A packed field of 48 2009-born teams participated in the 2023 Göteborg Ice Hockey Cup last week in Gothenburg, Sweden. One program among the vast field of participants stood out from the pack with a pristine championship run.
That team was Nacka HK.
For those unfamiliar with the tournament, six groups of teams were each split into four divisions. The top two teams from the initial days of play would move on to a new playoff group. From there, a third playoff bracket for the group would be created. Teams in this group would battle to create seeding for the semifinal and final matches.
Nacka began its slate of games in a group with Brynäs IF, Lorenskög IK and Hisingens IK, going 3-0-0 and outscoring them 23-5. The second batch Nacka would be placed into consisted of Brynäs, along with TPS Turku and Bäcken HC. A second 3-0-0 run of play would be in the cards, this time by holding opponents to just seven goals across the three games.
With a 6-0-0 marker to that point, Nacka showed why it was deserving of the No. 5 spot in Sweden in the World Rankings. Their road ahead, however, would get more difficult, with matchups against No. 7 Kållered SK, No. 8 AIK Hockey and No. 9 IF Malmö Redhawks.
Undaunted by the task before them, they dispatched Malmö 3-0 in their opening tilt. After edging out a 5-4 victory over Kållered, they handedly bested AIK 6-0. A third undefeated run set the stage for a seminal appearance against No. 2 IFK Täby HC.
The final two games of Nacka’s run would prove to be the toughest. In a tight, low-scoring 1-0 game, Nacka was able to knock off Täby. The only hurdle remaining in their way to finishing with an unblemished record was a rematch with Kållered.
And the fans would get what they wanted in a spirited final contest between the two.
Gustav Corneliusson would kick off the scoring in the first period, where things would stay until late in the second. Nacka’s offensive dynamo Oliver Sundberg would tie things up on the power play, forcing overtime.
After both sides exchanged chance after chance in a thrilling overtime period, the game headed to a shootout. Sundberg secured a goal on his first attempt, but the next four shooters would miss. Albin Lindström would tie the shootout on the fifth attempt, but then missed his next shot. Sundberg would also miss his second opportunity, as would Wiggo Forsberg. As a result, the win was there for the taking if Sunberg could bury his third chance. With the drama reaching a climactic point, Sundberg played hero once again and beat Kållered’s William Thegerström for the second time in the skills contest.
The bow was put on Nacka’s 11-0-0 record and Series A gold medal.
In total, Nacka’s potent offense was bolstered by Sundberg’s 24 goals and 30 points, good enough totals for second most points of the tournament. Love Lorentzon’s nine goals and 20 points would be second for the team, followed by William Canemyr (8G, 10A) and Carl Eiritz (5G, 11A). Four players nabbing over 80 points across 11 games, proving Nacka has depth most clubs dream about.
No other player at the U13 Nacka Trophy found their name on the scoresheet more than Joakim Dahl. Playing in seven games for Haninge Anchors HC, he tallied 11 goals and 18 points in 11 games. Leading his club all the way to an appearance in the championship game against HS Riga.
After kicking things off with a 10-1 loss to Festival HT, Haninge rattled off five consecutive wins to reach the final match with Riga. Two highlights of their streak were a 9-2 victory over No. 10 SDE Hockey and besting Festival in a rematch, this time in the semifinals, 2-1. Dahl’s best individual performance came against the No. 8 Lindingö Vikings, where he collected four points (3G, 1A).
Despite putting up a valiant effort in the final matchup by Haninge, Riga pushed through in a 5-4 win. They were the only opponent able to keep Dahl from netting any points in a game. Not an easy feat but a large part of why they were able to skate away with the gold medal.
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Each week, World Hockey Hub highlights a few of the most exciting upcoming games in youth hockey. Two of the top 2007-born teams in the U.S. kick off our slate of games to watch this week. Shattuck-St. Mary’s plays host to Little Caesars on Friday in a Top-25 tilt. The next day, Dynamo Moscow and Dynamo Spartak tangle in a Top-10 matchup between 2010s in Russia. The week concludes with a double-header on Sunday. First, a matchup in Sweden between Nacka and Täby. Then, a clash in Canada between Toronto Jr. Canadiens and Don Mills Flyers.
2007-born No. 15 Shattuck-St. Mary’s (24-10-3) will kick off the second half of its 2022-23 season with a three-game set against No. 2 Little Caesars (47-3-2).
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| Friday, January 13 @ 7:00 PM MST Shattuck-St. Mary’s Ice Arena |
Caesars likes to score…a lot. With a plus-189 goal differential, it has been nearly impossible for any team to slow down their offense. As a result, this series will come down to the ability of SSM’s goaltending to keep the puck out of the net.
Grayson Hanggi and Garrett Glaser have pretty much split duties between the pipes this season. Glaser has seen action in 19 games compared to Hanggi’s 18. The stat lines for both are also similar. Hanggi has compiled a 11-5-2 record, with a 2.12 goals-against average and .906 save percentage with two shutouts. Glaser is 13-5-1, with a 2.02 goals-against and 9.19 save percentage, with three shutouts.
Both should see action across the three games, and are preparing to face massive amounts of rubber thrown their way from the Motor City boys.
Before the long holiday layoff, Shattuck took two out of three against the No. 10 U.S.-ranked Pittsburgh Penguins Elite.
