Craig Peterson, on-site at 14U Nationals
There’s just eight teams remaining in the hunt for the 2023 USA Hockey national championship at the 14U age group. The field is set and matchups finalized for quarterfinals. I’ve ranked all remaining teams in order of most to least likely to be crowned champion by Monday.
They’ve actually had an impressive run at the tournament. Dallas Stars Elite finished 2-1-0 in pool play. They won on Friday against Little Caesars, 5-4 in a de facto elimination game. So in a way, DSE is already in playoff mode. J.P. Hurlbert III and Landon Amrhein are among the leading scorers in the tournament. However, it’s a really tough draw as DSE would have to beat the No. 3, No. 2 and No. 1 teams in the power rankings in order to be champ. Tough road.
They took care of business against the Minnesota Lakers and Valley Forge Minutemen to put themselves in playoff position. However, the Boston Jr. Eagles may struggle mightily as competition ramps up in the playoffs. Pens Elite outshot them 24-9 in a dominant 5-0 performance. My fear is that their first-round matchup with the LA Jr. Kings — and any potential future matchup — resembles opponents closer to PPE than they do Valley Forge.
I actually like Mount St. Charles a lot. They’re well coached, play a responsible game and create offense as a team. Not to mention, they’ve got work-hards up front like Jameson Glance, Cole Sabourin and Dylan Dean that stand out to me. It’s just the first-round draw with Pens Elite is brutal. Plus, they’ve scored just 3.00 goals per game, which is the lowest among playoff teams. I worry there’s not enough offense to hang with some of the other contenders.
Here is where it gets really tough. Bishop Kearney is going to be a tough out in the playoffs. Latvia import Rudolfs Berzkalns is a talented goal scorer, and I really like the way Camden Nimmer and Dub Eunice III play as well. Not to mention, Gavin Weeks should give them a chance to win against anyone they face. However, there’s some high-powered offenses at No. 4, No. 3, No. 2 and No. 1 that I think might separate themselves a bit from BK at this stage of the tournament.
As talented as any team in the tournament. Logan Stuart led the LA Jr. Kings in scoring with three goals and seven points. Noah Davidson, Jake Brown and Tyus Sparks are noticeable standouts as well. They can get in a track meet with just about anyone. However, the Jr. Kings trailed in two of their three games in pool play and certainly flirted with fire a bit. If they have to chase offense against a team like Shattuck or PPE, it could be a real tough deficit to come back from.
Similar to the Jr. Kings, Chicago Mission’s lineup oozes talent. Kalder Varga may be one of the best forwards in the tournament; he is a do-it-all for Chicago who’s game carries a ton of value. Aurelio Garcia and Shaeffer Gordon-Carroll really stood out on Day 3 as major contributors as well. And that’s just scratching the surface when it comes to skaters with skill on this team. Jake Windbiel looked much better in their 2-1 win over BK as well. He’s one of the bigger goaltenders in the tournament, and when he’s on, he makes Mission tough to beat.
Pittsburgh Penguins Elite play extremely well together as a unit. The offensive chances they create either on the rush or in-zone look effortless. Low-to-high plays, backdoor passes… all of their goals are generated from really pretty sequences. Kase Kamzik and Brody George are easy to like, as they make a lot of good things happen in all three zones. Kent Greer leads all defensemen in scoring with six points, and fellow blue-liner Brandon Vislay is a challenge for attackers to get by as well. Pens Elite are solid in all three zones, and one of the most well-rounded teams in the tournament.
They came into the tournament as the No. 1 seed, and have done nothing but take care of business in pool play. Shattuck-St. Mary’s has the most productive offense with 21 goals, and the second-best defense, allowing just five against. Tynan Lawrence, Parker Trottier, Emilio Bedoya, Zane Torre, Michael Berchild… I could go on and on. Thirteen of the 18 skaters have scored goals. They’re extremely talented, very deep, and very well coached. Not only is the skill on display, but so is the structure of their game. They came in as the favorite, and there’s no reason to think that’s changed after the first three days of the tournament.
Peter Rossi, on-site at 15O Nationals
In what was a meeting to determine seeding in the Olympic Division at 15O USA Hockey Nationals, Chicago Mission defeated the Long Island Gulls 4-2 off the back of a Cameron McKinney hat trick.
