Each week, World Hockey Hub will highlight a few of the most exciting upcoming games. From the hottest rivalries to the biggest tournaments, we focus on matchups that should have your attention this week.
Lokomotiv 2004 Yaroslavl will take on CSKA Moscow in a clash of 2006-born teams on Sunday, October 2.
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| Sunday, October 2 |
Lokomotiv 2004 has found solid footing out of the gate, posting a 2-1-1 record. After starting their season off with a 6-1 blowout of Atlant Mytishchi, they fell to Yantar Moscow in a shootout. They quickly rebounded with a victory against HC Balashikha just a week later. In their most recent match last weekend, they fell to Dynamo Moscow 3-1.
Defenseman Daniil Brusnikin has been carrying the hot stick for Lokomotiv, tallying five goals thus far. Despite having a minus-3 rating, Brusnikin’s ability to easily weave into the attack for his club has contributed largely to their early-season success.
If Brusnikin can tighten up his defensive numbers, it could mean big things for Lokomotiv moving forward in a very competitive 2006 Russian group.
Bolstering the Lokomotiv 2004 attack behind Brusnikin are forwards Matvey Kazakov (2G, 2A) and Kirill Ignatiev (3A).
CSKA has started out of the gates flying into the 2022-23 season, amassing an 8-1-0 record. They were ranked number 1 in the World Hockey Hub preseason rankings among 2006-born Russian clubs, and have proven thus far why they deserve the top spot.
They have made easy work of top-tier opponents such as Krylia Sovetov, Spartak Moscow, SKA Strelna, and Dynamo Moscow, scoring at least three goals in each game. Across all matches into this season, they have been getting it done at both ends of the ice, finding the back of the net 42 times, while only allowing 15 goals.
And who has been leading that potent offense? Look no further than the three-headed power trio of defenseman Alexey Rodionov (2G, 11A) and forwards Ivan Okunev (7G, 5A) and Alexey Dontsov (3G, 6A). All while being backstopped by the incredible goaltending tandem of Mikhail Egorov and Mikhail Astakhov.
However, they were dealt their first setback of the season with a 5-3 loss to Lokomotiv Yaroslavl on Sunday. Eager to get back to their winning ways, they will eye the upcoming game against Lokomotiv 2004 as a chance to prove that loss was nothing more than a minor stumble.
Throughout the course of past seasons, these two clubs have met a total of 21 times, with CSKA leading the all-time meetings 18-2-1.
Both contain depth and offensive-minded defenders; this will be an interesting matchup to see if Lokomotiv can prove they can skate with one of the premier teams in its age group.
On Friday, the Long Island Gulls will travel to Rhode Island for an afternoon tilt against Mount St. Charles. With both teams firing on all cylinders as of late, this one is shaping up to be a meeting of two very talented 2007-born rosters.
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| Friday, September 30 @ 2 pm EST Adelard Arena |
Rolling through a continued stretch of stellar play, the Gulls come into this matchup fresh off a weekend that saw them defeat Team Minnesota 5-2, bringing their overall record to 13-2-0.
In the midst of an 11-game winning streak the Gulls have been propelled by a potent offense. They have bombarded opponents with their high offensive ability, and have relied on tight-checking defense to prevent any opportunities in the defensive zone.
Currently maintaining a plus-37 goal differential, no team has been able to slow down the Gulls thus far.
For the host team, Mount comes into this game on the heels of a two-game weekend that saw them best the Oakland Jr. Grizzlies before falling to Little Caesars; their first loss of the season.
Much like the Gulls, Mount St. Charles has relied on a bombastic attack and stingy defense to keep the opposition at bay in most contests.
If these two clubs live up to their reputations, there might be some fireworks in store for this game… and both goaltenders should be prepared to see good amounts of rubber come their way.
While many 2009-born Canadian teams are beginning to ramp up their action into this season, the Don Mills Flyers and Ottawa Myers Automotive have already gotten wins under their belts.
