Hockey Quebec concluded its 2022-23 youth hockey season this weekend with the Chevrolet Cup. The tournament crowned a provincial champion as the best team in the Canadian province at the 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011 age groups.
The Laval Patriotes claimed two of those championships, winning the ‘10 and ‘11 tournaments. Additionally, As de Quebec won the 2009 title, while Estacades Mauricie won the 2008 playoffs and Laval/Montreal won the oldest age group as 2007 champions.
After dropping the first game of the tournament, the Patriotes rattled off four consecutive wins in three days en route to the 2011 championship. Shawn-Anthony Senat led the team in scoring with seven points in five games. Three of those came in the final two games, as Laval clinched the U12 Chevrolet Cup with a 7-1 win in the semifinal and 4-0 win in the championship.
In the U13 tournament, Mathis Khoury and Justin Cardillo proved to be a dangerous tandem. They combined to score 18 of Laval’s 44 goals over the weekend. Khoury’s eighth goal helped propel the Patriotes past Intrepide de Gatineau in the semifinals. Then in the championship, he would score two more goals in Laval’s 4-2 finish over Dynamiques CCL.
With a pair of championships, the Laval Patriotes can claim superiority over youth hockey at the youngest age levels in Quebec. The U13 squad went 21-4-5 in LHEQ play and finished the regular season third in the Rousseau Sports Division. The U12 team finished second in its division with a 20-6-4 record. Both proved to be difficult opponents come playoff time, evident by their championship runs.
Entering the postseason on a 7-0-1 run, As de Quebec continued its winning ways through Entrepôts du Hockey series play. That ultimately led to a four-win run that earned Quebec a No. 1 seed entering the Chevrolet Cup. And from there, the success never stopped.
Félix Vachon’s first goal of the weekend broke a 1-1 tie against Seigneurs des Milles-Iles on Thursday. That kept Quebec’s win streak in tact as they avoided near defeat. The next two days consisted of a dominant 4-1 win over Lions Lac St-Louis and a 5-1 win over Albatros est-du-Quebec. That pushed them into a semifinal matchup with Harfangs de Sherbrooke on Sunday morning.
Forwards Zack Arsenault and Louis-Émile Dumais had done much of the heavy lifting for As de Quebec. They combined for 40 points in nine playoff games. However, when they entered the third period of the semifinal game tied 2-2, it would be a new name breaking through. Just 2:24 into the final frame, Léo-Gabriel Gosselin scored the go-ahead goal. It was his fourth goal of the playoffs and fifth point total, pushing Quebec on to the championship.
Just seven hours later, in the championship, Gosselin would do it again.
Trailing the Lanaudière Pionniers, Dumais would tie the game at 1-1 early in the third period. Then, Arsenault would score his 15th goal of the playoffs that tied it again at 2-2. As the game went to overtime, it would be Gosselin who again broke the tie, winning the U14 championship for As de Quebec just 1:17 into the extra frame.
Winning the championship in dramatic fashion, Gosselin’s goal ends As de Quebec’s 2022-23 season with a 17-game unbeaten streak.
The top four teams from each of the three divisions in the Ligue de Hockey d’Excellence du Quebec (LHEQ) earned automatic bids into the tournament.
The 2008-born Estacades Mauricie faced little resistance on their path to a 2023 Chevrolet Cup championship. In four Entrepôts Series games, they out-scored opponents 23-6 to earn the top seed heading into this weekend. Domination continued at the provincial championship as well. First, a 5-1 win over Arsenal Lac St-Louis on Thursday. That was followed up by 7-3 and 5-3 wins over Patriotes Laval and Vert et Noir RIC.
In the semis and finals, goaltenders Malik LeBlanc and Jacob St-Cyr would trade shut-out performances, as Estacades won 5-0 and 3-0 games just five hours apart.
The championship run was indicative of their 2022-23 season. In 30 LHEQ games, Mauricie went 21-2-7 to finish as the top team in L’entrepôt du Hockey Division. Enzo Lottin and Chad Lygitsakos were among the leading scorers in the league, leading the Estacades to a 2008 championship.