The Gulls opened the scoring in the first period when Dominick Oppedisano slipped home a rebound that bounced off the end boards. Just over two minutes later, McKinney tied the game with his first goal when he banged in a loose puck at the side of the net. Egan Beveridge started a rush up the ice and fed the puck to Nicholas Knutson. Knutson was then bodied off the puck, but McKinney collected it and shoved it past the outstretched pad of Ryan Cameron.
McKinney struck again close to four minutes after tying the game to put Chicago up 2-1. He skated into the Gulls defensive zone, made a great move around a defender and popped a shot into the net. Late in the first period, Luke Brierley fired a perfect wrist shot from distance that went off the post and in to increase the Mission lead to 3-1.
Teams would play an even second period, and the third would continue for much of that way. On the power play, Long Island defenseman Jared Petruso blasted a heavy one-timer from the blue line into the net to cut his team’s deficit to 3-2. With the Gulls’ goalie pulled, McKinney threw the puck down the ice into the empty net for his hat trick and to ice the game for a 4-2 final. As a result, Mission clinched the first seed in the Olympic Division, and will open elimination round play tomorrow against the second seed in the NHL Division.
In another contest that had seeding implications, Mount St. Charles and Shattuck-St. Mary’s battled for positioning in the NHL Division. Conrad Fondrk, who has been raising eyebrows all week at Nationals boosted his team to a lead they would never relinquish en route to a 4-1 win.
The opening frame would have no scoring, due to both teams feeling the other out. Despite two power play opportunities for SSM, Mount goaltender Samuel Doyon-Cataquiz was solid, making 11 saves. With 7:03 left in the second period, Fondrk would score his first goal of the afternoon when he settled a pass from Dylan Krayer and ripped it off the far post for a 1-0 lead. About a minute-and-a-half later and his team on the man advantage, Fondrk took a very similar shot from the right circle that once again beat Shattuck goalie Garrett Glaser to put Mount up 2-0.
With Glaser pulled with over two minutes left in regulation, Mate Tardi sent a shot into the empty net for a 3-0 lead. However, on a late power play, Aaron Obobaifo, who was the hero for Shattuck yesterday, managed to score to bring Mount’s lead to 3-1. Opting to pull the goalie once more, Shattuck was unable to net another goal and Dallas Potter collected an empty-net goal of his own for the 4-1 final. The star of the game was Doyon-Cataquiz, who ended with 31 saves.
Mount St. Charles earned first seed in the NHL Division and will face off against the Los Angeles Jr. Kings. As winners of the Liberty Division, the Bishop Kearney Selects have drawn a matchup against Shattuck. Little Caesars went undefeated in pool play to top the USA Division, and will open its quarterfinal round against the Gulls. With Pittsburgh Pens Elite locking up second seed in the Olympic Division, they have earned a tilt with Mission to open its playoff round.
WHH will have continued coverage of USA Hockey Nationals this week. Be sure to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, Discord and YouTube for the latest news, top performers and more.
Craig Peterson, remote coverage of 16U Nationals
There were still 14 games of pool-play action left to be played at the 16U USA Hockey Nationals. However, Shattuck-St. Mary’s and Chicago Mission had already secured spots in the next round.
Mission’s 9-2 win over Team North Dakota and Shattuck’s 7-1 win over the Boston Little Bruins guaranteed they would finish as the top two seeded teams in the USA Division. Now, the top two teams are slated to play against each other on Friday. The outcome of that game will determine who is the 1-seed and who is the 2-seed, but both clubs can rest easy Thursday night knowing they’ll make it to the weekend regardless of the outcome of Game 3.
Eero Butella’s four-point performance helped fuel Mission to its dominant win over North Dakota. He leads all skaters in the tournament with four goals and eight points. Teammate Frank DeRosa tops all defensemen in scoring as well, with four points.
The top two seeds in the NHL Division are set to play Friday at noon. It may be a bit anticlimactic though, as both Little Caesars and North Jersey Avalanche have secured spots in the playoffs as well. Similar to Shattuck and Mission, the order may not be finalized but the participants are locked in. Caesars is 2-0-0, as are the Avs, and the two teams will break that deadlock at noon.
