The 2021 CCM World Invite Chicago brought 504 teams to the Chicagoland area for a massive early-season tournament this past weekend. Who emerged victorious? Let’s take a closer look at the top Super Tacks divisions for the ’05 through ’10 age groups.
16U Super Tacks
Chicago Mission took advantage of their home ice for the 16U age group, as they cruised to a 6-0-0 record in the Windy City. They dominated preliminary-round play, posting a 6-1 win over the NEW Jr. Gamblers and a 4-0 win over the Pittsburgh Vengeance on Friday before a 5-0 win over Belle Tire on Saturday. From there, it was a 3-1 win over the Minnesota Lakers on Saturday evening, and then a 7-2 win over the Connecticut Jr. Rangers Sunday morning before Mission finished things off with a 4-1 win over Culver Academy in the finals. Hats off to Culver, too, for a nearly flawless weekend, as well.
15U Super Tacks
Team Wisconsin gave up four goals at the CCM World Invite…over six games. With that type of defense and goaltending, it’s easy to see how they emerged victorious at the 15U age group. They registered 5-0 and 2-0 shutout wins over the MDHL (Michigan) and Pittsburgh Vengeance, respectively, on Friday, before a 3-1 win over Florida Alliance Saturday to charge into the elimination rounds. There, it was another shutout win — 3-0 over Team Illinois — in the quarters before a 3-1 win over the Cleveland Barons Sunday morning in the semifinals. In the finals, Chicago Mission managed to score twice, but, it wasn’t enough, as Team Wisconsin headed home champions thanks to a 4-2 victory.
2007 Super Tacks
Compuware had some fun after making the four-hour drive down to Chicago. With a 3-2 win over Team Wisconsin in the finals, Compuware secured a perfect weekend. They started things off with a 4-3 win over the Carolina Jr. Hurricanes and a 3-1 win over CarShield on Friday, before really hitting their stride on Saturday. There, Compuware posted back-to-back five-goal games, beating St. Louis Park 5-2 and then the Indy Jr. Fuel 5-1 in the quarterfinals. On Sunday, they recorded a 4-0 win over the Ohio AAA Blue Jackets before winning it all a few hours later.
2008 Super Tacks
The Los Angeles Jr. Kings entered the CCM World Invite Chicago as the highest-ranked participating team, and they lived up to the billing. The Kings posted a perfect 6-0 record on the weekend, out-scoring the competition 34-13 in the process. After posting a 6-2 win over the Indy Jr. Fuel and a 7-3 win over the Milwaukee Jr. Admirals to start, the Kings followed up with 7-1 and 4-2 wins over Sioux Falls Power and the Ohio AAA Blue Jackets Saturday. On Sunday, an 8-4 win over the Nashville Warriors secured their spot in the finals, where the Kings beat the Chicago Reapers 2-1.
2009 Super Tacks
The home cooking served the Chicago Reapers well this past weekend, as they emerged unscathed from a crowded 2009 class at the World Invite in their backyard. The Reapers pitched three shutouts during their run to the Super Tacks title – including back-to-back Friday 6-0 wins over the California Golden Bears and Nashville Warriors to start things off with a bang. Their last shutout? The finals, of course, as the Reapers blanked Florida Alliance 5-0. The hometown team scored 34 goals in their six games, while only allowing three all weekend – never more than one goal against in each game.
2010 Super Tacks (Crosby)
In a super-stacked Super Tacks at the 2010 age group, tournament organizers split the birth year into Crosby and Ovechkin divisions. In the Crosby division, there were seven ranked teams among the 12, and it was No. 1 holding the rest at bay. Chicago Mission navigated the tournament field with ease, posting a 6-0-0 record en route to a championship. They played the St. Louis AAA Blues in the first game and then again in the last game, and both times, Mission posted 7-1 wins. Along the way, they also took down the No. 2 Pittsburgh Penguins Elite and No. 5 L.A. Jr. Kings, too.
2010 Super Tacks (Ovechkin)
The Madison Capitols took care of business in the other 2010 Super Tacks division, registering their own perfect 6-0-0 record in the Ovi division. No strangers to winning close ones, the Caps never won by more than two goals, but each and every time out, they found a way to win – including a 4-3 final over the Colorado Thunderbirds in the final on Sunday.
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Five hundred and four teams. Ten thousand players.
There’s nothing quite like the CCM World Invite Chicago.
The annual tournament continues to bring some of the top talent from the U.S. and beyond into the Windy City area for some epic November battles, and this year should be no different. While it won’t be like years past with travel restrictions and the like, it’s going to be a jam-packed hockey weekend.
We’re especially excited for the 2010 age group, which has so many top-tier teams competing that they had to split up the Super Tacks division into Crosby and Ovechkin divisions. Seven of the top 10 teams in the most-recent World Hockey Hub U.S. rankings for the age group will be competing in the Crosby.
Who wins? Well, here’s a look at the Super Tacks division for ’05 through ’10 age groups:
The No. 5 Long Island Gulls and the No. 10 Chicago Mission squads highlight the 16-team field for the 16U age group. Other teams to watch out for include local organizations in Team Illinois and the Chicago Reapers, but plenty of visitors like the Florida Alliance, Culver Academy and the Minnesota Lakers. The Gulls will certainly have their say in who comes home with some hardware, but we like the home team here.