A team that suffered defeat just four times in LHEQ play this season, Laval/Montreal finished a run to the 2023 Chevrolet Cup with a dominant playoff push. They went 25-4-3 in the Rousseau Sports Division of the LHEQ.
With a balanced attack, Nicola Ragusa and Kamyl Chemrouk led an offense that featured nine skaters with nine-or-more points in the playoffs. That depth came in handy when Laval/Montreal needed offense to advance. In the final four games of the tournament, they reached or surpassed the five-goal mark, including a 6-5 win in the semifinals. At one point, they trailed Citadelles R-N Abi 5-1 just 22 minutes into the game. A pair of goals from Ragusa, and a third goal from Chemrouk would dig Laval/Montreal out of a hole in the second period. Luc Béliveau would score a power-play goal 6:26 into the third period to tie the game up. Then in the final moments of regulation, Mickaël Pagé would complete the comeback to make it 6-5 with his fifth goal of the playoffs.
Pulling off the unlikely comeback opened up the doors for a championship matchup with Corsaires Pointe-Lévy. An opponent that finished the regular season with a 16-12-4 record, and entered the Chevrolet Cup as the No. 4 seed out of the Entrepôts du Hockey series. Three consecutive one-goal victories helped lift Corsaires just to get to the championship game. However, Laval/Montreal would see to it that Corsaires’ run came to an end.
Ragusa, Chemrouk, Anthony Miscione and James Roberts would score four consecutive goals to start the game. That mounted a lead large enough that Pointe-Lévy could not come back from. Laval/Montreal would finish the game 5-1 to claim the 2007 championship.
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During the course of Finland’s U16 SM-Series Playoffs, numerous individuals displayed their talents in a tournament of the top teams in the country. Two of those players, Eetu Orpana and Joonas Rajala, were main reasons why Tappara was able to win its first national championship since 1998.
| Joonas Rajala Tappara | Olli Wahlroos TPS | Eetu Orpana Tappara |
For a majority of this season, Joonas Rajala and Eetu Orpana have filled scoresheets with their names. Providing a one-two punch up front for Tappara, much of the club’s success can be attributed to the way these two forwards play the game. Their dynamic play carried over into the national playoffs, where they each tallied 12 points in seven games. Rajala put up eight goals, while Orpana was more of a distributor of the puck, collecting eight assists.
Olli Wahlroos was one of the most consistent forwards for TPS en route to their run to the championship game. Wahlroos put up five goals and 11 points in 10 playoff games. He shined as a fantastic two-way player whose patience with the puck allowed teammates to find scoring opportunities. Wahlroos is a leader that makes those around him better.
| Ossi Tukio Ilves | Aaron Paju TPS |
Ossi Tukio led all defensemen in scoring with two goals and eight points, which was also good enough for third overall among all Ilves skaters. With a decent frame, his long reach prevented attacking players from being able to establish much zone time. With only two penalty minutes to his name, Tukio is rarely seen out of position.
Aaron Paju added complimentary scoring from the blue line for TPS, racking up one goal and seven points in 10 games. A mainstay on the power play because of his excellent puck movement, his lone goal came on the man advantage in the second game against Tappara.
| Eero Rönö Tappara |
Statistically, there was no better goaltender in the U16 SM-Series Playoffs than Eero Rönö. Compiling a .955 save percentage and 1.25 goals-against average, only five goals made their way past him in four starts. Constantly exhibiting calm demeanor in the crease, you would be hard pressed to find another 2007-born Finnish goalie who is as technically sound as he is. If not for a late power-play goal, Rönö would have secured a 30-save shutout in the Game 2 of the Finals against TPS. He made 23 saves in Game 1 as well.
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Propelled by key victories at 16U USA Hockey Nationals, the Long Island Gulls found a new home in the No. 1 spot among 2006-born clubs. They defeated No. 3 New Jersey Rockets, No. 4 Compuware, No. 6 Little Caesars and No. 9 Mount St. Charles, all Top-10 U.S. teams. The Gulls also managed to pull out a strong victory over previous top spot holder Shattuck-St. Mary’s, who slid down to No. 2.