With both teams comfortably moving on to the quarterfinals, that means four of the eight playoff spots are already spoken for, with eight games left to play.
While Compuware hasn’t yet clinched a spot like the four previously mentioned teams, it has put itself in the driver’s seat heading into Friday. Michael Barron scored the game-winning goal against Mount St. Charles with 70 seconds left in regulation on Wednesday. That win, plus a dominant showing against the Nashville Jr. Predators on Thursday means Compuware controls its own destiny. A third win obviously pushes them on to the playoffs, but even in defeat on Friday, the Detroit-based squad could advance to the elimination rounds.
Craig Peterson, on-site at 14U Nationals
It was less than five minutes into the game between Chicago Mission and Pittsburgh Vengeance. There were just four or five shots on goal recorded on the jumbotron overhead, yet three of them had resulted in goals for Pittsburgh. Two of those goals came off the stick of forward Sean Miller.
Mission came into the matchup — and the 14U USA Hockey Nationals — as heavy favorites. They entered the tournament ranked No. 2 in the country, as well as the 2-seed in the field of 16 teams. Mission rolled the Carolina Jr. Hurricanes 5-1 on the first day of Nationals. Meanwhile, its Day 2 opponent in Pittsburgh was out-shot, out-chanced and out-played by Bishop Kearney. All signs pointed in favor of Kalder Varga, Abraham Barnett and the Chicago Mission on Thursday.
Mission even controlled much of the play out of the gate. However, two odd-man rushes and a power-play goal allowed Pittsburgh to get on the board first. Miller’s first goal came off a line rush when he wired a wrist shot over Donovan Dunlay’s shoulder. Three minutes later, Jacob Keisel made it 2-0 for Pittsburgh with a shot from the blue line. Then, with 7:34 left in the opening period, Miller scored his second of the game on a power play to put the Vengeance on top 3-0.
Pittsburgh was able to force Mission to play its style of hockey. Much of the game felt like it took place in a phone booth. Tough board battles, scrums for loose pucks and very little time or space for a much more skilled Chicago team. Eventually, Schaeffer Gordon-Carroll — who had a goal and an assist — Varga, Barnett and co., were able to generate some offense and cut into the deficit. However, Mission was unable to overcome, and a third goal from Miller as well as Jacob Gilbert’s first goal of the tournament put the game out of reach at 7-3.
For a USA Hockey Nationals tournament that has basically been all chalk through the first 12 games, the 7-3 win for Pittsburgh is a shock to the system. Miller and teammate Caden Harvery are tied for second in the tournament in scoring with six points apiece. Goalie Giovanni Scally impressed as well with 33 saves in the win. It was his first action of the tournament.
Pittsburgh still needs some things to break its way in order to advance to the elimination rounds. However, Miller’s performance at least keeps them in the hunt heading into Friday.
A regulation win over the Jr. Canes would likely be enough to secure the second spot. Mission and BK go head-to-head on the final day. I believe that BK at 2-0-0 has unofficially secured one of the two spots out of the Olympic Pool. However, if Mission beats Bishop Kearney, it opens the door to the possibility of a three-way tie, and tiebreakers being the deciding factor.
If Shattuck-St. Mary’s doesn’t win the 14U USA Hockey Nationals, the eventual winner will certainly have to go through them to get it.
The forward line of Carson Andrew, Parker Trottier and tournament leader Tynan Lawrence are as good as any here at USA Hockey Arena. Plus, what a luxury it is to follow up that line with the trio of Michael Berchild, Zane Torre and Cooper Soller. Shattuck’s lineup is loaded with talent across the board, evident by their 13 different goal scorers in two games.
They’ve put on an offensive clinic, albeit against the 16-seed and 9-seed in the tournament. But it’s more than just the plus-13 goal differential. They’re sound defensively, constantly in good position, hard on pucks and just playing the game the right way. I think it was John Riffey I saw lay out to block a shot from the point in the game with Dallas Stars Elite. You need those types of little plays that ultimately make the difference in championship runs. In addition to being the most talented team in the building, the group is playing hard, smart and desperate.
There’s two teams I think can really challenge Shattuck in the playoffs. Pittsburgh Penguins Elite looked really sharp in their win against the Boston Jr. Eagles. They’re a talented bunch with really good chemistry off the rush. Give-and-go plays, clean zone entries, etc., make me think PPE can get up and down the ice with Shattuck.
