It is the premier spring youth hockey tournament of the year, and Sixty Hockey Development will be there to compete in 2023. The World Selects Invitational (WSI) series has featured some of the best youth hockey players in the world for more than a decade. Not only that, but it’s taken place in some of the most beautiful cities in Europe. The tournament is a perfect combination of culture and competition through the game of hockey.
This spring, Sixty Hockey Development is assembling four AAA-level teams to compete in the WSI at various locations. The opportunity to compete against international teams was just something that general manager Paul Dovich said he couldn’t pass up.
“To be a part of the WSI is a tremendous honor,” said Dovich. “Being a part of the Nashville event [last summer], we got to see how amazing it could be when the whole world is involved. Having the opportunity to bring teams together and play and experience Europe was something I couldn’t pass up. We’re looking forward to it.”
Sixty Hockey Development debuted in the North American WSI in 2022, bringing top-level kids from across the country to compete in Nashville. Now, Sixty will have the opportunity to take its talents abroad and experience the tournament in an entirely different way.
The 2008 AAA tournament will take place in Stockholm, Sweden. The 2010s will travel to Chamonix, France, while the 2009s go to Prague, Czech Republic.
Bolzano, Italy, will host the 2011 AAA event near the end of April. The 2009s will travel to Prague, Czech Republic, the same week in May the that 2010s visit Chamonix, France. The 2008s close out European action on May 17th in Stockholm, Sweden.
Each host city is unique in its own way. From a Vasa Museum visit in Sweden, to a Vitava River cruise in the Czech Republic, participating in a WSI is more than just a hockey tournament. Immersive cultural experiences like Chamonix city tours in the shadows of Mont Blanc make these European tours unforgettable trips for the whole family.
With all transportation provided to and from airports, hotels and ice rinks, parents can rest easy and enjoy a European vacation. Meanwhile, kids compete, socialize and connect with other like-minded youth hockey players from varying backgrounds that span the globe.
“It really is impressive to see,” said Dovich. “On the ice, you get all these different styles and types of player and matchups when you play the Czechs or the Russians or Swedes. But then off the ice, kids from different teams and different countries are making real connections with each other. Even despite the language barrier, they’ve got their phones out and using Google Translate, following each other on Instagram and stuff. It’s very cool.”
Sixty Hockey Development originated in 2019, when Dovich and company assembled ‘The ‘06 Sixty’ Camp. They wanted to do something different and get some of the best 12-year-old hockey players in North America together for an extended weekend camp to develop and compete. The inaugural camp featured 60 players from the 2006 birth year, with names like James Hagens, Christian Humphries and Teddy Stiga — current members of the U.S. National Team Development Program (USNTDP) — as well as Owen Keefe and Will Felicio, who are currently playing in the United States Hockey League (USHL).
That camp dovetailed into spring and summer tournament teams that competed at major events like the Montreal Meltdown, Lobsterfest and the Warrior Boston Elite Invite. When the team won, and won again, and won again, people began to take notice.
“Through word of mouth, it just grew,” said Dovich. “Parents just started to see we were putting good teams together. Kids were developing and good things were happening.”
As successful as the tournament teams were, the main focus was always the Sixty Camp. It quickly expanded to more age groups, and in 2022, included more than 340 top-level youth hockey players from five different birth years. Designed to foster 60 skaters at each age group, the Sixty Camp is a four-day long event filled with on-ice drills, skills and competition. Between sessions, players are exposed to off-ice training and treated to informational presentations regarding college hockey, academics and nutrition, among other topics.
“What I’ve always said with the Sixty [Camp], is if you want to learn and you can compete, you’re more than welcome to come,” said Dovich.
While the Sixty Camp has become a major fixture in the youth hockey community, its European tours to WSI events look to expand the organization’s footprint internationally.
Open to all AAA-level players, Sixty HD is accepting applications for 2023 WSI tournament teams from the ‘08, ‘09, ‘10 and ‘11 birth years. The field of teams at the AAA events currently consists of as many as 10 different countries. Sweden, Finland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Norway and Latvia, among others, are expected to be in attendance. Applicants are thoroughly evaluated for consideration by Dovich and his team, and every submission is replied to, regardless of acceptance status.
Learn more about Sixty Hockey Development, and how you can get involved by following the links below:
You’ve seen the name watermarked on photos of player profiles from the likes of Elite Prospects, featured images of various news sites and creatively cropped out of countless numbers of kids’ Instagram pics.
© Dan Hickling
Everyone from 2021 NHL Draft first overall pick Owen Power to ’07-born top 2022 OHL Draft pick Michael Misa, the USHL’s most recent No. 1 overall pick Jak Vaarwerk, and literally everyone in between. If they’ve played high-level hockey in North America, odds are very, very, very high that Hickling has snapped photos of that player in action. It’s almost a right of passage for up-and-coming players, as the Hicklings are the main providers of images for EP; the central repository for players and teams across the age spectrum and across the globe. Their images are used by the USHL, OHL, EHL, Upper Deck, Neutral Zone and others, as well.
Dan waxed poetic while describing he and his wife Margaret’s visit to Barrington Ice Arena in Lake Barrington, Illinois. It was the 290th rink the couple has visited.
Yes, that’s right, it was Rink No. 290 for the dynamic duo behind Hickling Images.