In Sweden, Täby HC maneuvered its way to the top, thanks to a deep run to the championship game versus Brynäs IF for 2007-born teams. Even more impressive was the final result of the matchup, with Brynäs managing to put up seven goals en route to winning the club’s first-ever Sweden National Championship. A win that helped boost Brynäs, who was previously unranked, into the Top 10.
Sticking with the ‘07s, Tappara went 6-1-0 in the Finnish SM-Series playoffs to secure the top spot from Kiekko-Espoo. TPS and KalPa also experienced jumps to No. 3 and No. 4 in the Top 10, respectively, resulting from key victories during their playoff runs as well. In the ‘08s, Jokerit’s 3-0-0 stretch allowed them to take the No. 1 spot, with second-place Kärpät Musta in the No. 2 spot and third-place Kärpät Valkoinen settling in to No. 3.
Fresh off winning gold at the 2023 U14 Uplandia Trophy with an undefeated run, Brinkens IF is enjoying a new view from the No. 1 spot.
The 2011-born Vaughan Kings put up a stellar showing against the No. 2 Toronto Jr. Canadiens, defeating them 8-1 to leapfrog them to the No. 1 spot. Vaughan also managed to split two games against No. 10 Toronto Nationals. In Russia, the ‘11s saw a new club take the No. 1 spot as well with CSKA Moscow taking over for No. 2 Dynamo St. Petersburg. CSKA put three crucial victories against Top-10 teams under its belt to slip past Dynamo.
No. 5 ‘06 SKA Strelna suited up for two games against No. 6 SKA Silver Lions, resulting in two wins for Strelna to move them up a spot. Traktor Chelyabinsk put together a decent string of wins to slide into the No. 10 spot for the first time this season. 2009-born Dynamo St. Petersburg took two out of three games against No. 9 SKA Strelna to push them out of the No. 8 spot.
There were some big showdowns at the ‘07 USA Hockey Nationals tournament, and the Los Angeles Jr. Kings’ championship run vaulted them from No. 7 to No. 3. It started with wins against teams like No. 4 Mount St. Charles and No. 8 Pittsburgh Penguins Elite. Then, it culminated with a championship win in overtime against No. 5 Shattuck-St. Mary’s. In Canada, the Halton Hurricanes took advantage of two games with No. 5 York Simcoe Express, taking the No. 4 spot among other ‘07 teams with two wins.
Continuing to impress with the 2008-born clubs was No. 2 Linköpings HC, who bested No. 3 Djurgårdens IF twice at the 2023 Swedbank Trophy. Linköpings went on to win the gold medal, which ended a perfect 5-0-0 run.
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.
Plenty of players stood out during Sweden’s U16 National Championship Tournament, which concluded last week with Brynäs IF defeating heavy favorite Täby HC in the final by a score of 7-2.
| Theo Stockelius Täby HC | Noa Bräutigam Växjö Lakers | Albin Laksonen Växjö Lakers |
Theo Stockselius was one of the most dependable scorers for Täby. Ending as the leading scorer among all skaters with eight goals and 19 points, he was a consistent source of offense. Playing in all situations, he collected six points on the power play while also adding four game-winning goals to his resume. Despite falling short in the championship game, Stockselius was arguably the best player at the tournament.
Whenever Noa Bräutigam was on the ice for the Växjö Lakers, good things usually followed. His ability to drive play was a large reason why goals usually piled up in the opponent’s net rather than Växjö’s when he was on the ice, resulting in his plus-12 rating. Known more for his playmaking ability, Bräutigam assisted on 11 goals, which led all players. By chipping in six goals as well, he finished fourth in overall points with 16.