Pete’s Pick: To come out of a holiday break against the top team in your birth year is a daunting task for anyone. And Caesars just hasn’t lost that often. Just their third loss all season came against the Toronto Marlboros at the Marlies Holiday Classic. It might take a game or two for Shattuck to shake off the rust as well. Pulling off a sweep is tough no matter how talented a team is, so I will give SSM the chance to take one game, but Little Caesars takes the series, 2-1.
Craig’s Pick: Shattuck has only lost three games at home all season. Lots of teams at every age group have traveled to Faribault, Minnesota, to take on the Sabres, just to fall in defeat. It’s a tough barn to win in. However, I actually think Caesars does it not once, not twice, but three times this weekend. LC may be the pound-for-pound best youth hockey team in America. There’s multiple high-level prospects on this team, and I don’t know that anyone in the country can compete with them right now. Series sweep for Caesars.
No. 8 Nacka HK (19-4-4) and its leading scorer Oliver Sundberg will face fellow ‘08 Swedish foe No. 12 IFK Täby HC (21-6-1) on Sunday.
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| Sunday, January 15 Tibble Ishall |
Sundberg has put up six goals and seven points thus far into group play. Trying to counteract that production will be Max Johanssén of Täby, who currently sits at five goals and eight points.
Those two will try to fill the back of the net, but will have to contend with two of the best goalies in order to do so.
Statistically, Täby’s David Eriksson and Nacka’s Gustav Stengård are the second and third best goalies of their birth year in Sweden, respectively. The numbers for each jump right off the stat sheet. Eriksson has gone 2-1-0, with a 1.67 goals-against and.924 save percentage. Stengård has manned the crease for five games, going 3-1-1 with a 1.42 goals-against and .916 save percentage.
It will be the first time these two teams will meet since Täby bested Nacka, 2-1 in the semifinals at the Folke Filbyter Cup back in October. In that game, Stengard started for Nacka, making 38 saves on 40 shots. Caspar Lampe was the goaltender for Täby.
Pete’s Pick: Given the talent in net for this one, I expect a hard-fought, low scoring game. With each goalie knowing who is on the other end of the ice, the ability to make the necessary saves will be paramount. Stengard and Nacka get the best of Täby in the revenge game, 3-1.
Craig’s Pick: These two clubs are very evenly matched. They follow one another in our World Rankings, and they’ve played each other to one-goal games this season. Viggo Björck scored a pair of goals in their October matchup to give Täby the 2-1 win. I think the outcome again rests on his shoulders. Björck gets on the scoresheet, Täby wins (again). Nacka holds him at bay, and they win. Björck and Täby to win again, this time by a 4-2 finish.
For the fourth time this season, No. 1 Toronto Jr. Canadiens (32-8-1) will lace up the skates against No. 3 Don Mills Flyers (38-4-4) eager to tie the season series up.
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| Sunday, January 15 @ 1:55 PM EST Scotiabank Pond 1 |
The Flyers have gotten the better of the Jr. Canadiens in the first two matchups of the season, by scores of 5-2 and 4-1. In their most recent battle on Dec. 13, Toronto shut out the Flyers, 3-0. Each club has put up at least 150 goals to date, and has not allowed more than 50. With tight defensive units and potent offenses, one of them is bound to cancel the other out.
With the Flyers entering the contest unbeaten in their last nine and the Jr. Canadiens winners of four straight, fans can expect the very best from each team as they hope to continue their success into the start of the New Year.
Pete’s Pick: While the Flyers have been playing stronger competition as of late and getting wins, I think the Jr. Canadiens come out with a little extra fire wanting to tie up the season series. They take a high-scoring 4-3 final.
Craig’s Pick: I wouldn’t wanna face either of these teams at the moment. They’re No. 1 and No. 2 in Canada for good reason. The Jr. Canadiens have suffocated just about every opposing offense they’ve faced… Except one. Don Mills is one of two teams this season to score four or more goals on the Jr. Canadiens, and they’ve done it twice. The Flyers might not tally four goals, but I do think they win. I’m feeling a 3-2 finish here.
No. 10 Dynamo Moscow (15-9-0) hopes to finally end up in the win column in their third game against No. 5 Spartak Moscow (31-7-0) this weekend. Spartak has won the previous two matchups, outscoring Dynamo 11-6.
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| Logos Saturday, January 14 |
Despite not being able to keep the high-octane attack of Spartak in check in their first outing, Dynamo kept things close in a 5-4 loss on Oct. 22. In that game, Spartak’s leading scorer Artem Korolev got the scoring started in what was a back-and-forth contest all game. For any hope of getting their first win of the season against Spartak, Dynamo will have to contain Korolev’s insane production, currently at 38 goals and 74 points.
Arseniy Rychagov (5G, 14A) and Yegor Groza (5G, 9A) will try to combine their efforts to boost Dynamo.
Pete’s Pick: Spartak has simply been one of the more dominant Russian squads of their birth year, and I don’t expect them to drop this result. They handle Dynamo in a 4-1 win.
Craig’s Pick: Eleven goals against in their previous two games. For Dynamo Moscow to win, they’ve got to do something they haven’t done yet. Stop — or even just slow down — Spartak’s offensive attack. I believe Dynamo can trade goals with Spartak; they’ve done it already this season. However, that also proved to be an ineffective approach. I just don’t think Dynamo is strong enough defensively to beat Spartak here. I’m gonna roll with the favorite to win its third game of the season series.