“It’s a very old rink,” he said. “Very dark rink, very humble rink, but the people there truly love the game. They love the kids who come and play there. They’re very welcoming to us and we found ourselves to be very kindred spirits with the guy who runs the little canteen there and the Zamboni driver.
“Those are the things that stand out.”
That connection with the community is not only why the Hickling’s have managed to build one of the premiere photography operations in hockey. It’s why they are always a welcomed sight at any ice rink in North America.
When visiting a rink, you will find Dan along the glass or on one of the benches taking the photos. Margaret, meanwhile, will be stationed close by, ready to take care of the behind-the-scenes work crucial to any photography operation. He shoots, she edits and uploads. A tandem that’s made their presence felt with their work in youth hockey.
“It’s me and my wife Margaret together,” Dan said. “What we do is very much a team effort. Obviously I do the shooting but she does the editing, the filing, the sorting and usually the dispatching too. So we’re interchangeable and inseparable in all of that. My name is on the photo and people see me in the rink or in the bowl. So they tend to associate me with that, but Margaret and I are basically the best team in hockey and we’re still undefeated.”
Hickling, a lifelong hockey fan, was working as a writer for a now defunct newspaper in New England. The need to learn photography appeared before him, thanks to layoffs at the publication.
“They had fired all of their photographers and the camera ended up in my hands, so that’s kind of where the photography part of it began,” Dan said. “That was 2009, and Margaret and I, we came together in 2012 and, not just looking for a past-time but looking for a purpose. Just kind of became led in this direction as far as wielding a camera and shooting hockey and doors opened for us.”
It’s been a snowball effect ever since.
“We started contributing, volunteer photos for Elite Prospects and then eventually the USHL caught sight of a photo that they were looking for that we had shot. That opened a door there, and things have really, I don’t want to say steamrolled because you can get flattened that way, but things have proceeded from that point. That’s very much the thumbnail part of it. I had begun getting a groundwork for photography and Margaret didn’t. She was a retired teacher, and she didn’t have any experience in editing photos but she quickly got some. We began to see this was a two-person effort and the fact that we do it together and do it so seamlessly, it’s very kind of divine inspiration I’d say.”
Without Margaret’s help from the concourse, lobby or wherever she can set up a laptop, Hickling Images as it is today would be inconceivable. Sorting, editing, organizing — those are the tasks that limit how much work a photographer can get done. Even the best with a camera need some work on their images when shooting in a dimly-lit ice arena. The dynamic-duo aspect means more rinks visited, and more photos posted for players across the U.S. and Canada.
“She just sees the initiative,” Dan said. “She’s very great with details and, of course, you get to know so many fellow photographers and the thing they envy the most is that I don’t have to sit and sift through photos and do the editing. I’ve got someone who does all that for me. I can’t tell you how many times people have tried to steal Margaret away from me for that purpose. She takes to that so naturally, she’s very detail-oriented, she’s very precise, and also she saw her niche very quickly. That freed me up to kind of do what I do pretty well.”
They take great pride in their work and in knowing that they are helping hockey players capture lifelong memories.
“We’re both about to turn 69, and we are by far living our best lives and seeing such a great purpose in what we do,” Dan said. “It may seem like we’re just going and shooting hockey photos, and that is what we do, but it’s more than that. It’s interacting with people, it’s interacting with young players who all have their whole lives ahead of them. By the way, us 68-year-old people have our whole lives ahead of us, too. We have that in common. We are able to help be a bit of a voice for these young players who are working hard, and the coaches who coach them, they’re working hard. Everybody’s trying to do something that they love and progress and proceed to the next level. So for us to have any kind of part in that is really a privilege.
“We consider it an honor any time we walk into a rink to be able to do that. Together, Margaret and I, we’ve been to 291 different rinks throughout the U.S. and Canada. We’ve had a tremendous opportunity to interact with people and see them achieve their dreams or to find out that hey, it was fun while it lasted, but maybe now it’s time to do something else. At least we’ve been able to help chronicle their journey a little bit.”
There’s certainly joy in capturing a USHL Clark Cup championship or seeing your photos appear on an Upper Deck card. However, it’s the people — hockey people — that keep them coming back to the rink.
“It’s all about the people, it really is,” he said. “I don’t get tired of watching hockey, but life is much more than hockey. The things that we do in our lives, the things that refresh us in our lives, carry over into our hockey life. Hopefully that helps allow us to be difference-makers as we go. You’ll hear coaches talk about how this guy’s a difference maker. Well hopefully we’re all trying to be difference makers in one facet or another. We see that opportunity, but if we don’t have something solid and substantial in our personal lives, we don’t really have a whole lot to share at the rink.”
Believe it or not, they do try to see what’s happening away from the rink, as well. Their trips across the continent for hockey afford them some very unique ‘vacation’ spots.
“Often we’ll take our cameras and go out for a day,” said Dan. “For instance, we were just in Sherbrooke, Quebec in the middle of a Quebec league preseason swing. We had a day off, beautiful day in Sherbrooke and a real nice riverwalk area there. So we just kind of took our cameras and did some recreational shooting. Not for any other purpose but for the fun of it and to be able to create what we call ‘us moments.’