Prediction: Chicago Mission
The No. 5-ranked Chicago Mission boys are the lone team from the World Hockey Hub’s Top 10 list at the 15U age group, and, just like discussed above, it’s hard to go against the teams enjoying home cooking and their own rinks during a tournament like this. Watch out for Team Wisconsin and Belle Tire, but we think Mission takes this age group too.
Prediction: Chicago Mission
It looks like a wide-open field for the ’07 squads, with the Northeast Wisconsin Jr. Gamblers representing the WHH Top 10 rankings at No. 7 as the lone ranked team. They’re 17-2-0 on the season, and they may be able to get some revenge on one of the two teams that have handed them a loss if they meet up with the Chicago Reapers in the elimination rounds. Still, with a goal differential of 100-39 on the season, we’re not gambling with this guess.
Prediction: NEW Jr. Gamblers
From the bright lights of Hollywood, the Los Angeles Jr. Kings are the highest-ranked team entering the field for the 2008 birth year. The Kings check in at No. 8 on the Hub list. We like their chances getting out of their own division, but we will advise them to watch out for the Chicago Fury and the Chicago Reapers when they reach the quarterfinals. Seacoast Performance Academy, at 18-7-3 on the season, could make for a fun battle with the Kings down the road, too, as east coast would meet west coast in a Windy City throw-down.
Prediction: L.A. Jr. Kings
The 2009 age group is where things start to get more interesting. The State of Illinois is certainly represented well, with the No. 3-ranked Chicago Reapers and the No. 7-ranked Windy City Storm joined by the Chicago Fury, Team Illinois and Chicago Mission. The No. 10 St. Louis AAA Blues will be making the drive in, and they’re going to pose a threat to the hometown teams. With teams from Michigan, Massachusetts, California and Colorado all showing up, the 20-team Super Tacks group will be a difficult one to emerge victorious from. The Reapers, however, are a team on a mission this season, and we don’t see them slowing down this weekend.
Prediction: Chicago Reapers
As discussed at the top, this ’10 group is something. Seven of the 12 teams in the Crosby division appear in our most-recent U.S. rankings – No. 1 Chicago Mission, No. 2 Pittsburgh Penguins Elite, No. 5 L.A. Jr. Kings, No. 6 Chicago Reapers, No. 7 Chicago Fury, No. 9 South Shore Kings and No. 10 Little Caesars. In the 10-team Ovechkin division, there’s a whole bunch of teams ready to make their case to move on up in the rankings too, like the Carolina Jr. Hurricanes and Ohio AAA Blue Jackets. In the Crosby, both of the top teams in Mission and Pittsburgh got good (well, as good as it can be in these two stacked divisions) draws in the preliminary rounds, and we think it’s going to come down to an eventual showdown between the two for the tournament title. Our pick? We’re going to call for the “upset” even though between those two rosters, it’s anything but.
Prediction: Pittsburgh Penguins Elite
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November 1 is the first day of the calendar year that North American Hockey League (NAHL) teams can approach prospective players with tender agreements. The Bismarck Bobcats wasted little time offering C.J. Kier a contract for the 2022-23 season.
Kier was named youth hockey’s first ever Cover Athlete of the Year in January. A goalie for Northstar Christian Academy for its 16U squad at the time, he has since graduated to the school’s 18U team this fall. In five games this season, he has a 5-0-0 record with a .946 save percentage and 0.80 goals-against average. By signing a tender with Bismarck, his playing rights belong to the Bobcats for next season and may not be recruited by any other NAHL team. Kier is still eligible to play in other junior leagues and available to be selected in the United States Hockey League (USHL) Draft next spring.
Committing to the Bobcats marks the next step in Kier’s career, tracking from youth to junior hockey.
“I am super excited to sign a tender with such a historic club in the NAHL,” said Kier. “They have excellent hands-on goalie coaching every day I cannot wait to work with.”
Bismarck is the second oldest franchise in the NAHL, having won the league championship in 2010 and lost in the playoff semifinals last season.
As a 2004-born prospect, Kier is expected to complete his first full season of 18U hockey before competing for a junior roster spot next fall.
“Although this is special and such an honor, I will continue to work every day to be the best goalie and teammate I can be here at Northstar, which will help me be prepared for next season,” he said.
Think you’ve got what it takes to be youth hockey’s next cover athlete? We’re accepting early nominations for 2022. Just fill out the form below!
2022 Cover Athlete of the Year Nomination
Hockey season is heating up across Canada, and we’ve circled a couple key dates for the 2021-22 season.
Here is our ‘Canadian Tournaments to Watch’ list for the coming months. Miss anything? Be sure to tell us about it at the bottom of the page. 👇
November
Rocky Mt. Classic Calgary – Nov. 10-14 – Calgary, Alberta
The ninth annual Rocky Mountain Classic U15 AAA Invitational serves as a huge kick-off event for western Canada. Notable past participants include NHL first-round picks Peyton Krebs (No. 17 overall in 2019 by Vegas), Sam Steel (No. 30 overall in 2016 by Anaheim) and Bowen Byram (No. 4 overall in 2019 by Colorado), as well as top 2022 prospect Matthew Savoie.