No other player had the ability to find the back of the net like Albin Laksonen for Växjö. Equipped with an accurate shot, no goalie was able to prevent themselves from becoming a victim of Laksonen’s potent scoring prowess. He finished with 10 goals and seven assists to lead the Lakers in total points.
| Karl Annborn HV 71 | Justus Ehrnström Malmö Redhawks |
Karl Annborn and Justus Ehrnström both acted as fourth forwards for their respective teams at the tournament, each racking up nine points along with MoDo Hockey’s Erik Häggblad to lead all defensemen. Ehrnström brought size to the blue line, towering at six-foot-two and using a long reach to prevent opponents any time or space to set up an attack. Annborn managed to avoid any penalty minutes across six games, while Ehrnström was only penalized once.
| William Forsberg Brynäs IF |
William Forsberg played the most minutes of any goaltender, starting all eight games for Brynäs. In those starts, he compiled the second-best goals-against average (2.50) and third-best save percentage (.916) in the tournament. In the championship game, he made 31 saves, including 13 in the third period alone to backstop his club to its first-ever Sweden national championship. He was named tournament MVP as well.
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One was voted the most valuable player of the regular season, and the other led all skaters in goals. When push came to shove in Finland’s U16 SM-Series playoffs, both Eetu Orpana and Joonas Rajala were up to the task.
On Saturday, top-seeded Tappara completed the two-game sweep of No. 5 TPS with a dominant 6-1 win. It completed a near-perfect playoff run in which Tappara went 6-1-0, sweeping its opponents in the semifinal and championship rounds. A storied program in the country, it is the first time since 1998 that the club has won the U16 national championship.
After a scoreless first period, Orpana and Rajala burst the scoring wide open with three consecutive goals in an eight-minute span. It’s something they’ve made a habit of this season, as Orpana scored 35 goals and 80 points and Rajala totaled 38 goals and 73 points. The duo finished No. 1 and 2 in scoring among 2007-born skaters in the country. Additionally, they both notched 12 points in seven playoff games.
Orpana is a physical presence at 6-foot, right in the heart of the offense as the team’s top line center. The 5-foot-9 Rajala is a bit shiftier and crafty with the puck as a left-handed shooter on the off-wing. That tandem fueled Tappara all season long as they were a mainstay in Finland’s Top 10.
Finland’s U16 SM-Series playoffs is one of the more unique tournaments in youth hockey. With best-of-three series and four rounds, it’s the closest thing to resembling the NHL Playoffs as anything at this age level can get.
After a first-round bye, Tappara opened up with 10-seed HIFK. Seven goals from six different skaters allowed HIFK to pull off a stunning upset of Tappara 7-3 in Game 1. After that, it was all Tappara as they bounced back to win both Game 2 and Game 3 to advance to the semifinals. There, they made quick work of KalPa, out-scoring the No. 6 seed 7-1 in two games.
In the U16 SM-Series Finals, Tappara’s offense was just too much for TPS to keep down.
Rajala and Orpana led an offensive attack that scored six goals in Game 1. First-period tallies by Juho Kuisma and Lennart Louvanto put Tappara out in front in the first nine minutes of the game. That lead — while TPS was able to cut into it at times — would not be relinquished, as they pulled away late in a 6-3 final.
The offense was a bit delayed in the championship, as the two teams skated to a scoreless first period. Once Orpana and Rajala broke through in the second period, however, the floodgates soon opened. Atte Joki made it 4-0 with less than two minutes to go in the period, set up by Rajala. And after the second intermission, Eemil Kokkonen and Elias Paavola would increase the lead to 6-0 with back-to-back goals four minutes apart.
TPS scored a goal late to make it a 6-1 final. It marked the third consecutive game that Tappara’s offense eclipsed the five-goal mark. As a team, they achieved that feat 29 times this season, finishing as the No. 1 seed in the tournament and ultimately, overall champion of the U16 age group.
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An extensive history of coming up just short in the Sweden U16 SM-Playoffs finally came to an end on Friday. Brynäs IF defeated heavily favored Täby HC 7-2 to claim its first ever Sweden national championship.
A tournament that dates all the way back to the 1971-72 season, Brynäs had never taken home gold. In the past 10 tournaments, the club qualified for the Final Four on six occasions. Four times, suffering defeat in the championship game. They had been unable to get over the hump, until twin brothers Theo Östberg and Hugo Östberg combined to score five points in a dominant championship performance.
Hugo scored just 1:09 into the second period to make it a 2-0 game. Theo closed out the period with his own goal that pushed the lead to 4-1. Both would factor in on goals in the waning stages of the game to close out the 7-2 final.