These things that we’ve done and seen together and we could have only done and seen together. Out of that, Margaret took a shot of white paper birches, something she has an affinity for. We got it blown up and it’s about to go on our wall.
Just things like that, creating memories, and doing things that, again, we get to share together. We like finding little breakfast places or little places where people who run them, they really care about what they’re doing. We always appreciate it when we can find a breakfast place that someone really cares about. Those become what we call us moments.”
The Hicklings have no plans on slowing down, either. If they had it their way, 291 would just be the start of their rink-visiting adventures.
“Well if God gives us another 300 or 400 years on this earth, we probably might get there, but not expecting that,” said Dan. “Wouldn’t be a surprise if they found us both keeled over in a parking lot someplace trying to reach for that last rink.”
The Vaughan Kings have been among Canada’s best youth hockey teams since the 2022-23 season began. Last weekend, they got a chance to prove it on an international stage. Vaughan went 5-0-0 against a mixture of U.S. and Canadian teams to win the Little Caesars Invitational.
Sitting at 14-1-1 thus far, the Kings opened play with wins against the Boston Jr. Eagles and Oakville Rangers. Both opponents are currently omitted from the world rankings, however, still served as challenging matchups with 2-1 and 3-1 scores to open the weekend.
Perhaps Vaughan’s most impressive victory came in their third game of the weekend against No. 2 Chicago Mission — and No. 5 in the world. This was a matchup we had highlighted in our games of the week preview, and the contest did not disappoint.
Cross-border matchups between U.S. and Canadian youth hockey teams are not rare. However, when two Top-5 teams face off, ears perk up. With the Kings holding down the No. 1 spot in Canada, and the Mission moving up a spot in the latest rankings, fans knew they were in for a treat.
Chicago would open the scoring 1-0 at 1:10 of the first period on a great individual effort from Victor Plante. After collecting the puck in the neutral zone, Plante skated in all alone on the Kings’ defense. After crossing the blue line he whipped a backhand shot from the edge of the right face-off circle, and into the net.
With just under four minutes left to play in the second period, Mission defenseman Abraham Barnett attempted to clear the puck. That hit off the back of teammate Aurelio Garcia and into the middle of the ice. Kings forward Caleb Malhotra was able to corral the loose puck in the slot. He quickly turned and ripped a shot past the blocker of Donovan Dunlay to knot the score at 1-1.
With a little over six minutes left in the third period, Alessandro Di Iorio would put the Kings up 2-1 with a stellar individual effort of his own. Flanked by three Mission players as he skated alone into the zone, Di Iorio rifled a shot from the right circle off the post and in for the eventual game-winning goal.
Chicago pulled Dunlay in the final minute of regulation for the extra attacker, but thanks to tight defense and some late saves by Justin Young, the Kings would hold on for the 2-1 win.
Young would end the game making 15 saves on 16 shots, while Dunlay stopped 25 of 27 shots.
Vaughan rounded out their final two games of the Invitational by besting No. 9 Pittsburgh Vengeance 1-0 and No. 6 Little Caesars 3-2. That gave the Kings five wins on the weekend; three against ranked opponents.
The Kings have been one of the top ‘08 teams in Canada for more than a year. In the last 12 months, they’ve won the U14 Silver Sticks, U14 GTHL regular season and playoff championship, the U14 OHL Cup last spring and now adds a Little Caesars Invitational belt to the trophy case. The U15 season is an important one for Canadian teams like Vaughan. They will again compete in one of the top leagues in all of youth hockey — the Greater Toronto Hockey League (GTHL). On top of that, top ’08s in the province will play for the All-Ontario championships at the end of the season.
They finished last season as the No. 1-ranked team in Canada, debuted in the top spot to begin ’22-23 and have maintained that billing through the first three rankings updates of the season. As the No. 1 team in Canada, Vaughan currently checks in at third in the world behind Russian-born CSKA Moscow and Vityaz Podolsk.
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It’s become a staple for the youth hockey community, and for 2022, it’s truly back to ‘normal.’
The CCM World Invite Motown is taking place across Metro Detroit this weekend, bringing 352 teams to Michigan. For the first time since 2019, Canadian teams are making their triumphant return to the tournament field.
Despite playing a ‘normal’ season last year, Canadian clubs still had restricted travel due to COVID-19. That meant no cross-country showdowns for the Motown tournament.
This year, Canadian AAA teams are popping up all over the schedule for the various age groups set to compete. The tournament features multiple divisions for the Elite AAA, AAA and AA classifications in the 2013 through 2008 birth years, as well as the 15-only, 16-and-under and 18-and-under age groups.
The top teams in each age group are competing in the Supertacks divisions, and that’s what we will be focusing on this weekend. Here’s a look at each of the age groups featuring teams in the world rankings. In all, more than 6,000 players and 350 teams are expected to compete in the 2022 CCM World Invite Motown:
There are 16 teams set to compete in the top division of the 2011 field for the CCM Motown, and it’s an impressive mix of teams from across the U.S. and Canada.
While the No. 6-ranked Chicago Reapers are the highest-rated American team leading into the weekend, the top team in Canada shows up as the heavy favorite as well. The Toronto Jr. Canadiens are the No. 1 team in Canada — and second in the world — and will be in Pool A. They’ll be joined by the Oakland Jr. Grizzlies, Chicago Fury and London Jr. Knights. The Reapers, on the other hand, will be jockeying for position with Victory Honda, Buffalo Regals and York Simcoe Express.