Blueline Tournament – Nov. 12-14 – Kitchener, Ontario
You know it’s good when there’s a 50th anniversary attached to this year’s event. The Kitchener Jr. Rangers will be welcoming some top teams to their neck of the woods for an early season battle at the U12, U13, U14, U15, U16, and U18 AAA levels.
International Silver Stick Final – Nov. 25-28 – Whitby, Ontario
It will be a little different than most years, with Silver Stick championships being decided separately between the United States and Canada due to border-crossing concerns. That said, some of the best teams in Canada will be fighting for those gorgeous trophies at the U10, U12, U14 and U16 levels in Whitby on the last weekend of November.
December
The Canadiens Cup – Dec. 3-5 – Toronto, Ontario
Sponsored by Sports Illustrated, the Canadiens Cup Tyler Cragg Memorial will bring together the 2007 through 2012 birth-years for AAA and Elite levels of play. Prospects By Sports Illustrated HD Live Streams will be available for all the contests, with pre and post-game interviews and a SportsCenter-like tournament wrap-up hyping things up for the participants.
Toronto Marlboros Holiday Classic Tournament – Dec. 27-30 – Toronto, Ontario
The 28th annual Toronto Marlboros Holiday Classic routinely brings top Canadian teams together, while most years also allowing a select group of American squads in on the holiday fun, too. In 2019, the Minor Midget final was an All-Michigan battle between Detroit HoneyBaked and Detroit Compuware; we’ll see if the American teams are able to head north to try to maintain their standing in the prestigious holiday invitational.
January
John Reid Memorial U15 AAA Hockey Tournament – Jan. 13-16 – St. Albert, Alberta
The 42nd edition of the John Reid Memorial U15 AAA Hockey Tournament guarantees impressive hockey to kick off the calendar year out west. The event, which would traditionally bring western U.S. teams into the fold to battle with western Canada clubs, welcomes hundreds of scouts each year. You can understand why when you look at the alumni list, which features names like Jonathan Toews, Jarome Iginla, Matthew Barzal, Tyson Barrie and Colton Parayko.
International Silver Stick Final – Jan. 14-16 – Sarnia
A few months after crowning half of the Silver Stick champions, the U11, U13, U15 and U18 teams get a stab at adding some hardware in the Sarnia edition of the iconic tournament. In case you weren’t aware, the Silver Stick tournaments have been happening for 64 years now, and the winners’ names get displayed in the Hockey Hall of Fame.
February
Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament – Feb. 9-20 – Quebec
When you visit the website, you are presented with a big, bold statement that says, “The most prestigious minor hockey tournament in the world!” I don’t think anybody can argue with it. The tournament is second-to-none, with teams across the globe flocking to Quebec with only a two-game guarantee just for the opportunity to compete against the best in the world. The tournament directors recently announced that the 62nd edition of the February tournament is open for out-of-towners who are vaccinated – depending on how the season plays out (and the rest of the world’s health dynamics as it relates to COVID). This might be the first massive youth hockey event with worldwide competition in more than two years. We can’t wait.
What did we miss? Fill out the form below and let us know what big events you’ve circled on the calendar for the upcoming season!
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The CCM World Invite Motown brought a remarkable amount of talent to Metro Detroit for the annual early-season tournament. Hosted by 200×85, it is one of the largest tournaments in youth hockey, with more than 300 teams competing across seven age groups. For top teams in the U.S., this event is a must for its high level of competition in the hockey hotbed known as Hockeytown.
Let’s take a look at who emerged victorious in their respective divisions, with write-ups from each of the Super Tacks divisions:
The Michigan Development Hockey League (MDHL) representatives — a squad of high school hockey players from across the state — won the oldest age group, topping the Mt. Lebanon Hornets 2-0 in the championship game. The MDHL finished 5-1 in the tournament, and it was their second victory over the Hornets after beating them Friday evening. They dropped a 3-0 contest to the Tri-State Spartans on Saturday, but rebounded with a victory over the Pittsburgh Vengeance 5-3 and then shutouts in their semifinal (4-0 over rival Michigan Hockey Advancement) and final appearances.
Fox Motors only had to travel a few hours, driving in from Grand Rapids, Mich., for their pack of games. They thrived while staying in-state, picking up the 16U Super Tacks title. Fox dropped their opening game against the Pittsburgh Vengeance, but from there, they were nearly perfect, out-scoring the competition 18-5 in victories over the Anaheim Jr. Ice Dogs (5-1), Philadelphia Hockey Club (3-2), Team Alaska (2-0), Belle Tire (3-1) and Anaheim Jr. Ice Dogs again in the final (5-1).
The Phoenix Jr. Coyotes enjoyed their trip to Motown, as they head home with a big 15U tournament title. They fell to the Chicago Bulldogs 4-2 in their first game Friday afternoon, but rebounded with a 4-0 shutout win over the Oakland Jr. Grizzlies seven hours later. From there, it was a 5-1 win over the Pittsburgh Vengeance and a 5-2 win over the Tri-State Spartans on Saturday to head into Sunday with some momentum. In the semifinals, it was an All-Arizona battle, with the Jr. Coyotes prevailing over the Jr. Sun Devils; the Coyotes finished things off with a 2-1 win over Belle Tire in the final.
