The 2022 CCM World Invite Motown took place across Metro Detroit this past weekend, as 352 teams traveled to Michigan to compete.
With multiple divisions for the 2008-2013 birth-years, as well as 150, 16U and 18U brackets, we focused on the Supertacks divisions of the birth-years that are included in the World Hockey Hub rankings, as well as the two youngest divisions at the bottom for good measure.
It was the first CCM Motown since 2019 that featured Canadian teams, and they certainly made up for lost time.
Here is a Supertacks division breakdown by birth-year:
At the 16U age level, Michigan Hockey Advancement – a collection of high school hockey players skating together before their winter school season – captured the ‘06 Supertacks division title at the 2022 Motown.
MHA started with a 6-2 win over the Wasatch Renegades and a 4-2 win over the Pittsburgh Predators on Friday, before wrapping up the round-robin play with a 5-0 win over Golden State Elite Saturday morning. In the quarterfinals Saturday evening, they beat Team Wisconsin 3-2.
On Championship Sunday, they first beat the Maine Nordiques 4-3 in the semifinals, before taking down the Anaheim Ice Dogs 2-0 in the championship game to wrap up a perfect 6-0 mark on the weekend.
In the 2007 birth-year Supertacks division championship game, it was the Chicago Reapers prevailing over Team Illinois in a Windy City rivalry showdown.
The Reapers had a dominant Friday, blanking the PHA Icemen 6-0 before beating Michigan Hockey Advancement 7-1. On Saturday, they ran into two more Michigan clubs, defeating Belle Tire 6-1 to conclude preliminary-round play and later Victory Honda 5-4 in the quarterfinals.
In the semifinals, they shut out Omaha Mastery 3-0, and in the aforementioned finals, the Reapers beat Team Illinois 4-2.
Playing in their home city of Farmington Hills, HoneyBaked successfully defended home ice, winning the 2008 Supertacks division of the 2022 Motown.
It was a dominant Friday for HoneyBaked, as they started with a 7-2 win over the SHAHA Panthers before shutting out the Ohio Jr. Blue Jackets 6-0 in the evening.
Saturday started with a 5-3 loss to the Toronto Red Wings, but it didn’t keep HB out of the playoff round.
In Saturday night’s quarterfinals, they bested the Chicago Reapers 3-2 before beating their HPHL rivals in the Oakland Jr. Grizzlies 5-4 in the semifinals.
In the final, HB posted a 5-2 win over the London Jr. Knights to capture the hardware for the ’08 bracket.
It was an all-Canadian final for the ’09 birth-year, as the Toronto Titans topped the Toronto Red Wings 4-1 in the championship game Sunday.
It didn’t come as much of a surprise that the Titans took home the championship banner, as the Toronto-based club was ranked No. 2 in Canada and No. 7 in the world heading into the Motown.
The Titans topped the Milwaukee Jr. Admirals 4-2 to start tournament play on Friday, and they wrapped up Day 1 with a 7-1 win over Team Illinois. On Saturday, they beat the No. 5 Anaheim Jr. Ducks 3-1 to conclude round-robin play.
The Elimination rounds started with a 2-1 nail-biter win over the Pittsburgh Penguins Elite. That’s as close as the Titans would come to defeat, as on Championship Sunday they posted a 3-0 win over Team Illinois in the semifinals, and a 4-1 win over the Toronto Red Wings in the final.
A Canadian squad prevailed in the 2010 Supertacks division, as the Sun County Panthers played to a perfect 6-0 record.
The Panthers opened things up with a tight 3-2 win over the Credit River Capitals Friday morning before cruising 6-0 over the Indiana Elite later in the day.
On Saturday, they played Fox Motors in a preview of the championship contest, with Sun County prevailing 3-1. To start tournament play, they squared off with the Soo Jr. Greyhounds, and the Panthers won 5-0 over their Canadian counterparts.
On Sunday, they took down the Pittsburgh Vengeance 2-1 in the semifinals – a big win over a Pennsylvania club that had recorded victories over the No. 8-ranked Chicago Fury and No. 5-ranked Little Caesars.
Fox Motors got a shot at revenge in the title game, but the Panthers played a full 200-foot game and won a 1-0 thriller.
The Toronto Jr. Canadiens – ranked No. 2 in the world and No. 1 in Canada – kept the Canadian winning streak going in the 2011 birth-year, as they too registered a perfect 6-0 weekend en route to a championship.
Familiar foes in the London Jr. Knights were the first team on the schedule for the Jr. Canadiens – the Toronto club prevailed 5-1. Later on in Day 1, the Jr. Habs beat Chicago Fury 8-2.
Saturday featured more high-scoring performances, as Toronto beat the Oakland Jr. Grizzlies 6-4 and then the Buffalo Regals 7-1 in the quarterfinals.
In the finals, the Jr. Habs beat the Vaughan Kings 4-1 in the semifinals and the No. 6 Chicago Reapers 4-3 in the final.
At the 2012 birth-year, Little Caesars was able to defend home ice, as the Michigan-based squad recorded a 5-1 record on their way to a Supertacks title at Motown.
The 2013 birth-year Little Caesars club got it done, as well, going 6-0 to win the Supertacks division title.
It is the premier spring youth hockey tournament of the year, and Sixty Hockey Development will be there to compete in 2023. The World Selects Invitational (WSI) series has featured some of the best youth hockey players in the world for more than a decade. Not only that, but it’s taken place in some of the most beautiful cities in Europe. The tournament is a perfect combination of culture and competition through the game of hockey.
