Ilves and JYP clashed last Friday in one of the more exciting games of pool-play action at the 2023 Unikie U13 Spring Cup. A 2-1 win for JYP was one of six games decided by one goal on the first day of tournament action. Onni Olkkola’s goal with just under seven minutes left in the contest proved to be the game winner for JYP. The victory wrapped up a perfect 3-0-0 record in Group E. Ilves, despite the loss, finished second in the group.
It wouldn’t be the last time the two teams met in the tournament. Both JYP and Ilves managed to win in the semifinals to set the stage for a rematch on Sunday. Ilves jumped out to an early lead, thanks to a goal from Kalle Havakka six minutes into the game. However, 17 saves from Roni Rautiainen would hold Ilves to just the lone goal on the scoreboard. Veeti Virolainen, Terho Antila and Wäinö Tuomaala would fuel a comeback for JYP in a 3-1 championship victory. The win gave JYP its second of the tournament over Ilves, and fifth overall as they completed a 5-0-0 gold medal run.
Four of the top 10 scorers at the conclusion of the tournament all hailed from JYP. Kalle Viitanen led the tournament in scoring after producing back-to-back three-point games in pool play. He added another multi-point game in the semifinals against Kiekko-Espoo EKS to push his tournament total to five goals and eight points. Veeti Virolainen and Elias Rantanen also finished among the top scorers in the tournament with six points apiece. Rounding out JYP’s impressive lineup were Onni Olkkola, Terho Antila and Eliel Halonen, who all tied with five points.
Having a bevy of offensive options allowed JYP to dominate group play. Initially placed with Kiekko-Laser, Ilves and Kiekko-Espoo Blues, JYP outscored them all by a combined 14-1. Ilves was the lone team able to get a puck past Roni Rautiainen in net.
As a result of its first-place finish, JYP drew K-Espoo EKS in its semifinal game. Rantanen, Halonen and Olkkola all recorded at least three points in an 8-3 win. In the opposite semifinal, Ilves was matched with first-place finisher Tappara, who went 3-0-0 in group play. Juho Nyberg notched both goals and Mio Nieminen made 23 saves in a 2-0 win for Ilves. That set the stage for the championship rematch between JYP and Ilves.
With three of JYP’s top four scorers kept at bay, Ilves managed to get an early 1-0 lead. The trio of Viitanen, Rantanen and Olkkola combined for 11 of JYP’s 24 goals in the tournament. However in the championship, they struggled to find the back of the net in the rematch with Ilves. That’s when Terho Antila and Wäinö Tuomaala were able to break through, to gain a lead for JYP late in the championship.
The pair of goals from its depth players fueled JYP to a come-from-behind win over Ilves. The victory was their fifth of the weekend, and clinched the gold medal.
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After collecting just two points during Nacka HK’s group play schedule at the 2023 U15 Uplandia Trophy, Mikael Kim turned it on in the playoffs. With one of the hottest sticks among all skaters, Kim finished first in multiple offensive categories, including total points (8), goals (4) and assists (4). A run that led Nacka to the final game against AIK Hockey, where Kim played the hero by scoring an overtime goal to secure the championship.
Despite Kim’s slow start to the tournament, Arvid Ermeskog (4G, 2A) and Love Lorentzon (2G, 3A) did a majority of the heavy lifting in the points department during the group stage. Lorenzton had his best game during the second day of action, where he scored four points (2G, 2A) in an 8-0 win against Rauman Lukko. Ermeskog also recorded two multi-point performances in two of the team’s five group games.
With both players contributing to an impressive attack, Nacka finished its group schedule with a plus-14 goal differential, the best among all participating clubs. Strong offense and dependable defense would continue into the playoff rounds, where the team followed it up with a plus-six goal differential in three contests. While the points from Ermeskog and Lorentzon were not as prevalent, the stage was set for Kim to raise his profile at the tournament.
Kim helped Nacka open their playoff slate with a 6-4 victory against MoDo Hockey. It would be his best game statistically, tallying two goals and four points. He followed that up with a three-point performance in a 3-0 shutout of SDE Hockey. Following those victories, the lone club standing between Nacka and the championship was AIK.
Alexander Hedberg Bouveron opened the scoring in the first period when he finished off a pass from Liam Thunberg. Just 23 seconds after, Viggo Låhdö knotted the score at 1-1. Late in the period, Nacka would go back up 2-1 off a goal from Sam Tillström.