The ‘07 Little Caesars squad — currently ranked No. 4 among U.S. teams and No. 18 worldwide in the World Hockey Hub rankings — played to a perfect weekend, as they recorded a 6-0 record en route to a division title. In their two Friday contests, Caesars showed off the benefits of home cooking, as they posted back-to-back shutouts; 4-0 over Team Alaska and then 6-0 over the Indy Jr. Fuel. On Saturday, they took care of the CarShield Hockey Club 4-1 and in-state foe Fox Motors 5-2. After a second win over CarShield in the semifinals, Little Caesars squared off against their longtime rival in Compuware, and LC picked up a 5-1 win.
They received a wake-up call from the Wilkes-Barre Scranton Jr. Knights in the opener, but from there, it was all W’s for the ‘08 HoneyBaked boys. The HB squad shook off a 5-2 loss in the opener to win five straight games, starting with a 6-0 win over the Syracuse Nationals, followed by victories over the No. 6-ranked St. Louis Jr. Blues, Chicago Reapers and Oakland Jr. Grizzlies to reach the finals. There, they posted a 3-1 win over No. 2-ranked Little Caesars, giving their LC neighbors their only loss of the tournament.
The Anaheim Jr. Ducks — ranked No. 2 in the U.S. by WHH — enjoyed their visit to Hockeytown, as they returned home with an unblemished 6-0 record at the CCM Motown. The Jr. Ducks kept things tight, never scoring more than three goals, but allowing only more than one goal just one time all weekend. They recorded wins over Team Illinois (3-2), the Wilkes-Barre Scranton Knights (3-1), Little Caesars (2-1), HoneyBaked (2-1), Wilkes-Barre again (3-0) and the Pittsburgh Penguins Elite (2-1).
Other than a 1-1 tie to Fox Motors, it was a perfect weekend for the No. 2-ranked Pittsburgh Penguins Elite group at the 2010 age group. The Pens kicked things off with a 7-1 win over Compuware, before posting an even more dominating 9-3 win over the Phoenix Jr. Coyotes in their second Friday battle. Saturday featured the aforementioned tie before a 5-1 win over Florida Alliance, setting Pittsburgh up for a semifinal 7-3 win over the Chicago Reapers and a 4-3 victory over Little Caesars in the final.
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The CCM World Invite Motown is coming to Metro Detroit this week, and it’s bringing hundreds of hockey teams from across the country to Michigan along with it.
The annual tournament — this year featuring a whopping 306 teams across 10 age groups — has been a staple in the youth hockey calendar for top teams in North America for more than a dozen years.
With COVID-19 still restricting international travel, it will be limited to teams from only the U.S., meaning we will still have to wait to see how some of the squads stack up with their Canadian counterparts.
Each age group is split into two or three divisions, all named after CCM’s equipment lineups. The Super Tacks divisions will feature top AAA teams from across the country, while the Ribcor and Jetspeed divisions will feature talented A/AA teams with a few AAA squads mixed in.
We’ve focused our attention on the Super Tacks pools, breaking down the teams participating and providing our picks for who we think will come out on top by Championship Sunday. Here we go.
18U Super Tacks
There are eight teams participating in the 18U Super Tacks division, which means plenty of opportunities for the players competing to catch the eye of scouts in attendance. From the looks of it, three Pennsylvania teams — the Mt. Lebanon Hornets, the Pittsburgh Vengeance and the Pittsburgh Predators — will be squaring off with a team of Michigan high school all-star teams in Michigan Hockey Advancement and the Michigan Development Hockey League. We like the in-state programs here, as Michigan’s high school hockey scene brings in top players at the oldest age groups, and they’re hungry to make impressions before the winter season kicks off with their respective high schools.
Predicted winner: Michigan Hockey Advancement 18U
16U Super Tacks
The 16U field seems to be a real toss-up, as there aren’t any teams who have made a lot of noise in earlier fall tournaments. Much like the 18U group, the two Michigan high school collections will have a say in who emerges victorious, but fellow Michigan squads from Belle Tire and Fox Motors will be forces as well. Two teams that are traveling the farthest for the tournament will be ones to watch, too; the Anaheim Jr. Ice Dogs and Team Alaska don’t want to make the trek for nothing. We think Fox Motors, fresh off celebrating a college commitment to Lake Superior State for forward Hunter Ramos, will claim bragging rights.
Predicted winner: Fox Motors
15O Super Tacks
HoneyBaked leads the field in the 15O age group. One name to keep an eye on is defenseman Dakoda Rheaume-Mullin, the son of Manon Rheaume. Dakoda and the HB boys will be challenged by in-state foes in the Oakland Jr. Grizzlies and Belle Tire, as well as the Pittsburgh Vengeance. A unique twist for this age group is that the 12 participating squads will be getting an early taste of what their USA Hockey nationals could be like in the spring, as some of the games will be played at USA Hockey Arena in Plymouth, which is hosting that age group’s Tier 1 championship in April.