This spring, Sixty Hockey Development is assembling four AAA-level teams to compete in the WSI at various locations. The opportunity to compete against international teams was just something that general manager Paul Dovich said he couldn’t pass up.
“To be a part of the WSI is a tremendous honor,” said Dovich. “Being a part of the Nashville event [last summer], we got to see how amazing it could be when the whole world is involved. Having the opportunity to bring teams together and play and experience Europe was something I couldn’t pass up. We’re looking forward to it.”
Sixty Hockey Development debuted in the North American WSI in 2022, bringing top-level kids from across the country to compete in Nashville. Now, Sixty will have the opportunity to take its talents abroad and experience the tournament in an entirely different way.
The 2008 AAA tournament will take place in Stockholm, Sweden. The 2010s will travel to Chamonix, France, while the 2009s go to Prague, Czech Republic.
Bolzano, Italy, will host the 2011 AAA event near the end of April. The 2009s will travel to Prague, Czech Republic, the same week in May the that 2010s visit Chamonix, France. The 2008s close out European action on May 17th in Stockholm, Sweden.
Each host city is unique in its own way. From a Vasa Museum visit in Sweden, to a Vitava River cruise in the Czech Republic, participating in a WSI is more than just a hockey tournament. Immersive cultural experiences like Chamonix city tours in the shadows of Mont Blanc make these European tours unforgettable trips for the whole family.
With all transportation provided to and from airports, hotels and ice rinks, parents can rest easy and enjoy a European vacation. Meanwhile, kids compete, socialize and connect with other like-minded youth hockey players from varying backgrounds that span the globe.
“It really is impressive to see,” said Dovich. “On the ice, you get all these different styles and types of player and matchups when you play the Czechs or the Russians or Swedes. But then off the ice, kids from different teams and different countries are making real connections with each other. Even despite the language barrier, they’ve got their phones out and using Google Translate, following each other on Instagram and stuff. It’s very cool.”
Sixty Hockey Development originated in 2019, when Dovich and company assembled ‘The ‘06 Sixty’ Camp. They wanted to do something different and get some of the best 12-year-old hockey players in North America together for an extended weekend camp to develop and compete. The inaugural camp featured 60 players from the 2006 birth year, with names like James Hagens, Christian Humphries and Teddy Stiga — current members of the U.S. National Team Development Program (USNTDP) — as well as Owen Keefe and Will Felicio, who are currently playing in the United States Hockey League (USHL).
That camp dovetailed into spring and summer tournament teams that competed at major events like the Montreal Meltdown, Lobsterfest and the Warrior Boston Elite Invite. When the team won, and won again, and won again, people began to take notice.
“Through word of mouth, it just grew,” said Dovich. “Parents just started to see we were putting good teams together. Kids were developing and good things were happening.”
As successful as the tournament teams were, the main focus was always the Sixty Camp. It quickly expanded to more age groups, and in 2022, included more than 340 top-level youth hockey players from five different birth years. Designed to foster 60 skaters at each age group, the Sixty Camp is a four-day long event filled with on-ice drills, skills and competition. Between sessions, players are exposed to off-ice training and treated to informational presentations regarding college hockey, academics and nutrition, among other topics.
“What I’ve always said with the Sixty [Camp], is if you want to learn and you can compete, you’re more than welcome to come,” said Dovich.
While the Sixty Camp has become a major fixture in the youth hockey community, its European tours to WSI events look to expand the organization’s footprint internationally.
Open to all AAA-level players, Sixty HD is accepting applications for 2023 WSI tournament teams from the ‘08, ‘09, ‘10 and ‘11 birth years. The field of teams at the AAA events currently consists of as many as 10 different countries. Sweden, Finland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Norway and Latvia, among others, are expected to be in attendance. Applicants are thoroughly evaluated for consideration by Dovich and his team, and every submission is replied to, regardless of acceptance status.
Learn more about Sixty Hockey Development, and how you can get involved by following the links below:
The Vaughan Kings have been among Canada’s best youth hockey teams since the 2022-23 season began. Last weekend, they got a chance to prove it on an international stage. Vaughan went 5-0-0 against a mixture of U.S. and Canadian teams to win the Little Caesars Invitational.
Sitting at 14-1-1 thus far, the Kings opened play with wins against the Boston Jr. Eagles and Oakville Rangers. Both opponents are currently omitted from the world rankings, however, still served as challenging matchups with 2-1 and 3-1 scores to open the weekend.
Perhaps Vaughan’s most impressive victory came in their third game of the weekend against No. 2 Chicago Mission — and No. 5 in the world. This was a matchup we had highlighted in our games of the week preview, and the contest did not disappoint.
Cross-border matchups between U.S. and Canadian youth hockey teams are not rare. However, when two Top-5 teams face off, ears perk up. With the Kings holding down the No. 1 spot in Canada, and the Mission moving up a spot in the latest rankings, fans knew they were in for a treat.
Chicago would open the scoring 1-0 at 1:10 of the first period on a great individual effort from Victor Plante. After collecting the puck in the neutral zone, Plante skated in all alone on the Kings’ defense. After crossing the blue line he whipped a backhand shot from the edge of the right face-off circle, and into the net.