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Five teams closed out the 2022 calendar year with impressive runs in December. It was a big stretch for 2007-born teams like Kiekko-Espoo, Little Caesars, Toronto Marlboros and Täby HC. Not forgetting the performance from ‘06 Spartak Moscow, either. WHH takes a look at a few programs across all countries and birth years that established themselves among the best of the best in youth hockey.
2007-born Little Caesars has been on an absolute tear. Heading into the month of December, they were in the midst of a 35-game unbeaten streak. They carried that hot stretch into last month, where they rattled off 11 straight victories. During that time, they bested two Top-10 teams. No. 10 U.S.-ranked Compuware fell 9-3 and No. 7 Canadian-ranked Southern Tier Admirals, defeated by a final score of 4-1.
Riding that momentum, they then were tasked with a semifinal showdown at the Marlies Classic against the No. 1-ranked ‘07 team in the world, Toronto Marlboros. While Caesars may have come up short in the contest, they didn’t go down without a fight, being eliminated 4-3 in overtime. That was only Caesars’ third loss of the season, bringing their overall record to an impressive 45-3-2.
It was generally a slow month across all birth years for Finnish youth hockey, but top-ranked 2007-born Kiekko-Espoo laced up its skates for five matchups. Winners of all five, the highlight of their schedule was a tilt against No. 4 HIFK on Dec. 10.
In a back-and-forth-affair, K-Espoo placed its faith in Aapo Vannine and Tomas Racz, who both tallied a goal and assist each. Across the club’s five victories of the month, they outscored opponents 35-9.
Kiekko now sits at 25-3-1 overall for the season.
While the victory against Little Caesars was one of the highlights of their December, the Marlboros experienced much more success than that. After kicking off the month with back-to-back losses against No. 10 Mississauga Senators and Vaughan Kings, they got back on track rattling off 12 wins.
Their biggest victories occurred in the Marlies Holiday Classic, where after edging Caesars, the No. 11 world-ranked Halton Hurricanes stood in the Marlies’ way. Staying true to their reputation of an offensive powerhouse, they rolled past Halton 4-1 to nab the gold medal.
Ending the month with a 12-2-0 record and primed with a plus-145 goal differential. The Marlboros will look to continue their extensive win streak into the New Year.
No. 12 IFK Täby HC further proved in December that their spot in the world rankings is no fluke.
And that when it comes to ‘07 Swedish teams, they stand out above the rest.
In six games the club had in group play, five were against programs in the Top 10 of Sweden. First, they topped No. 8 SDE Hockey with a 7-4 win. Then Täby topped Solna SK, 4-0.
‘The season of giving’ continued as Täby handed out , a 7-3 decision to No. 9 Flemingsbergs IK. Then, followed it up with a 4-1 showing against No. 2 Djurgårdens IF. Putting a stamp on the 6-0-0 stretch were victories over No. 5 Södertälje and No. 3 Nacka HK.
Viggo Björck and Isac Nilsson stand as the current team leaders in point scoring. Björck tallied six goals and 15 points. Nilsson just behind compiled six goals and 10 points across the team’s six games.
No. 4 Spartak Moscow did not have the busiest December, but they made sure to get results in the five games they played. Garnering a 4-1-0 record, three of their matchups came against teams not only in the Top 10 of Russia, but among the Top 25 in the world rankings.
A close 3-2 win against No. 5 Dynamo Moscow would kick off their slate of games. But their next meeting with No. 2 CSKA Moscow would be a frenetic, high-scoring affair, with Spartak escaping with a 6-5 win.
No. 18 Lokomotiv Yaroslavl would end Spartak’s eight-game winning streak. The next weekend, Spartak knocked off Lokomotiv 2004 Yaroslavl in a 3-1 decision. One final win, 4-2 over No. 7 Krylia Sovetov, would close out the month for Spartak.
Ivan Kosarev led the team in December with six goals and 13 points. Overall leading scorer Silantiy Kozhushko would pot four goals and nine points.
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The 2007-born No. 4 Bishop Kearney Selects laced up the skates against three Canadian opponents last week. After tying the Waterloo Wolves 1-1, their schedule strengthened with dates with No. 5 Halton Hurricanes and No. 8 Peterborough Petes. A 3-1 win against the Petes was secured but the Selects dropped a tough matchup against the Hurricanes, 5-1.
All eyes were on the premier tilt between No. 1 Toronto Marlboros and No. 2 Little Caesars at the Marlies Holiday Classic. More than bragging rights were on the line in this one. It was an opportunity for each club to not only prove their standing within their own country but in the global youth hockey landscape as well.
The Marlboros came into the game winners of 10 straight, while the last loss for Caesars came all the way back on Aug. 28th. An astounding stretch of 46 unbeaten games, which recently included a 4-1 W against No. 23 Southern Tier Admirals. Undaunted however, the Marlboros managed to dig deep and slip out a 4-3 victory, validating their place at the top.
There was movement among the Top 10 for 2008-born Sweden teams, thanks largely to contests from the Folke Lindström Cup. Boo HC, who went undefeated at the tournament to win gold, bumped up to the No. 4 spot. Silver medalists Mälarö Hockey also used a strong showing to slide up to No. 5.
