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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Over the course of a 4-1-1 record at the 2023 U15 Nordic Youth Trophy, Sollentuna HC managed to find the back of the net 45 times. Accounting for 10 of those goals were Victor Kumpulainen and Olle Fredén Ericsson, who finished first among Sollentuna skaters in total points with 15 and 14, respectively. As a result of their consistent play-making and scoring touch, Sollentuna was able to solidly defeat Färjestad BK in the gold-medal finale, 5-0.
Both players overcame slow starts to the tournament, with neither of them able to find the scoresheet in the team’s first three games. All that changed in the final game of group play against the Ullensaker Flyers. Just over a minute into the first period, Kumpulainen struck for his first goal and point, assisted by none other than Fredén Ericsson. Not finished there, Kumpulainen would add on four additional goals and two assists in the contest. Fredén Ericsson joined his teammate by collecting six more assists and a goal before the game’s end. 15 points between the two in what was a 23-1 rout.
In their first semifinal game against No. 3 Täby HC, the two forwards picked up right where they left off. Kumpulainen’s one goal and two assists and Fredén Ericsson’s three assists propelled the club to a 6-1 victory and a spot in the championship game. Not daunted by the task at hand, the scorching attack of Sollentuna was once again driven by their two stars. Kumpulainen added four more points to his total, with Fredén Ericsson notching a goal and two more assists in a 5-0 shutout, securing the Nordic Youth Trophy.
Suiting up in four games, including the final against Färjestad, Elias Fennrup finished the tournament as the top goaltender. In the four contests he saw action, Fennrup faced 98 shots, 97 of which he stopped. His best performance came against BIK Karlskoga, where he managed to post his second shutout by making 48 saves.
Not finished there, he stopped all 25 shots in the championship game for his third and final shutout of the tournament. Fenrrup’s partner in goal, Alex Sarenfält, manned the pipes in two contests, with one win.
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Over the weekend, the second round of the U16-SM Playoffs in Sweden was held, with eight teams looking to advance to the third and final weekend of the national tournament. IFK Täby HC and MoDo Hockey were victorious in Group E. In Group F, Växjö Lakers and Brynäs IF rose above the rest of the competition. All four secured their spots in the semifinals of next week’s finale.
For MoDo, it’s an opportunity to reign supreme over the U16 age group for the first time since 2002. The other three teams still left in the hunt — Brynäs, Täby and Växjö — are looking to make history, as not one of them has ever won the U16 SM-Playoffs in the tournament’s 51-year history.
MoDo continued its impressive postseason run with a 2-1-0 record in Group E. After collecting wins against fellow WHH-ranked Nacka HK and Södertälje SK, they were defeated by Täby in their final game of the round, 4-3. Elton Hermansson’s strong run of play allowed him to once again 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. The reliant goaltending of Edvin Lindqvist has also been a staple of MoDo’s victories. He posted a 2.50 goals-against average and .920 save percentage in the latest wins. If MoDo’s best players remain in form, they will have an excellent chance of securing a third U16 championship, which the club last took home in the 2001-02 season.
Täby handled its competition and skated to a 3-0-0 record in Group E. Equipped by an offense that consisted of three of the group’s top five scorers, the team was able to finish with a plus-5 goal differential. Viggo Björck (2G, 5A), Theo Stockselius (4G, 2A) and Melvin Novotny (2G, 4A) formed a fearsome power trio.
Brynäs followed up a 3-0-0 opening round with another 3-0-0 set in the second round. They were able to dispatch Växjö, IF Malmö Redhawks and HV 71, outscoring them by a total of 22-10. A crucial part of that dynamic offense was Hugo Östberg with his three goals, six points and plus-6 rating. But the true linchpin to the clubs’ success was defenseman Elias Kedling. Kedling’s persistent efforts held opponents in check, and he managed to chip in five goals as well. He led all defensemen in Group F in scoring.