Max Balk managed to slip a shot by Gustav Stengård to even things up again in the second period. Chances continued back-and-forth in the third period, but neither side was able to convert.
Heading to overtime, Kim made quick work of the extra frame. He settled down a pass from Leo Schlegel and sent it into the net just 23 seconds in. The goal was his fifth of the tournament and 10th point overall. Nacka closes out 2022-23 with an Uplandia Trophy seven months after it began the season with a Sweden Hockey Trophy championship.
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From April 13-16th, 18 of the top 2008-born Swedish youth hockey teams will participate in the annual Uplandia Trophy. Five of those clubs are among the Top-10 programs in the WHH rankings. No. 1 Nacka HK, No. 5 Boo HC, No. 8 Linden HC, No. 9 AIK Hockey, and No. 10 Flemingsbergs IK. Adding a little wrinkle to the proceedings will be the addition of No. 6 Finland-ranked Tappara Sininen.
Each team will be tasked with five group-play games with a format of two 20-minute periods. With all of that in mind, let’s look at three teams who could contend for the championship at this year’s tournament.
Nacka comes in as one of the best teams of its birth year. With a 31-5-7 record to date, they have handled business quite well during regional group play. They finished first at the Sweden Hockey Trophy and third at the Folke Filbyter Cup this season. One thing that will certainly aid their search for a championship will be Oliver Sundberg. One of the most consistent skaters this season, Sundberg has compiled 15 goals and 22 points. That’s the second-most in the recent stretch of group play. In net, Gustav Stengård has been as reliable as any goaltender between the pipes. He’s compiled a respectable 1.58 goals-against average and .909 save percentage in group play. None of their initial five matchups come against ranked opponents, so Nacka should be able to hit the ground running right out of the gate.
Boo, much like Nacka, is a tested bunch when it comes to tournament play this year. After kicking off their season at the Sweden Hockey Trophy, they have since taken part in the Folke Lindström Cup and the Swedbank Trophy. At the Lindström Cup, dynamic duo of forward Viggo Fors and defenseman Olle Andersson made a splash on the scene. Additionally, Lukas Svensson is the current team leader in group play points with 25 (15G, 10A). Getting a majority of starts in net, Leon Andersson has garnered an impressive 1.21 goals-against average and .931 save percentage. If these players continue to produce similar resulets at Uplandia Trophy, they should contend for the top spot. With a first matchup scheduled against Flemingsbergs, it will take all hands on deck to open with a victory.
The team has participated in the Sweden Hockey Trophy, Folke Lindström Cup and secured bronze at the Nordic Youth Trophy. On top of tournament experience, Flemingsbergs sits first in its respective group division with a record of 17-3-1. I expect Salim Ismailov (20G, 17A) and Oliver Wall (14G, 20A) to do big things for their team. They finished as the first and third-most point getters in group play this season, respectively. Rounding out the potent power trio of forwards is Noel Dourrouj, who has collected 14 goals and 27 points.
For as dynamic as the offense is for Flemingsbergs, the Lindbom brothers provide a goaltending tandem that any team would be envious of. In group play, Benjamin Lindbom has recorded a 1.22 goals-against average and .935 save percentage with one shutout. Kevin Lindbom has collected a 1.27 goals-against average and .925 goals-against, with four shutouts. No matter who is in net, they give Flemingsbergs an ample boost. Flemingsbergs will open up Uplandia Trophy games against Boo, finishing up its remaining four games against unranked opponents.
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During the course of Finland’s U16 SM-Series Playoffs, numerous individuals displayed their talents in a tournament of the top teams in the country. Two of those players, Eetu Orpana and Joonas Rajala, were main reasons why Tappara was able to win its first national championship since 1998.
| Joonas Rajala Tappara | Olli Wahlroos TPS | Eetu Orpana Tappara |
For a majority of this season, Joonas Rajala and Eetu Orpana have filled scoresheets with their names. Providing a one-two punch up front for Tappara, much of the club’s success can be attributed to the way these two forwards play the game. Their dynamic play carried over into the national playoffs, where they each tallied 12 points in seven games. Rajala put up eight goals, while Orpana was more of a distributor of the puck, collecting eight assists.
