Given the amount of games youth hockey teams are expected to play, having strong and consistent goaltending is paramount to success.
When taking stock of the best youth hockey programs around the world, a common theme is that most of them are equipped with not one goalie who can get the job done, but two. There are a variety of teams throughout the World Rankings whose reliance on multiple and dependable netminders are a common theme.
We take a look at some of these players whose time between the pipes have propelled their squads to top spots.
Shattuck-St. Mary’s (29-1-1) is the top-ranked 2006-born team in the world. Standing apart from teams such as No. 2 CSKA Moscow, No. 3 Long Island Gulls and No. 4 Krylia Sovetov they have been a mainstay ahead of the pack. A large result of Shattuck’s stellar performance this season has been the combined efforts of their goaltending duo, Jack Hirshorn and Harry Boettinger.
Hirshorn, the first-year Sabre from Tampa, Florida, USA looms large at 6-foot-1 and 200 lbs. A frame that lends itself perfectly to the goaltending position, he leaves little room for opposing shooters to find a hole. On the other hand, Boettinger’s slender appearance may fool even the most skilled offensive forward. Just when they think there is plenty of net to aim at, quick pads and a lightning-fast glove turn away even the most dangerous scoring chances with ease.
SSM knows they have a great chance of victory with either player in net, which has also allowed for an even balance of their workloads. In 16 games this season, Hirshorn has compiled a 15-1-0 record, along with a 1.79 goals-against average and .907 save percentage. In the 15 games Boettinger has suited up for, he has been undefeated at 14-0-1, with a 1.98 goals-against average and .918 save percentage.
Shattuck has been able to record six shutout victories this season, four from Hirshorn and two from Boettinger.
Both players don’t seem like they will be slowing down anytime soon, so it appears as if teams will have to find new ways to best them or continue to be tormented.
The Pelicans (13-8-0) know that to remain competitive in a stacked group of fellow ‘07 Finnish teams, their ability to stop some incredible high-powered offenses will be key.
And with goaltenders like Niklas Väisänen and Joel Teva, they just might be able to do so. The pair has backstopped the Pelicans to a 3-2-0 start to the month.
Teva has seen more time in the crease, with a .927 save percentage and 1.96 goals-against average to his credit. However, that’s not to take away from what his counterpart has been able to do in game action. Väisänen’s .923 save percentage and 2.01 goals-against average are good for third among all goaltenders in their 13-team group.
The duo was holding opponents to one goal in three straight games before a matchup with No. 8 Kiekko-Espoo on Wednesday. Teva’s 33 save-performance was not enough however as their win streak was snapped with a 6-2 loss.
Väisänen and Teva will have an opportunity to help their team get back in the win column as they have a rematch against K-Espoo this Saturday. No matter who is in goal for the Pelicans, they should expect another steady stream of pucks and offensive zone time.
Fresh off a solid showing at the 2022 Rocky Mountain Classic showcase for Western Canadian clubs, Parker Snell proved he is among the best 2008-born players at stopping the puck.
Being hailed as one of the best goalies at the tournament after going 3-0-0, Snell’s heroics in net did not come as a surprise to his teammates. He has been an essential part of No. 8 Northern Alberta Xtreme’s (12-0-0) undefeated success all season long. In net for seven of the team’s 12 victories, his 1.41 goals-against average and .938 save percentage with two shutouts jump off the stat sheet.
Donning the pads when Snell gets the night off, Taylor Ranyard proves he is just as capable of his duties in the crease. Winning all five games he has appeared in and statistically almost parallel to Snell, Raynard has put up a 1.40 goals-against average with a .921 save percentage and two shutouts.
Impressive numbers for both that prove that on any given night, the Xtreme have a solid chance of victory before the puck even drops.
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Kicking off our games to look forward to is a meeting between the No. 13 Chicago Mission (23-4-3) and No. 9-ranked among 2008 U.S. teams, the Pittsburgh Penguins Elite (20-4-0).