If one area stood out from Växjö, it was its scoring depth. With four of the top 10 total point getters hailing from the Lakers, it became clear that no matter the matchup, this squad has numerous players who can lead on any given night. Noa Bräutigam’s incredible vision and play-making were on display every time he stepped onto the ice. Collecting one goal and seven points, his linemates were often the beneficiaries of his passes. Following him, Olle Ågren (4G, 2A), Albin Laskonen (2G, 4A) and Theo Bengtsson (3G, 2A) did the heavy lifting in tallying points.
MoDo will next take on Brynäs, and Täby will clash with Växjö when the semifinals begin on April 6th.
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This weekend, 24 European teams will travel to Sweden to take part in the annual U11 Stockholm Trophy. This event features 17 teams from the host country of Sweden, three from Norway, two from Latvia and two from Israel. Participants will compete in a unique 3-on-3, cross-ice format with 15-minute periods.
Teams have been split up into three groups of eight. Each Division aptly named after iconic Hockey Hall of Fame inductees and Swedish natives Peter Forsberg, Mats Sundin and Nicklas Lidström.
| Forsberg Division | Sundin Division | Lidström Division |
| Brinkens IF White Malmö Redhawks Red One Ice Stars White Södertälje SK Trångsunds IF Blue Trångsunds IF White Ullensaker Flyers Red Viggbyholms IF White | AIK Black Bartulis HC 37 Orange Bartulis HC 37 Black Brinkens IF Red Malmö Redhawks White Nærbø Farmers Sollentuna HC Red Viggbyholms IF Red | AIK White Brinkens IF Black Järfälla HC One Ice Stars Blue Sollentuna HC White Spånga IS Blue Spånga IS White Ullensaker Flyers Blue |
The Stockholm Trophy is the first in a series of five tournaments this spring. It is followed by the U12 Lilla Resport, U13 Resport Trophy and the U14 and U15 Uplandia Trophy.
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Following opening round matchups at the U16 Sweden National Championship tournament, eight teams still remain in the chase for gold. For the second round, teams were split into two groups of four. The top two teams from each group will once again advance to the third and final round on April 6th. The final round consists of a four-team, single-elimination bracket. The two groups for the second round of action are:
| GROUP E #1 Nacka #2 Täby #5 Södertälje #6 MoDo | GROUP F Brynäs HV 71 Malmö Växjö |
Just by looking at the groupings, the journey to make it out of Group E will be the most difficult for teams looking to advance. Each team will play one game against its fellow group clubs.
Täby HC and Nacka HK both open their schedules with matchups against the two lower-ranked teams in the ‘Group of Death.’ Täby will drop the puck against Södertälje SK, while Nacka will lace the skates up versus MoDo Hockey.
In regular-season group play, Täby defeated Södertälje twice, by scores of 6-2 and 5-3. Not to mention last playoff round, they also notched another 4-0 win. Theo Stockselius, Marcus Nordmark and Melvin Novotny continued their offensive dominance, and all signs point to that continuing.
Nacka will be eager for revenge against MoDo, having been dominated by them in the opening round by a score of 7-2. Not phased by Nacka’s position in the WHH rankings, MoDo certainly raised some eyebrows with that victory.
Nacka is bolstered by Rasmus Lindstrom Calland (5G, 2A) and Teodor Friberg (2G, 5A). Just behind them in overall scoring are Elton Hermansson and Vincent Wedin, who have both collected six points for MoDo. If MoDo continues to rely on Edvin Lindqvist in net, it could also mean they are in for bigger things down the road. Winning all three games in the first round, Lindqvist skated to a 2.00 goals-against average and .920 save percentage.
Regardless of how Group E shakes out, the two teams to advance from this foursome will likely be the favorites to win in the third, and final round. While Nacka and Täby may come into the weekend as the early odds-on favorites, both MoDo and Södertälje have shown the ability to compete with top-level teams in the past. This group is going to be tight, and I wouldn’t be surprised if every team picked up a win while also suffering a loss. Determining who moves on and who goes home could come down to the slimmest of margins.
Both the Växjö Lakers HC and Brynäs IF closed out the opening round of the National Championship playoffs with 3-0-0 records. Brynäs and HV 71 went head-to-head last round, with Brynäs claiming a 5-3 victory. The loss was HV 71’s only one of the first round. We will get to see that matchup one more time in the second round, as both teams advanced to Group F.