With just under four minutes left to play in the second period, Mission defenseman Abraham Barnett attempted to clear the puck. That hit off the back of teammate Aurelio Garcia and into the middle of the ice. Kings forward Caleb Malhotra was able to corral the loose puck in the slot. He quickly turned and ripped a shot past the blocker of Donovan Dunlay to knot the score at 1-1.
With a little over six minutes left in the third period, Alessandro Di Iorio would put the Kings up 2-1 with a stellar individual effort of his own. Flanked by three Mission players as he skated alone into the zone, Di Iorio rifled a shot from the right circle off the post and in for the eventual game-winning goal.
Chicago pulled Dunlay in the final minute of regulation for the extra attacker, but thanks to tight defense and some late saves by Justin Young, the Kings would hold on for the 2-1 win.
Young would end the game making 15 saves on 16 shots, while Dunlay stopped 25 of 27 shots.
Vaughan rounded out their final two games of the Invitational by besting No. 9 Pittsburgh Vengeance 1-0 and No. 6 Little Caesars 3-2. That gave the Kings five wins on the weekend; three against ranked opponents.
The Kings have been one of the top ‘08 teams in Canada for more than a year. In the last 12 months, they’ve won the U14 Silver Sticks, U14 GTHL regular season and playoff championship, the U14 OHL Cup last spring and now adds a Little Caesars Invitational belt to the trophy case. The U15 season is an important one for Canadian teams like Vaughan. They will again compete in one of the top leagues in all of youth hockey — the Greater Toronto Hockey League (GTHL). On top of that, top ’08s in the province will play for the All-Ontario championships at the end of the season.
They finished last season as the No. 1-ranked team in Canada, debuted in the top spot to begin ’22-23 and have maintained that billing through the first three rankings updates of the season. As the No. 1 team in Canada, Vaughan currently checks in at third in the world behind Russian-born CSKA Moscow and Vityaz Podolsk.
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It’s become a staple for the youth hockey community, and for 2022, it’s truly back to ‘normal.’
The CCM World Invite Motown is taking place across Metro Detroit this weekend, bringing 352 teams to Michigan. For the first time since 2019, Canadian teams are making their triumphant return to the tournament field.
Despite playing a ‘normal’ season last year, Canadian clubs still had restricted travel due to COVID-19. That meant no cross-country showdowns for the Motown tournament.
This year, Canadian AAA teams are popping up all over the schedule for the various age groups set to compete. The tournament features multiple divisions for the Elite AAA, AAA and AA classifications in the 2013 through 2008 birth years, as well as the 15-only, 16-and-under and 18-and-under age groups.
The top teams in each age group are competing in the Supertacks divisions, and that’s what we will be focusing on this weekend. Here’s a look at each of the age groups featuring teams in the world rankings. In all, more than 6,000 players and 350 teams are expected to compete in the 2022 CCM World Invite Motown:
There are 16 teams set to compete in the top division of the 2011 field for the CCM Motown, and it’s an impressive mix of teams from across the U.S. and Canada.
While the No. 6-ranked Chicago Reapers are the highest-rated American team leading into the weekend, the top team in Canada shows up as the heavy favorite as well. The Toronto Jr. Canadiens are the No. 1 team in Canada — and second in the world — and will be in Pool A. They’ll be joined by the Oakland Jr. Grizzlies, Chicago Fury and London Jr. Knights. The Reapers, on the other hand, will be jockeying for position with Victory Honda, Buffalo Regals and York Simcoe Express.
If either of those two highly-ranked clubs slip up, the Reapers and the Jr. Canadiens could end up meeting in the first quarterfinal on Saturday. Otherwise, it wouldn’t be until the semifinals or championship for a heavyweight matchup like that.
The squads in Pool B and Pool C — Vaughan Kings, Team Illinois, California Goldrush, Belle Tire, Florida Alliance, Milwaukee Jr. Admirals, Oakville Rangers and Soo Jr. Greyhounds — make for a deep field for the ’11 age group.
We still think, however, that the Jr. Canadiens aren’t going to squander their weekend trip to the Motor City.
The 2010 birth year shapes up to potentially be a battle between two midwest hockey hotbeds in Detroit and Chicago. Little Caesars, ranked No. 5 in the country, headlines the field, while No. 8 Chicago Fury and No. 10 Chicago Reapers are ready to tangle.
Nine other teams will be fighting for the coveted Motown title. Canadian-based teams Soo Jr. Greyhounds, Burlington Eagles, Sun County Panthers, Credit River Capitals and Hamilton Jr. Bulldogs make up half the field. Fox Motors, Indiana Elite, Pittsburgh Vengeance and Compuware round out the field. Needless to say, with teams flocking in from all corners of the North America, this division will be fun to watch.
Little Caesars and Reapers won’t have to wait until elimination rounds for a Top-10 showdown — they will square off at noon on Saturday.
Worth noting, the Credit River Capitals are a new AAA program drawing from Brampton Hockey, Caledon Minor Hockey and Orangeville Minor Hockey in the Ontario Minor Hockey Association.
With wins over Chicago’s Mission and Fury this season already, Caesars should certainly be expected to take the Supertacks division in the battle of Original Six cities.
There are only eight teams in the 13U Supertacks division, but this could easily be seen as the premier division of the weekend.
Four of the eight teams appear on the world rankings — three from the U.S. and one from Canada. The American squads include No. 3 Chicago Reapers, No. 5 Anaheim Jr. Ducks and No. 6 Little Caesars. Meanwhile, the Toronto Titans — ranked No. 2 in all of Canada — come across the border.