Olli Wahlroos was one of the most consistent forwards for TPS en route to their run to the championship game. Wahlroos put up five goals and 11 points in 10 playoff games. He shined as a fantastic two-way player whose patience with the puck allowed teammates to find scoring opportunities. Wahlroos is a leader that makes those around him better.
| Ossi Tukio Ilves | Aaron Paju TPS |
Ossi Tukio led all defensemen in scoring with two goals and eight points, which was also good enough for third overall among all Ilves skaters. With a decent frame, his long reach prevented attacking players from being able to establish much zone time. With only two penalty minutes to his name, Tukio is rarely seen out of position.
Aaron Paju added complimentary scoring from the blue line for TPS, racking up one goal and seven points in 10 games. A mainstay on the power play because of his excellent puck movement, his lone goal came on the man advantage in the second game against Tappara.
| Eero Rönö Tappara |
Statistically, there was no better goaltender in the U16 SM-Series Playoffs than Eero Rönö. Compiling a .955 save percentage and 1.25 goals-against average, only five goals made their way past him in four starts. Constantly exhibiting calm demeanor in the crease, you would be hard pressed to find another 2007-born Finnish goalie who is as technically sound as he is. If not for a late power-play goal, Rönö would have secured a 30-save shutout in the Game 2 of the Finals against TPS. He made 23 saves in Game 1 as well.
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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.
Plenty of players stood out during Sweden’s U16 National Championship Tournament, which concluded last week with Brynäs IF defeating heavy favorite Täby HC in the final by a score of 7-2.
| Theo Stockelius Täby HC | Noa Bräutigam Växjö Lakers | Albin Laksonen Växjö Lakers |
Theo Stockselius was one of the most dependable scorers for Täby. Ending as the leading scorer among all skaters with eight goals and 19 points, he was a consistent source of offense. Playing in all situations, he collected six points on the power play while also adding four game-winning goals to his resume. Despite falling short in the championship game, Stockselius was arguably the best player at the tournament.
Whenever Noa Bräutigam was on the ice for the Växjö Lakers, good things usually followed. His ability to drive play was a large reason why goals usually piled up in the opponent’s net rather than Växjö’s when he was on the ice, resulting in his plus-12 rating. Known more for his playmaking ability, Bräutigam assisted on 11 goals, which led all players. By chipping in six goals as well, he finished fourth in overall points with 16.
No other player had the ability to find the back of the net like Albin Laksonen for Växjö. Equipped with an accurate shot, no goalie was able to prevent themselves from becoming a victim of Laksonen’s potent scoring prowess. He finished with 10 goals and seven assists to lead the Lakers in total points.
| Karl Annborn HV 71 | Justus Ehrnström Malmö Redhawks |
Karl Annborn and Justus Ehrnström both acted as fourth forwards for their respective teams at the tournament, each racking up nine points along with MoDo Hockey’s Erik Häggblad to lead all defensemen. Ehrnström brought size to the blue line, towering at six-foot-two and using a long reach to prevent opponents any time or space to set up an attack. Annborn managed to avoid any penalty minutes across six games, while Ehrnström was only penalized once.
| William Forsberg Brynäs IF |
William Forsberg played the most minutes of any goaltender, starting all eight games for Brynäs. In those starts, he compiled the second-best goals-against average (2.50) and third-best save percentage (.916) in the tournament. In the championship game, he made 31 saves, including 13 in the third period alone to backstop his club to its first-ever Sweden national championship. He was named tournament MVP as well.
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The U13 Resport Trophy and U14 Uplandia Trophy regularly close the book on the youth hockey season in Scandinavia. In Sweden and Finland, the only national tournaments at the youth hockey level happen at the U16 age level. So, teams in younger age groups compete at iconic events like Resport and Uplandia, serving as de facto season-ending tournaments.
The pair of events featured 50 teams at the A, AA and AAA levels. Participants hailed from the host country of Sweden, as well as Finland, Norway, Iceland, Latvia, Denmark and Austria.
Brinkens IF, the No. 1 ranked 2009 team in Sweden, proved why it’s the top-ranked team in the country. They went 8-0-0 to win the Uplandia Trophy in Sollentuna, Sweden. Meanwhile, 15 minutes away in the city of Solna, Lukko, earned the championship at Resport Trophy.
Both tournaments were full of top teams, with representation throughout Europe and Scandinavia.
