Following a solid showing at the U15 Ontario Hockey Federation championships, the 2008-born Soo Jr. Greyhounds carved out a spot in the Top 10 for the first time this season. Skating to a 6-1-1 record, they handled most teams they faced, including No. 3 Elgin-Middlesex Canucks. But it was two matchups against No. 1 Vaughan Kings that allowed them to stand out. In their first meeting, the Jr. Greyhounds bested the Kings 2-0. In a rematch with the championship on the line, Vaughan regained its form to shut out Soo 4-0. Still, a solid showing with two wins against ranked opponents gave the Soo enough of a jolt to crack the top-tier Canadian of their birth year.
Since April 15th, the Toronto Marlboros have collected three massive victories to propel them into the ‘11 Canadian Top 10. With a 6-5 win over No. 2 Toronto Jr. Canadiens and a two-game sweep of No. 10 Toronto Nationals, the Marlboros made a statement among fellow Ontario programs. Going back to the beginning of the month, the Marlboros have faced off with the Jr. Canadiens three times before their most recent win. In those matchups, the Marlboros went 1-1-1. In the two battles with the Nationals, the Marlboros outscored them 12-5.
Coming in as winners of their past two contests, the SKA Silver Lions made the jump from No. 5 to No. 4 with victories over SKA Strelna and Dynamo St. Petersburg. Back on April 1st, Strelna edged past the Silver Lions in overtime, setting the stage for a rematch between the two on April 15th. Resulting in a 5–3 win, the Silver Lions leapfrogged Strelna among the Russian ‘06 Top 10.
With No. 5 CSKA Moscow idle, SKA St. Petersburg nabbed two victories to move up to No. 4 among 2008-born teams in Russia. One of those wins — a shootout victory against No. 10 SKA Strelna — continued a current four-game winning streak for the team as well. St. Petersburg has been one of the most consistent teams this season, currently sitting with a 41-0-2 record. Before a 3-2 overtime loss to Dynamo St. Petersburg on April 1st, you would have to go all the way back to January 11th to find SKA’s last loss.
Another team reaping the benefits of a major win against a fellow ranked club was the ‘11 Markham Majors. A matchup with the Sun County Panthers in the U13 All-Ontario Championships had significant tournament and rankings implications on the line. Following a scoreless first period, Markham would strike three times in the second frame to take a 3-1 lead into the third period. Justin Boudreau netted his second goal of the game to secure the 4-1 final. The Majors would go on to finish 7-0-1 with a championship and a new No. 2 spot among the Top 10 in the country. Sun County, who finished 3-4-1, dropped to No. 3.
Be sure to check out the complete world rankings, including Top 10s by country and World Top 25s for each of the 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011 birth years.
The 2023 World Selects Invitational spring series of events begins on Wednesday, with the ’08 WSI Elite tournament getting underway in Nashville, Tennessee, USA. More than 500 of the top prospects from the 2008 birth year will compete in the six-day event. Participants will represent 12 different countries, as they compete across 30 select teams assembled specifically for this tournament.
This tournament series dates all the way back to 2009, when names like Alexander Barkov, Filip Forsberg and Radek Faksa debuted on the youth hockey scene. Them, along with 650 other WSI tournament alumni have gone on to be selected in the NHL Draft over the past 10 years. This year, North American prospects like Michael Berchild, Caleb Malhotra and Ethan Garden look to make their mark on international youth hockey. Additionally, top Euros like Oliver Torkki, Arvid Ermeskog and Vladimir Provorov will make the trek across the Atlantic to go toe-to-toe with North America’s best.
Last year, Ryan Roobroeck broke the tournament record for points with 28 in nine games. Twelve months later, he’s projected to be a Top-5 pick in the 2023 OHL Priority Selection. His teammate in the WSI last spring, Gavin McKenna, went on to be the first overall selection in the 2022 WHL Draft. Together, they led Pro Hockey to the 15U championship against an International Stars team that was loaded with top American-born prospects. So much so that seven players from the Stars’ roster were just named to the 2023-24 U.S. National Team Development Program roster.
Bottom line, the WSI regularly serves as a launching point for top prospects in youth hockey.
Still dealing with the fallout of COVID-19 last spring, the 2022 tournament only featured five European teams. Travel restrictions and difficulties kept others from making the trip overseas. This spring, that number is expected to double, as teams from Sweden, Finland, Russia, Czech, Slovakia and Kazakhstan will be in attendance. The Ford Ice Centers in Nashville will be packed with wall-to-wall action all week and WHH will have exclusive coverage of all the action.