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| Saturday, November 19 @ 6:50 P.M. CST International Rink |
Both teams are currently enjoying extensive win streaks, with Chicago victorious in their last three and Penguins in their last seven. While Pittsburgh does not boast as dynamic an offense as Chicago, they have recorded a plus-50 goal differential. Compare that to the Mission’s plus-80 goal differential, and it can be seen the two teams aren’t that far off from one another when it comes to attacking.
The danger here for either side is getting into a game where goals are traded left and right. The team that controls play in all three zones will end up in the win column, as a balanced approach will be key.
Pete’s Pick: Chicago have proven to this point they are the team to beat among U.S. teams of their birth year, and this game should only further solidify that point. While Pittsburgh is certainly capable of keeping things close, the Mission will eventually pull away in a 6-3 win.
Craig’s Pick: I expect this game to be much closer than our WHH Rankings may suggest, with Mission at No. 1 and PPE at No. 9 in the country. Mission has a 3-2-2 record in seven games against fellow Top-10 ranked teams this season. They’re just a bit more battle tested in my book, so I’ll give Chicago the edge over Pens Elite… but it’s really close, 3-2.
No. 15 Lokomotiv Yaroslavl’s (7-3-0) plans to make some noise among 2006-born Russian clubs depending on how they come out against No. 5 Dynamo Moscow (8-3-0) on Sunday, Nov. 20.
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| Sunday, November 20 |
Dynamo bested Lokomotiv 4-1 back in September. Their leading scorer on the season with five goals and 13 assists, Ivan Ryabkin, notched two helpers. Bogdan Kiselev, who sits just behind Ryabkin with eight goals and 15 points, kicked off the scoring in that matchup.
One of the biggest issues for Lokomotiv last time these two met was most of its point leaders were held off the scoresheet. Players such as Vadim Dudorov, Sergey Kudinov, and Alexey Elblaus were unable to crack through the opposition. Getting all three players going in the upcoming game will be crucial for Lokomotiv to even the season series.
The biggest obstacle they will have to overcome will be between the pipes. Sergey Vyskrebentsev manned the crease in their last game. However, Ilya Podsukha, who has donned the pads for a majority of Dynamo’s games, serves up a pristine 1.30 goals-against average.
Expect both teams to empty the tanks in this one, as they do not meet again until the new year at the end of January.
Pete’s Pick: Lokomotiv got a late goal to pad some stats last time these two teams met. I expect Dynamo to pick up where they left off, as Lokomotiv’s offense will not be able to crack whomever Dynamo puts in goal. Dynamo takes this one 5-1.
Craig’s Pick: Lokomotiv is playing much better hockey than the last time these two teams met, but I still don’t think it will be enough. Dynamo is a more complete team with higher end scorers in Kiselev, Roman Gorodilov and Ryabkin. I think they open it up even more in the rematch; Dynamo wins 6-2.
Sitting at 11-5-0 on the season, the Pelicans have a prime opportunity to strengthen their resume among Finnish ‘07 clubs with two upcoming games against No. 8 Kiekko-Espoo (14-1-0) this week.
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| Wednesday, November 16 |
The first game will take place Wednesday, Nov. 16, serving as the first time this season the two will be facing off against one another. The Pelicans have been a bubble team for much of 2022-23 action, just on the cusp of sliding into the top 10.
The opportunity to make some noise has presented itself, now all they have to do is capitalize on it.
Luka Arkko and Juho Piiparinen both lead the Pelicans with 18 points apiece. Both were instrumental in the team’s most recent victories against KalPa and Jokipojat.
Kiekko-Espoo has handled most of the competition among group play, with a lone blemish being a 7-3 loss to Jokipojat earlier this month. A run of play that has them comfortably atop the table of 2008-born Finnish teams as well as within the world rankings.