Both sides will try and use the confidence gained from their tournament run to translate into league-play wins. Boo currently has a 2-0-4 record in Sweden’s Group Play, compared to the 5-1-1 record of Mälarö. Stronger results in the win column could mean more upward movement as the second half of the season progresses.
No. 3 Dynamo Moscow attempted to hold onto its grasp of the top spot among 2008-born Russian teams. However, they could not contain the dynamic play of No. 1 CSKA Moscow’s premier point scorers.
This season, Roman Rizvanov has collected 27 goals and 36 points for CSKA. In the game against Dynamo, he factored in on all six goals his squad managed to throw into the back of the net. Following the win, CSKA managed to defeat Lokomotiv Yaroslavl, 5-2, to further bump them to the No. 1 position.
Be sure to check out the complete world rankings, including Top 10s by country and World Top 25s for each of the 2006, 2007, 2008, 200, 2010 and 2011 birth years.
2008-born teams in Sweden got the year-end fireworks started a little early by taking part in the Folke Lindström Cup last week. Hosted by No. 9 Swedish-ranked Malmö Redhawks, ten programs in total were split into two groups for preliminary-round action.
Group A consisted of No. 7 Djurgårdens IF, No. 5 Boo Hockey, Flemingsbergs IK, Limhamn Hockey and the Redhawks. Group B housed the Växjö Lakers, No. 6 Mälarö Hockey, HC Olomouc, Frisk Asker, and Rögle BK.
But it was Boo emerging victorious as the gold medal winners, aided largely by the offensive output provided by Viggo Fors and Olle Andersson.
Fors kickstarted Boo’s run by potting the team’s first two goals of the tournament. It led to an eventual 4-1 win in their first game against Djurgårdens. Andersson also garnered his first points of the Cup by tallying two assists. Following that win, Boo was unsuccessful in their next two attempts at a victory. They would end group play with back-to-back ties against Flemingsbergs and Malmö.
Needing a spark to get back in the win column, Fors (2G, 2A) and Andersson (1G, 1A) stepped up with multi-point performances in a 7-1 triumph over Limhamn. They would collect wins in their next two outings, setting the stage for a meeting against Mälarö for the gold.
Mälarö jumped out to an early lead just 12 seconds into the contest off of Patrick Kleffner’s tournament-leading ninth goal and 14th point. Their lead would then double around eight minutes into the second period. Sensing time slipping away, Fabian Spjuth got Boo on the board with his second goal of the tournament.. Close to three minutes later, Hugo Mikaelsson would knot things up off a fantastic feed from Lukas Svensson. With both sides trading chances to end regulation, the winner could not be found.
After trading chances back and forth to end regulation, both sides would have to dig deeper in a winner-take-all overtime. Ranked No. 5 and No. 6 in the country, it was only fitting that the two needed overtime to settle their differences. Just 31 seconds into the extra frame, though, Fors found the back of the net for the gold-medal winning tally.
In total, Fors (5G, 4A) and Andersson (3G, 6A) would finish leading Boo in points and tied for second with two other skaters for total points across the entire field. Statistically, the top goalie of the weekend also wore Boo’s uniform. Leon Andersson picked up where he left off in group play, leading all goaltenders with a .930 save percentage. He also collected two shutouts as well.
Boo would end their run at 5-0-2, with Malmö (3-2-1) securing silver and Växjö (4-1-1) receiving bronze.
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Florida Alliance captured the 2023 Champions League title this past weekend in their home state. It was a pair of prolific scorers leading the way at various points of the tournament.
Justin Fernandez and Trevor Daley were unstoppable at different times, creating a one-two punch that carried the 2009-born club to a 6-1-0 record. That was enough to earn a tournament championship against international competition at the Florida Panthers IceDen.
Fernandez led the Alliance in scoring through the round-robin play to kick things off in a big way. He registered five goals and five assists in four games; a more than two-point-per game average. Only a collection of Finnish skaters — Toomas Reijonen, Aleksi Leinonen and Jusso Fredrikson — topped or matched Fernandez in preliminary-round scoring.
With that impressive display of offensive production, teams knew they had to keep tabs on Fernandez heading into playoffs. There, he was contained to five total points in three games. Still an impressive stat line but certainly slowed from his round-robin pace.
So that’s when Trevor Daley took over.
In the quarterfinals against the NA Stars, Daley recorded two goals and an assist to power the Alliance to a 7-1 win. The son of former Stanley Cup champion Trevor Daley, he set up Florida’s first goal, which evened the score 1-1 in the middle of the first period. Then, the younger Daley went on to score the go-ahead goal eight minutes later.
Daley added another strike in the second period to make the score 5-1. That effectively putting the game out of reach and secured the win for his Alliance squad.
In the semifinals, Daley again helped the Alliance to victory with a 6-3 win over Finland-based Tappara. Florida was the only team to beat Tappara in the tournament, after they prevailed 5-1 in the preliminary round on Dec. 29th. In the New Year’s Eve semifinal rematch, Daley posted a goal and two assists. First, he set up Reese Tracy’s goal that made it 2-0 early in the first period. Later on, Daley scored to make it a 5-3 game before getting the second assist on Fernandez’s power-play goal. That performance solidified Alliance’s spot in the final.