If either of those two highly-ranked clubs slip up, the Reapers and the Jr. Canadiens could end up meeting in the first quarterfinal on Saturday. Otherwise, it wouldn’t be until the semifinals or championship for a heavyweight matchup like that.
The squads in Pool B and Pool C — Vaughan Kings, Team Illinois, California Goldrush, Belle Tire, Florida Alliance, Milwaukee Jr. Admirals, Oakville Rangers and Soo Jr. Greyhounds — make for a deep field for the ’11 age group.
We still think, however, that the Jr. Canadiens aren’t going to squander their weekend trip to the Motor City.
The 2010 birth year shapes up to potentially be a battle between two midwest hockey hotbeds in Detroit and Chicago. Little Caesars, ranked No. 5 in the country, headlines the field, while No. 8 Chicago Fury and No. 10 Chicago Reapers are ready to tangle.
Nine other teams will be fighting for the coveted Motown title. Canadian-based teams Soo Jr. Greyhounds, Burlington Eagles, Sun County Panthers, Credit River Capitals and Hamilton Jr. Bulldogs make up half the field. Fox Motors, Indiana Elite, Pittsburgh Vengeance and Compuware round out the field. Needless to say, with teams flocking in from all corners of the North America, this division will be fun to watch.
Little Caesars and Reapers won’t have to wait until elimination rounds for a Top-10 showdown — they will square off at noon on Saturday.
Worth noting, the Credit River Capitals are a new AAA program drawing from Brampton Hockey, Caledon Minor Hockey and Orangeville Minor Hockey in the Ontario Minor Hockey Association.
With wins over Chicago’s Mission and Fury this season already, Caesars should certainly be expected to take the Supertacks division in the battle of Original Six cities.
There are only eight teams in the 13U Supertacks division, but this could easily be seen as the premier division of the weekend.
Four of the eight teams appear on the world rankings — three from the U.S. and one from Canada. The American squads include No. 3 Chicago Reapers, No. 5 Anaheim Jr. Ducks and No. 6 Little Caesars. Meanwhile, the Toronto Titans — ranked No. 2 in all of Canada — come across the border.
Factor in that the other participants are still storied programs in the Pittsburgh Penguins Elite, Toronto Red Wings, Milwaukee Jr. Admirals and Team Illinois, and we can’t wait to see this division play out.
A whole lot of storied programs show up in Metro Detroit for the Motown this weekend. While they may not currently appear on the WHH rankings, they’re still some of the biggest names and most notable clubs on the continent.
The London Jr. Knights, Toronto Red Wings and Toronto Nationals represent the Canadian contingent. They will be taking on the Chicago Fury, Victory Honda, HoneyBaked, Ohio Blue Jackets, SHAHA Panthers, Oakland Jr. Grizzlies, Chicago Reapers, Madison Capitols and Anaheim Ice Dogs.
HoneyBaked has been heating up as of late. When you consider that this division is taking place at their home rink and a few facilities nearby, we like HB to take care of business in this bracket.
Much like the 14U group, there are plenty of big-name programs slated to compete in the 15O Supertacks division. The Mississauga Reps come in from Canada, while teams like the Carolina Jr. Hurricanes, Belle Tire, Victory Honda and Chicago Reapers look to make some noise at the prestigious tournament. We have the Reps’ Friday games against the Madison Capitols and Oakland Jr. Grizzlies circled. Both contests will serve as measuring sticks for how some 15O Canadian programs stack up against their American counterparts.
Omaha Mastery has a ‘Cinderella story’ feel with a 17-2-0 record. This weekend is a big opportunity for the Nebraska-based squad to make a statement. They already have a Chicago Steel Icebreaker championship to their name this season. We like them to add some more hardware here.
An eight-team field makes up the 16U Supertacks division for Motown. The Anaheim Ice Dogs, Tri-State Spartans, Maine Nordiques, Team Wisconsin, Golden State Elite, Pittsburgh Predators, Wasatch Renegades and Michigan Hockey Advancement (MHA) round out the field. It’s a pick-‘em here, so we will go with MHA. They are a collection of top high school players in the state, eager to prove themselves to scouts before heading off to their respective high school programs.
For more coverage of the 2022 CCM World Invite Motown, follow WHH on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, Discord and YouTube for more!
One of the premier U11 and U10 — formerly referred to Squirt-level — tournaments in Canada, the 2022 Drew Doughty Invitational crowned a pair of champions over the weekend. The host team, London Jr. Knights won the 2012 age group with a 6-0-0 record; American participant Little Caesars took the 2013 championship back across the U.S.-Canada border to its home in Detroit, Michigan.
Two pools of eight teams competed in the 2013 Division. Little Caesars was the lone American representative at the tournament with the other 15 participants hailing from all corners of Ontario. Caesars dominated Group B, out-scoring opponents 56-2 in four games with forwards Cameron Coombe, Colin Kim, Parker Miller and Luke Merdinian leading the way. They accounted for 80 percent of the team’s offense over the weekend, and earned Caesars the top seed in a four-team playoff.
