a 1.67 goals-against and.924 save percentage. Stengård has manned the crease for five games, going 3-1-1 with a 1.42 goals-against and .916 save percentage.
It will be the first time these two teams will meet since Täby bested Nacka, 2-1 in the semifinals at the Folke Filbyter Cup back in October. In that game, Stengard started for Nacka, making 38 saves on 40 shots. Caspar Lampe was the goaltender for Täby.
Pete’s Pick: Given the talent in net for this one, I expect a hard-fought, low scoring game. With each goalie knowing who is on the other end of the ice, the ability to make the necessary saves will be paramount. Stengard and Nacka get the best of Täby in the revenge game, 3-1.
Craig’s Pick: These two clubs are very evenly matched. They follow one another in our World Rankings, and they’ve played each other to one-goal games this season. Viggo Björck scored a pair of goals in their October matchup to give Täby the 2-1 win. I think the outcome again rests on his shoulders. Björck gets on the scoresheet, Täby wins (again). Nacka holds him at bay, and they win. Björck and Täby to win again, this time by a 4-2 finish.
For the fourth time this season, No. 1 Toronto Jr. Canadiens (32-8-1) will lace up the skates against No. 3 Don Mills Flyers (38-4-4) eager to tie the season series up.
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| Sunday, January 15 @ 1:55 PM EST Scotiabank Pond 1 |
The Flyers have gotten the better of the Jr. Canadiens in the first two matchups of the season, by scores of 5-2 and 4-1. In their most recent battle on Dec. 13, Toronto shut out the Flyers, 3-0. Each club has put up at least 150 goals to date, and has not allowed more than 50. With tight defensive units and potent offenses, one of them is bound to cancel the other out.
With the Flyers entering the contest unbeaten in their last nine and the Jr. Canadiens winners of four straight, fans can expect the very best from each team as they hope to continue their success into the start of the New Year.
Pete’s Pick: While the Flyers have been playing stronger competition as of late and getting wins, I think the Jr. Canadiens come out with a little extra fire wanting to tie up the season series. They take a high-scoring 4-3 final.
Craig’s Pick: I wouldn’t wanna face either of these teams at the moment. They’re No. 1 and No. 2 in Canada for good reason. The Jr. Canadiens have suffocated just about every opposing offense they’ve faced… Except one. Don Mills is one of two teams this season to score four or more goals on the Jr. Canadiens, and they’ve done it twice. The Flyers might not tally four goals, but I do think they win. I’m feeling a 3-2 finish here.
No. 10 Dynamo Moscow (15-9-0) hopes to finally end up in the win column in their third game against No. 5 Spartak Moscow (31-7-0) this weekend. Spartak has won the previous two matchups, outscoring Dynamo 11-6.
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| Logos Saturday, January 14 |
Despite not being able to keep the high-octane attack of Spartak in check in their first outing, Dynamo kept things close in a 5-4 loss on Oct. 22. In that game, Spartak’s leading scorer Artem Korolev got the scoring started in what was a back-and-forth contest all game. For any hope of getting their first win of the season against Spartak, Dynamo will have to contain Korolev’s insane production, currently at 38 goals and 74 points.
Arseniy Rychagov (5G, 14A) and Yegor Groza (5G, 9A) will try to combine their efforts to boost Dynamo.
Pete’s Pick: Spartak has simply been one of the more dominant Russian squads of their birth year, and I don’t expect them to drop this result. They handle Dynamo in a 4-1 win.
Craig’s Pick: Eleven goals against in their previous two games. For Dynamo Moscow to win, they’ve got to do something they haven’t done yet. Stop — or even just slow down — Spartak’s offensive attack. I believe Dynamo can trade goals with Spartak; they’ve done it already this season. However, that also proved to be an ineffective approach. I just don’t think Dynamo is strong enough defensively to beat Spartak here. I’m gonna roll with the favorite to win its third game of the season series.
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