The duo led Brynäs throughout the tournament, combining to score six goals and 14 points. Linemate Leo Sundqvist added six goals and 10 points of his own, to make Brynäs’ top line one of best at nationals.
Despite being unranked throughout the entirety of the 2022-23 season, the win brings Brynäs its first ever U16 national championship. They went 19-5-4 in West Region action, finishing as the No. 1 team. None of the seven other teams in their region had been ranked this season either. Additionally, they were absent from many of the major 2007-born tournaments during ‘22-23, like Sweden Hockey Trophy.
Entering the tournament as a relative unknown, Brynäs made its presence felt in first-round group play. They swept Örebro HK, Frölunda HC and HV 71 in consecutive games to earn the No. 1 seed and advance to the second round. None of the teams in Group D had been ranked this season either.
On the second weekend, Brynäs again swept its way through group play. There, they defeated Malmö Redhawks, Växjö Lakers and a second victory over HV 71. Again, none of the opponents in this group had reached the Top 10 in the country.
It wasn’t until a semifinal matchup with No. 3 MoDo Hockey that Brynäs crossed paths with a Top-10 team. Aron Dahlqvist and Melwin Larsson opened up the scoring in the first period. That gave Brynäs a lead that it would not relinquish, as four more goals from four different scorers would eliminate MoDo 6-2.
The championship game would present Brynäs with just its second game of the season against ranked opponents. Täby, a club that peaked at No. 1 and held the top spot for 20 weeks this season, stood in the way.
Gustav Hillström would open the scoring 12 minutes into the championship. Then, 1:09 into the second period, Hugo Östberg would score his 21st goal of the season to put Brynäs in a familiar spot; playing with the lead. Michal Svrcek would add a third goal before Täby’s offense was able to respond. But by the time top-ranked Täby got on the board, it would be too little too late. Theo Östberg would score his 16th goal of the season, and Brynäs would add three more goals late to pull away with a 7-2 final.
Brynäs making history as champions for the first time was certainly the highlight of the Sweden U16 national championship. There were plenty of other noteworthy performances as well, like Täby’s Theo Stockselius, who led the tournament in scoring. He scored eight goals and 19 points in eight games. Forward Albin Laksonen from the Växjö Lakers led all skaters with 10 goals. He was a proven goal scorer all season with 29 goals in 26 games. HV 71’s Karl Annborn and Malmö Redhawks’ Justus Ehrnström tied for the lead with nine points to top all defensemen.
No goaltender in the tournament played more minutes than Brynäs’ William Forsberg. The 6-foot-2 netminder started all eight games for the eventual champion, with the second-best goals-against average (2.50) and third-best save percentage (91.60) in the tournament. He made 31 saves in the championship game, including 13 in the third period alone.
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This weekend, Sweden’s U16 SM-Playoffs will continue when the final four remaining teams kick off the semifinal round of action on Thursday. MoDo Hockey will take on Brynäs IF, and IFK Täby HC will clash with Växjö Lakers in single elimination contests.
MoDo is searching for its first U16 age group championship since 2002. The other three teams are looking to make history, as not one of them has ever won the U16 SM-Playoffs in the tournament’s 51-year history.
No other team’s performance to date this postseason has raised eyebrows more than MoDo. Getting off to a hot start in the opening round by knocking out fellow WHH-ranked Djurgårdens IF, MoDo used that victory as a jumpstart to their engine. In Group E contests, Elton Hermansson was a bright spot. A strong run of play allowed him to lead the team in scoring with one goal and five points in three games. In total, he has scored 11 points (4G, 7A) across six playoff games to date.
They will need continued contributions from him if there is any hope to offensively match the production that has been carried out by Brynäs. Leading the Brynäs attack that outscored opponents 22-10 in three Group F victories was Hugo Östberg with three goals and six points. There was also a steady stream of offense from the blue line, thanks to Elias Kedling (5G). His sudden emergence as a dependable scoring threat only bolsters an already potent attack. As a bonus, he led all defensemen in Group F in scoring.