From the opening game of the tournament, forward Viggo Mallmin dominated the AAA Division at Uplandia Trophy. He scored twice in Brinkens’ 4-0 win over Flemingsbergs IK. It was the second time that top-ranked Brinkens had played the No. 2 ranked FIK. Both resulted in shutouts in favor of Mallmin and Brinkens.
The left-handed forward continued to make his presence felt, scoring two goals in each of the next two games. In those games, Brinkens knocked off Diskos 6-0 and Bäcken HC 7-1. On the final day of pool play, Mallmin assisted on the game-winning goal in a 2-0 win over No. 7 Kållered SK. But his best performance came in a four-point game against Latvia’s Baltic Wolves, where Brinkens won 5-2.
That wrapped up a perfect 5-0-0 run in pool play that earned Brinkens the top seed in the playoffs.
They drew unranked Viggbyholms IK in the quarterfinals, and Mallmin and company made quick work of them with a 9-3 win. In the semifinals, a familiar foe waited in Flemingsbergs. The second time the two teams had met in the tournament — and third time this season — it was tied 3-3 at the halfway point of the game. In the second half, Ognjen Martinovic scored a pair of goals, while Oskar St. John-Parker, Eric Sevallius and William Fällström all found the back of the net as well. FIK had kept the game close as long as they could, but Brinkens’ offense eventually blew the doors wide open. An 8-3 final score would give Brinkens its third victory over FIK as well as a spot in the championship.
In the final, the top team in Sweden took on the top team from Austria, Red Bull Salzburg. A balanced attack put Red Bull into the championship, as five skaters came in averaging a point per game. Their lone blemish in the tournament thus far was a 4-3 overtime loss to Södertälje SK on the final day of pool play.
Red Bull played Brinkens tough; something they had done to opponents all tournament long. While Mallmin and Brinkens maintained a significant 3-to-1 edge in shots, the game remained close down to the wire. With Mallmin held off the scoresheet for the first time in the tournament, Sevallius saw an opportunity to step up. He scored three consecutive goals to provide Brinkens with enough of a cushion, as they hung on to a 4-2 championship win.
Other champions from the 2023 U14 Uplandia Trophy include SDE Hockey, who won the AAA Tier-2 playoffs. Iceland’s One Ice Stars won the AA Division as well with a 6-3 victory in the championship.
For the first time in five seasons, a team from Finland won the U13 Resport Trophy. The No. 4 ranked team in the country, Lukko was one of three Finnish teams in the AAA Division. The other five teams in the tournament’s top division included four that were among Sweden’s Top 10 and Latvia’s Baltic Wolves.
With a jam-packed field of talented teams, Lukko went 2-1-0 on the first day of the tournament. It’s lone loss was a 1-0 decision to Sweden’s No. 3 ranked Järfälla HC. The next day would bring another one-goal loss, this time 4-3 at the hands of Sweden’s No. 6 ranked Flemingsbergs IK.
Lukko entered the playoffs as the 3-seed, where they met Flemingsbergs for the second time in as many days. This time, though, Lukko would be victorious as the offense put 41 shots on goal to overwhelm FIK in a 4-3 win.
After making quick work of the Baltic Wolves in the semifinals, Lukko set its sights on another rematch. Järfälla, the top team in the tournament — and highest ranked in the field — had already defeated Lukko on Thursday.
The championship would be all blue and white right from puck drop. Kaapo Honkaheimo made it 1-0 Lukko less than two minutes into the game. Two minutes later, Joona Lautamäki made it 2-0. Sixty seconds later, Honkaheimo scored again to swell the early lead to 3-0. Then, after a four-minute lull in the action, Lautamäki struck again as well to make it a 4-0 lead heading into the half.
Lautamäki completed the hat trick 11 minutes into the second half, and Vilho Aaltonen scored his fifth goal of the tournament to wrap up the scoring.
The 6-0 final meant Lukko had won the U13 Resport Trophy, avenging both of its tournament losses in the process. It is the first time on record that a Finland-based club has won the event, as the trophy remained with a Sweden team each of the previous four tournaments.
Mälmö Redhawks Red won the AA Division championship with a 6-1-0 record. The A Division playoffs also went to a Finland-based team, as Ässät won 5-1 over Jarfalla.
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One was voted the most valuable player of the regular season, and the other led all skaters in goals. When push came to shove in Finland’s U16 SM-Series playoffs, both Eetu Orpana and Joonas Rajala were up to the task.