Similarly, Växjö and IF Malmö Redhawks shared a group in the previous round, with five Växjö players scoring at least two points in a 7-4 victory. That rematch will take place over the weekend as well.
With those previous meetings, Group F should give fans some exciting matchups to keep an eye on. Växjö’s top line of Albin Laksonen, Noa Bräutigam and Olle Ågren were spectacular in an offense that put up 17 goals in just three games. Brynäs’ top offensive producers were Leo Sundqvist and Gustav Hillström, each with four points. If one team can play spoiler here it’s HV 71, who bring the top four scorers from Group D into battle. They are led by Theo Sonestedt’s three goals and eight points, with Noel Skarby, Fabian Merkle Rohdin and Karl Annborn rounding out the quartet.
Despite all the offensive weapons, these games just might come down to goaltending. Both HV 71’s Edward Rydh and the Lakers’ Maximilian Olofsson stood out as the top netminders in their first round groups. Rydh brings a 1.99 goals-against average and .946 save percentage into play. Olofsson comes equipped with a 3.00 goals-against average and .908 save percentage, with one shutout.
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There’s a new club at the top of the ‘07 rankings in Russia, and it’s the first time they’ve been there since Dec. 21st. Following a solid stretch of play that saw them nab victories over No. 3 CSKA Moscow, Atlant Mytishchi and Lokomotiv Yaroslavl, Dynamo Moscow is back as No. 1. Mikhail Melikov, the club’s leading scorer, tallied four points in the 9-1 victory over Atlant. This season, he has produced 27 goals and 47 points.
While Dynamo was a familiar name in the No. 1 spot in Russia, a new team cracked the Top 10 among 2007-born teams in the U.S. With a strong 10-2 victory over Compuware, No. 10 Victory Honda’s offensive outburst gave them enough of a jolt to catapult over the previous spot holder. Braden Wade and Nolan Makinski both notched hat tricks and Luc Plante scored a goal and four assists in a five-point night. The victory also continued a nine-game unbeaten streak for the team, which ended the following day with a 3-2 overtime loss to Fox Motors.
The regular season concluded over the weekend, and with it, brought some movement among Top-10 teams. In these final matchups before playoffs, No. 3 Ilves and No. 5 Jokerit experienced some decent boosts from crucial wins. Ilves got its business done in two matchups versus No. 4 Kärpät, winning by scorers of 13-3 and 4-0. In the 13-goal explosion, seven skaters notched two or more points, led by Jalmari Melanen’s one goal and four assists.
Jokerit put forth a solid team effort in a 4-1 victory over No. 6 Lukko. Aapo Niemelä (2G) and Taavi Aarvala (2A) connected for the final two goals of the game, solidifying both the win and two-point performances.
With strong finishes to group play, both Ilves and Jokerit earned spots in the top four of the overall group standings. As a result, they have earned first round byes in the playoffs, along with No. 2 Tappara and No. 1 Kiekko-Espoo. They will now await the winners from the first round to see who they will open their playoff schedules against.
The opening round of Sweden’s U16 SM-playoffs has come and gone, and No. 3 MoDo Hockey has raised eyebrows with its performance thus far. The power trio of Elton Hermansson (3G, 3A), Vincent Wedin (2G, 4A) and Erik Häggblad (1G, 5A) have lifted their club to new heights. By securing wins over fellow ranked opponents like No. 1 Nacka HK and No. 4 Djurgårdens IF, its position among the country’s elite has been strengthened.
The road doesn’t get any easier, as entering the second round MoDo finds itself in the dreaded ‘group of death’ along with top-ranked Nacka, No. 2 Täby HC and No. 6 Södertälje SK.
Be sure to check out the complete world rankings, including Top 10s by country and World Top 25s for each of the 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011 birth years.
With 34 seconds left in regulation, Erik Häggblad slipped a shot past Djurgårdens goaltender Hugo Severgårdh. Not only did that goal eliminate No. 3-ranked DIF from playoff contention, but put an exclamation point on MoDo Hockey’s performance in the opening round of the Sweden U16 national championship.