Factor in that the other participants are still storied programs in the Pittsburgh Penguins Elite, Toronto Red Wings, Milwaukee Jr. Admirals and Team Illinois, and we can’t wait to see this division play out.
A whole lot of storied programs show up in Metro Detroit for the Motown this weekend. While they may not currently appear on the WHH rankings, they’re still some of the biggest names and most notable clubs on the continent.
The London Jr. Knights, Toronto Red Wings and Toronto Nationals represent the Canadian contingent. They will be taking on the Chicago Fury, Victory Honda, HoneyBaked, Ohio Blue Jackets, SHAHA Panthers, Oakland Jr. Grizzlies, Chicago Reapers, Madison Capitols and Anaheim Ice Dogs.
HoneyBaked has been heating up as of late. When you consider that this division is taking place at their home rink and a few facilities nearby, we like HB to take care of business in this bracket.
Much like the 14U group, there are plenty of big-name programs slated to compete in the 15O Supertacks division. The Mississauga Reps come in from Canada, while teams like the Carolina Jr. Hurricanes, Belle Tire, Victory Honda and Chicago Reapers look to make some noise at the prestigious tournament. We have the Reps’ Friday games against the Madison Capitols and Oakland Jr. Grizzlies circled. Both contests will serve as measuring sticks for how some 15O Canadian programs stack up against their American counterparts.
Omaha Mastery has a ‘Cinderella story’ feel with a 17-2-0 record. This weekend is a big opportunity for the Nebraska-based squad to make a statement. They already have a Chicago Steel Icebreaker championship to their name this season. We like them to add some more hardware here.
An eight-team field makes up the 16U Supertacks division for Motown. The Anaheim Ice Dogs, Tri-State Spartans, Maine Nordiques, Team Wisconsin, Golden State Elite, Pittsburgh Predators, Wasatch Renegades and Michigan Hockey Advancement (MHA) round out the field. It’s a pick-‘em here, so we will go with MHA. They are a collection of top high school players in the state, eager to prove themselves to scouts before heading off to their respective high school programs.
For more coverage of the 2022 CCM World Invite Motown, follow WHH on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, Discord and YouTube for more!
On the list of important dates for the 2022-23 Greater Toronto Hockey League (GTHL) season, Oct. 17 may be the most important.
It is officially ‘Game On’ for the arguably the most elite youth hockey league in the world.
With 51 different hockey clubs and associations — and a total of 508 teams competing — the GTHL is the largest minor hockey league in the world, located right in the heart of Canada’s most populated area. More than 40,000 players in Markham, Mississauga, Toronto and Vaughan skate in the GTHL each season.
Twelve of those clubs have teams competing in the AAA classification from U10 through U18.
Don Mills Flyers
Markham Majors
Mississauga Rebels
Mississauga Senators
North York Rangers
Reps Hockey Club
Toronto Jr. Canadiens
Toronto Marlboros
Toronto Red Wings
Toronto Titans
Toronto Young Nationals
Vaughan Kings
As we prepare for a new GTHL AAA campaign, there’s no better way to size up which teams are the favorites than by looking at who brought home the hardware last season.
U15 AAA (’07): Toronto Jr. Canadiens
U14 AAA (’08): Vaughan Kings
U13 AAA (’09): Don Mills Flyers
U12 AAA (’10): Markham Majors
U11 AAA (’11): Vaughan Kings
U10 AAA (’12): North York Rangers
Game action has already been underway, as the GTHL introduced a preseason schedule for the month of September. Meanwhile, the GTHL AAA schedule was increased at the older age groups; U10 through U14 will play 33 games, while U15 through U18 will play 36.
Expect big things out of the U16 age group, as the top three spots in the 2007 Canadian rankings all belong to GTHL teams. The Jr. Canadiens — fresh off winning the GTHL and All-Ontario titles last season — currently check in at No. 3, behind the No. 1 Mississauga Senators and No. 2 Toronto Marlboros.
Last year, of course, the ’06 Mississauga Senators won the U16 OHL Cup with the help of a few under-agers in ’07 forwards Marcus Lagana, William Moore and Michael Misa. That last guy ended up getting exceptional status for the OHL Draft and was selected No. 1 overall by the Saginaw Spirit. Moore, however, is skating for the Marlboros U16 team this year, and Lagana is with the Don Mills Flyers.
The Senators and the Marlboros first meet on Oct. 28 for a battle of No. 1 vs. No. 2. Before that, the Marlboros and the Jr. Canadiens clash on Oct. 21.
In the ’08 birth year, the Vaughan Kings are ranked No. 1 in Canada and No. 3 in the world (behind just two Russian teams). Close behind are the No. 4 Toronto Marlboros and No. 5 Toronto Jr. Canadiens. The Vaughan squad is familiar with on-ice success, as they won the inaugural U14 OHL Cup last season after taking care of business in the GTHL.
Vaughan will get big tests early in November, starting on Nov. 6th when the Jr. Canadiens come to town. The next night, the Kings get the Mississauga Senators, and then on Nov. 11th, the Marlboros show up for another top-five battle.
Much like the two elder birth years, the ‘09s feature some highly-rated GTHL squads, as well. Don Mills, ready to defend its GTHL postseason championship from last spring, checks in at No. 1. Breathing down their necks are the Toronto Titans, who are ranked No. 2, and the North York Rangers aren’t far away at No. 4.