Attempting to aid in the shutting down of that attack will be MoDo’s Edvin Lindqvist. In the last three games, he posted a 2.50 goals-against average and .920 save percentage. Lindqvist will be tasked with slowing down Brynäs, which seems to have hit its stride coming out of the latest group contests.
For a large part of this season, Täby has continuously reaped the rewards that the play of its power trio of Theo Stockselius, Marcus Nordmark and Melvin Novotny has provided. They rounded out the top five in scoring en route to boosting their club to a 3-0-0 Group E finish. If this game gets into a goal-scoring frenzy, Täby’s skaters will at least have the presence of mind that they will have Vincent Österlund between the pipes for any needed heroics.
Although Växjö will want to avoid a game plan of trading goals, it will be bringing talent to the matchup to do so should things trend that way. Making up the main point getters for the Lakers are Noa Bräutigam, Olle Ågren and Albin Laksonen. This group was one of the most dominant lines in the opening round of the playoffs, and have continued to wreak havoc for opponents tasked with defending them.
While those three will be aiming to match the high-powered offense of Täby, trying to contain it will be Malte Brolin and Theo Dahl. Both defensemen had a solid start to the postseason, and have continued to chip in the occasional point. However, they are known mostly for consistent thwarting of opposing team’s attacks, and will be relied upon heavily in this matchup. Two squads that are deep on scoring talent should make for some exciting fireworks when the puck is dropped.
WHH will have continued coverage of the Sweden U16 National Championship, top performers, highlights and more! Be sure to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, Discord and YouTube.
What is one of the biggest challenges we face feeding young athletes? Ice rink concession stand food. Most concession stands are full of popcorn, pizza, breadsticks and colorful slushies. Relying on these fast and tempting options will make an athlete sluggish and decrease their potential on the ice.
Eating a nourishing small snack before or after a skate will increase energy and maximize performance. A pre-skate snack will sustain energy and a post-skate snack is important to refuel muscles. A snack should contain both carbohydrate and protein, and be consumed within one hour of exertion. That is when muscles are primed for energy intake. Food choices really do make a difference.
Planning and preparation of portable and nourishing snacks is key. Young athletes require proper energy to support recovery and repair of their growing body. For hockey players to perform well, they need to eat well.
What type of snacks will provide energy and strength? Celly Salt is here to offer some ideas to help plan and prepare snacks to fuel healthy athletes.
With a little prep work and planning ahead, you can provide youth hockey players with viable, healthy and delicious snacks for life on the road. Here’s a few we recommend:
Brand name snacks
Ingredients
Directions
Cook’s Note: Great mixed into trail mix, topper for salad or just a snack.
Ingredients
Directions
Cook’s Note: Mix in 2 tablespoons chia seeds with the oats for added protein, fiber, calcium and magnesium.
Want more recipes and products from Celly Salt? Click HERE.
Showing incredible character and resilience, TPS has earned its way into the championship series against Tappara in the U16 SM-Playoffs. One of the best teams this season, Tappara has been a mainstay at the top of the WHH rankings. In their lone SM-Series meeting during the regular season back on February 19th, Tappara skated away with a 4-3 victory.
Finding itself down in a series once again, it will take another comeback effort by TPS to have any chance of getting the title. Earlier today, Tappara secured a 6-3 victory in Game 1 of the best-of-three championship series. Eetu Orpana and Joonas Rajala each tallied two points, and Atte Joki added two goals as well. Olli Wahlroos (5G, 6A), Jeremi Virtanen (8G, 2A) and Wilmer Kallio (5G, 5A) have all done a serviceable job to this point for TPS. Wahlroos even leads all skaters in postseason scoring. But to contend with Tappara, more of the team’s depth players will need to chip in offensively.
Up front, Tappara brings a formidable squad of players experienced with piling up the points. While not leading the overall playoff scoring table, players such as Orpana and Rajala understand how to do damage when games are much more magnified at this time of year.
And if neither of those skaters is putting the puck in the net, Tappara can rely on its dynamic duo between the pipes to backstop them to wins. Eero Rönö and Petrus Virta are the guardians of the crease for Tappara. They have statistically been two of the best goaltenders since the SM-Playoffs began.