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| Saturday, October 1 @ 9:20 am EST Westwood Arenas |
After kicking off their season with a 3-0 shutout of the North York Rangers, the Flyers have had a bit of a lull in their schedule. Ottawa kicked off their season on September 18 when they edged out a 5-4 win against the Upper Canada Cyclones.
With both teams still fresh into the young season, this matchup provides an opportunity to continue the success both clubs have found in the early weeks of the new season.
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| Sunday, October 2 |
Mikhailov Academy has started solidly this season, going 6-4-2 in twelve contests.
In the midst of dropping their last two games, they are in desperate need of returning to the win column. With three games having been played between these two programs, Vityaz has won all three, so Mikhailov Academy will have to do something it’s never done before.
This game affords Mikhailov Academy not only a chance for redemption in the all-time series, but to also bolster their standing in the 2008 Russian-born rankings. The club currently sits in seventh.
The dynamic attack of Boris Borin, (8G, 7A), Nikita Fateev (6G, 6A) and Matvei Cheranev (5G, 7A) leads the way for Mikhailov Academy. All three players are paramount to any hopes of emerging victorious against Vityaz.
Vityaz has been an early bright spot among Russian clubs, and after recording a perfect 11-0-0 record to begin the season, their streak was halted with a 4-1 loss to CSKA Moscow. They rebounded last weekend with a winning effort, downing Khimik 6-2.
Refreshed and back in the win column, they know a matchup against Mikhailov Academy is just what is needed to continue their success.
And while Mikhailov Academy boasts some talented forwards, Vityaz can counter with a versatile group of their own.
Maxim Seldemirov’s penchant for finding the back of the net in just about any situation has propelled him to the top of the stat sheet, recording 15 points (8G, 7A). While not carrying the entire offensive output on his shoulders, forwards Gleb Pugachev (5G, 8A) and Timofey Gusarov (6G, 4A) can be relied on for consistent secondary scoring.
But Vityaz’s true secret weapon lies on the blue line in defenseman Vasily Savchuk. Savchuk’s six points (2G, 4A) and solid defensive numbers show that he can get it done at both ends of the ice.
All eyes will be on this one to see if Vityaz can continue their domination of Mikhailov Academy, or if a new script can be written in the next chapter of this series.
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The USHL Fall Classic is here to ceremoniously start both the junior hockey season and the tournament season for a lot of youth hockey programs.
In what has become a premiere event over the last six seasons, the USHL Fall Classic brings all of the USHL member clubs under one roof for the first two games of each team’s schedule. Alongside that Tier-1 junior league showcase is a youth hockey one with even more participating clubs, as teams from across the country flock to the greater Pittsburgh area for a unique opportunity to compete in front of scouts and coaches of the USHL clubs, who are literally right there in the UPMC Lemieux Center Ice Arena with them. The concentrated amount of hockey across so many different age groups makes it a must-see event for scouts of junior, college and professional teams.
While the youth edition of the Fall Classic spans from Thursday to Monday, teams will be playing in jam-packed three-day tournaments, with the 14U and 15O teams playing Thursday-Saturday and the 16U and 18U teams playing Saturday-Monday.
All four age groups will play in a high-stakes preliminary round, having three games to establish themselves as one of the four teams that advance right to the semifinals. While the tournament fields quickly get whittled down, all of the participating teams will still play in consolation games to make the trip to Pittsburgh worthwhile and maximize exposure opportunities for the players.
The tournament schedulers did their homework while putting together the matchups for the preliminary round. If things go as expected — though youth hockey sure is unpredictable — there will be some monster early-season games between teams ranked very, very high on the initial U.S. rankings for the 2022-23 campaign. That’s not to say that there aren’t some big games to keep an eye on in the round-robin; we’re going to take a look at some matchups to watch below.