Since that loss on Nov. 5, they have rattled off three wins, overcoming teams such as KalPa, KJT Haukat, and Jukurit.
Aapo Vanninen, Kiekko-Espoo’s most prolific playmaker, has assisted on 23 goals and has tallied 10 of his own. Just behind his 33 points is Aleksi Kilpeläinen‘s 11 goals and 29 points.
Pete’s Pick: The Pelicans have slowly been gaining steam as the season has progressed, taking part in some close matchups against the best teams of their group. While I expect them to put up a fight, the overall team talent Kiekko-Espoo possesses will be too much to overcome if this becomes an offensive display. Kiekko-Espoo wins 4-2.
Craig’s Pick: Kiekko is the top team in Finland for good reason. However, they were caught asleep at the wheel yesterday with a surprising 7-3 loss to unranked Jokipojat. There’s no way Vanninen and Kilpeläinen allow that to happen a second time. I think an angry KE squad makes a statement with an 8-1 victory.
No. 9 Shattuck-St. Mary’s (17-5-3) will get some bonding time away from their home rink when they head to Rochester, New York, for a three-game series against the No. 13 Bishop Kearney Selects (19-8-6) this weekend.
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| Saturday, November 19 @ 1:00 p.m. EST |
In the early stages of the season, these two programs played to a 3-3 tie, proving that their close proximity in the standings is no fluke. Shattuck had an eight-game unbeaten streak end at the hands of No. 5 Chicago Mission last weekend, while Bishop Kearney come in as winners of their last two over the Mississauga Senators and Compuware.
The Selects like to fill up the net, so all eyes will be on the goaltending of Grayson Hanggi and Garrett Glaser for SSM in this one. Their play has led to modest goals-against averages, with Glaser getting the slight advantage of a 1.57 goals-against to Hanggi’s 1.83 goals-against.
Pete’s Pick: These are probably the games I am most looking forward to this week, as both teams are so similar in their approach to offense, defense and overall roster construction. That being said, someone has to come out victorious, so I see Shattuck taking a very hard fought series 2-1.
Craig’s Pick: Bishop Kearney has played 16 — yes, sixteen — games against teams ranked in the Top 10 of their respective countries this season. Shattuck, on the other hand, has yet to play a game outside the State of Hockey. I think the travel could play a factor here, and BK being battle tested and at home, gives them a huge leg up. Shattuck is likely traveling 1,000 miles by bus to the Empire State. I’ll take BK to win the first two games and Shattuck to steal the final matchup before heading home.
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KalPa Keltainen’s current spot as the No. 9-ranked team in Finland among 2008-born teams can largely be attributed to the charge up front on offense by Sisu Mustonen.
His 49 points across 11 contests not only lead his squad, but are also the most among peers in his group. Bringing a balanced attack, Mustonen’s 24 goals and 25 assists have helped transform KalPa from a bubble team at the outset of the season into one of the premier clubs of their birth year.
Mustonen tallied two goals and seven assists in a 16-2 win against Jokipojat Musta back on Oct. 23, his best outing of the season to date. If the points keep piling up for Mustonen, KalPa will reap the rewards of his stellar play with their continued climb towards the top of the Finnish rankings.
With No. 1 Shattuck-St. Mary’s deep into its schedule for the 2022-23 season, two names have continually popped up on stat sheets.
That’s forwards Ryker Lee and Jack Galanak.
Lee has accumulated 28 goals and 58 points throughout the club’s first 28 games. A potent driver of play in the offensive zone, his approach to scoring has been at the heart of the team’s current nine-game win streak. Most importantly, the native of Wilmette, Illinois, does not let his aggressive play on the forecheck serve as a detriment to the team, as he has only been penalized for six minutes.
While Lee brings balance to SSM’s attack, Galanak’s role is primarily that of playmaker. With 34 assists to his name, Galanak has made a living off serving up picture-perfect passes to his fellow Sabres.