The other team — despite the loss to Pittsburgh Vengeance — is the Chicago Mission. Similar to PPE, Mission has loads of talent on their roster. Kalder Varga is an exceptional forward, as is Abraham Barnett on the back end. Victor Plante, Lukas Zajic and Robin Kuzma can definitely take this team to a level that can compete with a Shattuck or Pens Elite.
Through two games, Bishop Kearney has scored 10 goals with a 5-2 win over Pittsburgh Vengeance and a 5-0 win over the Carolina Jr. Hurricanes. Of those goals, five have been scored on the man advantage, including four in Thursday’s game against the Jr. Canes. BK’s power-play unit is converting on 55.6 percent of its opportunities, and forward Rudolfs Berzkalns has fueled much of its efforts. They take on a Chicago Mission team on Friday that is the second-most penalized team in the tournament with 11 minor penalties.
As mentioned before, win or lose on Day 3, Bishop Kearney should already have a spot in the elimination rounds. They’re undefeated with a significant goal differential to boot. Win, and they’re obviously in. Lose, and BK would likely hold any tiebreakers over its fellow Olympic Pool members.
Peter Rossi, on-site at 15O Nationals
A morning clash between Little Caesars and Pittsburgh Penguins Elite lived up to the hype at 15O USA Hockey Nationals. With both clubs coming in after tournament-opening victories on Day 1, a win for either would all but cement placement in the elimination round games this weekend.
Pens Elite came out strong, realizing its opportunity and task ahead of taking on a powerhouse like Caesars. Jacob Cloutier was on the forecheck early and often. As a collective unit, Caesars struggled with Pittsburgh’s speed, finding themselves on the losing end of board battles, puck scrums and offensive zone time. The trio of Quinn McKenzie, Cloutier and Kieren Dervin was a standout, creating the most scoring opportunities of the period.
As the period wore on, Caesars began to find its legs, but had difficulty getting shots on net as the Pens constantly got in front of any shot they could. Each team was as physical as they could be, with big checks in open ice and along the boards.
Just over one minute into the second frame, Pittsburgh jumped out to a 1-0 lead thanks to Ryan White depositing a rebound chance in front. Shortly after, following a great drive to the net by Luke Menard, Charlton Tretheway banged in a loose puck in the crease to knot things at 1. Menard dipped his shoulder and bullied his way to the net, where Tretheway crashed and slipped the loose puck past Jake Shingles. The goal was originally credited to Nicholas Kosiba, but was changed postgame.
Thretheway was easily one of the standout skaters for Caesars. Constantly jumping in the rush when possible, his ability to get back into position with great speed often surprised Pens Elite players.
Caesars warmed to the task in the second, with a lot of time spent in the Pens Elite defensive zone. Late in the period, Kosiba would put Caesars up 2-1 on the power play thanks to a pretty passing play between Zachary Morin and William Horcoff.
Pens Elite understood they needed a win, so they pushed much of the pace in the third period. Tretheway was outstanding, constantly shutting down odd-man rushes with perfect stick position. Pittsburgh managed to find the equalizer at 12:46 when Mark Evans blasted a one-timer off the post and in. With 1:13 left and on a sixth power play of the game, Horcoff sent a low shot that beat the glove of Shingles to put Caesars up 3-2. With Pittsburgh once again searching for a goal, Aiden Janz iced the game with an empty-net goal.
Chicago Mission got their second victory of the round robin in a tight contest against Compuware. Jacob Eilers got Chicago on the board first when he fired a top-shelf wrister while on the penalty kill. Overall, seven penalties were called in the opening frame, with four for Compuware and three for Mission.
Early in the second, Compuware would strike. Isaac Nelson deposited a pass from Travis Hayes from in tight, evening things at 1. It was apparent that Chicago knew they had Compuware beat in terms of overall size, and they rarely shied away from any opportunity to throw the body. After some extended zone time, Nathen Jastrzebski tipped an Andrew Horn shot for a 2-1 Mission lead. Chicago’s ability to cycle in the zone was a strength, aided greatly by the versatility of Asher Barnett on the blue line.