In the 14U division, the 2008 birth year has 16 teams in the Fall Classic, and five of them are in the American Top 10. The top-ranked Windy City Storm show up in Pittsburgh, as does No. 3 Bishop Kearney, No. 7 Pittsburgh Vengeance, No. 8 Seacoast Performance Academy and No. 10 Mount St. Charles.
On Friday at 4 p.m. the Windy City Storm and SPA wrap up the round-robin for the two highly-ranked squads. Meanwhile, four hours later, it’s the Battle of Pittsburgh, as the Vengeance gets Pittsburgh Penguins Elite 14U in the 14U preliminary-round finale.
Mount St. Charles better bring their ‘A’ game for their first tilt Thursday, as well, as they square off with HP Team Minnesota — you never know what type of talent might be lurking in a Minnesota all-star squad.
At the 2007 birth year, 22 teams from the 15O classification converge on Pittsburgh, including seven of the names appearing in the Top 10: No. 3 Mid-Fairfield, No. 4 Mount St. Charles, No. 5 Little Caesars, No. 6 Bishop Kearney, No. 7 Los Angeles Jr. Kings, No. 8 Pittsburgh Penguins Elite and No. 9 Buffalo Jr. Sabres.
Little Caesars has quite the gauntlet to get through if they want to reach the semifinals, as the Detroit-based program starts things off with the home team Pittsburgh Penguins Elite on Thursday before playing Bishop Kearney Friday morning.
After that game, BK gets to play the Jr. Kings in their Friday night matchup, which means quite a day for the Selects, too.
The largest field of them all is at 16U, where 26 teams will battle for four spots in the playoffs Monday. The No. 4 ranked Boston Jr. Eagles lead the field, alongside the No. 6 Buffalo Jr. Sabres, No. 7 Windy City Storm, No. 8 Pittsburgh Penguins Elite, No. 9 North Jersey Avs and No. 10 Little Caesars.
The biggest game we’ve got circled on the calendar is No. 7 Windy City vs. No. 8 Pittsburgh Penguins Elite, which takes place at 4 p.m. ET on Sunday.
It’s a crazy weekend of hockey, but it does provide an early idea of which teams the hockey world should be watching this season, as teams from across the U.S. come together for the annual USHL Fall Classic.
For more coverage of the USHL Fall Classic and other major youth hockey events around the world, follow WHH on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok and YouTube.
It is USA Hockey’s premiere destination for American-born youth hockey players.
USA Hockey’s National Team Development Program (USNTDP), located in Plymouth, Mich., brings together top players in each birth year to develop and prepare for international competitions and success at hockey’s highest leagues.
The program’s alumni list reads like a fantasy hockey dream team, with the likes of Auston Matthews, Patrick Kane, Jack Eichel, Zach Werenski, Cole Caufield and Trevor Zegras, as well as the Tkachuk brothers and the Hughes brothers, just scratching the surface of a substantial Wikipedia scroll.
So who gets to play at the NTDP?
Kevin Reiter plays a substantial role in answering that question. As the director of player personnel for the NTDP, Reiter leads the scouting operations, overseeing both the two birth years currently participating in the program, and, more importantly, the birth year that will make up next year’s Under-17 Team.
“My biggest role here with USA Hockey and the National Team Development Program is basically to identify, educate, evaluate, recruit our next group of NTDP players,” Reiter said. “This year, coming into the season, it will be the 2007s. We’ve already picked our 2005 and 2006s. Now in saying that, we’re watching those ‘05s and ‘06s throughout the year, as well, both for guys [outside the NTDP] who may be passing our players up, or we have injuries or we have illnesses or we have academic issues – any things that come along, we’re trying to find replacement players… One of our interns was recently going through some of the paperwork from last year and he said, ‘you guys had more than 75 players come and practice with you’ just from when we’re short bodies or different things.
“In short, my main role is knowing these birth years, one we’re actively educating, scouting and recruiting, and then the two we have here with the NTDP.”