The Flyers, already with an 8-2 win over the Vaughan Kings under their belts, will play the No. 4 Rangers on Oct. 18th.
At the 2010 birth year, the Toronto Jr. Canadiens hold the top spot in the latest Canadian rankings, while the Vaughan Kings are No. 4, Markham Majors are No. 6 and Don Mills Flyers are No. 8.
We’ve already had one top-10 showdown, as the Jr. Canadiens blanked Don Mills 4-0 on Oct. 13th.
And at the 2011 birth year — the youngest the WHH rankings go — the Toronto Jr. Canadiens hold the top spot as well. Don Mills is No. 3, the Toronto Red Wings are No. 4 and Toronto Titans are No. 6.
The Minor Hockey ALLIANCE of Ontario is set for a big season of hockey in Canada.
With 23 member associations and over 30,000 members, the ALLIANCE membership is larger than eight of Hockey Canada’s provincial governing bodies, and with that brings impressive AAA hockey talent to the organization.
Founded in 1993, ALLIANCE continues to establish itself as a premiere youth hockey organization in Canada. Twelve organizations have teams competing at the AAA level within ALLIANCE for the main youth hockey birth years and are split into two divisions. In the East Division, the Brantford 99ers, Cambridge Hawks, Hamilton Huskies, Huron-Perth Lakers, Kitchener Jr. Rangers and Waterloo Wolves are battling for positioning before the postseason begins in March.
Meanwhile in the West, the Chatham-Kent Cyclones, Elgin-Middlesex Canucks, Lambton Jr. Sting, London Jr. Knights, Sun County Panthers and Windsor Jr. Spitfires will be doing the same.
ALLIANCE champions carry with it more than just season-ending bragging rights. At the U13 and U15 age groups, it punches tickets to the Ontario Hockey Federation Championships, and to the OHL Cup in the U14 and U16 age groups.
This year, there are plenty of ALLIANCE teams to watch, and the league has plenty of representation on the Canadian rankings. At the ’08 level, for instance, Elgin-Middlesex Canucks rank No. 6 in the country. One birth year younger, there two major powerbrokers at the ’09 level, as the Sun County Panthers check in at No. 1, and the Huron-Perth Lakers are close behind at No. 2. Considering Huron-Perth is the defending ALLIANCE champions after knocking off Sun County in the final last year, this only adds to the budding rivalry between the two clubs. At the 2010 birth year, the Brantford 99ers appear at No. 6, and Sun County is No. 8. Lastly, the ’11 birth year features two teams as well; Elgin-Middlesex at No. 2 and Sun County at No. 10.
One of ALLIANCE’s biggest events helps propel the season into full gear this weekend when the league hosts its U15AAA Face Off in Komoka, home of Elgin-Middlesex. The league brings its U18, U16, U15 and U14 teams together on various weekends early in the season for jam-packed showcases of hockey; great for scouts, and for teams to really get a sense of where they stand in league-play.
On Friday, the 12 members of the U15 division gather for a 24-game weekend. While there have been some league games played already, this event really serves as the kick-off event for the 2008 birth year.
The U18 division started with their own Face-Off event on Sept. 30th. Meanwhile, the U14s will get underway Oct. 21 – 23, and the U16 group will take part on Nov. 18 – 20. The latter is a major event for the 2007 birth year as they compete for the attention of scouts in their junior draft-eligible season.
It’s mid-October, and youth hockey worldwide is in full swing. The latest youth hockey rankings continue to identify some of the top teams in the world. Swedish clubs embark on District and Group play, Canadian leagues like the GTHL, CSSHL and LHEQ have started games, Finnish teams are a few weeks into Group schedules, and the U.S. and Russia have been going strong for more than a month.
Here’s everything you need to know before exploring the updated youth hockey rankings:
Previously ranked No. 14, Krylia Sovetov propelled themselves into the top five with a big win on Monday. Egor Sidorov’s shootout goal gave Krylia a 4-3 win over Dynamo Moscow. Both teams check in the Top 10 of this week’s world rankings, with Krylia peaking at fourth overall. That victory puts Krylia’s record to 8-2-1, with four of those wins coming against other Top-25 teams. They trail only CSKA Moscow amongst Russian teams, who previously defeated Krylia 6-0 on Aug. 24th. The top two teams in Russia are slated to meet three more times this season, the most recent matchup is scheduled for this Sunday.
Will we get some clarity or confusion later this month when the top four 2007-born teams in Finland face off? No. 2-ranked Kärpät and No. 4-ranked Tappara are set to clash on Oct. 23rd; They are the top two teams in Group 1 of the U16 SM-Series. They met a month ago, and back-to-back third-period goals from Juuso Juka and Elias Tiensuu secured the 4-3 win for Kärpät. That game included four lead changes as the two teams proved to be neck-and-neck.
The top two teams in Group 2 will take the ice on Oct. 28th when No. 1 Kiekko-Espoo plays No. 3 HIFK. It will be the first of two scheduled meetings between the ranked opponents, with the second matchup coming in December. This matchup will also feature the top four scorers in the country, with HIFK’s Oliver Torkki (19) and Matias Vanhanen (17) going head-to-head with Aleksi Kilpeläinen (17) and Aapo Vanninen (16) from Kiekko.
Both of these matchups should prove to be pivotal in the upcoming weeks.