These two like-minded players steering the program’s explosive attack has led to a plus-134 goal differential for Shattuck.
RINK Hockey Academy Winnipeg rank No. 10 among Canadian-based 2007 teams. A prominent force in their ability to remain among the top teams in their age group has been the dependability of Connor Bear and Avery Samels.
It is often said that consistency is the ultimate factor in determining success. Bear’s performance in the Canadian Sport School Hockey League (CCSHL) through 11 games this season is a proper case study of that statement.
Averaging 1.64 points per game, Bear has tallied seven goals and 18 points, which lead the team. Tied with Bear is Samels, whose offensive numbers include six goals and 12 assists.
While the accumulation of their points have been pivotal to the club’s success, what is more impressive is the clutch moments they have come in.
The duo has combined for three game-winning goals. Additionally, Samels stands out with his performance on special teams. Leading Winnipeg with five power-play points, he has even made opponents pay on the penalty kill, striking for two shorthanded goals as well.
The stability that both of these players bring to Winnipeg’s all-around offensive game is impressive. If they can continue, fellow CCSHL teams won’t be the only ones keeping an eye on them.
CSKA Moscow is the No. 1 ranked team among 2010-born squads, and a large reason for that has been the astounding play of Nikita Siniken.
Riding a 15-game point streak, Siniken has collected a staggering 27 goals and 59 points, which stand as tops among his teammates. In 14 of those games, Siniken tallied a minimum of three points.
Simply put, no one at his age level is even coming close to producing the numbers he has been putting up. CSKA should continue to dominate the scoreboard and build upon what is an already impressive 22-0-0 record. Siniken will obviously be a major factor in the team’s success as well.
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They’ve been one of the most talked about teams on WHH social media channels, yet the 2007-born London Jr. Knights remained unranked through the first two months of the season. That was largely due to the team’s strength of schedule — or lack thereof — through the early stages of the season.
While the Jr. Knights came out of the gate with an eight-game win streak, they claimed just one win over a team currently ranked in the Top 10 in Canada. That was a 7-2 drubbing of No. 10 RINK Hockey Kelowna on Oct. 7th.
London has several shared opponents with teams ranked ahead of them in Canada. For instance, the Jr. Knights lost 4-3 in overtime to unranked Burlington Eagles. That’s the same team that No. 1-ranked Toronto Marlboros defeated 10-0 a week earlier. Additionally, London had tied unranked Chatham-Kent Cyclones 4-4 two weeks after No. 7 Southern Tier Admirals defeated the shared opponent 8-0.
The transitive property is far from the only measuring stick used by the rankings committee. However, it is utilized in the absence of head-to-head matchups. That, coupled with the team’s weaker schedule compared to its Canadian counterparts, had kept London out of the Top 10… until today.
A record that has swelled to 16-2-1, and performances that suggest the Jr. Knights are clearly the best team in ALLIANCE Hockey and have propelled the squad into the Canadian Top 10.
London will likely get a shot to prove itself against other ranked teams at the end-of-season OHL Cup. The top four teams from ALLIANCE earn an automatic bid to the U16 tournament in Toronto. The Jr. Knights should certainly expect to be in attendance, and will have plenty of opportunity to see how they stack up against Ontario’s best.
Unranked through the first two months of the season, Södertälje climbed to No. 2 in Sweden, and No. 22 in the world after winning the Folke Filbyter Cup.
It is a monumental jump, but for good reason.
They tied No. 1 Nacka HK 3-3 and tied No. 4 Linköping HC by the same score, all within a 24-hour span. Then, followed it up with a 2-1 over Linköping and a 4-3 win over No. 3 Täby HC. Four games with Sweden’s best, and Södertälje not only proved it belonged, but showed they were the best of the bunch with a Folke Filbyter championship.