On Saturday, top-seeded Tappara completed the two-game sweep of No. 5 TPS with a dominant 6-1 win. It completed a near-perfect playoff run in which Tappara went 6-1-0, sweeping its opponents in the semifinal and championship rounds. A storied program in the country, it is the first time since 1998 that the club has won the U16 national championship.
After a scoreless first period, Orpana and Rajala burst the scoring wide open with three consecutive goals in an eight-minute span. It’s something they’ve made a habit of this season, as Orpana scored 35 goals and 80 points and Rajala totaled 38 goals and 73 points. The duo finished No. 1 and 2 in scoring among 2007-born skaters in the country. Additionally, they both notched 12 points in seven playoff games.
Orpana is a physical presence at 6-foot, right in the heart of the offense as the team’s top line center. The 5-foot-9 Rajala is a bit shiftier and crafty with the puck as a left-handed shooter on the off-wing. That tandem fueled Tappara all season long as they were a mainstay in Finland’s Top 10.
Finland’s U16 SM-Series playoffs is one of the more unique tournaments in youth hockey. With best-of-three series and four rounds, it’s the closest thing to resembling the NHL Playoffs as anything at this age level can get.
After a first-round bye, Tappara opened up with 10-seed HIFK. Seven goals from six different skaters allowed HIFK to pull off a stunning upset of Tappara 7-3 in Game 1. After that, it was all Tappara as they bounced back to win both Game 2 and Game 3 to advance to the semifinals. There, they made quick work of KalPa, out-scoring the No. 6 seed 7-1 in two games.
In the U16 SM-Series Finals, Tappara’s offense was just too much for TPS to keep down.
Rajala and Orpana led an offensive attack that scored six goals in Game 1. First-period tallies by Juho Kuisma and Lennart Louvanto put Tappara out in front in the first nine minutes of the game. That lead — while TPS was able to cut into it at times — would not be relinquished, as they pulled away late in a 6-3 final.
The offense was a bit delayed in the championship, as the two teams skated to a scoreless first period. Once Orpana and Rajala broke through in the second period, however, the floodgates soon opened. Atte Joki made it 4-0 with less than two minutes to go in the period, set up by Rajala. And after the second intermission, Eemil Kokkonen and Elias Paavola would increase the lead to 6-0 with back-to-back goals four minutes apart.
TPS scored a goal late to make it a 6-1 final. It marked the third consecutive game that Tappara’s offense eclipsed the five-goal mark. As a team, they achieved that feat 29 times this season, finishing as the No. 1 seed in the tournament and ultimately, overall champion of the U16 age group.
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An extensive history of coming up just short in the Sweden U16 SM-Playoffs finally came to an end on Friday. Brynäs IF defeated heavily favored Täby HC 7-2 to claim its first ever Sweden national championship.
A tournament that dates all the way back to the 1971-72 season, Brynäs had never taken home gold. In the past 10 tournaments, the club qualified for the Final Four on six occasions. Four times, suffering defeat in the championship game. They had been unable to get over the hump, until twin brothers Theo Östberg and Hugo Östberg combined to score five points in a dominant championship performance.
Hugo scored just 1:09 into the second period to make it a 2-0 game. Theo closed out the period with his own goal that pushed the lead to 4-1. Both would factor in on goals in the waning stages of the game to close out the 7-2 final.
The duo led Brynäs throughout the tournament, combining to score six goals and 14 points. Linemate Leo Sundqvist added six goals and 10 points of his own, to make Brynäs’ top line one of best at nationals.
Despite being unranked throughout the entirety of the 2022-23 season, the win brings Brynäs its first ever U16 national championship. They went 19-5-4 in West Region action, finishing as the No. 1 team. None of the seven other teams in their region had been ranked this season either. Additionally, they were absent from many of the major 2007-born tournaments during ‘22-23, like Sweden Hockey Trophy.
Entering the tournament as a relative unknown, Brynäs made its presence felt in first-round group play. They swept Örebro HK, Frölunda HC and HV 71 in consecutive games to earn the No. 1 seed and advance to the second round. None of the teams in Group D had been ranked this season either.
On the second weekend, Brynäs again swept its way through group play. There, they defeated Malmö Redhawks, Växjö Lakers and a second victory over HV 71. Again, none of the opponents in this group had reached the Top 10 in the country.