The province of Ontario will be well represented in the Music City. In fact, 20 players from five of the Top-10 teams in the country are expected to be on hand for the ’08 WSI. The No. 1 ranked ‘08 team in the world, Vaughan Kings, will have five players competing for two different teams. Two of their top scorers, Caleb Malhotra and Zach Nyman will skate for CCM Selects. Their regular-season teammate and goaltender Joseph D’Angelo will suit up for opposing team Carolina Whalers; he is one of five Canadians playing for the U.S.-based select team.
Some other top performers from Ontario includ Maximus Crete, Bryson Morgan and Nikolas Rossetto. They were among the top scorers at the U15 All-Ontario Championships earlier this month. Goaltenders Cameron Ingram and Colin Elsworth were also impressive in that tournament with 1.00 and 1.50 goals-against averages respectively.
There is a plethora of American talent expected as well. Each of the top nine teams in the country will be represented by multiple players. Some of the more notable being No. 1 Shattuck-St. Mary’s leading scorer Michael Berchild. He finished the ‘22-23 season with 106 points; the fourth-most among ‘08s in the country. J.P. Hurlbert III led all U.S. skaters with 195 points in 75 games. Him and Berchild will be teammates at the ’08 WSI for ID Selects.
Lukas Zajic and Camden Nimmer will also skate for ID Selects. They were among some of the top performers at USA Hockey Nationals earlier this month. They also went head-to-head in the national title game, as Nimmer and his Bishop Kearney Selects took home gold.
The last time a European team won the North American WSI, Oliver Wahlstrom, Rasmus Sandin and Ryan Merkley were playing for Sweden Selects. Wahlstrom is in his third season for the New York Islanders. Sandin just finished his second season in the NHL with the Washington Capitals. Merkley made his NHL debut for the San Jose Sharks last season.
None of those three will be able to help Sweden claim World Selects gold in Nashville this week. However, players like Arvid Ermeskog, Salim Ismailov and Fabian Merkle-Rohdin certainly could.
Ermeskog is a standout forward for the No. 1 ranked team in Sweden, Nacka HK. He led the Sweden Hockey Trophy in scoring last fall with 11 points in seven games. Ismailov finished closely behind with 10 points for Flemingsbergs IK. On top of that, Merkle-Rohdin was a top performer at the U15 DIF Elitcup in September as well. He scored 14 points in that tournament for HV71. He also spent 23 games playing up an age level with the club’s U16 team.
Speaking of under-agers, Oliver Torkki and Jiko Laitinen were among some of the top scorers in Finland’s U16 SM-Series this season. Playing amongst competition where 85 percent of the players were older than these two ‘08s, Torkki and Laitinen finished third and fourth in points. Torkki scored 33 goals and 77 points in 39 games for HIFK. Laitinen finished with 76 points in 40 games. They will certainly be a force for Finland Selects at the ’08 WSI.
While he maintains dual citizenship being born in Tampa, Florida, Alex Theodore played the ‘22-23 season for the U15 Pilsen Wolves. He led the team in scoring with 53 points in 34 games. He also scored 16 points in 10 games with the club’s U17 team as well. Teammate Ben Reisnecker is another standout performer from Central Europe. From the blue line, Reisnecker scored 63 points in 47 games between the Wolves’ U15 and U17 teams as well. The pair will likely lead the Czech Knights’ offensive attack this week in Nashville.
In addition to the 2008 Elite event in Nashville, two other tournaments get underway this week as well. The U14 Girls event begins on Wednesday as well, hosted in Chamonix, France. Additionally, the 2011 AAA tournament kicks off from Bolzano, Italy, on Thursday.
Twelve girls teams from nine different countries will compete for the U14 championship. Czech Selects won the tournament last year. That snapped a three-year run of North American teams winning gold.
DraftDay, Minnesota Prospects, Premier Ice Prospects (PIP) Hockey and Pro Hockey will travel across the Atlantic to represent the U.S. and Canada. Select teams from Czech, Finland, France, Germany, Sweden and Switzerland will make the field of teams at the U14 tournament one of the most diverse among WSI events this spring.
The 2011 AAA tournament — open to all AAA-level players — consists of 13 teams from as many as nine different countries. It is the first of three WSI events to take place in the city of Bolzano.
Want more coverage of the World Selects Invitational? WHH is the exclusive media provider of the tournament series and will have continued coverage of the events on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, Discord and YouTube!
Propelled by key victories at 16U USA Hockey Nationals, the Long Island Gulls found a new home in the No. 1 spot among 2006-born clubs. They defeated No. 3 New Jersey Rockets, No. 4 Compuware, No. 6 Little Caesars and No. 9 Mount St. Charles, all Top-10 U.S. teams. The Gulls also managed to pull out a strong victory over previous top spot holder Shattuck-St. Mary’s, who slid down to No. 2.
In Sweden, Täby HC maneuvered its way to the top, thanks to a deep run to the championship game versus Brynäs IF for 2007-born teams. Even more impressive was the final result of the matchup, with Brynäs managing to put up seven goals en route to winning the club’s first-ever Sweden National Championship. A win that helped boost Brynäs, who was previously unranked, into the Top 10.