While the majority of youth hockey players will not make the NTDP — players from other countries need not even apply — understanding what they look for in a hockey player, both on and off the ice, is valuable information for anyone aspiring to reach hockey’s highest levels.
“I think from our perspective, there’s a big misconception that everyone thinks we just want the best players,” Reiter said. “I can tell you that we’re looking for the right players for our program. Ones that have the inner drive, perseverance, can be successful on a daily basis. We’re looking for players who we truly believe over a course of two years will develop and reach their true potential and someday they will help us win a gold medal internationally. I always tell parents one of the biggest things is that we want good young men who come from good families who will represent our country in a first-class manner, and that’s on and off the ice, on a daily basis, no matter who they are dealing with or where they are at.
“Whether it’s a teacher, it’s at a Holiday Inn somewhere, they’re on a plane to wherever – we don’t only want to be proud of them as hockey players, but as human beings, as well. This place is for players who are driven and want to be hockey players. Our players face a tremendous amount of adversity, and it’s all about how they respond.”
In terms of what he’s looking for on the ice, here’s a breakdown of Reiter’s most important traits:
Skating
“The game’s fast, and it’s getting faster. You have to be a good skater. It’s funny, having been here for a while now, having some of the players come back and talk, some of those first guys I worked with here, the Zach Werenski‘s and the like, they’re talking about how fast the game’s getting, and how much faster it is now. You have to be a good skater because the game’s fast.”
Stick/Puck Skills
“Obviously we talk about stick skill, how important it is, because you need to be able to make plays. There’s a certain threshold of skating and stick skill and all that to be a National Team player. You have to make plays in tight areas and not just play one-on-one hockey — a lot of youth hockey is one-on-one but your ability to use your teammates and make give-and-go plays, that’s going to help us play fast and that’s one of our mottos as a country.”
Hockey Sense/IQ
“We talk hockey sense, hockey IQ all the time. Players that can think the game at a high level, they’re able to get better and better because they can take what our coaches tell them and apply it – and apply it quickly. We’re looking for guys who create time and space for themselves and their teammates, and playing away from the puck is a big one. Ninety, ninety-five percent of the game is playing without the puck, and putting yourself in good places. We need players who are able to find that next play and are able to have patience. Guys I’ve been around here, they have an unbelievable amount of deception and manipulation skills. Scanning the ice is a big one now that [NTDP Under-18 Team Head Coach] Dan Muse is talking about, knowing and being aware of their surroundings – processing that information and being able to find that next play.”
Competitiveness
“Our coaches say it all the time, ‘wins in life, wins in hockey’ – we’re looking for natural competitors. Our best players treat every drill in practice and in skill sessions, they’re out there for a purpose, they want to compete and get better. They show up every day to prove that they’re not only the best player in their birth year or the country but in the world. Some of the top players that have come through here, that’s what separates them from other players – they just have an inner drive. When they wake up, they want it more than the next guy and they have an extraordinary work ethic. There’s no substitute for hard work. The competitiveness, inner drive, perseverance, those things are really important.”
There’s a lot more to it than that, however. Reiter talked about scouting for character, which is crucial to the NTDP, but not unique for player evaluation. Think a team only cares about what you do on the ice? Think again. The NTDP — and a lot of other programs — will be digging deep into your hockey background to learn more about what type of person you are, both to decide on whether you belong on a Team USA roster, and also if you’re going to thrive while doing so.
“We talk about character a ton,” Reiter said. “You have to be a great teammate. You can’t be a great hockey player without being a good person, is what we say. Being a good teammate, having a team-first mentality, being coachable, our coaches say it all the time, we don’t want to coach punks, we don’t want to coach guys with bad body language or who aren’t good teammates or are going to talk back if we’re going to talk to them, yelling things at a teammate, coming back to the bench and slamming their stick, all of those things are things we’re looking for and trying to figure out. For me, character is huge and we dig and dig and dig as much as we can, not only with former coaches but maybe current teammates, current people that are in their circles, how do we get to know these players as much as we can because character is becoming more and more important.”