Top-ranked CSKA Moscow is an astonishing 18-0-0 to start the season, just months after completing its U12 season with a 36-1-2 record. They’ve been held to less than five goals in a game just twice, defeating No. 3 Spartak Moscow 2-1 and No. 7 Vityaz Podolsk 4-3. CSKA’s remaining schedule features nine matchups against opponents currently ranked in the top 10 in the country. They’re fueled by a dynamic duo of Nikita Sinikin (48 points) and Roman Andreev (40) who account for 55 percent of the team’s total offense.
In Sweden, Viggbyholms IK maintains a 16-0-1 record, with tournament championship wins at the Nicklas Backstrom Cup and Nordic Youth Trophy. The lone ‘blemish’ on the team’s record is a 1-1 tie to Leksand IF Vit at the Farsta Games a month ago. Through that stretch, only two teams managed to score more than two goals in a single game against Viggbyholms. Goaltenders Elias Ådeby, Oscar Bergström and Douglas Ottoson have provided steady play between the pipes early on this season. Over the next few weeks, several Swedish programs split into two teams for Group Play, with Viggbyholms being one of them. Its Röd (red) team is 1-1-0 in Stockholm’s Group 2 while Blå (Blue) is 0-1-1 in Group 3.
No team at any age group in the United States remains undefeated with as many games played as the Minuteman Flames. The No. 4-ranked team in the world from Massachusetts is 12-0-1, with four wins over Top-10 American teams. The lone tie came two weeks ago against in-state rival and No. 8-ranked team in the world, Boston Jr. Eagles in the form of a 4-4 tie. Averaging 4.9 goals scored per game, the Flames are a tough offense to contain. Over the next few months, they’ll play more than 30 league games in the Eastern Hockey Federation (EHF). The league currently has three teams ranked in the top 20 among 2010s with the Flames, Jr. Eagles and Middlesex Islanders.
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Each week, World Hockey Hub highlights a few of the most exciting upcoming games in youth hockey. From the hottest rivalries to the biggest tournaments, we focus on matchups that will impact the landscape among top teams in the sport.
This week, we highlight a cross-border tilt between Canadian and U.S. squads, a Sweden team trying to crack the top-10 and two Russian powerhouses facing off against one another.
There can only be one No. 1, and two of the premier teams at the 2010 birth year in Russia will square off this weekend to determine just who that is. CSKA Moscow (18-0-0) and Spartak Moscow (18-4-0) will not only have bragging rights on the line, but the outcome of this game may shake up the top of the Russian rankings.
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| Saturday, October 15 |
These two programs have already faced each other twice this season, with CSKA emerging victorious both times by scores of 7-6 and 2-1. Rest will play a factor in this game, as both sides will be heading into this tilt following some time off.
A rest that will aid the incredible scorers hailing from both sides.
On paper, the dynamic offenses for both squads are certainly noticeable. For CSKA, names like Nikita Sinikin (24G, 24A), Roman Andreev (23G, 17A), and Bogdan Doroshkevich (7G, 11A) certainly have raised eyebrows of opponents.
Spartak comes equipped with their own set of high-profile scorers; Artem Korolev (16G, 18A), Alexander Sidorenko (10G, 12A), and Mikhail Isaev (8G, 10A) lead the group.
Amazing offensive output from two strong forward cores, but each team also boasts a player from the defensive side of the puck who can also rack up the points.
For Spartak, that player comes in the form of Gordey Khotkov (8G, 13A) and for CSKA it is Mikhail Makeev, who has collected 17 points (1G, 16A) on the season thus far.
Given how the season has played out for both teams, both individually and the two games they have under their belt against the other, high offense and dazzling playmaking should be on tap.
With district group-play beginning this past week in Sweden, many top-10 clubs are in full swing. For 2007-born teams, a matchup between SDE Hockey (6-5-2) and IFK Täby HC (11-2-1) headlines the schedule.
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| Tuesday, October 11 @ 8:00 pm CET Stockhagens Ice Hall |
Täby is fresh off an 8-3 win against Viggbyholms IK. With that victory, they remain undefeated in group play.
Their offense has been propelled by the balanced attack of 5-foot-7 forward Theo Stockselius (1G, 7A), dynamic play-making of Max Johannesén (1G, 7A), and strong goal scoring of Viggo Björck (5G, 1A).
SDE — currently holding down the 10th spot in the Sweden rankings were bested by Viggbyholms in overtime in their last outing. Filip Thorling (1G, 2A) and Oliver Höglund (2G) were forces in the game for SDE, standing out as its two best forwards.
A big focus for Täby will be staying out of the box, as SDE’s power play was firing on all cylinders against Viggbyholms. They went 2-for-2 with both goals coming from the hot stick of Höglund.
Djurgårdens IF (5-1-0) will take to the ice against Flemingsbergs IK (8-4-2) for an ‘07 mid-week matchup, hoping to continue their impressive start to group play.
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| Wednesday, October 12 @ 7:30 pm CET Mälarhöjdens Ice Hall |
With a 6-2 statement win right out of the gate against IFK Tumba IK, Djurgårdens appears ready to prove why it’s one of the top teams in their group.
William Håkansson (1G, 2A) and Kean Tollet (1G, 1A) have been early leaders among the forward corps for Djurgårdens. The team’s secret weapon, however, lies with 5-foot-9 defenseman Lucas Grahn. Not only bringing size and strong defensive play to the team’s blueline, he has a knack for finding the scoresheet as well. Grahn has one goal and two assists in one game.