The scoring spree from Daley continued into the final. He factored into all but one of Alliance’s goals in a 5-1 victory over SPA Futures. After Logan Anderson scored a goal for Florida early in the first period, Daley set up Fernandez for another tally. Daley wasn’t done there, as he scored a short-handed goal after that. Florida went up 3-0 quickly.
After SPA scored to pull within two, Daley found the back of the net for his second goal of the night. And moments later, he’d put a bow on his performance — and the team’s tournament run — by setting up Fernandez once again to round out a four-point night.
Daley finished with 13 points in the tournament, while Fernandez had 15. Additionally, Reese Tracy registered 14 points in the seven contests. While Daley, Fernandez and Tracy led the charge up front, it was Nello Torriero taking care of business at the other end. He logged every minute of goaltending duties for Florida, finishing with a 6-1-0 record, a .854 save percentage and 1.86 goals-against average with one shutout. In five of his seven games, he held the opposition to a one goal or fewer.
SPA came up short in the championship game, but it wasn’t from a lack of effort from two talented forwards. Samuel Pisarcik led the playoffs in scoring with 10 points in three games, while Oliver Ozogany had seven.
Pisarcik, a forward from HK Dukla Trenčín in Slovakia, finished the tournament with 14 points over his seven games. Ozogany, a forward who plays for HOBA Bratislava in Slovakia in the regular season, had 13 during his trip to Florida.
With the tournament all wrapped up, Fernandez ended up leading the whole field in scoring with 15 points. Tracy was right behind him with 14, as was the aforementioned Pisarcik of SPA and Reijonen of the Kiekko-Espoo Blues out of Finland. Reijonen was the only skater to produce that many points in just six games, compared to seven for the rest of the group.
Kasper Aihinen of Kiekko-Espoo finished with a .901 save percentage and 2.57 goals-against average in five games – he was the only goaltender to crack the .900 save percentage mark. Torriero, as previously mentioned, posted a 1.86 goals-against over his seven contests for tops in that category.
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Each week, World Hockey Hub highlights a few of the most exciting upcoming games in youth hockey. From the hottest rivalries to the biggest tournaments, we focus on matchups that will impact the landscape among top teams in the sport. This week’s action features plenty of international matchups from tournaments like Champions League in Florida, Marlboros Holiday Classic in Ontario and Folke Lindström Cup in Sweden.
There will be plenty of first-time meetings and intriguing matchups when play begins at the second-annual Champions League in Coral Springs, Florida, this Wednesday. Eight 2009-born teams from Europe and North America will take to the ice in the hopes of being crowned champions.
Day one will see one of the premier teams in Slovakia, HC Slovan, going up against Tappara.
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| Wednesday, December 28 @ 5:45 PM EST Panthers IceDen |
Pete’s Pick: This will pit top talent against top talent, with both programs being popular names in their respective countries. Tappara mainly has their players divided into different squads throughout group play, such as Tappara Sininen, Tappara Musta etc. Bringing the “cream of the crop” onto one team to go against the best from other European teams should be a recipe for success. I expect high offense and both goaltenders for each side to be working overtime in this one, an eventual 5-4 win for Tappara.
Craig’s Pick: I’m very curious to see how the Finns stack up in this international tournament. Last year, Kiekko went 0-6-0 as the lone representative in the event from Finland. I think Tappara — and Kiekko in its return trip to the tournament — fares better this time around. However, I like Slovan to win the matchup here in a scrappy one, 4-2.
On the second day of action, Mountfield HK will battle Kiekko-Espoo in a game that is sure to keep the scorekeepers busy. Mountfield enters competition as one of the best youth hockey teams in the Czech Republic. Countering their top-tier talent will be a roster full of the best Finland has to offer.
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| Thursday, December 29 @ 8:00 AM EST Panthers Iceden |
Pete’s Pick: Kiekko-Espoo Blues I and II hold down the top two spots in the Top 10 of ‘09 Finnish teams. Compiling a team of the best players from those two rosters, as well as No. 8 K-Espoo EPS 1, and you are bound for success. If K-Espoo brings even just half the top scorers that make up those blues teams, Mountfield is in for a long morning. With both offenses possibly canceling each other out, this one will come down to goaltending. K-Espoo wins in a high-scoring 5-4 affair.
Craig’s Pick: The Czechs typically tend to play a balanced style of hockey between skill and toughness. Kiekko-Espoo may out-skill Mountfield in this matchup, but the Czechs are just a little bit grittier here. I’ll take Mountfield in a 3-2, grind-it-out type of game.
From Dec. 27 – 29th, 2008-born teams will take part in the 2022 Folke Lindström Cup. Some of the very best the country — and birth year — has to offer will be in action, as four clubs in the Top 10 will take to the ice.
Overall, 10 teams will be split into two groups of five. Group A houses most of the premier teams like No. 5 Boo Hockey, No. 7 Djurgärdens IF, and No. 9 Mälmo Redhawks. The only ranked team in Group B is No. 6 Mäläro Hockey.
Flemingsbergs IK and Rögle BK — two bubble teams — will also be participants in group A and B, respectively. A strong performance by either could increase their chances of cracking the Top 10.