Predicted winner: HoneyBaked
14U Super Tacks
Things really heat up when you get to the 14U age bracket for the CCM Motown. At the 2007 birth-year level, Little Caesars leads the field as the No. 4-ranked team in the U.S., with a fistful of other top American teams Compuware, Victory Honda, Fox Motors, Carshield Hockey Club and Florida Alliance. The Caesars club has a 9-2-1 record on the season, and they’ll be looking to add to it.
Predicted winner: Little Caesars
13U Super Tacks
A 16-team field fills the 2008 division, including No. 8-ranked Little Caesars, No. 20-ranked St. Louis Jr. Blues, Buffalo Jr. Sabres and HoneyBaked. Caesars checks in at 8-0-2 on the season, but we like the 14-5-1 record the Jr. Blues have thus far. They have logged a lot of games, and that early experience is going to pay off in their visit to Hockeytown this weekend.
Predicted winner: St. Louis Jr. Blues
12U Super Tacks
A deep 2009 group will take over three rinks for the 12U Super Tacks division, and there’s a lot of budding starpower. We’ve got No. 19 Anaheim Jr. Ducks, and they’re joined by No. 20 Chicago Reapers, as well as Pittsburgh Penguins Elite and Little Caesars. All in all, the 12U tournament is going to be fun to watch play out.
Predicted winner: Anaheim Jr. Ducks
11U Super Tacks
The 2010 class is headlined by No. 5-ranked Pittsburgh Penguins Elite and No. 11-ranked Chicago Fury, with plenty of pressure coming from the NEW Jr. Gamblers, the Chicago Reapers and Little Caesars. The little Pens hold a 10-2-1 record and could add to those totals substantially this weekend.
Predicted winner: Pittsburgh Penguins Elite
World Hockey Hub will have continued coverage of the CCM Motown, including recaps and analysis of this weekend’s games. Like and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TwitterTikTok and YouTube for the latest news from the world of youth hockey.
It’s become one of the premiere youth hockey events of the fall – and that’s even without who else is in the building.
The United States Hockey League (USHL) Fall Classic marks the opening weekend of the country’s top junior league. It also brings top youth hockey teams from across the United States to the UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex in Pittsburgh, Pa., for a weekend tournament that runs in conjunction with the USHL’s first games of the season.
All of the USHL member clubs play a pair of games to kick off their respective seasons in the same building as the youth tournament, which means a scouting bonanza for both the youth and junior levels of play.
“The Fall Classic has become a top-tier hockey event in the United States for scouts and fans alike,” said former USHL President and Commissioner Tom Garrity at the time of the announcement that the showcase would return in 2021. “With all 16 USHL teams in attendance, and a plethora of youth teams, scouts from every level of hockey and every type of hockey fan will find something to interest them at this event. Our partnership with the Pittsburgh Penguins for this event is always top notch and we anticipate another amazing event to kick off next season.”
This unique event offers an exclusive opportunity for youth hockey players to experience and learn about the USHL, which represents the best of American junior hockey. Geographically, though, it is contained primarily in the midwest region of the country. Players from the likes of Florida or California rarely get to see a USHL contest up close, but at the UPMC this upcoming weekend, they get to see the entire league in action in between their own games.
Along the same lines, the leadership for USHL clubs get a great look at a whole bunch of talented youngsters. That’s one of the obvious reasons that highly-ranked programs seek out the USHL Fall Classic, and the 2021 edition of the event — after a one-year hiatus — features some elite competition. A total of 86 youth teams will be arriving in Pittsburgh this week; 18 at the 14U level, 22 at the 15U level, 26 at the 16U level and 20 at the 18U level.
At each age group, there is top-level talent, too. In 14U play, scouts will get an early look at a 2007 birth-year class with such teams as the World Hockey Hub’s No. 4-ranked Pittsburgh Penguins Elite and No. 6 Mid-Fairfield Jr. Rangers.
In the 15U age group, teams will get a crack at the No. 2, No. 6 and No. 10-ranked squads. The No. 2 Bishop Kearney Selects, fresh off putting on a clinic at the Minnesota Blades Fall Showcase last weekend, arrive in Pittsburgh with a substantial amount of momentum. Meanwhile, the No. 6 Northeast Wisconsin Jr. Gamblers and the No. 10 Pittsburgh Penguins Elite will be looking to make statements of their own.
The 16U group is just as, if not more, loaded. Five top-ten teams will suit up at the UPMC: No. 2 Compuware, No. 4 Florida Alliance, No. 6 Team Wisconsin, No. 7 Windy City Storm and No. 10 New Jersey Avalanche. With the changes in college hockey recruiting rules that reined in early commitments, the ’05 class will be even more hungry to impress the coaches and scouts in attendance.
The players will also get to see just some plain and simple great hockey when they’re not worrying about their own games, too. The USHL is the main gateway to college hockey for a reason. For more information regarding the USHL Fall Classic, click HERE.
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When the Minnesota Blades bring together some of the most notable programs in the country, it gives the youth hockey community an early measuring stick to see how top teams stack up at the start of the season.
The annual Minnesota Blades Fall Showcase brought in 14U, 15O, 16U and 18U teams to the Brooklyn Park Ice Arena in Minneapolis. While most of the teams were still finding their sea legs with both bright spots and blunders this early in the season, a few took advantage of the opportunity to solidify themselves as contenders for national supremacy.