Sticking with the ‘07s, Tappara went 6-1-0 in the Finnish SM-Series playoffs to secure the top spot from Kiekko-Espoo. TPS and KalPa also experienced jumps to No. 3 and No. 4 in the Top 10, respectively, resulting from key victories during their playoff runs as well. In the ‘08s, Jokerit’s 3-0-0 stretch allowed them to take the No. 1 spot, with second-place Kärpät Musta in the No. 2 spot and third-place Kärpät Valkoinen settling in to No. 3.
Fresh off winning gold at the 2023 U14 Uplandia Trophy with an undefeated run, Brinkens IF is enjoying a new view from the No. 1 spot.
The 2011-born Vaughan Kings put up a stellar showing against the No. 2 Toronto Jr. Canadiens, defeating them 8-1 to leapfrog them to the No. 1 spot. Vaughan also managed to split two games against No. 10 Toronto Nationals. In Russia, the ‘11s saw a new club take the No. 1 spot as well with CSKA Moscow taking over for No. 2 Dynamo St. Petersburg. CSKA put three crucial victories against Top-10 teams under its belt to slip past Dynamo.
No. 5 ‘06 SKA Strelna suited up for two games against No. 6 SKA Silver Lions, resulting in two wins for Strelna to move them up a spot. Traktor Chelyabinsk put together a decent string of wins to slide into the No. 10 spot for the first time this season. 2009-born Dynamo St. Petersburg took two out of three games against No. 9 SKA Strelna to push them out of the No. 8 spot.
There were some big showdowns at the ‘07 USA Hockey Nationals tournament, and the Los Angeles Jr. Kings’ championship run vaulted them from No. 7 to No. 3. It started with wins against teams like No. 4 Mount St. Charles and No. 8 Pittsburgh Penguins Elite. Then, it culminated with a championship win in overtime against No. 5 Shattuck-St. Mary’s. In Canada, the Halton Hurricanes took advantage of two games with No. 5 York Simcoe Express, taking the No. 4 spot among other ‘07 teams with two wins.
Continuing to impress with the 2008-born clubs was No. 2 Linköpings HC, who bested No. 3 Djurgårdens IF twice at the 2023 Swedbank Trophy. Linköpings went on to win the gold medal, which ended a perfect 5-0-0 run.
Be sure to check out the complete world rankings, including Top 10s by country and World Top 25s for each of the 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011 birth years.
The 2009-born Toronto Red Wings climbed to No. 7 in the most recent update of the World Rankings. The club rattled off three consecutive wins over No. 8 Toronto Marlboros to kick off their stretch. That run pushed the Red Wings north of 40 wins on the season, and 69 total wins for the ‘09 group dating back to last season.
Unfortunately for the Red Wings, their season came to an end in the GTHL semifinals when they were swept in three games by the No. 2 Don Mills Flyers.
Mikhailov Academy rolled through a three-game stretch against a trio of quality opponents. The team picked up consecutive wins over Khimik Voskresensk, Lokomotiv 2004 Yaroslavl and No. 7 Dynamo Moscow. In those contests, Semyon Kochurin (3G, 2A) and Dmitry Kubanstev (1G, 4A) led the way with five points each. Overall this season, Boris Borin (16G, 32A) and Matvey Cheranev (23G, 24A) have been the mainstays at the top of the leaderboard for the club.
In the 2011-born Russian Rankings, No. 3 Lokomotiv 2004 Yaroslavl and No. 9 SKA Strelna came up big in prime matchups. Timofey Makoedov notched two goals to lead Lokomotiv to a vital 5-1 victory over No. 4 Vityaz Podolsk. Strelna edged a 4-3 victory over No. 10 SKA St. Petersburg, leapfrogging them in the Top 10.
No. 6 North Shore Winter Club’s wins in two important ’10 Pacific Coast Amateur Hockey Association (PCAHA) matchups were a telling sign of the talent throughout its roster. They took care of business with a 7-2 victory over the Semiahmoo Ravens before potting another six goals in a 6-3 win over No. 7 Burnaby Winter Club. The wins also extended a five-game win streak for the team.
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.
There’s a new club at the top of the ‘07 rankings in Russia, and it’s the first time they’ve been there since Dec. 21st. Following a solid stretch of play that saw them nab victories over No. 3 CSKA Moscow, Atlant Mytishchi and Lokomotiv Yaroslavl, Dynamo Moscow is back as No. 1. Mikhail Melikov, the club’s leading scorer, tallied four points in the 9-1 victory over Atlant. This season, he has produced 27 goals and 47 points.