Each team would hit numerous crossbars and posts as regulation continued. Despite numerous attempts at trying to find a tying goal, Mission’s defense quickly smothered any Compuware attack. Egan Beveridge eventually put the game away with an empty-net goal.
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KalPa continued their impressive run during the U16 SM-Playoffs in Finland with a two-game sweep of Kiekko-Espoo. It took everything the club had, as the first game was decided via shootout and the second one required overtime as well. In that second game, Topi Veteläinen, one of KalPa’s leading scorers, skated into the zone before firing a perfect shot past Magnus Loponen to clinch the series victory. The goal clinched the series victory for KalPa, and ultimately eliminated the higher-seeded Kiekko-Espoo from the tournament.
As one of four teams that earned first-round byes from their top placement in the SM-Series, it seemed that Kiekko-Espoo was destined for a lengthy playoff run. When it was determined KalPa would be their first opponent, many expected a series win for K-Espoo. After all, they defeated KalPa in a 5-2 win during SM-Series action back on March 5th.
But KalPa had other plans, feeling good about their game fresh off a series sweep of JYP in the wild card round. Many of its top forwards hit their stride against JYP, including Rasmus Pakarinen (4G, 5A), Veteläinen (3G, 5A) and Onni Heikkinen (4G, 3A). All three forwards are among the top five in playoff scoring.
KalPa also displayed a flair for the dramatic in both victories, having to come from behind twice. They faced a 2-0 deficit in the first matchup, before Veteläinen cut into the lead late in the first period. With time dwindling down, Pakarinen evened things up in the third. And after a scoreless overtime, a shootout would decide a winner. Okko Saari, Veteläinen and Pakarinen would all score in the shootout to edge out a Game 1 win.
Game 2 saw K-Espoo maintain a 1-0 lead through the first two periods. However, the third period would bring on an offensive explosion by both teams trading goals. K-Espoo still maintained the one-goal lead at 3-2, until KalPa pulled their goalie. With the net empty, and just 24 seconds on the clock, Saari would tie the game up to force overtime for the second consecutive game. Shortly into overtime, Veteläinen received an incredible pass from Matias Häikiö. He skated into the offensive zone unbothered before ripping a perfect top-shelf shot over the shoulder of Loponen.
After opening its series with an impressive 7-3 victory, HIFK was unable to close things out and dropped the next two against Tappara. Tappara and KalPa will begin a best-of-three series on March 29th.
Ässät evened its series with Ilves with a 5-3 win after dropping the first game 10-0. After scoring two early goals, Ilves’ defense and Pyry Lammi’s 35 saves were enough to close out Game 3 with a 2-1 final. Ilves will move on to face TPS. Leading scorer Luukas Koski collected four points (2G, 2A) for Ässät, adding to his playoff total of 10 points (6G, 4A).
A slow start by TPS allowed Jokerit to take a 1-0 series lead with a 5-2 victory. Kallio Wilmer and Olli Wahlroos stepped up to lead their squad to wins in the next two contests to take the series.
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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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The 2023 OHL Cup starts on Tuesday, as the 54th annual tournament looks to crown the top team in Ontario youth hockey. Fifteen teams have already secured spots in the round of pool play. Ten more teams look to play their way in via Wild Card matchups. Here’s how the tournament stacks up so far:
| GTHL #1 Toronto Marlboros #2 Toronto Jr. Canadiens #3 Mississauga Senators #4 Mississauga Rebels | OMHA #1 Peterborough Petes #2 Southern Tier Admirals #3 Halton Hurricanes #4 York-Simcoe Express |
| ALLIANCE #1 London Jr. Knights #2 Huron-Perth Lakers #3 Waterloo Wolves #4 Sun County Panthers | HNO Representative Thunder Bay Kings NOHA Representative Team NOHA U.S. Representative TPH Hockey |
With 15 of the 20 spots for pool play already awarded to the teams listed above. The final five spots will be determined on Tuesday through Wild Card matchups. The winning team from each of the games below will advance to the next round.