Djurgårdens is also prepared for a run of strong play in net thanks to Oscar Sääf. Displaying a calm demeanor in net, he turned aside 22 of 24 shots in their opening win.
Following an overtime loss to Södertälje SK 1, Flemingsbergs got back on track with a 5-3 win against IFK Tumba last weekend.
Samuel Palenik (2G, 1A), Carl Carlenius (1G, 2A), Sebastian Dahlqvist (1G, 2A) and Michal Horníček (3A) top the leaderboard for Flemingsbergs in the early stages of group play.
Flemingsbergs boasts their own star goaltender Lukas Furaev, who has solidly performed in his duties, racking up a 2.86 goals-against average and .933 save percentage.
Comparing those numbers to that of Sääf, whose modest performance in net had led to a 2.00 goals-against average and .916 save percentage, it shows that both clubs are served with a strong goaltending.
This matchup may very well come down to who performs best between the pipes.
This one has been circled on the calendar since the rankings came out last week. On October 15, the No. 1-ranked team in Canada, Vaughan Kings (9-1-1), will meet with the No. 3-ranked team in the U.S., Chicago Mission (13-1-1). It will be a battle between two of the top 2008-born clubs in the world.
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| Saturday, October 15 @ 7:00 pm EST BELFOR Training Center |
Chicago is coming off a successful weekend where they swept fellow U.S. clubs Honeybaked and Compuware.
Vaughan started the season off with a nine-game unbeaten streak. That came to an end with a 3-2 overtime loss at the hands of the North York Rangers on October 2. Last weekend, they took to the ice against the Oakville Rangers, skating away with a 4-2 victory.
It’s a rare Top-10 international matchup in a battle between Canada’s best and one of America’s top programs. The youth hockey world is in for a good one on Saturday.
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While it may be Canada’s game, they are typically late to the party when it comes to the unofficial start of the youth hockey season. The AAA Wendy Dufton Memorial Tournament kicks off Thursday in London, Ontario. On Friday, two others follow suit; the Tournoi Laval in Quebec and Bauer U15 Elite Invite in Abbotsford, B.C. Three major tournaments in three different provinces across the country unofficially signify the start to the youth hockey season.
Most top-level Swedish clubs have played double-digit games already. Youth hockey in Finland has seen several tournaments, with league play still in the early stages. Some Russian programs started regular-season play as early as the first week of August. All of this is dwarfed by dozens of top American teams who are nearing 15-plus game results on October 6.
Some Canadian teams have logged a game or two’s worth of action — three and four in rare instances — but the extended weekend of celebration for the Canadian Thanksgiving also symbolizes the start of the hockey season. With three major tournaments set to take place across the country, ‘the birthplace of hockey’ is about to get its youth hockey season into full swing.
The Wendy Dufton tournament features U14, U15 and U16 divisions, and with the London Jr. Knights hosting, talented teams from across Ontario will be flocking in for an early-season test.
Twelve teams are competing at the 2009 birth year, including the World Hockey Hub’s No. 7-ranked York Simcoe Express. Traditional powers like the Vaughan Kings, Markham Waxers, Whitby Wildcats and the Jr. Knights make for a tough field for all of the participants.
At the U15 age group, 20 top-level ’08 teams are competing. The highest ranked participating club is actually the lone American organization sending teams across the border, with the Bishop Kearney Selects. Ranked No. 1 in the U.S. by WHH, BK will challenge top Canadian teams like No. 6 Elgin-Middlesex Canucks and No. 8 ranked York Simcoe Express.
The U16 division gets its tournament season underway, as well, as the 2007 birth year begins its junior draft-eligible season. There are three ranked programs ready to make an early impression in the No. 3 Toronto Jr. Canadiens, No. 6 Southern Tier Admirals and No. 7 Peterborough Petes. The Bishop Kearney Selects will be flying the American flag in this division, as well, which gives scouts their first taste of cross-country competition.
The Wendy Dufton plays through Sunday evening, with the U16s wrapping it up with an 8 p.m. championship-game puck drop. All teams are guaranteed at least four games.
Meanwhile, out in British Columbia, the 2008 birth year will be competing in the Bauer U15 Elite Invite. Four divisions of four — named after the Bauer product lines of Vapor, Supreme, Nexus and Prodigy — will battle it out for an early tournament title.
Stretching into Monday over the holiday weekend, the 16 participating clubs will get any early test against impressive competition. The Bauer Invite brings together teams from the Alberta Elite Hockey League (AEHL) and Canadian Sport School Hockey League (CSSHL), which means spectators get an early preview for teams to watch out for out west.
Edge School Prep is off to a fast start in CSSHL league play; they hold a 5-0-0 record already. Cruz Pavao has 14 points in those five games, while Marcus Vo has 11, and Owen Cooper and Landon DuPont both have 10. Cole Prelusky has played all five games in goal, registering a 1.60 goals-against average, a .942 save percentage and one shutout so far. None of the Alberta Elite teams have played in more than two league games.
Just like with the Wendy Dufton, the Bauer Invite will also offer a bit of cross-border comparisons, as well, with the San Jose Jr. Sharks making the trek to B.C. to battle top Canadian squads.
Top 2010s at the Laval AAA
In Quebec, the Laval AAA Development Committee and Hockey Région Laval host the first tournament of the Ligue de Hockey d’Escellence du Quebec (LHEQ). As the top youth league in the province, the LHEQ is a breeding ground for French Canadian youth hockey prospects.