While Dynamo was a familiar name in the No. 1 spot in Russia, a new team cracked the Top 10 among 2007-born teams in the U.S. With a strong 10-2 victory over Compuware, No. 10 Victory Honda’s offensive outburst gave them enough of a jolt to catapult over the previous spot holder. Braden Wade and Nolan Makinski both notched hat tricks and Luc Plante scored a goal and four assists in a five-point night. The victory also continued a nine-game unbeaten streak for the team, which ended the following day with a 3-2 overtime loss to Fox Motors.
The regular season concluded over the weekend, and with it, brought some movement among Top-10 teams. In these final matchups before playoffs, No. 3 Ilves and No. 5 Jokerit experienced some decent boosts from crucial wins. Ilves got its business done in two matchups versus No. 4 Kärpät, winning by scorers of 13-3 and 4-0. In the 13-goal explosion, seven skaters notched two or more points, led by Jalmari Melanen’s one goal and four assists.
Jokerit put forth a solid team effort in a 4-1 victory over No. 6 Lukko. Aapo Niemelä (2G) and Taavi Aarvala (2A) connected for the final two goals of the game, solidifying both the win and two-point performances.
With strong finishes to group play, both Ilves and Jokerit earned spots in the top four of the overall group standings. As a result, they have earned first round byes in the playoffs, along with No. 2 Tappara and No. 1 Kiekko-Espoo. They will now await the winners from the first round to see who they will open their playoff schedules against.
The opening round of Sweden’s U16 SM-playoffs has come and gone, and No. 3 MoDo Hockey has raised eyebrows with its performance thus far. The power trio of Elton Hermansson (3G, 3A), Vincent Wedin (2G, 4A) and Erik Häggblad (1G, 5A) have lifted their club to new heights. By securing wins over fellow ranked opponents like No. 1 Nacka HK and No. 4 Djurgårdens IF, its position among the country’s elite has been strengthened.
The road doesn’t get any easier, as entering the second round MoDo finds itself in the dreaded ‘group of death’ along with top-ranked Nacka, No. 2 Täby HC and No. 6 Södertälje SK.
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.
Each week, World Hockey Hub highlights a few of the most exciting upcoming games in youth hockey. Nacka HK and Djurgårdens IF kick things off with an ‘08 Top-10 tilt on Wednesday. Boo HC and AIK Hockey tangle in a premier matchup between 2008s as well. The week concludes with CSKA Moscow dropping the puck in an ‘09 meeting with Mikhailov Academy on Sunday.
As the games remaining in the regular season dwindle into the single digits, there are still some big matchups on the board. No. 8 Nacka HK (29-5-6) and No. 12 Djurgårdens IF (30-14-10) will throw down in a meeting of the top two teams among Sweden 08’s.
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| Wednesday, March 15 Mälarhöjdens Ishall |
Last time out on Jan. 18th, these clubs played to a 4-4 tie in a spirited back-and-forth affair. Djurgårdens clawed its way back from a 3-1 deficit only to have Nacka take the lead late in the second period. Less than two minutes later, Sebastian Von Berens salvaged the tie with his second goal of the game. Since that tie, Nacka has been on a roll, going 8-1-0 in its last nine. Djurgårdens, meanwhile, has gone 4-2-1.
What gave Djurgårdens a chance to even things up in its last matchup was preventing Nacka’s leading scorer from doing any major damage. Oliver Sundberg not only leads Nacka in points (15G, 15A) but is tied for first in scoring of the entire group. Djurgårdens’ defensive unit held him to just one assist. It will take another strong effort like that to come out on top this time with a win.
It will be interesting to see who Djurgårdens goes with in net. In the 4-4 tie, Gustav Stengård manned the crease, making 16 saves on 20 shots. Statistically, however, the club’s other goaltender, Justin Emretzon Duckmark is among the top three among all teams. He has compiled a 1.55 goals-against average, .933 save percentage and three shutouts over a 7-2-2 record.
Pete’s Pick: I truly believe this one will come down to whoever Djurgårdens goes with between the pipes. They have the confidence they can shut down Nacka’s top performer. So do they roll with the goalie who aided that effort last time they met or with the goalie with the better numbers? Stengård has started the last three games, so my gut says they stick with him. As a result, I think Djurgårdens pulls out a close 3-2 win here.
Craig’s Pick: Djurgårdens recent struggles are a concern for me. Sure, 4-2-1 is a decent run, but those wins are against the 12th, 11th, 10th and sixth place teams. For reference, there’s 12 teams in the group. Nacka’s schedule hasn’t been much more challenging, but its taken care of business in a much more impressive manner. I don’t expect Sundberg to be silenced a second time, I like Nacka in a 4-1 win.