Here are a few matchups to keep an eye on this week…
Pete’s Pick: Back on Dec. 8, Boo edged out a 2-1 win over their current group opponent Djurgärdens. There is sure to be some carry over from that tilt, with the latter club wanting to get revenge for the loss. These two teams are the second game of the first day of the tournament, so early fireworks are to be expected. The winner in this one could get a nice boost in confidence for the rest of the tournament. Djurgärdens brings two of the top leading scorers in group play into the contest, Nick Travergård and Lexus Zahn. They nab a win in this one, 3-2.
Craig’s Pick: Boo has won both games against Djurgärdens this season, albeit by one goal each time. However, they outshot DIF by a noticeable margin both times and Leon Andersson backstopped them to victory in September and again two weeks ago. Djurgärdens has to go prove to me they can get pucks past Andersson. Until I see it, I’m riding with Boo by a 3-1 finish. Also, keep an eye out for forward Dante Islercelik. He’s got an assist in four of Boo’s last five games and factored in on three of the team’s five total goals against DIF this season.
Keeping things on day one of the schedule, Boo has their second game against Flemingsbergs.
Pete’s Pick: With this being both team’s second game of the day, this one will come down to whoever finds that last bit of energy in their legs. Flemingsbergs is off to a 6-0-0 start to their group, and come into the tournament feeling good about their game. Sharing a division with a split squad of Boo, there will be some familiarity between the two programs in regards to who they see on the ice. While a full squad of Boo’s top players may put up more of a fight, I expect Flemingsbergs to skate away with the victory here, 5-2.
Craig’s Pick: Yea, I like Flemingsbergs here too. They just beat Boo a week ago 6-3 in Group Play. While it was a split squad for Boo, it still featured names like Leon Andersson, Dante Islercelik, Erik Lanestrand and at least six other players that will also be skating in the Lindstrom Cup this week. Flemingsbergs for the win, but I don’t think they put up six goals a second time, 3-2 final.
For a full schedule and results of the tournament games, click HERE.
The Toronto Marlboros will be heating up the holiday season with their annual Marlboros Holiday Classic. Teams from the 2007 to 2010 birth years will be in attendance.
And with a tournament of this size, there are bound to be some exciting cross-border matchups that should keep fans on the edges of their seats.
First up from the 2007 birth year is a U16 contest between No. 8 U.S.-ranked Buffalo Jr. Sabres vs. Canadian No. 4-ranked Don Mills Flyers.
Pete’s Pick: Here’s the most interesting thing about this matchup…neither team has played an opponent on the other side of their border this season. With no previous head-to-head matchups, these two programs enter this one with some uncertainty about their foe. Things might start slow in a feeling-out process, but once the competitive juices get flowing, the fun will begin. This one could be decided by the flip of a coin, but give me Don Mills taking the win, 4-2.
Craig’s Pick: The Jr. Sabres have lost eight of their last 10, and four have been to teams ranked ahead of them in the U.S. Rankings. They desperately need to get back on track, and I think they could rack up a couple wins in the tournament. I just don’t think it happens here against DMF. I’ll take the Flyers 4-1, with a strong showing in this matchup and the tournament as a whole.
In the 2009 birth year, No. 8 Canadian-ranked Huron–Perth Lakers square up against Ottawa Myers Automotive. It will be the second time the two sides will battle, with the Lakers emerging victorious in a 3-1 game back on Nov. 27.
Pete’s Pick: I expect Ottawa to play hard in this one, as they are sitting as one of the bubble teams just outside the Top 10. Like many teams across the tournaments listed here, a strong showing could do wonders for their position moving forward not only in HEO play, but in the world rankings as well. A fact that will not be lost on these players. It will be close and hard fought, but the Lakers snag a second victory, 4-1.
Craig’s Pick: Huron-Perth has proved to be the better of the two teams for the majority of this season. They proved so back in November, and I think they do so again here. Andrew Menlove and Vaughn Barr have a combined 1.65 goals-against average this season, and gave up just one goal to Ottawa Myers last time out. That tandem should force multiple offenses to struggle this weekend, and help HP to another 3-1 win.
Stay up to date on the latest scores and information about the Marlboros Holiday Classic HERE.
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Youth hockey schedules have been jam packed with teams getting as many games in as they can before halting for holiday breaks. Three clubs in particular took advantage of a heavy slate of games to pick up some big victories. The recent runs earned them spots as new No. 1 teams in their respective countries.
No. 1 Dynamo Moscow (12-4-0) showed up in a big way in a resounding 10-1 win over previous No. 1 in Russia Vityaz Podolsk. Ivan Ryabkin, one of Dynamo’s leading scorers, led the charge with four goals and one assist. With the match being Vityaz’s second loss on the season overall, it just shows how perfect of a game their ’07 opponents must play to best them. Dynamo proved it was more than up to the challenge.
The Toronto Jr. Canadiens (31-7-1) put up a strong defensive effort in a 3-0 shutout of the No. 2 Don Mills Flyers. The win effectively vaulted The Jr. Canadiens into the top spot among 2009-born Canadian teams. Winners of their last four, the Jr. Canadiens will need to continue to pile up wins against premier teams to continue to hold their new position.
2010-born U.S. programs also have a new leader of the Top 10, with the Philadelphia Jr. Flyers (37-4-3). It has been a spot the No. 2 Minuteman Flames have held since rankings for this season began, but it was time the Jr. Flyers got their due. Solid wins amongst fellow Top-10 teams such as the No. 9 Buffalo Jr. Sabres and No. 8 Chicago Reapers gave them the boost they needed to finally leapfrog into the first overall spot.