Taking place in Guimond and Place Bell, 26 teams from the 2010 birth year will compete in a double-elimination style tournament from Oct. 7 – 10, which will be quite a way to establish the teams to watch in the U13 division.
The LHEQ starts at the U13 level, so this will be the first major AAA tournament for the age group in their new league.
The LHEQ is underway, however, and some teams have played as many as five games. College Francais Rive-Sud has quickly assembled a 5-0 record, thanks to strong goaltending from Benjamin Carreau and Mandy Ryan. Dannick Aubin-Humphrey leads the team with seven points in the five games, while Jaydan Belleus has five and Raphael Perreault has four.
The Patriotes de Laval are off to a 4-0 start, as well, with Lucas Elias and Xavier Lavoie splitting time between the pipes. Keironn Davis-Diakite has seven points in those four wins, while Rosario Picciola and Shawn-Anthony Senat have five points apiece.
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The USHL Fall Classic is quickly becoming a premiere early-season showcase for top teams across the United States.
This year’s edition certainly lived up to the hype, as 84 teams from the 14U, 15O, 16U and 18U age classifications converged on the greater Pittsburgh area for a massive tournament from Sept. 22-26.
Let’s take a look at which teams made September statements with tournament victories in front of a big contingent of junior and college scouts:
There were 26 teams in the 16U field, and five of them appeared on the World Hockey Hub’s initial U.S. rankings for the 2022-23 season. The No. 7 Windy City Storm ‘06s have their case for a ratings bump after surviving a five-game gauntlet against top competition from Saturday through Monday in Pittsburgh.
The Storm claimed the 16U crown with a 3-2 victory over Detroit HoneyBaked in the finals Monday afternoon, capping a perfect 5-0 run through the tournament. With a three-game round-robin followed by semifinals and finals, the USHL Fall Classic requires a perfect weekend to take home hardware, and Windy City was the only team to pull off the feat the 2006 age group.
Windy City started things off with stiff competition, taking on Selects Academy Saturday afternoon and prevailing with a 3-2 win. Sunday featured two games with ranked opponents, and the Storm won them both, taking down No. 10 Little Caesars 6-2 in the morning before escaping No. 8 Pittsburgh Penguins Elite with a 4-3 win in the afternoon.
In the semifinals, they ran into the Rocky Mountain RoughRiders, and the Storm prevailed 3-2 – the same score as the finals showdown with HoneyBaked later in the day.
It shouldn’t come as much of a surprise that the Storm are off to a hot start on the season, as their line-up sheet has plenty of draftees at forward. Ihnat Pazii, a product of Kharkov, Ukraine, is a Tri-City Storm affiliate, who comes to Windy City after playing for the Anaheim Icedogs last season. Vermont’s James Chase joined the Storm after playing for the BK Selects last season; he’s a Tri-City Storm affiliate as well as a draftee of the QMJHL’s Halifax Mooseheads. Tommy Holtby, a returning forward for the Storm hailing from New York, was selected by the Fargo Force last spring, while fellow returnee Tyler Atchison of Nevada is property of the Edmonton Oil Kings of the WHL.
On the blue line, Minnesota native Cade Kozak is a Sioux City Musketeers draftee who spent 2021-22 with the Green Bay Gamblers 15O team; Brandt Dubey is a New York product and property of the Tri-City Storm. Meanwhile, the Storm welcomed Alberta native Ryan Seeley into the fold this season – he spent last season with the Northern Alberta Xtreme U16 team and is a Moose Jaw Warriors (WHL) draftee.
It was a major showcase weekend for the 2007 birth-year as their junior draft-eligible season gets underway. Twenty-two teams showed up in Pittsburgh for the USHL Fall Classic at the 15O division, and it was Little Caesars on top at the end of their three-day battle.
Ranked No. 5 in the country by WHH to start the season, LC lived up to the hype, winning games against other Top-10 teams in four of their five contests en route to the title.
They faced the hometown team to start things off on Thursday, and Caesars prevailed over the Pittsburgh Penguins Elite 4-1. On Friday, they beat the No. 6 Bishop Kearney Selects 5-2, before shutting out the North Jersey Avs 7-0 in the afternoon.
In the semifinals, the Penguins got a rematch and an opportunity for revenge, but LC prevailed 4-3 once again. In the finals, it was more tough competition for the Detroit-based program, but they took care of business, topping No. 4 Mount St. Charles 4-1.
At the 14U age group, the Pittsburgh Penguins Elite successfully defended their home ice, winning the USHL Fall Classic title at the 2008 birth-year.
Making a case to move up in the rankings, the Penguins played two ranked foes in their five wins – taking care of crosstown rival Pittsburgh Vengeance 3-1 Friday night, and beating No. 10 Mount St. Charles in the final on Saturday afternoon.
Of the 20 teams competing in the 18U division, it was South Kent prevailing over them all in the oldest age group of the 2022 Fall Classic.
The Selects Academy squad, fresh off winning the USA Hockey national championship at the 16U level, won tight ones to start, beating Chicago Fury 4-2 and Windy City Storm 2-1.
From there, however, they didn’t allow a single goal, as South Kent registered a 3-0 win over the Phoenix Jr. Coyotes, then a 5-0 win over the Chicago Reapers in the semifinals, and a 3-0 win over Pittsburgh Penguins Elite in the finals.
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