Viggo Fors notched a goal and assist in the last meeting between No. 4 Boo HC (29-7-6) and No. 9 AIK Hockey (21-11-4) on Jan. 18. His team hopes he can produce those numbers again as they battle in a mid-week rematch this Wednesday.
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| Wednesday, March 15 Ulriksdals IP Hall 3 |
The main point-getter for Boo though is Lukas Svensson, who has tallied 13 goals and 21 points in 17 games. Just behind him is Alexander Engman (10G, 6A). Held off the scoresheet in their last encounter, Filip Nyberg will try to add to his impressive season stat line of 13 goals and 26 points. The other two thirds of AIK’s power trio consists of Viggo Låhdö (7G, 15A) and Max Balk (10G, 9A).
While those will be the players trying to fill the net, the two trying to keep pucks out are some of the best on any ‘08 Sweden team. Leon De La Gardie and Leon Andersson went save-for-save in the last game between the two sides. Andersson has backstopped Boo to 10 wins, with a 1.30 goals-against average, .926 save percentage and four shutouts. De La Gardie has recorded 1.54 goals-against average, .906 save percentage and three shutouts. When both of these goaltenders are on, offense is hard to come by.
Pete’s Pick: Like I said, this will be another low-scoring game. Despite players on both ends being able to put up points, there’s something when these two goalies play the other that makes them that much better. With Boo getting the slight edge, offensively, I favor them over AIK in a close 3-2 game.
Craig’s Pick: It’s hard to imagine an even lower scoring game than their 2-1 meeting last time out. However, I’m anticipating just that. Boo is buzzing at the rink time, and I think it gets its fifth team shutout of group play. Viggo Fors factors in offensively, again, and Boo wins a low-scoring game, again, this time it’s 2-0.
No. 3 Spartak Moscow (30-7-3) has had No. 10 Lokomotiv Yaroslavl’s (22-10-1) number this season. Victorious in three previous games, they have outscored their opponent 11-4. On Sunday, Yaroslavl will attempt to finally best its fellow ‘09 Russian club.
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| Sunday, March 19 |
In order to do so, they will have to handle the explosive production from Daniil Savin (21G, 27A) and Vsevolod Kokorin (27G, 13A), two of Spartak’s most consistent forwards. To counter, Yaroslavl will rely on Ivan Rubstov (9G, 22A) and Mikhail Bulgakov (11G, 14A).
Pete’s Pick: Lokomotiv had been on a bit of a roll lately winning their last three before a loss to No. 3 CSKA last weekend. However, Spartak’s talent is too much for them to overcome, much less many other ‘08 teams. They have kept things relatively close in the last three meetings, so I don’t expect Spartak to break open the score. Spartak will take a 4-1 final.
Craig’s Pick: In the two previous matchups, Spartak has never trailed. Despite their best efforts, Lokomotiv’s Bulgakov and Rubstov just haven’t been able to get the offense going in this matchup. That’s a tough ask for anyone at any level to produce offense on cue. Because of Lokomotiv’s struggles, I have to go with Spartak, 4-1, as they’ve seemed to crack the code on how to shut down this top-10 offense.
No. 24 Mikhailov Academy (22-10-3) will have the chance to even its regular season series versus No. 9 CSKA Moscow (26-8-2) when the two ‘08 Russian teams collide on Sunday.
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| Sunday, March 19 |
CSKA was victorious in the first game between the two back on Sept. 25th. Mikhailov took the next one before dropping the third. Since that loss, they have been winners in their last six. Matvey Cheranev (21G, 24A) and Boris Borin (13G, 30A) have propelled Mikhailov during their recent hot stretch. Goal-scoring dynamo Nikita Gromakov (28G, 6A) will be eager to add to his total. He has scored three goals against Mikhailov in their matchups thus far. Ilya Morozov’s (10G, 24A) play-making ability will look to assist Gromakov in offensive production.
Pete’s Pick: While Mikhailov impressively shut out CSKA in the second game, the true power of CSKA was on display in the other two meetings with wins of 5-3 and 7-3. Mikhailov also played last weekend, giving CSKA more time to rest its top players. A third win for them is in the cards and they will take the season series, three games to one.
Craig’s Pick: Ugh, I’d like to give Mikhailov Academy a shot in this one, especially given Ivan Buydov’s 3-0 shutout on November 13th. However, he was quickly pulled in Game 3, after giving up three goals in the first period. I just don’t think they have an answer for CSKA’s offense, so I’m going CSKA 5-2 convincingly.
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Each week, World Hockey Hub highlights a few of the most exciting upcoming games in youth hockey. CSKA Moscow and Vityaz Podolsk kick things off with an ‘09 Top-10 tilt on Saturday. Jokerit Blue and Kiekko-Espoo EPS I tangle in a premier matchup between 2007s. The week concludes with Nacka HK dropping the puck in an ‘08 meeting with IFK Taby HC on Sunday.