They were joined by second-place Elgin-Middlesex Canucks out of Group B, while the Toronto Young Nationals and Quinte Red Devils came out of Group A.
Even when the field was whittled down to the four best teams, Caesars was still able to exert its dominance. They defeated Quinte handedly in the semifinal and topped the Young Nats four hours later to win the championship.
It was the seventh annual Drew Doughty Invitational, and just the second time that an American team has won the championship. New York-based, ‘08-born Long Island Gulls won the tournament in 2018.
The older group — 2012s — was also split into two groups of eight teams. Again, Little Caesars was the lone American team competing against 15 Canadian clubs. The Host team, London Jr. Knights, went 4-0-0 in group play, claiming the No. 1 seed in the process. They were joined in the playoffs by Caesars, who also went undefeated in Group A.
Elgin-Middlesex Canucks and Halton Hurricanes, on the other hand, came out of Group B. A 4-0-0 record gave EMC the No. 1 seed, while a 3-3 tie left Halton as the lowest-ranked team to advance to the four-team playoff.
Both semifinals resulted in one-goal games, with EMC defeating Caesars 4-3 and the Jr. Knights surviving a 3-2 scare over Halton. The all-Canadian championship, however, was not nearly as nerve-racking. London ended the weekend the way it started, with a shutout of its opponent in the form of a 5-0 win over the Canucks.
According to the tournament website, the Drew Doughty Invitational is committed to presenting the pre-eminent U10/U11 hockey tournament in North America. This commitment to excellence is reflected in the tournament committee, their sponsors, the London Jr. Knights and, of course, in Drew Doughty’s name.
The most memorable experience for young minor hockey players is competing in tournaments, traveling with their families and spending time with teammates that create bonds that last a lifetime.
Proceeds from the tournament are split equally between the Jr. Knights and Ronald McDonald House Charities of Southwestern Ontario.
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To win any hockey game is difficult. To win multiple games in a row to cultivate a streak is even harder. But what three teams have been able to do thus far into the 2022-23 youth hockey season is nothing short of amazing.
2009 Flemingsbergs IK (14-0-0), 2010 CSKA Moscow (18-0-0) and the 2010-born Minuteman Flames (12-0-1) are all in the midst of unparalleled unbeaten streaks to begin their campaigns.
In Sweden, No. 4 Flemingsbergs has roared out of the gates. The club got things off on the right track at the 2022 Nordic Youth Trophy. After going 5-0-0 in group play, they bested No. 6 AIK and No. 8 Almtuna IS in the playoffs en route to the gold medal.
At the tournament, Flemingsbergs tallied 74 goals, while only allowing six into their net. Putting that into perspective, the next-best team was Almtuna with a plus-49 goal differential.
Forward Dante Bergfors was as dynamic as they come, tallying 37 points (24G, 13A) across the team’s seven games, bolstered by two 11-point individual performances. Just behind him were Ludvig Schûnzel (11G, 11A) and Hugo Sandblom (9G, 12A). All three players’ balanced approach to the game rounded out the club’s potent attack.
The team’s focus shifts to district play now, and that explosive offense has allowed Flemingsbergs to continue its torrid stretch of play. Garnering a 5-0-0 record in the first batch of games, they averaged at least five goals scored in each matchup.
Flemingsbergs is currently out to a 2-0-0 start to their next stretch of district games, scoring 20 goals so far. Their only “blemish” being two goals allowed to Haninge Anchors HC svart in their latest outing.
Next up is a date with No. 7 Djurgårdens IF on Oct. 23rd. Can Djurgårdens stifle the phenomenal attack of Flemingsbergs?
No top team in its respective country has dominated the way CSKA has thus far.
Through 18 games, the No. 1-ranked 2010 team in the world, CSKA has been the model of perfection. A fact made all the more impressive when understanding that their schedule mostly consists of matchups against other top-10 teams in the country.
CSKA has been able to make light work of opponents thanks largely in part to — much like Flemingsbergs — a versatile offense. Seemingly able to score at will, they have only been held to less than two goals scored just twice. No matter what style of game falls into their lap, handling all sorts of situations has been a linchpin of the team’s success. They can trade goals with high-powered offenses when necessary, and can gut out low-scoring affairs in defensive battles.
Forwards Nikita Sinikin (24G, 24A) and Roman Andreev (23G, 17A) have been revelations up front, each racking up at least 40 points. Sinikin dished out three assists alone in the team’s last win, a 4-3 victory over No. 4 Vityaz Podolsk.
The road does not get any easier for CSKA, as a primetime tilt against No. 2 Spartak Moscow is next on their schedule this weekend. The two programs have met twice already this season, with CSKA coming out on top both times.
The Minuteman Flames began their season with a 4-2 win against HoneyBaked back on Sept. 9th. They debuted as the No. 1 team in the U.S. a week later, and have gone unbeaten in their next 12 games. The only decision that kept the Flames out of the win column was a 4-4 tie against the No. 8-ranked team in the world Boston Jr. Eagles.
If the Flames have any hope of holding down the No. 1 spot in the rankings, a continued focus on team play will be paramount over the next few months. With over 30 league games upcoming in the Eastern Hockey Federation (EHF), they will be battling familiar opponents such as the Jr. Eagles and Middlesex Islanders, who are another top-10 program in the U.S.