It wasn’t until a semifinal matchup with No. 3 MoDo Hockey that Brynäs crossed paths with a Top-10 team. Aron Dahlqvist and Melwin Larsson opened up the scoring in the first period. That gave Brynäs a lead that it would not relinquish, as four more goals from four different scorers would eliminate MoDo 6-2.
The championship game would present Brynäs with just its second game of the season against ranked opponents. Täby, a club that peaked at No. 1 and held the top spot for 20 weeks this season, stood in the way.
Gustav Hillström would open the scoring 12 minutes into the championship. Then, 1:09 into the second period, Hugo Östberg would score his 21st goal of the season to put Brynäs in a familiar spot; playing with the lead. Michal Svrcek would add a third goal before Täby’s offense was able to respond. But by the time top-ranked Täby got on the board, it would be too little too late. Theo Östberg would score his 16th goal of the season, and Brynäs would add three more goals late to pull away with a 7-2 final.
Brynäs making history as champions for the first time was certainly the highlight of the Sweden U16 national championship. There were plenty of other noteworthy performances as well, like Täby’s Theo Stockselius, who led the tournament in scoring. He scored eight goals and 19 points in eight games. Forward Albin Laksonen from the Växjö Lakers led all skaters with 10 goals. He was a proven goal scorer all season with 29 goals in 26 games. HV 71’s Karl Annborn and Malmö Redhawks’ Justus Ehrnström tied for the lead with nine points to top all defensemen.
No goaltender in the tournament played more minutes than Brynäs’ William Forsberg. The 6-foot-2 netminder started all eight games for the eventual champion, with the second-best goals-against average (2.50) and third-best save percentage (91.60) in the tournament. He made 31 saves in the championship game, including 13 in the third period alone.
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This weekend, Sweden’s U16 SM-Playoffs will continue when the final four remaining teams kick off the semifinal round of action on Thursday. MoDo Hockey will take on Brynäs IF, and IFK Täby HC will clash with Växjö Lakers in single elimination contests.
MoDo is searching for its first U16 age group championship since 2002. The other three teams are looking to make history, as not one of them has ever won the U16 SM-Playoffs in the tournament’s 51-year history.
No other team’s performance to date this postseason has raised eyebrows more than MoDo. Getting off to a hot start in the opening round by knocking out fellow WHH-ranked Djurgårdens IF, MoDo used that victory as a jumpstart to their engine. In Group E contests, Elton Hermansson was a bright spot. A strong run of play allowed him to lead the team in scoring with one goal and five points in three games. In total, he has scored 11 points (4G, 7A) across six playoff games to date.
They will need continued contributions from him if there is any hope to offensively match the production that has been carried out by Brynäs. Leading the Brynäs attack that outscored opponents 22-10 in three Group F victories was Hugo Östberg with three goals and six points. There was also a steady stream of offense from the blue line, thanks to Elias Kedling (5G). His sudden emergence as a dependable scoring threat only bolsters an already potent attack. As a bonus, he led all defensemen in Group F in scoring.
Attempting to aid in the shutting down of that attack will be MoDo’s Edvin Lindqvist. In the last three games, he posted a 2.50 goals-against average and .920 save percentage. Lindqvist will be tasked with slowing down Brynäs, which seems to have hit its stride coming out of the latest group contests.
For a large part of this season, Täby has continuously reaped the rewards that the play of its power trio of Theo Stockselius, Marcus Nordmark and Melvin Novotny has provided. They rounded out the top five in scoring en route to boosting their club to a 3-0-0 Group E finish. If this game gets into a goal-scoring frenzy, Täby’s skaters will at least have the presence of mind that they will have Vincent Österlund between the pipes for any needed heroics.
Although Växjö will want to avoid a game plan of trading goals, it will be bringing talent to the matchup to do so should things trend that way. Making up the main point getters for the Lakers are Noa Bräutigam, Olle Ågren and Albin Laksonen. This group was one of the most dominant lines in the opening round of the playoffs, and have continued to wreak havoc for opponents tasked with defending them.
While those three will be aiming to match the high-powered offense of Täby, trying to contain it will be Malte Brolin and Theo Dahl. Both defensemen had a solid start to the postseason, and have continued to chip in the occasional point. However, they are known mostly for consistent thwarting of opposing team’s attacks, and will be relied upon heavily in this matchup. Two squads that are deep on scoring talent should make for some exciting fireworks when the puck is dropped.
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