Will No. 1 CSKA Moscow (34-0-0) ever lose a game this season? In two games thus far, CSKA has ended up in the win column against No. 9 Vityaz Podolsk (24-10-0) both times. It’s a tough task for Vityaz, let alone any Russian team, as this CSKA squad has been one of the best teams in youth hockey this season.
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| Saturday, March 11 |
Vityaz lost in the first game 4-3 before dropping a 10-2 decision in the second. But they have the talent to hang with a team like CSKA. If there is any club that can finally send CSKA home with a loss, it’s them.
For CSKA, look no further than to Nikita Siniken (51G, 61A) and Roman Andreev (52G, 43A). Much has already been discussed and written about these players already, but you can’t deny their incredible chemistry. Add to the fact they have found the scoresheet in every contest this season. The biggest task for Vityaz will be to shut them down and try to make up their production with the top players of their own.
Getting that task will be Kirill Pavlov (57G, 22A) and Artem Perepelov (21G, 14A).
Pete’s Pick: I’m torn. On one hand, I want to see how far CSKA can take their win streak. On the other hand, for a team to finally beat them would be an exciting narrative. But it’s not about what I want, it’s what happens on the ice. Given CSKA’s ability to beat teams in any fashion, coupled with them having the two best forwards of their birth year, they complete the sweep. Vityaz doesn’t make it easy though in a 5-3 final.
Craig’s Pick: I do think we’ve seen just a little bit of complacency lately from the No. 1 team in Russia. That may not be the best word for it, but either opponents are throwing their absolute best at CSKA or, CSKA is taking its foot off the gas ever so slightly. Either way, I think this game is close, and Vityaz even possesses a lead at one point, thanks to players like Pavlov and Alexander Trofimov. Ultimately, CSKA’s win streak survives and they escape with a 4-3 win.
With group play entering its home stretch in Finland, No. 7 Jokerit Blue (17-10-2) and No. 9 Kiekko-Espoo EPS I (15-11-2) will look for some separation in the ‘09 Top 10 with a Sunday matchup.
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| Sunday, March 12 |
It’s been an up-and-down stretch for both clubs in group play to this point. With neither team able to put together a consistent string of success, this matchup may be the jumping off point they both need to finish strong.
In this stage of group play, Luka Ahola and Wilmer Hämäläinen’s five goals and 11 points lead Jokerit, with Veeti Palomäki scoring five goals and 10 points for K-Espoo. Since the start of the season, both players have notched five-point games this season, with Palomäki accomplishing the feat twice.
Pete’s Pick: I’ve gone back and forth on this one for a bit, but in the end I think Jokerit pulls out a win. They’ve skated with slightly more consistency and have competed well against some of the bigger opponents of the group. If this gets into a goal scoring contest, they have the depth to get them over the finish line.
Craig’s Pick: I always like to look at shared opponents as a good measure for upcoming games. Jokerit and Kiekko-Espoo have played six of the same teams in the last six weeks. Against those teams, Kiekko-Espoo is 3-3-0, while Jokerit is 2-3-1. Slight lean toward KE EPS right? Wrong. Jokerit may have a slightly worse record in those games but showed way more compete with each of those six games being winnable. I’m going with Jokerit here, 6-3.
It’s a heavyweight tilt among the ‘08 Swedes when No. 1 Nacka HK (28-5-6) drops the puck with No. 3 Täby HC (25-11-4) this weekend.
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| Sunday, March 12 |
Nacka enters this primetime bout winners of its last four. Täby is coming off a loss to Eskilstuna Linden Hockey in their last outing. In their last meeting back on Jan. 15, Nacka posted six goals en route to a 6-1 decisive victory. In that matchup, Oliver Sundberg, Mikael Kim and Arvid Ermeskog all collected multi-point performances. Sundberg stands as the team leader in overall points as well, and third scorer in group play with 13 goals and 15 points.
Finding the back of the net for Täby’s lone goal was team leader Mille Forslund, who has compiled nine goals and 18 points. Nacka held Forslund and his teammates to just 15 shots on goal, while they peppered Täby netminder Caspar Lampe with 33. Lampe has been one of the more solid goalies in the group, earning a 2.40 goals-against average and .909 save percentage. A testament to the impressive firepower from Nacka to get six past him.
Pete’s Pick: Täby’s defense didn’t have an answer for Nacka last time out, and I don’t think that changes here. While their goaltending numbers don’t jump off the page, that’s not a concern when your club is averaging 3.5 goals a game and have a plus-27 goal differential. Nacka takes another victory here, 5-1.
Craig’s Pick: Significant shot discrepancies always grab my attention. A more than 2-to-1 difference in their last meeting says a lot about how these two teams stack up. Nacka scored late on a power play and a penalty shot, which inflated the score a little bit last time out. I’ll take Täby to keep it closer than the first meeting, but Nacka is just too dominant, 4-2.