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It’s mid-October, and youth hockey worldwide is in full swing. The latest youth hockey rankings continue to identify some of the top teams in the world. Swedish clubs embark on District and Group play, Canadian leagues like the GTHL, CSSHL and LHEQ have started games, Finnish teams are a few weeks into Group schedules, and the U.S. and Russia have been going strong for more than a month.
Here’s everything you need to know before exploring the updated youth hockey rankings:
Previously ranked No. 14, Krylia Sovetov propelled themselves into the top five with a big win on Monday. Egor Sidorov’s shootout goal gave Krylia a 4-3 win over Dynamo Moscow. Both teams check in the Top 10 of this week’s world rankings, with Krylia peaking at fourth overall. That victory puts Krylia’s record to 8-2-1, with four of those wins coming against other Top-25 teams. They trail only CSKA Moscow amongst Russian teams, who previously defeated Krylia 6-0 on Aug. 24th. The top two teams in Russia are slated to meet three more times this season, the most recent matchup is scheduled for this Sunday.
Will we get some clarity or confusion later this month when the top four 2007-born teams in Finland face off? No. 2-ranked Kärpät and No. 4-ranked Tappara are set to clash on Oct. 23rd; They are the top two teams in Group 1 of the U16 SM-Series. They met a month ago, and back-to-back third-period goals from Juuso Juka and Elias Tiensuu secured the 4-3 win for Kärpät. That game included four lead changes as the two teams proved to be neck-and-neck.
The top two teams in Group 2 will take the ice on Oct. 28th when No. 1 Kiekko-Espoo plays No. 3 HIFK. It will be the first of two scheduled meetings between the ranked opponents, with the second matchup coming in December. This matchup will also feature the top four scorers in the country, with HIFK’s Oliver Torkki (19) and Matias Vanhanen (17) going head-to-head with Aleksi Kilpeläinen (17) and Aapo Vanninen (16) from Kiekko.
Both of these matchups should prove to be pivotal in the upcoming weeks.
Top-ranked CSKA Moscow is an astonishing 18-0-0 to start the season, just months after completing its U12 season with a 36-1-2 record. They’ve been held to less than five goals in a game just twice, defeating No. 3 Spartak Moscow 2-1 and No. 7 Vityaz Podolsk 4-3. CSKA’s remaining schedule features nine matchups against opponents currently ranked in the top 10 in the country. They’re fueled by a dynamic duo of Nikita Sinikin (48 points) and Roman Andreev (40) who account for 55 percent of the team’s total offense.
In Sweden, Viggbyholms IK maintains a 16-0-1 record, with tournament championship wins at the Nicklas Backstrom Cup and Nordic Youth Trophy. The lone ‘blemish’ on the team’s record is a 1-1 tie to Leksand IF Vit at the Farsta Games a month ago. Through that stretch, only two teams managed to score more than two goals in a single game against Viggbyholms. Goaltenders Elias Ådeby, Oscar Bergström and Douglas Ottoson have provided steady play between the pipes early on this season. Over the next few weeks, several Swedish programs split into two teams for Group Play, with Viggbyholms being one of them. Its Röd (red) team is 1-1-0 in Stockholm’s Group 2 while Blå (Blue) is 0-1-1 in Group 3.
No team at any age group in the United States remains undefeated with as many games played as the Minuteman Flames. The No. 4-ranked team in the world from Massachusetts is 12-0-1, with four wins over Top-10 American teams. The lone tie came two weeks ago against in-state rival and No. 8-ranked team in the world, Boston Jr. Eagles in the form of a 4-4 tie. Averaging 4.9 goals scored per game, the Flames are a tough offense to contain. Over the next few months, they’ll play more than 30 league games in the Eastern Hockey Federation (EHF). The league currently has three teams ranked in the top 20 among 2010s with the Flames, Jr. Eagles and Middlesex Islanders.
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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, we highlight a cross-border tilt between Canadian and U.S. squads, a Sweden team trying to crack the top-10 and two Russian powerhouses facing off against one another.
There can only be one No. 1, and two of the premier teams at the 2010 birth year in Russia will square off this weekend to determine just who that is. CSKA Moscow (18-0-0) and Spartak Moscow (18-4-0) will not only have bragging rights on the line, but the outcome of this game may shake up the top of the Russian rankings.
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| Saturday, October 15 |
These two programs have already faced each other twice this season, with CSKA emerging victorious both times by scores of 7-6 and 2-1. Rest will play a factor in this game, as both sides will be heading into this tilt following some time off.
A rest that will aid the incredible scorers hailing from both sides.
On paper, the dynamic offenses for both squads are certainly noticeable. For CSKA, names like Nikita Sinikin (24G, 24A), Roman Andreev (23G, 17A), and Bogdan Doroshkevich (7G, 11A) certainly have raised eyebrows of opponents.
Spartak comes equipped with their own set of high-profile scorers; Artem Korolev (16G, 18A), Alexander Sidorenko (10G, 12A), and Mikhail Isaev (8G, 10A) lead the group.
Amazing offensive output from two strong forward cores, but each team also boasts a player from the defensive side of the puck who can also rack up the points.
For Spartak, that player comes in the form of Gordey Khotkov (8G, 13A) and for CSKA it is Mikhail Makeev, who has collected 17 points (1G, 16A) on the season thus far.