Rönö has recorded a .950 save percentage and sparkling 1.33 goals-against average thus far, compared to the .919 save percentage and 2.71 goals-against average of Virta. Attempting to get pucks past one of these goalies in any match would be a tall order for any club, but to have to beat them twice in a three-game series amplifies the task at hand.
But a challenge is not anything new to TPS, especially this playoffs. At the end of the regular season SM-Series in Finland, TPS found itself just outside the top four spots, which would have secured a bye in the first round of the playoffs. As a result, its playoff journey would begin in the wild card round, with a meeting with K-Espoo Ch. Unfazed by the task before them, TPS swept K-Espoo in two games.
The next club standing in their way was Jokerit. Despite falling in the first game, 5-2, TPS rebounded with two straight victories to take the series. Next up, another best-of-three matchup with Ilves. Again falling in the first contest, 6-1, Wahlroos scored three times over the next two games to lead TPS’s comeback in the series.
Prediction: TPS’ journey to this point hasn’t been easy, but they have admirably put it all on the line when the games matter most. While a loss in Game 1 was a minor setback, the team has proven that it can make the necessary adjustments to its game plan. While I believe Tappara will win the championship, TPS will make things interesting by winning Game 2 to set the stage for a winner-take-all Game 3 on Sunday.
WHH will have continued coverage of the Finland U16 National Championship, top performers, highlights and more! Be sure to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, Discord and YouTube.
On Tuesday, USA Hockey’s National Team Development Program (USNTDP) announced 22 2007-born players selected to the U.S. National Under-17 team for the 2023-24 season. Selections were made from a group of 45 players who took part in an evaluation camp two weeks ago held at USA Hockey Arena in Plymouth, Michigan.
16U Shattuck-St. Mary’s and Dallas Stars Elite produced multiple selections from their respective teams. 15O Chicago Mission did as well, however, none filled more roster spots than Little Caesars. One forward (William Horcoff), one defenseman (Charlie Tretheway) and one goalie (Joey Slavick) from the No. 1 team in the country will represent the U17 team next season. In total, The group represents 13 different U.S. states as well as 16 different youth hockey teams and programs.
| Will Belle | Conrad Fondrk | Richard Gallant |
| Landon Hafele | William Horcoff | Jacob Kvasnicka |
| Cole McKinney | John Mooney | William Moore |
| Jack Murtagh | Andrew O’Neill | Cullen Potter |
| Carter Amico | Asher Barnett |
| Donato Bracco | Lincoln Kuehne |
| Garrett Lindberg | Maceo Phillips |
| Drew Schock IV | Charlie Tretheway |
| Harrison Boettiger Joey Slavick |
There are not many players in youth hockey that have a more incredible hockey journey than William Belle. His impressive stature of 6-foot-2, 205 lbs. allows him to be a net-front menace. Powerful legs aid his stride, which gives him an almost unparalleled ability to separate himself from opponents in rushes up the ice. As a result, he has been able to notch 23 goals and 48 points this season. Belle was the first 2007-born player to make a Division-I college commitment when he verbally pledged to join the University of Notre Dame in October of 2022. He can begin playing for them in the 2025-26 season.
In 50 games this season, Fondrk tallied 96 points. Perhaps more impressively was that in doing so, he was only penalized once. A good sign that when he hits the ice, he spends most of his time in the offensive zone.
Gallant just finished his second season at St. Mark’s School, putting up 12 goals and 30 points in 17 games. A slight decrease from last year’s 43-point total, but he also split duties by also lacing up the skates for Islanders Hockey Club 18U Prep team.
Has collected 50 points in 51 games, and generally when he is on the ice, good things happen. Collectively, he has amassed a plus-39 rating on the season. Forms a potent twosome with Cullen Potter.
Horcoff really began to make a name for himself last season skating with the Caesars 14U club, racking up 115 points in 62 games. A consistent source of offense, Horcoff’s dynamic play-making ability has helped Caesars retain a spot as one of the top U.S. teams of the ‘08 birth year.
Totalled 45 points in 28 games this season, serving largely in a playmaker role. Given his small frame, he uses speed and agility to his benefit, as often defenders have difficulty keeping up with him.