The NTDP U17 Team plays a full slate of USHL games, along with international competitions. The NTDP U18 Team gets NCAA Division-I opponents thrown in, too. It’s all on purpose, as they put the players through as much adversity as possible. Whether you play there or play elsewhere, you’re going to get pushed to your limit if you want to ‘make it’ in hockey.
“The best ones here, they get back up. They’re still confident, they’re not embarrassed by failing. You know how much adversity we put our guys through here, and they just keep getting back up. It’s pretty neat to watch, and I always just go back to the best guys because now, I’ve got a perspective through experience, not that it’s fool-proof by any means. Projecting players, believe me, is difficult. You have to find out which players can make the most growth here among their teammates in two years. It’s pretty cool to see now which guys made it and why they made it and other guys, this is probably why he didn’t make it.”
So what else can players — and their parents — do to help their chances of hockey career success? Reiter said it’s crucial to surround yourself with the right type of people.
“My goal is to give parents and players all of the information so that they take that information and hopefully make the best decisions possible as they navigate this hockey world. I’ve got a lot friends – it’s weird, I’m getting older – with kids who are coming up in those certain age groups, and surrounding their sons and daughters with coaches and support staffs and team managers who, here at the program, we deeply care about their sons, and that’s what you want. That’s who you want your kids to be around. Those types of situations. In my opinion, there are some youth hockey organizations that could be toxic, but finding a place, I just relate to what we do here, we show up here every day, and meet all of the time about how can we make these players better. Finding a way to make your son better. The coaches spend a ton of time together trying to figure out how to make these players better, not only better hockey players but better people.
One piece of advice, specifically for the parents? Don’t make it harder.
“We need parents to support their sons and daughters and not make it harder for them. We want them to embrace the adversity they’re going to have throughout the year, but block out all the noise, block out the distractions, things that don’t matter. If they can help their kids focus on being a good teammate, embracing the adversity that’s going to happen, and just choosing excellence on a daily basis, they’re going to grow, they’re going to become better hockey players, and they’re going to have a good experience and have an opportunity to make our team.”
In the end, it’s all going to work itself out.
“We often talk about how the player pool changes drastically. Seth Appert talked the other day about Joel Farabee and Logan Cooley. A few months before the NTDP tryout, they weren’t named to the Youth Olympic roster. Parents could have went crazy, and you know what? We didn’t get a call. They just believed in the process, trusted the process. Joel Farabee got called up at the end of his first year and ended up helping the ’99 team win a World Championship. Logan Cooley wasn’t on the Youth Olympic team, and we can argue where he was at when he came in here, but they both ended up being the best player in their birth year at the end of the two years.
“One thing we always say is that the path isn’t going to define the player, that player is going to define their path with their work ethic, their talent, their character, their decisions on a daily basis – that’s going to determine their path.”
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Each week, World Hockey Hub will highlight a few of the most exciting upcoming games. From the hottest rivalries to the biggest tournaments, we focus on matchups that should have your attention this week.
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| Friday, September 23 @ 7:10 pm EST Westwoods Arenas |
The Vaughan Kings come into the 2022-23 season with lofty expectations.
For a team that finished last season with a 59-1-3 record, why would anyone expect anything less?
And if their start to this season is any indication, it seems as if they are picking up right where they left off, showing why the Kings deserved the top spot in our Canadian team rankings for the 2008 birth year.
Just three games into their campaign, the Kings have amassed 2-0-1 record, defeating the North York Rangers, Toronto Marlboros, with a 1-1- tie coming against the Barrie Colts last weekend. Their next matchup is slated for this Friday against the Mississauga Rebels.
The Rebels have one game under their belts; a 4-4 tie with the Don Mills Flyers.