Tuesday March 28, 2023
WC 1, 5:45pm – Ajax-Pickering Raiders vs. Toronto Young Nationals
WC 2, 7:15pm – Barrie Jr. Colts vs. Lambton Jr. Sting
WC 3, 7:30pm – Hamilton Jr. Bulldogs vs. Vaughan Kings
WC 4, 9:00pm – Burlington Eagles vs. Don Mills Flyers
WC 5, 9:15pm – Whitby Wildcats vs. Central Ontario Wolves
Pool play is slated to begin on Wednesday. The 20 remaining teams will be split into four groups of five. They will compete in four round-robin games on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Then, the top two teams from each of the four groups will advance and be seeded for an eight-team, single-elimination playoff. These are the groupings pre-Wild Card games.
| SHANAHAN DIVISION #2 GTHL Toronto Jr. Canadiens #4 OMHA York-Simcoe Express #4 ALLIANCE Sun County Panthers HNO Thunder Bay Kings Wild Card TBD | NASH DIVISION #1 GTHL Toronto Marlboros #2 ALLIANCE Huron-Perth Lakers #3 OMHA Halton Hurricanes US TPH Hockey Wild Card TBD |
| LINDROS DIVISION #1 OMHA Peterborough Petes #3 ALLIANCE Waterloo Wolves #4 GTHL Mississauga Rebels NOHA Team NOHA Wild Card TBD | SUBBAN DIVISION #1 ALLIANCE London Jr. Knights #2 OMHA Southern Tier Admirals #3 GTHL Mississauga Senators Wild Card TBD Wild Card TBD |
Expect all three league champions London Jr. Knights, Toronto Marlboros and Peterborough Petes to advance out of pool play. The Toronto Jr. Canadiens can be seen as an early favorite to come out of the Shanahan Division as well. With only eight teams advancing to the playoffs, a lot is still left to be determined in the next four days at Scotiabank Pond.
The top nine teams ranked in the Top 10 in Canada will be in Toronto competing for the 2023 OHL Cup. William Moore and the No. 1 Toronto Marlboros are at the forefront, coming in as champions of the GTHL. Highly-touted prospect Ryan Roobroeck brings the No. 4 London Jr. Knights into action as well. Plus, Kaiden Harmon’s triple overtime goal pushed the No. 2 Peterborough Petes into top position of the OMHA as well.
A couple early matchups to pay attention to is when No. 6 Halton Hurricanes take on the top-ranked Marlies on Thursday night. Another Top-10 tilt takes place prior to that, with No. 3 York-Simcoe Express taking on the No. 5 Toronto Jr. Canadiens at 4 p.m. EST. The No. 8 Mississauga Rebels will get a shot at the higher ranked Petes on Friday afternoon.
The Subban Division, despite still having two spots yet to be decided, is the only division with three ranked teams in the grouping. The aforementioned Jr. Knights are joined by the No. 7 Mississauga Senators and No. 9 Southern Tier Admirals. All three will take the ice against each other in Thursday-Friday matchups, that could potentially determine which two will advance out of the group.
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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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The 2009-born Toronto Red Wings climbed to No. 7 in the most recent update of the World Rankings. The club rattled off three consecutive wins over No. 8 Toronto Marlboros to kick off their stretch. That run pushed the Red Wings north of 40 wins on the season, and 69 total wins for the ‘09 group dating back to last season.
Unfortunately for the Red Wings, their season came to an end in the GTHL semifinals when they were swept in three games by the No. 2 Don Mills Flyers.
Mikhailov Academy rolled through a three-game stretch against a trio of quality opponents. The team picked up consecutive wins over Khimik Voskresensk, Lokomotiv 2004 Yaroslavl and No. 7 Dynamo Moscow. In those contests, Semyon Kochurin (3G, 2A) and Dmitry Kubanstev (1G, 4A) led the way with five points each. Overall this season, Boris Borin (16G, 32A) and Matvey Cheranev (23G, 24A) have been the mainstays at the top of the leaderboard for the club.
In the 2011-born Russian Rankings, No. 3 Lokomotiv 2004 Yaroslavl and No. 9 SKA Strelna came up big in prime matchups. Timofey Makoedov notched two goals to lead Lokomotiv to a vital 5-1 victory over No. 4 Vityaz Podolsk. Strelna edged a 4-3 victory over No. 10 SKA St. Petersburg, leapfrogging them in the Top 10.