McKinney is in the midst of his third year with the Mission program. He has put up solid numbers in the biggest games, including two goals and seven points as a member of Chicago’s 14U team at USA Nationals last season.
What Mooney may lack for in size, he makes up for in speed. Mesmerizing with the puck, he uses quick feet and phenomenal edge work to dart around the offensive zone. A quick release has helped him become one of the main sources of offensive output for Pens Elite for the past several seasons.
The lone representative this year from a Canadian club, Moore is no stranger to big moments. An OHL Cup veteran, in last year’s tournament as a member of the Marlboros U16 team, he managed to post 11 points in seven games, including being a plus-9. He will once again play in the 2023 OHL Cup with GTHL champion and top-ranked Canadian club, Toronto Marlboros. While he was born in Mississauga, Ontario, CAN, he maintains dual citizenship in the U.S. as well.
Has incredible vision to see plays unfold and find open ice once he dishes the puck off to a teammate. His ability to carry the puck through the neutral zone is an integral part of Bishop Kearney’s offensive strategy.
Dependable two-way play is the focus of O’Niell’s game. The 6-foot-1 center from Fargo, North Dakota, has lightning quick reflexes that give him the ability to find teammates in transition with ease.
A player that has been on the WHH radar all season long, he has been one of the more impressive forwards among fellow Stars Elite skaters. Often able to control the pace of play, he has an uncanny ability to dip and weave through defenders. He plays bigger than he is, unfazed by hits while continuing to drive play. Shiftiness with the puck is a strength. If defenders are not careful, they will be left behind after Potter finesses his way around them. He is strong on defense as well when necessary, making him a dual threat at both ends of the ice.
Amico has loomed over the defensive zone this season for Mount St. Charles. Standing at 6-foot-4, he uses his long reach to knock pucks away from opposing players with ease. He is also quick on his feet and can even join the rush if necessary.
Barnett brings size to the blue line, coming in at 6-foot, 181 lbs. But don’t let those numbers fool you, he can find the scoresheet as well. He managed to post five goals and 11 points in 15 High Performance Hockey League (HPHL) matchups.
One of the most dependable defenseman of his birth year, Bracco has an impeccable ability to break up plays with incredible stick work and positioning. The Gulls have enjoyed one of the top spots in the U.S. rankings all season, largely thanks to Bracco shutting down the top offenses he faced on a nightly basis.
Kuehne is a dangerous weapon on the back end for his club, adding 25 points in 44 games as a defender.
Lindberg doesn’t shy away from the physical aspect of his position. Often laying the body on attacking forwards, he knows his first job is to take away time and space of opponents. He can chip in offensively when needed, with a decent shot that often finds its way through traffic from the blue line. He put up four goals and 19 points in 30 games for Moorhead High.
Armed with a big body and dependable when it comes to contributing to offense, there aren’t that many weaknesses in Phillips’ game. He’s already coming in at 6-foot-5, 194 lbs., bringing a physical edge and 22 points in 27 games.
A dependable option for offense, Schock uses great mobility to patrol the defensive zone and chip pucks out with ease. Almost serving as a third forward, he scored 11 goals and 44 points this season.
One of the bigger aspects of Trethewey’s game is his elusiveness when handling the puck either in his own zone or at the offensive blue line. His ability to side step attacking forwards gives his team a great option to reset play.
Boettiger has been one of the premier netminders in the country. Backstopping SSM to 22 wins, he recorded a 1.79 goals-against average and .927 save percentage with three shutouts. He’s also set to compete in his second consecutive USA Hockey National championship this month with Shattuck.
Standing at 5-foot-9 and 161 lbs., Slavick is slightly smaller than the prototypical goaltender that the NTDP has targeted in the past. All three goalies from the current U17 team are north of 6-foot, as is Boettiger. Despite Slavick’s smaller stature, he uses a quick glove and versatile agility to stop the puck. Slavick has competed in just about every major youth hockey tournament there is, playing in the Brick Invitational, PeeWee Quebec and World Selects Invitational. He’s also been the go-to guy for Caears and HoneyBaked in the last three season, both ranked in the top 10 in the country with Slavick in net.
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