They will be in action again at the Folke Lindström Cup during Holiday Break next month. That tournament is expected to have No. 6 Boo HC, No. 7 Malmö Redhawks, No. 8 Mälarö Hockey, and No. 10 Djurgårdens IF in attendance as well.
Södertälje wasn’t the only 2008-born team to make a statement.
In fact, seven ‘08 clubs in total joined the mix among the Top 25 in the world. Canadian teams Elgin-Middlesex Canucks, Oakville Rangers and York Simcoe Express return to the Top 25 after a one-month hiatus.
EMC is 20-1-1 overall, with 11 of those wins coming since the team fell out of the Top 25 in October. They also collected two wins over American Top-10 team Little Caesars 3-2 and 5-3 last weekend.
Oakville is another team that’s faced some international competition during its four-week absence from the Top 25. They tied the No. 1 team in the U.S., Chicago Mission 5-5 in Detroit at the Little Caesars Showcase. That weekend, the Rangers defeat American No. 6 and host team Little Caesars 4-3 as well as a 4-3 win over No. 10 Pittsburgh Vengeance.
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.
We warned readers last week of one player that had the potential to steal the 2022 TV-Pucken tournament. That warning became a reality when Love Härenstam posted back-to-back shutouts in the quarterfinal and semifinal rounds, and stopped 28-of-29 shots in the championship. Norrbotten won the U16 Sweden national tournament, as the top district in the country. It is the first time since 1985 that the Norrbotten District has won the championship. It’s also just the third time in the tournament’s 64-year history that the northernmost county of the country has taken the title of tops in Sweden.
In the first round of action on Friday, Norrbotten drew Småland. The ice was significantly tilted, considering that Småland outshot Norrbotten 28-15. Additionally, minor penalties by Liam Andersson, Linus Funck and Elias Brännmark put Norrbotten shorthanded for stretches of the contest as well.
Thankfully, Härenstam was there to hold down the net. He made 13 saves in the first half, and followed that up with 15 in the second half. While Härenstam shut out opposing shooters, 6-foot-2 forward Jakob Ihs-Wozniak went to work. First, he assisted on the opening goal of the game by Elias Selström. That gave Norrbotten a 1-0 lead at intermission. Then, in the second half, Ihs-Wozniak scored two goals of his own to secure the shutout victory. That was the first — and really, the only — upset of the first round of TV-Pucken action.
Their reward for pulling off the first-round upset? A date with the odds-on tournament favorite, Stockholm North.
Stockholm North had won the previous three TV-Pucken championships, and had won five of the last 10 tournaments. The 2022 squad was loaded with top 2007-born talent from Sweden’s most densely populated region.
Top forwards Melvin Novotny, Eric Nilson, Torkel Jennersjö and Mattias Nyberg combined to score 21 goals in round-robin play. As a team, Stockholm North scored 30 goals in five games. When they met Norrbotten in the semifinals, though, all that faded away.
Again, opponents threw everything at Härenstam. And again, he was there to answer the challenge.
Selström opened the scoring again, off of a pass from William Morin almost 10 minutes into the first half. Once Norrbotten got the lead, Härenstam made sure the team held onto it. He made 12 saves in the first half. In the second half, he faced a barrage from opposing Stockholm North shooters, turning away all 16 shots.
Norrbotten was outshot for the second consecutive game, this time by a margin of 28-11. It didn’t matter though, as Härenstam’s heroics propelled the team into the championship game. It was the first time since 2002 that Norrbotten had even reached the tournament’s finale — a tournament that it hadn’t won since 1985.
Through the first two rounds, competition at TV-Pucken had proven to be razor sharp. In 11 games, the average margin of victory was just 2.18 goals. Five games were decided by just one goal, including Gästrikland’s 5-4 overtime win over Göteborg in the consolation rounds.
Härenstam’s two shutouts had lifted Norrbotten into the championship where they faced Stockholm South.