No. 6 North Shore Winter Club’s wins in two important ’10 Pacific Coast Amateur Hockey Association (PCAHA) matchups were a telling sign of the talent throughout its roster. They took care of business with a 7-2 victory over the Semiahmoo Ravens before potting another six goals in a 6-3 win over No. 7 Burnaby Winter Club. The wins also extended a five-game win streak for the team.
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.
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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In the opening round of Finland’s U16 SM-Series playoffs, HIFK, TPS, Ässät and KalPa all swept their best-of-3 series. Now joining the fray will be Kiekko-Espoo, Tappara, Ilves and Jokerit.
Tappara and HIFK squared off once during the SM-Series regular season, with the former coming away with a 10-5 victory. Eetu Orpana, Joonas Rajala and Eemil Kokkonen all put up four points for Tappara. Orpana and Rajala also finished tied for first in overall league scoring at the end of the regular season with 37 points.
The lone standout for K-Espoo was Matias Vanhanen, who ended up with nine goals and 25 points. He only produced one assist in the opening series against Lukko. However, for HIFK to have any chance of overcoming Tappara, he will have to find the scoresheet with the same frequency as he did earlier in the season.
Series Prediction: Despite HIFK coming off a sweep, Tappara brings one of the deepest teams into the playoffs. A fact further supported by their 15-1-0 record during SM-Series matchups. HIFK did not have an answer for the dynamic offense of Tappara, and I don’t see much changing in that regard. Tappara sweeps 2-0.
Luukas Koski and the rest of Ässät kicked off their playoffs with an impressive sweep of Kärpät. Koski led the way in those games, scoring four goals and six points. Aleksi Juusela (2G, 2A) and Jesse Julienmaa (4A) aided the majority of the club’s offense as well.
Heading into their next series against Ilves, those three players will have to continue their consistent contributions. After all, Ilves brings three of the top five scorers from the regular season into these games, and they are all well rested. Jalmari Melanen’s ability to find teammates anywhere on the ice was on display as he racked up six goals and 36 points in just 16 games. Just behind him, Jiko Laitinen (25G, 9A) and Rasmus Rinne (12G, 17A) rounded out a dependable trio of scorers.
Ilves edged out a 6-4 win against Ässät on January 13th. They followed that up with a heavy 10-0 shutout to open this series up in Game 1. Eight players collected two or more points.
Series Prediction (Ilves up 1-0): Ilves didn’t waste any time in finding its legs after a lengthy layoff and proved why they are still among the elite of their birth year. Their power trio of forwards will continue to best that of Ässät, and Ilves will take the series 2-0.
Only one skater from K-Espoo tallied enough points to earn a spot in the Top 10 of total point getters in the regular season. Aapo Vanninen’s dependable two-way play helped him record six goals and 29 points to lead his team. He even finished the regular season in the midst of a three-game point streak.
In the previous meeting between the two clubs on March 5th, Vanninen produced a goal and an assist to help defeat KalPa 5-2. A close battle that saw K-Espoo pull away with two goals in the third period.
KalPa enters this series with four players having scored four or more points in their two-game sweep of JYP. Rasmus Pakarinen (2G, 4A), Samuli Kosoen (5A), Onni Heikkinen (3G, 1A), and Topi Veteläinen (1G, 3A) picked up most of the offense. Veteläinen was the regular-season leader for KalPa, notching 12 goals and 24 points.
Series Prediction: With the layoff for K-Espoo and a good portion of KalPa forwards hitting their stride in their quarterfinal series, this one can go the distance. Even if KalPa takes advantage of a sluggish start from their opponent, eventually Vanninen and co., will warm up to the task and move on after a 2-1 series win.
Jokerit goaltenders Oekka Korhonen and Sakari Savolainen were statistically two of the best in SM-Series play. Korhonen skated to a 2.53 goals-against average and a .906 save percentage. Savolainen put up a 2.24 goals-against average and .903 save percentage. Their play was a large reason why their club was able to secure the fourth and final spot in the overall rankings, granting them a first-round playoff bye. They will be back in action this week against TPS, who finished just behind them in the league standings in fifth.
The one regular-season game between these two ended in victory for TPS in a close 3-2 tilt.