The first round consisted of four groups of four teams competing in three-game, round-robin matchups. The top two teams from each group would advance to the second round of the tournament on March 24th. Häggblad’s goal against Djurgårdens clinched MoDo’s third victory of the weekend. It also secured their spot atop Group A, as one of three teams to go undefeated thus far in the tournament.
Coming into the Sweden U16 Nationals ranked No. 6 in the country, MoDo made a statement on day one of the tournament. Vincent Wedin posted a goal and two assists in a dominating 5-1 win over Skellefteå AIK. The next day, Elton Hermansson put up a three-point performance of his own as MoDo put together another astounding performance, 7-2 over No. 1 ranked Nacka. In that game, they outshot the top-ranked team in the country 43-27.
Three regulation wins secured all nine available points in the standings to push MoDo through to the second round. They will be joined by Nacka, after it went 2-1-0; the only loss being the previously mentioned defeat at the hands of MoDo.
Group B proved to be the closest of all four pools on the first weekend of Sweden U16 Nationals.
Täby defeated Södertälje. Södertälje defeated Timrå. Timrå defeated Luleå. Luleå defeated Täby. Going into the final day of action, all four teams had a path to advance, with three points apiece and three points up for grabs. Täby’s top performers Theo Stockselius, Marcus Nordmark and Melvin Novotny made sure their national championship hopes would live to see the second weekend. The trio combined to score five goals on Sunday — and 18 total points on the weekend — to push Täby through to the round of eight.
Jason Rosqvist, Jonathan Sandberg, Samuel Kjellström and Lucas Jarestrand scored four unanswered goals in the third period to push Södertälje past Luleå on the final day.
With six goals and nine points, Albin Laksonen led all skaters over the weekend in scoring. His Växjö Lakers scored 17 goals in their three games, leaning on a high-powered offense. Six different skaters contributed goals in the first round of Sweden U16 Nationals. The Lakers will likely continue to rely on their top line to carry them through playoffs. Laksonen, and linemates Noa Bräutigam and Olle Ågren were one of the most dominant lines from the first round. Top pair Malte Brolin and Theo Dahl gives Växjö a starting five that should compete with just about any team remaining in the tournament.
Malmö scored three unanswered goals to come from behind and defeat Färjestad on Saturday. Adrien Bartovic scored two of those and assisted on the third to finish the comeback. That game proved to be the difference maker, as Malmö finished one win ahead of Färjestad in pool play to earn the No. 2 spot.
No team in this group was ranked in the Top 10, so despite advancing, both Malmö and Växjö could be seen as longshots to win the tournament. Regardless, both have dangerous top lines, and both punched their tickets to the next round.
Tied for the fewest goals allowed through the first round of Sweden U16 Nationals, Brynäs surrendered just six goals in three games. William Forsberg stopped 117 of the 122 shots he saw over the weekend, including 29 on the final day in a 5-3 win over HV 71. Goals from Gustav Hillström, Leo Sundqvist and Sigge Holmgren propelled Brynäs to a come-from-behind win.
Despite the loss to Brynäs, HV 71 managed to earn the second spot and will advance to the next weekend of the tournament. Both Brynäs and HV 71 will meet again in the second round, as they are once again in the same group. Shooters like Theo Sonestedt, Noel Skarby and Fabian Merkle-Rohdin will have to find a way to best Forsberg once more.
The eight teams to advance to the second round have been split into two groups of four. Where the top two teams from each group will once again advance to the third and final round of Sweden U16 Nationals. The final round consists of a four-team, single-elimination bracket. The two groups for the second round of action are:
| GROUP E #1 Nacka #2 Täby #5 Södertälje #6 MoDo | GROUP F Brynäs HV 71 Malmö Växjö |
WHH will have continued coverage of the Sweden U16 National Championship, top performers, highlights and more! Be sure to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, Discord and YouTube.
Each week, World Hockey Hub highlights a few of the most exciting upcoming games in youth hockey. Nacka HK and Djurgårdens IF kick things off with an ‘08 Top-10 tilt on Wednesday. Boo HC and AIK Hockey tangle in a premier matchup between 2008s as well. The week concludes with CSKA Moscow dropping the puck in an ‘09 meeting with Mikhailov Academy on Sunday.