At the 15U level, Bishop Kearney continued its early-season dominance. Fresh off winning the Eastern Alliance Kick-Off, BK posted an impressive 4-0 record over the weekend. Ranked the No. 2 team in the 2006 birth-year in our preseason rankings, and No. 6 world-wide, BK Selects have already compiled a very impressive resume.
They started with a 7-0 shutout victory over Team Wisconsin to open their showcase schedule in style on Thursday, and they never slowed down. Then, BK went on to beat Detroit Little Caesars 6-4 Friday and topped the host team Blades 5-4 on Saturday. Before heading home to New York on Sunday, they polished off a perfect weekend with a 5-2 victory over No. 4-ranked Chicago Mission.
Bishop Kearney’s Christian Humphreys made our list of top 2006 birth-year players last year, and he’s picking up right where he left off. Meanwhile, the Selects have a goaltending tandem of Patrick Curtatone and Jackson Silverberg that should have the BK program feeling confident for the remainder of the 2021-22 youth hockey season.
The showcase opener for the 15s was a battle of in-state powers, as the Blades started things off with a bang against a Shattuck-St. Mary’s team that won the 14U national championship a season ago. The All-Minnesota battle went the Blades’ way, as the host team prevailed 3-2.
And while Chicago Mission fell to Bishop Kearney in the final day, it was the 15O squad’s only loss on the weekend. On Thursday, they beat Little Caesars 6-5 and on Friday, they took care of Team Wisconsin 5-3. Saturday’s matchup was a convincing 4-0 victory over Florida Alliance to give Mission a three-win weekend.
The 16U age group was a star-studded affair, as well. Six of the eight teams participating in the showcase appeared on our preseason rankings: No. 1 Detroit HoneyBaked, No. 3 Chicago Mission, No. 4 Florida Alliance, No. 5 Shattuck-St. Mary’s, No. 6 Team Wisconsin and No. 7 Windy City Storm.
Unfazed by the status of their counterparts, the Minnesota Blades made sure to establish themselves in the conversation with three straight wins to begin the weekend. The Blades took down Shattuck 4-3, then shut out Little Caesars the next day. And on Saturday, they recorded a dominating 7-1 win over defending national champion HoneyBaked to put an exclamation mark on their weekend.
It’s a full roster of names to keep an eye on, but two to highlight are forwards Cam Briere and Simon Seidl. Briere, a dual citizen, was playing for the Nashville Jr. Predators before making the move north to Michigan, and he’s already made a verbal commitment to Nebraska-Omaha. Seidl, meanwhile, is the younger of two brothers who were adopted and brought stateside from the Democratic Republic of the Congo a decade ago. Seidl and his brother, Sawyer, have been profiled by the likes of NHL.com and NBC Sports for their on-ice talents and unique background. Simon is a 2006-born forward who played up an age group this weekend for the Blades’ 16U squad.
World Hockey Hub will have continued coverage of the 16U, 15O and 14U age groups in the U.S., as well as worldwide content throughout the entire 2021-22 season. Follow us on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Twitter and Facebook for the latest news from the world of youth hockey.
Since its inception in 1992, the Canadian Hockey League (CHL) Import Draft has served as a way for the three major junior leagues to manage international talent entering their storied franchises.
The 30th edition of the Import Draft featured 57 CHL clubs participating; all 22 of the Western Hockey League (WHL), 18 of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) and 17 of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL). Only the Halifax Mooseheads, the Hamilton Bulldogs and the Mississauga Steelheads opted to pass, as they retained both of their previous import draft choices.
The CHL clubs traveled the globe for their selections; a breakdown by countries of origin paints a very diverse picture of a talent pool.
What may garner some eyeballs is how quickly Latvia and Ukraine appeared on the draft board – No. 1 and No. 3, to be exact.
Fitting surprises for the strange situation that was this year’s Import Draft, as it took place before the NHL Entry Draft, not afterward like usual. Normally, the Import Draft is filled with recent NHL draftees who make the decision with their new parent organization to come to the CHL in order to acclimate with the North American game immediately.
Let’s take a look at the Top 10 players, normally all a safe bet to appear in the CHL the following season (there’s already one exception, which is noted below):
Rounding out the top ten was the first Swiss player selected in the CHL Import Draft, as the Rimouski Oceanic selected right winger Louis Robin. A 2003 birth-year skater, he went undrafted this summer by NHL clubs, but after racking up 51 points and 81 penalty minutes in 45 games with Zug of the U20 Elit league in his native Switzerland, the Oceanic must like what they saw. He has been with Zug for the last three seasons; before that, Robin skated in the Lausanne organization from 2014-18. Robin wore an “A” for his Swiss club at the Under-18 Worlds this past spring, recording two points in three games.
The Kitchener Rangers opted for Slovakian forward Filip Mesar, a 2004 birth-year winger who is considered a possible first-round pick in the 2022 NHL Draft. At 5-foot-10, he won’t be an intimidating presence, but those 41 points in 33 games with his HK Poprad U20 team in 2019-2020, and 14 in 36 against professionals a year later looks appealing to any franchise. As it stands now, however, Mesar is not on the Rangers’ preseason roster; perhaps another season of pro hockey in his home country will be Mesar’s preferred route leading into the NHL Draft.