Another high-powered offense, South scored more goals in round-robin action than any other district. Seventeen different skaters combined to score 39 goals in five games. Anton Frondell, Ruben Westerling, Viktor Hedlund and Arvid Drott are among some of the top forward prospects in the country.
Teodor Friberg, Hedlund and Olle Därth got South past its first-round opponent in Gästrikland. Five different scorers elevated South past Ångermanland 6-3 in the semifinals as well.
None of that mattered when South ran into Norrbotten in the finale though.
Joseph Harmouche and Casper Karlsson-Juustovaara scored back-to-back goals less than seven minutes apart. That gave Norrbotten a 2-0 lead late in the first half. Frondell finally got Härenstam to crack, scoring on South’s 25th shot of the game with 1:53 left in regulation. It was far too little, too late though, as Norrbotten hung on to win.
Härenstam’s shutout streak spanned 158:25 of game action. The tournament format consisted of two 20-minute halves, 40-minute regulation-time contests in total. He posted three consecutive shutouts in the tournament, nearly collecting a fourth in the championship. He played all but 58 seconds of action through eight games for Norrbotten. His 1.00 goals-against average and 94.9 save percentage were tops in the tournament.
Teammate Ihs-Wozniak was among the leading scorers in the TV-Pucken. Through eight games, he scored 10 goals and 18 points. Ihs-Wozniak was matched by Stockholm South’s Frondell, who also produced 18 points in eight games. Frondell had 13 in pool play and five in playoff rounds, both were top marks.
South’s Westerling led all defensemen in both goals (six) and points (nine). Småland’s Liam Pettersson led all defenders in assists with eight.
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Over the past few weeks, 2008-born Finnish youth hockey club KalPa Keltainen has been making quite a name for themselves. Rising up the ranks in group play, they have been dispatching opponents with ease thanks to solid play at both ends of the rink.
Most recently, they got their biggest win of the season with an 8-0 shutout of No. 8 KalPa Musta.
Sitting with a 9-5-1 record, their lone loss in group play was to SaiPa Jusut. Since that loss back on Sept. 24, they have rattled off seven consecutive victories. If there was any pause to put KalPa Keltainen in the ‘best-of-the-best’ category among their peers, it’s that a majority of their games had come against lower-tier teams.
Yet, their sound win against Kalpa Musta may begin to silence critics and prove that this squad can run with the big dogs of their birth year.
When taking a close look at KalPa Keltainen, the numbers certainly jump off the page. They have been cutting through the competition with an explosive offense that has been averaging an astounding eight goals per game.
Leading this goal-scoring explosion is forward Sisu Mustonen, topping the team with 23 goals and 24 assists. He likes to score in bunches, collecting at least five points in seven games. Mustonen has also tallied four hat tricks; two of which were four-goal games.
Backing up the balanced attack of Mustonen are Reettu Tuovinen (13 goals, 29 assists) and Miro Happonen (10 goals, 22 assists). Impressive numbers for Happonen despite being held scoreless in two matchups.
These stat lines for all three players would be impressive over a season’s worth of action. However, given their performance in just a short time frame only speaks to their immense skill and potential to continue.
As if their contributions weren’t enough, four other players on the squad have at least 10 points to compliment the club’s scoring prowess.
Kalpa Keltainen is in prime position to not only use its success to rise up the World Rankings, but also continue to hold onto the top spot in their group.
For the next few weeks, they will continue group play before a rematch against Musta on Nov. 24. That opponent will surely be looking to avenge their shutout loss the last time the teams met.
If the offense continues to thrive, the sky is truly the limit for Keltainen. The rest of the season will serve as a challenging and important task for the team from Kuopio, Finland.
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The conclusion of the 2022 TV-Pucken takes place this weekend. Sweden’s annual U16 tournament features individual players representing 24 districts across the country. The field of teams were whittled down to eight after the first installment of the tournament in September. Remaining teams will compete for the TV-Pucken title in the second phase of the tournament this weekend. The final portion of the event will consist of a single-elimination playoff that starts on Friday.