As the games remaining in the regular season dwindle into the single digits, there are still some big matchups on the board. No. 8 Nacka HK (29-5-6) and No. 12 Djurgårdens IF (30-14-10) will throw down in a meeting of the top two teams among Sweden 08’s.
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| Wednesday, March 15 Mälarhöjdens Ishall |
Last time out on Jan. 18th, these clubs played to a 4-4 tie in a spirited back-and-forth affair. Djurgårdens clawed its way back from a 3-1 deficit only to have Nacka take the lead late in the second period. Less than two minutes later, Sebastian Von Berens salvaged the tie with his second goal of the game. Since that tie, Nacka has been on a roll, going 8-1-0 in its last nine. Djurgårdens, meanwhile, has gone 4-2-1.
What gave Djurgårdens a chance to even things up in its last matchup was preventing Nacka’s leading scorer from doing any major damage. Oliver Sundberg not only leads Nacka in points (15G, 15A) but is tied for first in scoring of the entire group. Djurgårdens’ defensive unit held him to just one assist. It will take another strong effort like that to come out on top this time with a win.
It will be interesting to see who Djurgårdens goes with in net. In the 4-4 tie, Gustav Stengård manned the crease, making 16 saves on 20 shots. Statistically, however, the club’s other goaltender, Justin Emretzon Duckmark is among the top three among all teams. He has compiled a 1.55 goals-against average, .933 save percentage and three shutouts over a 7-2-2 record.
Pete’s Pick: I truly believe this one will come down to whoever Djurgårdens goes with between the pipes. They have the confidence they can shut down Nacka’s top performer. So do they roll with the goalie who aided that effort last time they met or with the goalie with the better numbers? Stengård has started the last three games, so my gut says they stick with him. As a result, I think Djurgårdens pulls out a close 3-2 win here.
Craig’s Pick: Djurgårdens recent struggles are a concern for me. Sure, 4-2-1 is a decent run, but those wins are against the 12th, 11th, 10th and sixth place teams. For reference, there’s 12 teams in the group. Nacka’s schedule hasn’t been much more challenging, but its taken care of business in a much more impressive manner. I don’t expect Sundberg to be silenced a second time, I like Nacka in a 4-1 win.
Viggo Fors notched a goal and assist in the last meeting between No. 4 Boo HC (29-7-6) and No. 9 AIK Hockey (21-11-4) on Jan. 18. His team hopes he can produce those numbers again as they battle in a mid-week rematch this Wednesday.
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| Wednesday, March 15 Ulriksdals IP Hall 3 |
The main point-getter for Boo though is Lukas Svensson, who has tallied 13 goals and 21 points in 17 games. Just behind him is Alexander Engman (10G, 6A). Held off the scoresheet in their last encounter, Filip Nyberg will try to add to his impressive season stat line of 13 goals and 26 points. The other two thirds of AIK’s power trio consists of Viggo Låhdö (7G, 15A) and Max Balk (10G, 9A).
While those will be the players trying to fill the net, the two trying to keep pucks out are some of the best on any ‘08 Sweden team. Leon De La Gardie and Leon Andersson went save-for-save in the last game between the two sides. Andersson has backstopped Boo to 10 wins, with a 1.30 goals-against average, .926 save percentage and four shutouts. De La Gardie has recorded 1.54 goals-against average, .906 save percentage and three shutouts. When both of these goaltenders are on, offense is hard to come by.
Pete’s Pick: Like I said, this will be another low-scoring game. Despite players on both ends being able to put up points, there’s something when these two goalies play the other that makes them that much better. With Boo getting the slight edge, offensively, I favor them over AIK in a close 3-2 game.
Craig’s Pick: It’s hard to imagine an even lower scoring game than their 2-1 meeting last time out. However, I’m anticipating just that. Boo is buzzing at the rink time, and I think it gets its fifth team shutout of group play. Viggo Fors factors in offensively, again, and Boo wins a low-scoring game, again, this time it’s 2-0.