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| Saturday, Sept. 24 @ 1:30 pm EST Kitchener Memorial Auditorium Complex |
The newly-rebranded Elgin-Middlesex Canucks head into the weekend on the heels of a 4-4- tie vs. the Oakville Rangers last Sunday, bringing their overall record to 1-0-1.
On the other side of the ice, the Kitchener Jr. Rangers first action of this season will be against the Canucks.
Elgin-Middlesex debuted in the No. 8 spot amongst Canadian ’08-born clubs. Kitchener was not ranked, but will certainly raise some eyebrows with a competitive series this upcoming weekend. The two teams square off on consecutive days, with an opportunity to make an early-season statement.
Saturday will see the two sides meet in Kitchener’s home rink, with game two scheduled in EMC territory on Sunday. Both squads will have plenty to prove in these games.
For the Canucks, it serves as an opportunity to bolster their standing as one of the top teams in the country. The Rangers on the other hand, have a chance to prove that they can compete with the best this birth year has to offer.
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| Friday, Sept. 23 @ 1:20 pm CET Mälarhöjdens Ice Hall |
After kicking off their season at the 2022 Farsta Games, Nacka HK is set for the upcoming DIF Elitcup for 2009 birth year squads from September 23-25.
Currently ninth in our preseason rankings, Nacka could use a successful run at this tournament to both raise their profile among fellow Sweden clubs. IFK Täby HC finds themselves on the outside looking in of the Top 10 Sweden rankings, and also kicked off their season at the Farsta Games. Both Nacka and Täby finished towards the bottom of the group in that tournament, but what will be interesting to see is if any emotion carries over into the Elitcup.
This meeting will be the second game of the tournament for each club, so both should have their legs underneath them and in prime playing shape. Nacka’s first opponent will be Rögle BK, while Täby opens their slate of games against the Malmö Redhawks.
These two teams both ended their tournament runs at the Farsta Games with back-to-back games against one another; Nacka took both via shutout win, 2-0 and 1-0. Sam Detterfelt led Nacka in points during the Farsta Games, with three goals and one assist, with Theo Carpenwall Grenalt (1G, 2A) and Dante Bovin (2G, 1A) both behind him with three points apiece.
One can be sure revenge will be on the mind of Täby’s players, so it will take Nacka everything they have to come out on the winning side in this matchup.
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| Saturday, Sept. 24 @ 1:00 pm MSK |
Turning our attention to Russia, where Dynamo Moscow will be taking on Lokomotiv 2004 Yaroslavl in a battle of 2010-born teams.
Dynamo has had a successful start to their season, accumulating a 9-4-0 record. Lokomotiv has also had a solid start, going 10-4-0, with their most recent game being an 8-4 loss to first-ranked CSKA Moscow.
Both clubs are off on the right foot, so this matchup is one to certainly keep an eye on. Dynamo currently sits third in our Russia Rankings and Lokomotiv not far behind at fifth.
It will not be the first time these two programs will be facing off on the ice this year, as back in August Dynamo bested Lokomotiv 5-3.
Overall, the two teams have suited up for eight games against one another, with Dynamo leading the all-time series 5-2-1, scoring 40 goals across their five wins.
Yegor Groza (3G, 3A) and Matvey Fedorenko (3G, 3A) lead Dynamo with six points (3G, 3A), while behind them are Maxim Goloshchapov with five points (3G, 2A) and Vladislav Gorbunov (4G) and Arseny Rychagov (4A) each with four points.
For Lokomotiv, they are led by Filipp Vychuhzhanin (2G, 4A) and Artyom Loginov (5G, 1A) whose six points each lead the team. They are followed closely by Anton Malinovsky (4A) and Mark Pritchin (2G, 1A).
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One of the biggest elements of WHH is youth hockey’s first — and only — World Rankings. The rankings are compiled by a team of evaluators from across North America, Europe, Scandinavia and Russia who identify top teams and talent in youth hockey.