The first of five Swedish products was selected at No. 8, as Jesper Vikman was claimed by the Giants to make it back-to-back net minders in the import draft. Vikman is older than most of the prospects selected, as he is a 2002 birth-year goaltender who was drafted by the Vegas Golden Knights in 2020 (fifth round, 125th overall). Elite Prospects lists him as a dual citizen between Sweden and Finland, but he has spent the majority of his days skating with the AIK club in Stockholm. While the Giants haven’t released a preseason roster to date, Vikman has been skating with the team and he told members of the media that he’s excited to be in Vancouver.
The first goaltender selected was the 6-foot-3, 165-pounder Ivan Zhigalov, who hails from Minsk, Belarus. He caught some scouts’ eyes at the U18 Worlds but went undrafted in the NHL selection process. This will be his first taste of North American hockey, after Zhigalov rose through the ranks with Dynamo Moscow.
Another ’04 birth-year defenseman, Kirill Kudryavtsev was the first Russian product taken in the 2021 CHL Import Draft. A native of Yaroslavl, Kudryavstev has been playing for his hometown Lokomotiv Yaroslavl through his formative years, playing in the top U20 league in Eurasia in 2020-21. He’s been a key piece of a Russian club that has dominated in prestigious international tournaments, helping his country to gold at the Youth Olympic Games with four points in four games, and then gold again at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup with two points and a plus-5 rating.
This one’s definitely coming across the pond. Rayan Bettahar, a prospect eligible for the 2022 Draft, is a 2004-birth year defenseman who is listed as a native of Germany on the CHL site, but a dual citizen with Poland, citing a hometown of Nowy Targ on EP. He racked up 29 penalty minutes in three games at the U18 Worlds, so the Broncos know they’re getting somebody who won’t be afraid of fighting some battles in front of the crease and in the corners. Bettahar has been playing for Jungadler Mannheim of the Germany U17 league for three seasons, while getting the call up to the U20 team on occasion.
In the weird world of 2021, it looks like the No. 4 overall pick in the CHL Import Draft may not be coming to North America. Cape Breton took a chance on defenseman Simon Nemec of Slovakia, but he doesn’t appear on their preseason roster. It was certainly worth the risk, as Nemec is rated the No. 3 overall prospect in the upcoming 2022 NHL Draft in Elite Prospects’ consolidated rankings system. The 6-foot-1 native of Liptovsky Mikulas appears to be playing another season with HK Nitra back home. He wore the ‘C’ for Slovakia at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup this summer, recording six points in five games from the backend.
Selected in the NHL Draft shortly after the CHL edition, Artur Cholach became the first Ukrainian to be selected by an NHL club since 2007. A native of Lviv, Ukraine, Cholach played with Sokol Kyiv of the Ukrainian Professional Hockey League in 2020-21, playing an increased role in the playoffs (he recorded a pair of goals in nine games). This won’t be his first time playing North American hockey, as Cholach came to the United States to play with the New Jersey Jr. Titans of the NAPHL and AYHL in 2019-2020. Before that, he skated for CSKA Moscow of the Russia 16U junior league, while being called up for a few games at the 18U level with the same club. His 6-foot-4, 201-pound frame made him an appealing late-round choice for the Vegas Golden Knights, who selected him in the sixth round this summer.
Niko Huuhtanen, a native of Helsinki, Finland, heard his name called twice this summer, first by the WHL’s Everett Silvertips at No. 2 overall, and then, by the Tampa Bay Lightning in the seventh round of the 2021 NHL Draft. After playing many of his formative years with the Espoo Blues organization, this past season Huuhtanen suited up for Tappara U20 in the SM-Sarja — Finland’s top Under-20 league — where he posted 34 points in 37 games, along with 73 penalty minutes. In the 2021 Under-18 Worlds, he recorded two goals and three assists, along with a plus-3 rating, for Finland in seven games.
Baie-Comeau selected Niks Fenenko with the first overall pick of this summer’s selection process, a notable pick as there hasn’t been much talk about the 2004 birth-year defenseman out of Latvia. Fenenko, a 6-foot-1 left-handed blue-liner, has been playing for HS Riga, his hometown club, in the top-tier Latvian league. He skated for Latvia at the IIHF World Under-18 Championship this past spring, finishing with a minus-3 rating in four games. Before his time with Riga, Fenenko spent two seasons playing in the Latvia U17 league with HK Pirati, playing up multiple age groups.
The CHL is still widely considered the top developmental league for junior hockey players around the world. More than 1,100 active professional players first competed in one of the CHL’s three subsidiary leagues before being drafted into the NHL. It routinely bridges the gap between youth hockey and college/professional hockey for hundreds of players each year, and the season is set to start next month.
World Hockey Hub continues to monitor and track top youth hockey athletes as they climb the hockey ladder to higher levels of competition. For more from WHH, follow us on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Twitter and Facebook.
It’s finally here, people.
The 2021-22 youth hockey winter season is underway.
In the United States, there’s already been a flurry of hockey action, as top teams across the country have started competing in big-time tournaments, making their marks on the new campaign.
It’s wonderful to see, of course, after the 2020-21 campaign was made so difficult by COVID-19. Challenges will continue to present themselves, but some events have helped the hockey community return to some sense of normalcy.