No. 3 Spartak Moscow (30-7-3) has had No. 10 Lokomotiv Yaroslavl’s (22-10-1) number this season. Victorious in three previous games, they have outscored their opponent 11-4. On Sunday, Yaroslavl will attempt to finally best its fellow ‘09 Russian club.
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| Sunday, March 19 |
In order to do so, they will have to handle the explosive production from Daniil Savin (21G, 27A) and Vsevolod Kokorin (27G, 13A), two of Spartak’s most consistent forwards. To counter, Yaroslavl will rely on Ivan Rubstov (9G, 22A) and Mikhail Bulgakov (11G, 14A).
Pete’s Pick: Lokomotiv had been on a bit of a roll lately winning their last three before a loss to No. 3 CSKA last weekend. However, Spartak’s talent is too much for them to overcome, much less many other ‘08 teams. They have kept things relatively close in the last three meetings, so I don’t expect Spartak to break open the score. Spartak will take a 4-1 final.
Craig’s Pick: In the two previous matchups, Spartak has never trailed. Despite their best efforts, Lokomotiv’s Bulgakov and Rubstov just haven’t been able to get the offense going in this matchup. That’s a tough ask for anyone at any level to produce offense on cue. Because of Lokomotiv’s struggles, I have to go with Spartak, 4-1, as they’ve seemed to crack the code on how to shut down this top-10 offense.
No. 24 Mikhailov Academy (22-10-3) will have the chance to even its regular season series versus No. 9 CSKA Moscow (26-8-2) when the two ‘08 Russian teams collide on Sunday.
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| Sunday, March 19 |
CSKA was victorious in the first game between the two back on Sept. 25th. Mikhailov took the next one before dropping the third. Since that loss, they have been winners in their last six. Matvey Cheranev (21G, 24A) and Boris Borin (13G, 30A) have propelled Mikhailov during their recent hot stretch. Goal-scoring dynamo Nikita Gromakov (28G, 6A) will be eager to add to his total. He has scored three goals against Mikhailov in their matchups thus far. Ilya Morozov’s (10G, 24A) play-making ability will look to assist Gromakov in offensive production.
Pete’s Pick: While Mikhailov impressively shut out CSKA in the second game, the true power of CSKA was on display in the other two meetings with wins of 5-3 and 7-3. Mikhailov also played last weekend, giving CSKA more time to rest its top players. A third win for them is in the cards and they will take the season series, three games to one.
Craig’s Pick: Ugh, I’d like to give Mikhailov Academy a shot in this one, especially given Ivan Buydov’s 3-0 shutout on November 13th. However, he was quickly pulled in Game 3, after giving up three goals in the first period. I just don’t think they have an answer for CSKA’s offense, so I’m going CSKA 5-2 convincingly.
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The Sweden Ice Hockey Federation’s under-16 youth hockey national tournament gets underway on Friday. It begins the first of a three-week process in a quest to determine who is the number one team in the country at the 2007 birth year.
This week, the first leg of the tournament will take place, in which 16 teams — divided into four groups of four — will compete in a three-game round robin. The top two teams from each group will advance to the second weekend of the tournament.
Here are the groupings and our picks for who should survive the first weekend of action:
No. 1 Nacka HK has been one of the most consistent clubs this season in Swedish youth hockey. They came out of the gates hot, securing silver at the 2022 Sweden Hockey Trophy in September and haven’t looked back. They handled MoDo Hockey in that tournament, and have fared well against big clubs like No. 3 Djurgårdens IF in group play. Ruben Westerling has been the most dynamic scorer for Nacka, tallying an even 16 goals and 16 assists in the final group play stage before playoffs. During the East Region playoffs, he added another six goals and nine points to help Nacka secure one of the final regional placements.
With a record of 14-3-1, Djurgårdens was one of two teams to earn automatic bids to nationals thanks to their excellent stretch of group play. A large factor to that success was the play in net of Ludvig Gromell. Suiting up in 11 contests, he went 9-2-0 with a 1.57 goals-against average, .944 save percentage and two shutouts. If he continues to put up numbers like that, Djurgårdens will have a deep run in the national tournament and will prove to be a difficult out for any team.