The committee compiles lists of Top-10 rankings by country, as well as a Top 25 for each of the major birth years in AAA hockey.
The ‘22-23 season will see rankings for the following countries and birth years:
United States, Canada, Sweden, Finland, Russia
2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011
There are, however, a few exceptions for specific countries and birth years.
For instance, Hockey Canada does not have age classifications solely for the 2006 birth year. Top 16-year-olds are ultimately competing in the Canadian Hockey League (CHL). Any outliers from the age group still competing in youth hockey play in a combined age group at the Under-18 (U-18) age level, consisting of 2005 and 2006 birth years for the 2022-23 season. The Sweden Ice Hockey Federation and Finnish Ice Hockey Federation follow similar models, with elite 2006-born players competing in the Juniors 18 (J18) in Sweden and the SM-Sarja U-18 in Finland. For this reason, Canadian, Swedish and Finnish teams are omitted from the 2006 World Rankings.
Parts of Canada assemble rosters consisting of split birth years. For instance, a U14 team from Alberta may have players from the 2009 and 2010 birth years. In this case, the team would be ranked amongst 2009-born teams.
Lastly, U12 hockey and younger in Sweden is typically structured in a 3-on-3, half-ice format. Because of that, teams from Sweden are also omitted from the 2011 rankings this season.
We value any and all feedback from the youth hockey community. We invite all members to share their own World Rankings with our team of evaluators HERE, as well as any other valuable information such as stats, team records, tournament results, photos, videos, etc.
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First debuting on the international scene in 2017, the Canada East Selects have represented the top youth hockey players in Quebec at the World Selects Invitational four times across three different age groups. This spring, the world will once again be challenged by the best that French Canada has to offer when C.E.S. competes at the 12U and 14U WSI events in Bolzano as well as the 13U event in Mont Blanc.
It’s an international stage. The best players from hockey hotbeds across Canada like Ontario, Alberta and British Columbia. Top American prospects from the likes of New England, Detroit and Chicago. Elite talents from across Europe representing Sweden, Finland, Czechs, Russians and more. Insert Quebec and its top prospects to the mix to round out every corner of the hockey community worldwide.
“The idea that they will play different countries, right away, they light up when you mention you’re going to play Russia, Latvia, Sweden,” said Canada East Selects program director Dave Harroch. “It’s a great measuring stick. We measure ourselves locally; to North America. Now, we can measure ourselves to the world.”
In the program’s short history, Canada East has fared well at the WSI. In its tournament debut, the ‘05 squad went 2-2-1 in pool play, qualifying as the No. 9 seed in the playoffs. There, they upset 8-seeded Midwest Selects and nearly pulled off another upset of top-seeded ProKhorkins Selects, giving up a goal in the final seconds of overtime to fall 4-3. Two years later, the ‘07 squad qualified for the playoffs as the No. 5 seed and made a run all the way to the championship with upsets over the No. 4 and No. 1 seeds along the way.
“One of the things that stands out the most, is how the groups become close,” said Harroch. “These people stay friends for a long time after. People who didn’t know each other before the tournament, stick together to this day as friends. Parents do appreciate it.”
Teams are assembled primarily through an extensive recruiting process that stems from the Montreal Meltdown. The annual tournament has created a footprint in the youth hockey landscape that has lasted more than 30 years. Top spring and summer teams from 10 different age groups compete across three different skill levels at an event that spans over six weekends in Montreal. This provides the perfect platform for C.E.S. scouts and evaluators to get eyes on prospective players for WSI tournament teams.
Who has qualified for these tournament teams in the past, you ask? How about the likes of current QMJHL prospects like Etienne Morin, Marc-Olivier Beaudry, Natan Ethier, Bradley Nadeau, Sam Luca Thifault and Kyle Hagen. Forward Mathieu Cataford took the ice for Canada East in 2017 before representing Team Canada last month at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup.