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For the first time since Dec. 7th, No. 10 Avangard Omsk boosted themselves into the Top 10 in Russia among the 2007 World Rankings. Winners of their last 10 games, a two-game sweep of Metallurg Magnitogorsk was just the lift the club needed to be back among the best-of-the-best of their birth year.
The club is mainly led by the prolific forward trio of Rodion Kazantsev (10G, 20A), Nikita Kharionov (14G, 15A) and Artem Kitchenko (10G, 17A). What has helped is the last lines of defense between the pipes that Avangard is equipped with. Between Alexander Federov and Danai Shaikov, the team has been able to skate to a 22-4-0 record. Federov has posted a 1.96 goals-against average and .920 save percentage. Shaikov has suited up in slightly more games, recording an even more pristine 1.61 goals-against and .939 save percentage.
With upcoming games against teams such as Traktor Chelyabinsk and Yugra-Yukior, these players will be vital for Avangard to continue its success. The more victories that can be piled up in their remaining tilts can only help to solidify Metallurg’s position down the home stretch of the 2022-23 season.
SKA St. Petersburg found themselves maneuvering their way up the Russian standings in not one but two different birth years in the latest rankings. A true testament to their program depth and ability to continually develop players throughout their youth hockey journey.
First, ‘08 SKA slid up from No. 8 to No. 5, thanks in large part to four decisive victories. A run that was highlighted by a 5-0 shutout over No. 10 SKA Strelna. At 31-0-1, the lone blemish in their record thus far was a tight 1-0 shootout loss to Dynamo St. Petersburg.
‘09 SKA St. Petersburg was also up to No. 7 after handling the SKA Silver Lions and Dynamo Junior St. Petersburg. Both teams were outscored 15-1 and the wins extended a current four-game winning streak for the club.
Another team that benefited from success against teams in close proximity to them were the ‘09
No. 23 Toronto Marlboros. They bested No. 1 Toronto Jr. Canadiens in a hard-fought 1-0 game before finding their offensive footing in a 7-0 shutout against the No. 9 Canadian-ranked Toronto Red Wings.
In fact, in their previous two meetings with the Jr. Canadiens, they were also victorious. Not many teams have beaten the Jr. Canadiens this year once, let alone three times. Two shutouts against Top-10 opponents, one of which is the top team of the birth year will surely build confidence for the team towards the end of the season and into the GTHL playoffs.
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.
With the 2022-23 regular season beginning to wind down, teams across youth hockey are emptying the tanks before hopeful playoff runs. The ‘07 Toronto Marlboros and Tappara are on our teams of the month list for the second time. The Los Angeles Jr. Kings were one of the busier U.S. ‘08 clubs. Nacka HK and CSKA Moscow solidified their spots at the top of their respective ‘07 and ‘09 birth years as well. 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.
It was a jam-packed month for the 2008-born No. 23 Los Angeles Jr. Kings. Suiting up in 14 contests across regular season, playoff and district play, they took care of business with wins in each matchup.
After opening the month with a 4-0-0 record, their next task was the Tier-1 Elite Hockey League (T1EHL) playoffs. In the 14U division, they rattled off five consecutive victories for the championship. Their run culminated in a hard-fought 5-3 victory over No. 25 Dallas Stars Elite. Tyus Sparks and Noah Davidson were the main point getters for the team, each collecting 12 points.
After a few days to recuperate, the Jr. Kings were back in action at the Pacific District playoffs with the hope of nabbing a spot at the upcoming USA Hockey Nationals. It was here they found the win column in another five straight games, outscoring opponents 31-4.
Next up will be a trip to Nationals, but as an added bonus they will have some company. The 15O Jr. Kings earned a trip as well, after securing their division. The Los Angeles program will be well-represented on the national stage later this month.
For the second time this season, the ‘07 No. 2 Toronto Marlboros have skated to ‘Team of the Month’ honors for Canada. Having last earned the honor in December, the Marlies continued to run the table in their birth year, going 7-0-0. Three of those victories came against ranked teams, twice over the No. 10 Toronto Jr. Canadiens and a 5-3 win vs. against No. 22 Mississauga Rebels.
With the GTHL playoffs around the corner, the Marlboros will look to build upon their current seven-game win streak.
Impressing in February was ‘07 No. 13 Nacka HK with a 5-1-0 record. The team did not have a light schedule, lacing up the skates against four powerhouses in the Top 10 of Sweden. After winning their opening 8-5 showdown with No. 3 Swedish-ranked Djurgårdens IF in thrilling fashion, they followed it up with another win over Trångsunds IF.