While some teams begin play with familiar foes close to home, two major tournaments have already brought together top talent to start the season with a bang.
The Eastern Alliance Kick-Off took place over the weekend. While no individual statistics were available online, the championship scores certainly tell the biggest stories of the event.
At the 16U, the Boston Jr. Eagles beat the Long Island Gulls 2-1 in overtime to secure a championship in their age group. The Jr. Eagles finished with a 6-1 record, out-scoring their opponents 32-13.
Defenseman Aidan Connors scored the game-winner in extra time for the Eagles, while Jake McManus — fresh off an appearance at the USA Hockey Select 16 Camp in which he recorded four points in five games — had the lone goal in regulation for the squad.
It was a ⭐️ studded final at the EAK Showcase in Mass today. The matchup was between @eagles_u16 and @LIGullsHockey . Both teams are loaded with talent and put on a show.
— Puck Prospects (@puckprospects_) September 6, 2021
🚨: Jake McManus| 1-0 🦅
🚨: Thomas Zocco | 1-1 Tie
🚨: Aidan Connors| 2-1 🦅 (OT Winner) pic.twitter.com/Lp6MBlXSx0
Bishop Kearney appeared in the 15U final as well, and this time the squad emerged victorious, topping Boston Advantage 4-3. The BK Selects went on an undefeated 7-0 run through the weekend tournament, with a whopping 43 goals for and only 12 against. In the elimination rounds of the tournament, BK posted 5-1 wins over the New Jersey Rockets and the North Jersey Avalanche on Sunday. Then on Labor Day, a 5-2 win over the Valley Forge Minutemen and a 4-3 championship victory over Boston Advantage.
The BK Selects brought in Los Angeles native Jackson Silverberg to compete for time with incumbent Patrick Curtatone, and the duo is getting things done between the pipes thus far.
And in the 14U Red Division championship, the Neponset Valley River Rats posted a 6-5 victory over Bishop Kearney. The River Rats finished the tournament with a 5-2 record, and a 26-17 goal differential. It was an impressive conclusion for head coach Dan Panciocco’s club, after Neponset Valley opened the tournament with a 3-1 loss to the Yale Jr. Bulldogs and a 3-0 loss to the South Shore Kings before ripping off five straight wins.
In Michigan, Total Package Hockey (TPH) hosted its Grand Rapids AAA Kick-Off Classic, welcoming teams from as far away as Florida and Tennessee to Hockeytown West for a slate of games in the final weekend of August. This past weekend, two leading Labor Day tournaments in the New England area teamed up to host the Eastern Alliance Kick-Off in Marlborough, Mass.
They didn’t bring the entire youth hockey community together for either of the big weekends, but it certainly provided an early flavor of teams and players to keep an eye on this season.
At the Kick-Off Classic, participating teams played four games apiece in a showcase-style format. While no trophies or medals were awarded, the scoresheets still tell a significant story.
In the 14U age group, Florida Alliance posted a 4-0 record during their brief stay in Michigan. Tommy Fellman led the way in points, as he racked up one goal and five assists; teammates Nolan Mara and Jason Musa both recorded two goals and two assists apiece. Between the pipes, Frank Copestick posted two shutout victories.
Host team Fox Motors had one overtime loss keep them from a perfect record; Carter Dominowski (three goals, one assist) and Travis Lefere (two goals and two assists) led Fox on the scoresheet. Zander Holsinger allowed only three goals while recording two wins.
Eight teams showed up for the 15U division, and Little Caesars delivered a perfect 4-0 record after making the three-hour drive west. Caesars’ Charlie Michaud — a Denver native who played in Canada for St. George’s School last season — posted four goals and two assists for six points over the four contests, while teammate Austin Baker recorded three goals and two assists.
J.J. Salajko — son of Detroit Red Wings goalie coach Jeff Salajko — and Garrett Dudlar split the wins for the Little Caesars squad.
Jordan Geike of the Windy City Storm and Chicago Mission’s Jake Merens are both top 2006-born prospects and teammates at this summer’s USA Hockey Select 15 Camp. Both tied Michaud for most points in the age group, as each chipped in six for their respective clubs. Between the pipes, Aidan Rasmussen helped his Nashville Jr. Predators to a 3-1 overall record by leading them to a 2-1 win over Mission and a 3-1 win over the Oakland Jr. Grizzlies.
At 16U, Fox Motors enjoyed its home cooking, as the host team posted a 4-0 record, thanks to an eight-point weekend from Blake Bechen and a five-point performance from Allan Bottari. James King picked up two wins between the pipes, including a 5-0 shutout win over Michigan Hockey Advancement.
Annelies Bergmann, a Cornell University commit, continues to impress against the boys, as the Oakland Jr. Grizzlies goaltender led her club to two victories – a 3-1 win over Compuware and a 5-1 win over the Jr. Predators. Overall, the Jr. Grizzlies finished in second on the weekend with a 3-0-0-1 record.
It’s just a taste of some of the top teams and players to get out of the gate first in the 2021-22 season. World Hockey Hub will have much more from youth hockey in North America, Scandinavia, Europe and Russia all season long! Follow us on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Twitter and Facebook for the latest news, updates, rankings and events.