This particular event is similar to that of Federal District Championships in Russia or Canada’s Youth Olympic Games. Individual players from various winter clubs are selected to represent their respective regions of the country. From there, they compete against top players from other districts in a quest to win a national championship.
The eight remaining districts competing for a national title include: Ångermanland, Gästrikland, Göteborg, Norrbotten, Småland, Stockholm North, Stockholm South and Västerbotten.
The TV-Pucken dates all the way back to 1959, and the championship games are broadcasted on national TV. The Stockholm District has won 17 titles between its North and South teams. North has won the last three tournaments and should certainly be considered the favorite to win a fourth in a row.
Forward Melvin Novotny plays in the regular season for the No. 10 ranked ‘07 team in the world, Täby HC. He is one of four players from Täby representing Stockholm North. Through the first phase of the TV-Pucken, Novotny led all scorers with six goals and 13 points. His Stockholm North teammate Eric Nilson scored seven goals and 12 points. Nilson is the lone representative from his winter club Järfälla HC, which is currently unranked.
That duo alone should make for matchup nightmares with other Districts this weekend. One opponent that could keep pace with North’s offense is Stockholm South. However, North and South are on opposite sides of the bracket and wouldn’t meet until the championship.
Additionally, Djurgårdens goaltender Hugo Severgårdh backstopped North to its two biggest victories in pool play. He made 13 saves in the 4-3 win over Stockholm South and 14 saves in a 3-2 win over Uppland District. Severgårdh has also played six games with the J18 squad this season, posting a .902 save percentage and 1.83 goals-against average. North has a couple options to put between the pipes, but Severgårdh provides a huge boost of confidence.
There’s one player that gives Norrbotten a chance against any opponent at TV-Pucken.
Love Härenstam.
The 6-foot-1 goaltender has proved to be one of the best 2007-born net minders in the country. He played as an under-ager last season on the U16 Djurgårdens squad that won a national championship. He’s compiled a 1.50 goals-against average and .938 save percentage in eight J18 games this season. Härenstam also played all five games of TV-Pucken pool play last month, making 64 saves and allowing just seven goals against for Norrbotten.
Great goaltending is the ultimate equalizer. Sprinkle in an elite-level forward like Jakob Ihs-Wozniak and Norrbotten has the makings of an underdog story.
Härenstam in net and Ihs-Wozniak on the wing are as good as anyone in the country. William Morin, Elias Selström and Oliwer Sjöström provide great secondary support as well. Expect Norrbotten to cruise past Småland in the quarterfinals and take Stockholm North right down to the wire in a semifinal matchup. The winner of that game should win the entire tournament.
It’s a long shot because they draw the odds–on favorite in the first round. However, if Vasterbotten can steal a game away from Stockholm North, the road to a championship could open up wide. It’ll be a tall task, given the talent previously mentioned that North possesses.
Vasterbotten may lack star power, but it does have good depth.
In pool play, as many as 10 skaters tallied four points or more through five games. The trio of Liam Hedman, Viktor Klingsell and Tim Dahlgren led the pack with eight points apiece. And while they finished third in Group B, Vasterbotten kept it close with both teams they trailed in the standings. Top-seeded Ångermanland defeated them 4-2 in a close game. Then, two goals in the final minutes of the game with second-seeded Norrbotten inflated the score to a 7-3 final.
A lot would have to go right for Vasterbotten to make a run. Commitment in the defensive zone, blocked shots and a big performance from a goaltender could be just enough to achieve a first-round upset. That happens, and all Hell could break loose.
The 2021 TV-Pucken tournament saw Stockholm North defeat Stockholm South 3-1 in the championship game. It was just the second time in tournament history that the finale featured an all-Stockholm matchup. All signs point to history repeating itself with the two teams representing the nation’s capital clashing in the championship again this weekend.