When the Bishop Kearney Selects (24-13-2) faced off with the Buffalo Jr. Sabres on Dec. 10, the latter was in a firm position in the No. 10 spot among 2006 U.S. teams. The Selects were on the outside looking in, not having been in the Top 10 since Oct. 26th.
However, a two-game series was a huge opportunity for BK to make some noise, and they passed with flying colors. By beating the Jr. Sabres in both games, 4-1 and 3-2, Selects edged their way into the top tier of clubs amongst their birth year.
Some other teams that were able to get into the Top 10 conversation were ‘07 Lokomotiv 2004 Yaroslavl, ‘08 Seacoast Performance Academy, and ‘09 Little Caesars.
2011-born Little Caesars (29-9-3) used a solid stretch of results against both U.S. and Canadian teams. In doing so, they’ve stated their case to be included in the best of the best. But Caesars’ most impressive feat was splitting two games to the No. 1 team of their birth year, the Toronto Jr. Canadiens. Their other victories also included topping the Don Mills Flyers, Toronto Red Wings, and Lehigh Valley Phantoms. Not to mention a tie with the No. 13 Chicago Reapers.
‘11 SKA Strelna’s (18-8-1) recent results propelled them into the No. 9 spot among Russian teams. It was a valiant effort in a 2-1 shootout loss to No. 2 Dynamo St. Petersburg, as well as a dominant 8-0 victory over the SKA Silver Lions. While the result against St. Petersburg didn’t fall Strelna’s way, taking a top team to a shootout is certainly noteworthy.
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.
For the next three months, 2007-born Swedish clubs in the Stockholm District will compete in what’s called Group Play. No team enters this stage of the season hotter than IFK Täby HC.
Eighteen teams were split into two groups — Blue North and Blue South — for eight games in October and November. From there, the top five teams from North and top five teams from South advanced to Group A action for the remainder of the 2022-23 regular season. The best of the best teams set to duke it out for Stockholm District supremacy.
Speeding out of the gate with a 5-0-0 record, Täby not only stands atop its group, but also rank No. 13 in the World Rankings.
And they have been doing it against some top-tier competition.
After opening their slate with a 4-3 win over Trångsunds IF, it has been a schedule packed so far with some of the best teams Sweden has to offer. Clubs such as No. 10 SDE Hockey, No. 8 Flemingsbergs IK and, most recently, No. 4 Djurgårdens IF have all fallen to Täby. What is even more impressive is the variety of ways Täby can pull out a win.
Want to trade goals in an offensive explosion? A plus-16 goal differential checks that box. Shutting down the other team defensively? Done. Do they have two solid netminders as a last line of defense? Absolutely. The roster is composed of players able to flip any matchup on its head and change the action to what suits them best.
Isac Nilsson has garnered the most points for his team as well as the entire group thus far with seven goals and 11 points. Close behind are Viggo Björck (4G, 9A) and Romeo Edvardsen Sörensen (5G, 3A). All three players are included in the top 10 scorers for the group. The team’s top point scorers have shown up on a nightly basis, too, as Nilsson and Björck have tallied at least one point in each game.
Between the pipes, Vincent Österlund and Caspar Lampe have both fared equally well. Getting the start in three games, Österlund has compiled a stellar 1.67 goals-against average and .923 save percentage. He has managed to stop 60 of 65 shots across all contests, and threw in a 22-save shutout as well against Solna SK.
As Täby has proven, they have what it takes to skate with the premier teams in not only their group, but overall birth year as well. The road ahead does not get any easier and any hope to remain undefeated will take everything they have. Looking at their next three contests, they are set to meet No. 5 Södertälje SK, No. 2 Nacka HK and No. 7 Viggbyholms IK.
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Each week, World Hockey Hub highlights a few of the most exciting upcoming games in youth hockey. From the hottest rivalries to the biggest tournaments, we focus on matchups that will impact the landscape among top teams in the sport.
The world-ranked No. 21 Dallas Stars Elite (19-6-1) will aim for a big victory when they face off against No. 20 Buffalo Jr. Sabres (21-13-1) on Friday.
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| Friday, December 16 @ 11:15 AM MST Ice Den Scottsdale |
After dropping two games to the No. 22 Bishop Kearney Selects their last time out, the Jr. Sabres know that this matchup will be a crucial one to gain confidence back in themselves. Not only that, with the Stars breathing down their necks among the top teams in the U.S., their current spot in the rankings may not be safe.
The toughest task will be trying to contain Cullen Potter, who has been a revelation for Dallas. The 5-foot-8 native of Melville, New York, more than makes up for a lack of size in his sheer ability to put up the points. Notching 19 goals and 21 assists on the season, Potter’s two-way ability to play both forward and defense has been one of the main reasons for his team’s success.
And we mention Potter’s size because, on paper, both of these clubs are not that different in that regard. The Jr. Sabres averages measure up to 5-foot-10, 162 lbs. Compare that to the 5-foot-10, 150 lbs. averages of the Stars. It leads one to believe that speed more than physicality will be a showcase in this tilt.
Pete’s Pick: These two have yet to play each other this season, and while Buffalo has a slightly better record, I think they are quite even. What it is going to come down to is how well the Jr. Sabres can slow down Potter and the rest of a potent Stars attack. It’s going to be close, but Dallas edges out a 4-3 win.