Given how the season has played out for both teams, both individually and the two games they have under their belt against the other, high offense and dazzling playmaking should be on tap.
With district group-play beginning this past week in Sweden, many top-10 clubs are in full swing. For 2007-born teams, a matchup between SDE Hockey (6-5-2) and IFK Täby HC (11-2-1) headlines the schedule.
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| Tuesday, October 11 @ 8:00 pm CET Stockhagens Ice Hall |
Täby is fresh off an 8-3 win against Viggbyholms IK. With that victory, they remain undefeated in group play.
Their offense has been propelled by the balanced attack of 5-foot-7 forward Theo Stockselius (1G, 7A), dynamic play-making of Max Johannesén (1G, 7A), and strong goal scoring of Viggo Björck (5G, 1A).
SDE — currently holding down the 10th spot in the Sweden rankings were bested by Viggbyholms in overtime in their last outing. Filip Thorling (1G, 2A) and Oliver Höglund (2G) were forces in the game for SDE, standing out as its two best forwards.
A big focus for Täby will be staying out of the box, as SDE’s power play was firing on all cylinders against Viggbyholms. They went 2-for-2 with both goals coming from the hot stick of Höglund.
Djurgårdens IF (5-1-0) will take to the ice against Flemingsbergs IK (8-4-2) for an ‘07 mid-week matchup, hoping to continue their impressive start to group play.
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| Wednesday, October 12 @ 7:30 pm CET Mälarhöjdens Ice Hall |
With a 6-2 statement win right out of the gate against IFK Tumba IK, Djurgårdens appears ready to prove why it’s one of the top teams in their group.
William Håkansson (1G, 2A) and Kean Tollet (1G, 1A) have been early leaders among the forward corps for Djurgårdens. The team’s secret weapon, however, lies with 5-foot-9 defenseman Lucas Grahn. Not only bringing size and strong defensive play to the team’s blueline, he has a knack for finding the scoresheet as well. Grahn has one goal and two assists in one game.
Djurgårdens is also prepared for a run of strong play in net thanks to Oscar Sääf. Displaying a calm demeanor in net, he turned aside 22 of 24 shots in their opening win.
Following an overtime loss to Södertälje SK 1, Flemingsbergs got back on track with a 5-3 win against IFK Tumba last weekend.
Samuel Palenik (2G, 1A), Carl Carlenius (1G, 2A), Sebastian Dahlqvist (1G, 2A) and Michal Horníček (3A) top the leaderboard for Flemingsbergs in the early stages of group play.
Flemingsbergs boasts their own star goaltender Lukas Furaev, who has solidly performed in his duties, racking up a 2.86 goals-against average and .933 save percentage.
Comparing those numbers to that of Sääf, whose modest performance in net had led to a 2.00 goals-against average and .916 save percentage, it shows that both clubs are served with a strong goaltending.
This matchup may very well come down to who performs best between the pipes.
This one has been circled on the calendar since the rankings came out last week. On October 15, the No. 1-ranked team in Canada, Vaughan Kings (9-1-1), will meet with the No. 3-ranked team in the U.S., Chicago Mission (13-1-1). It will be a battle between two of the top 2008-born clubs in the world.
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| Saturday, October 15 @ 7:00 pm EST BELFOR Training Center |
Chicago is coming off a successful weekend where they swept fellow U.S. clubs Honeybaked and Compuware.
Vaughan started the season off with a nine-game unbeaten streak. That came to an end with a 3-2 overtime loss at the hands of the North York Rangers on October 2. Last weekend, they took to the ice against the Oakville Rangers, skating away with a 4-2 victory.
It’s a rare Top-10 international matchup in a battle between Canada’s best and one of America’s top programs. The youth hockey world is in for a good one on Saturday.
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As the old saying goes, “We’re getting the band back together.”
Twenty-one years ago, Dwayne Blais and Nathan Bowen started a two-week summer hockey camp in Huntsville, Alabama, with their UAH Chargers teammate Ryan McCormack and local friend and coach Steve Miller. That hockey camp – attended by Huntsville native and current Washington Capitals forward Nic Dowd – was the beginning of Total Package Hockey (TPH). TPH grew under both Bowen and Blais, although as two different companies: a TPH in the U.S. under the direction of Bowen, and then a TPH in London, Ontario – starting with the purchase of the University of Western Ontario Hockey School – under the direction of Blais.
Now, the college teammates are reuniting, as TPH merges its U.S. and Canada entities into one organization to best serve North America’s minor hockey and youth sports communities.
Blais, a native of Sudbury who currently serves as a player development consultant for the Detroit Red Wings, will remain in an ownership and leadership role along with TPH-London’s Director Kevin Galerno.
“This is a partnership that will benefit everyone involved, but most importantly, our student-athletes,” said Blais, who has also worked as a skills coach for the Stanley Cup-winning Washington Capitals, Hershey Bears, and London Knights. “Nathan Bowen, Alan Keeso, and the TPH leadership team, who are trusted friends, have built a proven academy model, and we are excited to be able to share everything TPH has to offer with the players in London and across Ontario. We can increase the number of student-athletes we help on a daily basis by working together, and this will provide tremendous opportunities for our players who will be exposed to a network of teams and coaches across North America. Our team here in London will also have opportunities to work with, learn from, and advance within Team TPH.”