North should cruise through its first two games to reach the finale. South faces a bit tougher of a road, but still expect them to come out of its half of the bracket.
They skated to a 4-3 finish in the final game of pool play last month. Eric Nilson and Mattias Nyberg produced multi-point performances that day for Stockholm North. Nilson’s seventh goal of pool play put North on top with under 10 minutes to go in regulation.
Melvin Novotny will be a major player for a Stockholm North playoff run as well. The 5-foot-11 forward is widely regarded as a top forward in the country. The team’s offense should overwhelm most opponents over the weekend.
The only District with potential to match North’s firepower is its neighbors to the south. Power forward Anton Frondell should lead Stockholm South into a rematch for the championship on Sunday. Frondell along with Viktor Hedlund, Arvid Drott and Ruben Westerling will trade blows with heavily-favored Stockholm North.
Stockholm North tops Stockholm South in a nailbiter to win the national championship.
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With the 2022-23 season well underway, there have been some clubs that have stood above the rest. We look at a few programs across all countries and birth years to see who has established themselves as the “best of the best.”
The ’09 St. Louis AAA Blues experienced a fantastic month of October, going 12-2-0. They’ve held firm in the top two spots among U.S. teams since the rankings began for this season. The Blues have fared extremely well against most competition. A statement highlighted by their two-game sweep of No. 22 Dallas Stars Elite just two weeks ago.
Other highlights include two victories against No. 25 Windy City Storm. St. Louis also split two contests with a Top-10 U.S. team, the Los Angeles Jr. Kings, a 6-4 loss and 5-3 win.
Finding themselves ranked the No. 1 team among Canadian ‘08 clubs, the Vaughan Kings almost went unbeaten in October. The lone ‘blemish’ of their 12-1-0 record for the month was a 3-2 overtime loss to the North York Rangers on Oct. 2.
While the Kings began the month with a stretch of games against Canadian teams, the latter half of the month saw a change. Vaughan has faced off against some of the best the U.S. has to offer as well. Cross-border matchups are always exciting, and Vaughan showed they can handle even the top teams from another country.
Taking part in the Little Caesars Invitational, they went 5-0-0 en route to the championship. They beat the likes of American ranked No. 6 Little Caesars, No. 10 Pittsburgh Vengeance, and No. 2 Chicago Mission.
Viggbyholms IK has been lights out since the start of the youth hockey season, playing to a 16-0-1 record. While they did not have a busy month of October, their performance has been undeniable.
Kicking off their games with a modest showing at the Farsta Games, they collected back to back gold medals at the Nicklas Backstrom Cup and Nordic Youth Trophy, going undefeated at both.
With group play in full swing in Finland, Kiekko Espoo’s ‘07 team has gotten off to a stellar start. A 10-0-0 month has added to their overall 14-1-1 record.
Some may say that they have yet to face the top teams in their group, but you can only play the games that are scheduled. In October, they handled matchups against KalPa, Jokipojat, K-Vantaa, HYRI and HIFK. Aided by their explosive offense, which tallied 27 goals across six games, while only allowing seven.
An offense that is ignited by the two-way play of forwards Aapo Vanninen (6G, 15A) and Aleksi Kilpeläinen (11G, 9A).
Ranked No. 1 in Finland and No. 10 in the world, they are still the team to beat.
Much has been said of the 2010-born CSKA Moscow squad, and rightfully so. What they have been able to accomplish so far this season is nothing short of spectacular, currently sitting with a 21-0-0 record.
CSKA continued their winning ways against their fellow Russian programs this month. Victories over top Russian teams No. 4 Vityaz Podolsk, No. 2 Spartak Moscow. Wins over Lokomotiv Yaroslavl and Krylia Sovetov rounded out October as well.
Look no further than the dynamic duo of Nikita Sinikin (27G, 30A) and Roman Andreev (27G, 22A). Their ability to score seemingly at will has propelled CSKA to their position at the top.
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