Aaron Paju and Jeremi Virtanen will try to continue their point production from the last series, where they each recorded four and three points, respectively. Refreshed from their first-round bye, Lauri Kouhia (5G, 12A) and Rasmus Kämäräinen (9G, 7A) are threats to once again top the leaderboard in point collection.
Series Prediction: This will be the most even matchup, given how close the regular season ended for these two teams. Jokerit has the goaltending, while the forwards for TPS pack a little more offensive punch. It will be a series of whether or not Jokerit’s defense can support the players in the crease. Eventually, I like TPS’ attack to wear down Jokerit and they will win the series in three tight battles.
WHH will have continued coverage of the U16 Finland National Championship. Be sure to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, Discord and YouTube for the latest news, top performers and more.
After a scoreless three periods, the 2023 U16 Ontario Minor Hockey Association’s (OMHA) Championship game between No. 6 Peterborough Petes and No. 9 Southern Tier Admirals would require overtime to decide a winner. However, goals would be just as hard to come by until the third overtime period. Kaiden Harmon took an incredible no-look pass from Josh Avery from behind the net and blasted a one-timer to clinch the win for the Petes. The goal ended a 73-minute scoreless contest between the two Top-10 teams, winning the ‘Red Hats’ and league championship for Peterborough.
The golden goal in TRIPLE OT from Kaiden Harmon to earn #RedHats for Peterborough at the #OMHA U16 AAA Championships presented by @GetCracking!!! pic.twitter.com/FTlDoe1841
— Ontario Minor Hockey (@HometownHockey) March 20, 2023
The Petes entered the weekend as the top seed in the tournament, having gone 8-0-0 in their prior playoff games. They opened group play with a 4-1 win against the Central Ontario Wolves, with four different players finding the back of the net. Next, a hard-fought 1-1 tie with the Admirals, which would serve as a preview for the eventual rematch in the final. Peterborough’s Masen Johnston and Southern Tier’s Isaac Gravelle were both stellar in net, making 29 and 32 saves, respectively.
The Petes got back in the win column in their last game of group play with a 3-2 victory over the Hamilton Jr. Bulldogs. Will McFadden scored twice for his only two goals of the tournament, sending his team into the semifinals. Awaiting them would be No. 3 York Simcoe Express, a program whose 2006 squad won the U16 championship last year. No strangers to one another, the two clubs battled six times during the regular season, with Peterborough going 4-1-1.
The depth that York Simcoe showed in its playoff stretch was unable to get going, mainly due to the strong defense and goaltending of the Petes. Johnston was lights out in goal yet again, and Harmon collected his first goals of the weekend, with the first coming shorthanded. The win would set up a second battle with Southern Tier with the OMHA title on the line.
Southern Tier’s road to the final game wasn’t so easy. Easton Lynds scored twice to kick off group play with a 4-1 win against the Jr. Bulldogs. However, the offense would dry up shortly after that. They skated to two ties against the Petes and Wolves to set up a semifinal clash with No. 6 Halton Hurricanes. The Hurricanes entered the matchup as the top scoring team, with four players making up the top four point-getters among all participants. However, they struggled mightily to beat Gravelle in net. He recorded 32 saves, and Noah Reed scored two goals on top of that to push the Admirals past Halton.
Given the way Johnston and Gravelle were playing ahead of the championship game, many were expecting a low-scoring final. In regulation, the Petes managed to put 24 shots on goal in regulation, while the Admirals put up 21 of their own. Both goalies remained perfect heading into overtime.
Peterborough made a strong push for the win in the first overtime, producing more chances and shots early on. The second overtime would be more of the same, with Southern Tier slightly outshooting the Petes, 6-5. Put on a power play just before the halfway point of the third overtime, the Petes sensed their moment. After some time in the offensive zone, Avery collected a pass from Ben Radley and sent a perfect pass on the tape of Harmon. Wasting no time, he threw it on net, beating the blocker of Gravelle, who was just late to react.
Johnston would finish with 31 saves and his third shutout of the tournament.
Despite the loss, the Admirals will still be joining the Petes, Hurricanes and Express as the four representatives of the OMHA in the upcoming U16 OHL Cup. World Hockey Hub will have extended coverage of the OHL Cup and its participating teams. Be sure to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, Discord and YouTube to stay up-to-date!