It would be the surprise of the tournament if anyone other than top-ranked Nacka and Djurgårdens came out of Group A.
After finishing first in the Stockholm group, No. 2 IFK Täby HC earned an automatic placement into the national tournament. Producing a stellar 16-1-1 record, lone blemishes of their schedule were losses to Nacka and Djurgårdens. Able to rack up the score against any opponent, Täby’s roster contains the two top scorers of its group. Isac Nilsson (21G, 20A) and Theo Stockselius (17G, 24A) each recorded 41 points, with both averaging close to 2.5 points per game. Production that helped their club put up a plus-61 goal differential.
The other WHH Ranked team of this contingent is No. 5 Södertälje SK. Unlike Täby, Södertälje had to fight for its spot to nationals right up until the final day. They finished on the bubble of group play and didn’t earn a bid to the tournament until last Sunday. They lost to No. 8 Viggbyholms IK, but secured victories against Nacka and No. 7 SDE Hockey to qualify. Nils Håkansson (7G, 18A) and Daniel Lazienkiewicz (8G, 15A) will aim to continue their dependable offensive output for Södertälje to escape this batch of teams.
Täby is an obvious pick to advance out of Group B, being the highest ranked of the bunch. While Södertälje comes in highly ranked as well, it has some cracks in the armor and may not be as much of a lock. It may come down to Sunday’s game to determine SSK’s fate, but I like them to ‘survive and advance’ to next week.
Växjö Lakers HC faced off with IF Malmö Redhawks twice during the last installment of regular-season group play, sweeping them 8-2 and 5-3. Defenseman Liam Pettersson led all Lakers in scoring, piling up two goals and 12 points from the blue line. Across 24 games in group play since the start of the 2022-23 season, Pettersson has scored eight goals and 28 points. With Växjö’s performance over the Redhawks, and their 6-1-1 record against other group clubs, they have the skill to move on. It won’t hurt having Maximilian Olofsson, with his 10-4-0 record, 2.04 goals-against and .923 save percentage from regional play, in the crease either.
Färjestad BK at 20-4-4 and Västerås IK at 17-5-6 finished second and third in the West Region. The two teams clashed four times, each winning two. With the first three matchups ending in one goal, Färjestad opened up the offense in the final tilt with a 7-2 win. Malte Vass scored 11 goals and 37 points for Färjestad as a defenseman and the team’s leading scorer. Backing him up were Elias Eriksson (20G, 14A) and Filip Holgersson (12G, 22A). Even more impressive were the numbers Färjestad was able to put up despite going up against Västerås’ Måns Goos, the second best goalie of the region.
Växjö has already proved it can beat everyone in Group C, and there isn’t much evidence to believe this weekend will produce significantly different results. Their odds of being a top-2 team in this group of four are very high. The second spot may be decided by 9 p.m. CET, as Färjestad and Västerås open up the weekend against one another. I expect Färjestad’s top players to keep the offense rolling and claim the second spot.
Brynäs IF bested Örebro HK in their four-game regional season series, three games to one. In those matchups, Brynäs outscored Örebro 20-11. The name most often on scoresheets was Leo Sundqvist (30G, 21A), leading group scorer and top player for Brynäs. When you have the leading point scorer, it certainly doesn’t hurt when the top goaltender in the region wears Brynäs colors as well. William Forsberg backstopped his club to nine wins, compiling a 1.93 goals against, .913 save percentage and three shutouts.
In order to secure one of the final spots in the South Region, HV 71 went head-to-head against Karlskrona HK, sweeping them in two games. HV 71’s firepower was on full display, finding the back of the net 16 times while only allowing four. Frederik Balko collected two goals and seven points. Oscar Pöyliö tallied four goals and one assist for HV 71 as well. Going up against slightly stronger competition at the national tournament will be a tough test for HV 71, but if those two forwards continue their dynamic play, some upsets may be on the horizon.
None of the four teams in Group D are currently ranked, so competition for the two spots in the quarterfinal rounds are wide open. Between Brynäs top performers and the balanced attack of HV 71, I like these two teams to survive a very closely contested group.
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