Craig’s Pick: I actually think the Jr. Sabres are the better team, but I’m going with my heart and not my head with this pick. I’ve seen Potter in action off and on since he was playing 12U spring hockey. He’s the real deal and one of the top forwards in the country amongst ‘06s. A win here for Potter, Jackson Crowder, Landon Hafele and company could have significant implications in the world rankings ahead. Stars Elite win a close one, 3-2.
Back on Nov 26, the No. 25 Mississauga Rebels (16-5-6) fell to the No. 1 Toronto Marlboros (28-9-0), 4-2. A sign that Mississauga has the talent to hang with the top dogs of their 2007-birth year. In the first meeting of the two programs this season on Oct. 24, the Rebels played their opponent close despite in an eventual 2-1 victory.
The two teams will drop the puck again on Saturday.
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| Saturday, December 17 @ 3:25 PM ET Westwood Arenas |
Despite holding onto the top spot in the World Rankings, the Marlboros have had a few bumps in their road recently. They uncharacteristically dropped two straight games to the No. 21 Mississauga Senators and Vaughan Kings on Dec. 1 and 2. Not dwelling on those, they have rebounded with wins over the Toronto Titans and North York Rangers.
The Rebels are feeling good about their game recently, unbeaten in four meetings since the 4-2 loss to Toronto. Despite the Marlboros’ incredible ability for scoring, Mississauga has shown they are not daunted by the task of trying to shut down a formidable offense.
Pete’s Pick: I think the consecutive losses were a blip on the radar for the Marlboros. Mississauga will play them tough and give them all they can handle, but Toronto will slip by with a 4-2 win.
Craig’s Pick: Ugh, this would be so much easier if the Marlboros were playing their best hockey. The slump scares me, and even their last two wins weren’t exactly dominating against unranked opponents. Rebels have beaten them before, and may just capitalize on the struggling Marlies. Mississauga wins 3-1.
With the next stage of group play getting underway for 2008-born Swedish clubs, No. 14 Södertälje SK (11-4-3) and AIK Hockey (12-7-0) both look for better on-ice results.
Tuesday’s contest between the two will be a crucial point in getting things back on track. Södertälje currently sits with a 2-2-0 record compared to that of AIK’s 1-1-0 mark.
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| Tuesday, December 13 @ 7:50 PM CET BST-rinken |
While AIK had the weekend off, Södertälje was busy besting Järna SK, 3-2. The very same Järna squad that defeated AIK 4-3 back on Dec. 7.
Christian Furuvik has been an early bright spot for SSK. He leads the team in points thus far with two goals and one assist. For AIK, their offensive leader has been Filip Nyberg’s one goal and two assists. While it is still very early, it will be worth keeping an eye on these players both in terms of leading their respective squads but also in relation to all players in the group as well.
Pete’s Pick: This will come down to whomever’s secondary scoring shows up best. With both sides led by dynamic offensive players, the supporting casts will come under even more scrutiny. With that being said, Södertälje has had a slightly more difficult schedule and has a win against one of the best teams of their birth year vs. No. 8 Nacka HK. It will be them taking the win here in a tight game.
Craig’s Pick: We got caught sleeping on Södertälje earlier this season. They were unranked and off the radar before shocking the world by winning a championship at the Folke Filbyter. I won’t bet against them again. SSK wins handedly, 4-1.
No. 2-ranked CSKA Moscow (25-7-2) will meet No. 7 Atlant Mytishchi (15-6-0) for the third time this season. The two teams have split the previous two meetings. CSKA was victorious, 2-0, in the first meeting back in September. Atlant won the most recent meeting on Nov. 15, shocking its fellow 2009-born youth hockey teams with a sound 6-2 win
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| Sunday, December 18 |
The loss to Atlant was in the middle of an unusual stretch of four consecutive losses for CSKA. Given their track record of success this season, any loss stands out. But string a few together, and eyebrows begin to raise.
It seems CSKA had squashed any doubt of their reputation as one of the country’s best, with a shutout victory over No. 4 Spartak Moscow. However, they lost the following matchup vs. Dynamo Moscow, 6-5. Atlant knows their opponent is still dangerous,despite possibly having put a seed of doubt in CSKA’s minds. But sometimes that’s all it takes.
Reliance on players like Nazar Privalov and his 17 goals and 34 points will be paramount for CSKA’s success. Closely behind him will be the dynamic duo of Artem Katsuro (14G, 18A) and Artem Mishin (13G, 19A). Atlant will be focused on more heroics from leading scorer Artemy Laskavy, who has tallied 25 goals and 52 points on the year, including two goals in their 6-2 win.
Pete’s Pick: I firmly believe that CSKA’s rough patch is past them, and they are back on track in being able to handle the teams they should beat. CSKA will use what they learned about themselves during that losing streak to fix what was going wrong for them. They win 5-4.
Craig’s Pick: Neither Privalov, Katsuro or Mishin played for CSKA in its previous 6-2 loss to Atlant. I’m not really sure why, but missing your top three leading scorers could certainly explain the unusual outcome. Assuming CSKA is at full strength with all of its top guys on Sunday, I think they will dominate. Give me the Red Army to win big, 6-2.
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