TPH has been an influential hockey development group in London and the surrounding area since 2004. The organization further established itself as the region’s leader in 2007, launching the OHA High-Performance Program in Ontario in partnership with the Ontario Hockey Association to help create opportunities for junior players. In more recent years, the company has offered a variety of opportunities to local student-athletes to study, train, and play to newfound levels of potential, including through the Academy for Student-Athletes Development (ASAD) program and private education partners.
Along the way, Blais and his team have played a substantial role in the personal and athletic development of the local National Hockey League players, including three NHL captains; Montreal’s Nick Suzuki, Vancouver’s Bo Horvat, and Columbus’ Boone Jenner. The team in London has also helped countless professional, university, college, junior, and minor hockey players over the past 18 years, spanning from the AHL, CIS, NCAA, CHL, USHL, NAHL, BCHL, AJHL, CCHL, OJHL, GOJHL and more.
“Dwayne Blais is one of the top 10 professional player development coaches in the world, but his impact extends far beyond what he teaches technically,” said Bowen, co-founder of TPH. “His genuine care for players as people first and his ability to connect with them while being a positive role model and mentor is what sets him apart from the rest. You won’t see him all over websites and social media, but ask any players or parents who have worked with him over the past 20 years and you will get the same answer about Dwayne – he is genuine, he will hold you accountable and he has a passion for helping people grow. We will now get the direct benefit of his impact throughout all of TPH with our team members, which in turn will directly impact our student-athletes.”
Furthering the UAH hockey connection is the fact that Bowen facilitated TPH-London director Kevin Galerno’s campus recruiting visit. In over 12 years with TPH, Galerno – recognized as one of the few Certified Hockey Canada Skills Coaches in southwestern Ontario – has supported NHL players and prospects, as well as those at the NCAA and junior hockey ranks in the off-season. In-season, he works directly with several different minor hockey associations and serves as the skill development coach for the London Knights (OHL) and the University of Western Mustangs Men’s Hockey Team. Most recently, Galerno attended and assisted with the Detroit Red Wings 2022 Development Camp.
“Kevin Galerno brings the same core values as Dwayne,” said Bowen. “He’s an incredible coach and mentor to young hockey players, and his growth mindset ensures that what TPH brings to the table in London is world-class.”
In the U.S., TPH has become the industry leader in hockey development and youth sports academies. In the 2022 NHL Draft alone, three TPH Academy alumni – Cutter Gauthier, Rutger McGroarty, and Lane Hutson – were selected in the top two rounds. With its various platforms, including association management, elite prospects programs, tournaments and showcases, camps and clinics, and its hallmark TPH Academy with 15 campuses across the country, TPH works with more than 10,000 student-athletes every year. Many of those student-athletes advance to various levels in hockey, and now across a growing number of sports, including baseball, soccer, figure skating, and more. But most importantly, these student-athletes are advancing as individuals in the many arenas of life.
Alan Keeso, hailing from Listowel, Ontario, became TPH’s CEO this past January. He first met Blais at – you guessed it – UAH, via a hockey school he attended with Bowen during his high school years. Keeso and Blais reconnected in recent years as Blais invited Keeso to be interviewed for his Behind the Gear podcast.
“Alan’s had a unique and exciting journey, and so much of that has sprung from the habits he built through his time in the game of hockey,” said Blais. “The fact he’s taken those lessons and habits to his years helping small businesses to grow, his service in Canada’s armed forces, his academic pursuits with two Master’s degrees from the University of Oxford, and now leading a company of more than 150 team members at TPH, is a testament to what TPH is all about: advancing the next generation of impact players, in and beyond the game”
Keeso immediately got to work at the turn of the year to bring the two TPH organizations together.
“I’ve heard from family friends in Ontario over the years, and especially in recent months, about the incredible experience their kids have had working with Dwayne, Kevin, and the team in London,” said Keeso. “I can speak for all of TPH in saying that we are so thrilled to now call them our teammates. This merger makes everyone in the organization instantly better to the benefit of families with young aspiring student-athletes. It’s not often you get an opportunity like this, and we’re all excited to continue to strive to lead the world in the holistic development of student-athletes.”
Having just released its first annual TPH Academy Impact Report, TPH looks forward to introducing more locations in Ontario in the upcoming academic year. For now, however, the TPH band being back together is a special moment for the organization, the youth sports community, and for student-athletes taking the stage with TPH via the gym, classroom, ice, and on a growing number of playing surfaces.
Discover all of the ways that TPH Academy can help you achieve your goals. Start your path with us here.
BY & Motts-arella-stix are back for the latest episode of The Rink Shrinks, with a fresh episode featuring all of your questions from the mailbag. Beforehand, the guys catch up on Motts’ golf game last week, BY has some things to share about attending weddings, & BY has another gripe he needs to get out there. Then the guys open up the mailbag to answer your questions plus we bring our first “Mo’s moment”!
Some questions include:
A team manager for youth hockey
The length of the season
Injuries leading to a missed season
The inaugural “Mo’s moment”
The My Hockey Rankings Question of the week!
The fellas wrap up the show discussing the “Cancer Can’t” event that is coming up in a couple weeks and give a tip on the proper way to check.
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