Despite a slight setback in a 3-2 loss to No. 8 Viggbyholms IK, they rebounded with solid showings against world-ranked No. 19 Täby HC, Almtuna IS and No. 5 Södertälje SK.
Ruben Westerling may be the club’s overall leading scorer with 16 goals and 32 points, but Neo Hirsch and Olle Därth had a month to remember. Across all six contests, Hirsch compiled four goals and 11 points to go along with Därth’s six goals and 10 points.
Like the Marlboros, ‘07 No. 15 Tappara is another program to be featured on our Teams of the Month list for a second time. Tappara was included in our list from November. Dropping the puck in seven games, Tappara skated to a 6-1-0 record, with a lone ‘blemish’ being a 5-4 loss to No. 5 Ilves.
Other than that, Tappara fared quite well against some top competition from Finland. They kicked off their schedule with the defeat to Ilves, but wasted no time in getting back on track with a 3-2 win against No. 10 KalPa. Following that, five more wins over No. 1 Kiekko-Espoo, Pelicans, No. 7 TPS, a second victory against KalPa and finishing off with Jokipojat.
It certainly didn’t hurt having the top two scorers of the group, either. Joonas Rajala and Eetu Orpana have each collected 30 points in 13 and 12 games, respectively. Orpana alone tallied in the team’s last five games of the month, garnering 3 goals and 10 points alone. Both players also spent time last month with the Finnish National Team at the 3 Nations Tournament in the Czech Republic.
No. 3 CSKA Moscow went a perfect 5-0-0 in February, highlighted by wins against No. 4 Spartak Moscow and No. 14 Atlant Mytishchi. The five victories combined with the four they ended January with give the club an impressive nine-game streak currently.
Nazar Privalov, the teams’ leading scorer, was on fire across all matches. Unable to be slowed by any opponent, he struck for six goals and nine points. Privalov has found the scoresheet in every game dating back to Jan. 22.
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The 2008-born No. 23 Los Angeles Jr. Kings, fresh off stellar showings at the T1EHL Playoffs and Pacific Districts, enjoyed a pleasant bump in the rankings. Downing some of the best teams their birth year has to offer provided the Jr. Kings a track to maneuver their way up the Top 10 U.S. teams. A run of play highlighted by holding off No. 25 Dallas Stars Elite in the 15O division TIEHL title game.
After falling out of the top spot in our last rankings, No. 1 Little Caesars is back at the top of the ‘07 Top 25 thanks to crucial victories over No. 17 Shattuck-St. Mary’s and No. 10 U.S.-ranked Compuware by a combined 19-0. Since their last loss — a 2-1 overtime defeat to No. 20 Long Island Gulls back on Feb. 2 — they have rattled off six consecutive wins.
But they are not the only team back in first place. Pittsburgh Penguins Elite settled back in as the No. 1 squad among 2011 programs by taking care of business against fellow Top 10 opponents. With recent wins against No. 2 Mid-Fairfield Jr. Rangers, No. 8 Rochester Coalition and a two-game split with No. 5 Little Caesars, Pens Elite has proven once again they are the team to beat in the age group. With an impressive week of their own, the South Shore Kings nabbed the No. 10 spot, having beaten the likes of the Jr. Rangers twice and No. 9 Philadelphia Hockey Club.
No. 9 Anaheim Jr. Ducks and No. 10 Philadelphia Hockey Club are back in the ‘09 Top 10 after extended absences. With wins over No. 8 Dallas Stars Elite and No. 2 St. Louis Blues, the Jr. Ducks bolstered their resume enough to be back among the elite after spending the last rankings out on the bubble. Not seeing a spot in the Top 10 since back on Sept. 28th, Philadelphia slid back in as winners of their last 12 as well.
No. 8 Jokerit held their own in three major ‘07 matchups, including a two-game set against No. 1 Kiekko-Espoo. Lauri Kouhia and Rasmus Kämäräinen each collected four points in a 5-2 victory in the first tilt against K-Espoo. In the second, Kouhia and Kämäräinen notched multi-point games once more, but Jokerit dropped a thrilling 6-5 decision in the shootout. The team rebounded with a winning effort against No. 9 Ässät, 6-3 the next time out.
In the 2008 age group, No. 7 Kärpät Musta raised eyebrows with multiple Top 10 victories. First, they dispatched No. 8 Kärpät Valkoinen, 6-3. Next, a 4-1 winning effort against No. 9 KalPa. Taking care of the teams previously ahead of them usually leads to good things, and Musta is a prime example of that fact.
Not to be outdone, but there was one other Finnish club that worked its way back into the Top 10 among ‘08s. KJT Haukat Blue, absent from the Top 10 since Nov. 9th, paved their way back in with three wins; two of them against ranked programs. Handling No. 6 Pelicans Turkoosi and No. 1 HIFK, provided enough of a lift to get them into a No. 10 placement.
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.