Tournament teams are typically made up of top players from Montreal and Quebec, but have pulled from across the entire province, with additional prospects as far west as Ottawa and as far east as New Brunswick.
Canada East Selects is one of seven North American organizations to receive franchise status in the World Selects tournaments — meaning they receive an automatic bid to elite events each year. For more information on Canada East Selects and how to get involved with their programming, click HERE.
Each week, World Hockey Hub will highlight a few of the most exciting upcoming games. From the hottest rivalries to the biggest tournaments, we focus on matchups that should have your attention this week.
The Sweden Hockey Trophy for the 2007 birth year will kick off this Thursday with seven games, highlighted by two matchups involving teams that were mainstays in the WHH rankings last season.
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| Thursday, Sept. 15 @ 4:30 pm CET BST Rinkin |
The first of these games will be Flemingsbergs IK taking on Södertälje SK. For the final weeks of last season, Södertälje found themselves within the top 5 in the country for the 2007 birth year. Flemingsbergs was also highlighted among the best teams, working their way up as the season progressed before ending things just outside the top 10.
Both clubs will see the return of many players for this tournament that suited up in the 2022 Uplandia Trophy earlier this year. Daniel Lazienkiewicz and Ludvig Söderberg led the way for Södertälje in that tournament, tallying six points (4G, 2A) and five points (3G, 2A), respectively, across five games.
Sebastian Dahlqvist garnered 14 points (5G, 9A) to lead Flemingsbergs in the tournament, followed closely by Tim Tuzin’s 11 points (6G, 5A).
All four of these players will be relied on for their offensive ability in what could be a high-scoring affair.
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| Friday, Sept. 16 @ 5:15 pm CET Tumba Ishuset – Roplan |
Later that day, Täby HC faces off against Viggbyholms IK.
Täby, reigning champions of the 2022 Uplandia Trophy, were a constant atop the rankings last season. They showed just how much of an offensive juggernaut they can be in that tournament, finding the back of the net 35 times across five games while only allowing 16. In comparison, Viggbyholms managed to pot 15 goals, with 10 finding the back of their own net. Axel Bjurman and Bor Rakun will lead the charge up front, but any offense from blueliners such as Elias Kristiansson, who notched three points (1G, 3A) at the Uplandia Trophy, would be welcome as well.
Tight defense and consistent goaltending will be key for Viggbyholms to have any chance to skate away with the victory.
The second day of the tournament gives fans a showdown between Täby and Nacka HC. While dealing with the potent attack that Täby possesses, Nacka are no strangers to dealing with pressure. Consistently in the middle of the rankings last season, they also had a knack for putting up goals in bunches, while keeping opponents goal totals on the low end.
If the stars align, this game could be a back-and-forth affair of scoring chances for both sides. Fans will be in for a treat to watch Täby’s Melvin Novotny and Theo Stockselius, who both combined for 34 points in five games at the 2022 Uplandia Trophy, go toe to toe with the best of Nacka.
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| Friday, Sept. 16 @ 5:15 pm CDT Brooklyn Park Ice Arena |
The 2022-23 season will start where the previous one left off for Shattuck-St. Mary’s.
A rematch of last spring’s 14U national championship, Shattuck will square off with familiar foe Chicago Mission as two of the top teams in the United States from last season. When you combine for a record of 111-11-3, that’s nothing to scoff at.
September 16 should be a date circled on everyone’s calendar, whether you’re a fan of these teams or not. It serves as an early glimpse into how this season will begin, and possibly unfold, for two powerhouse programs.
Chicago already has a decent number of games under their belt, with a (6-3-1) record that included a sweep of Little Caesars. Shattuck has yet to suit up for a game this season, but must bring their a-game at puck drop for this one.
The boys from Minnesota will likely have a sour taste in their mouths from the way things unfolded between the clubs last season, and will no doubt be looking to start things off on the right foot.
The Mission took the season series last year, going 3-1 in four close contests with the exception being a 4-0 shutout by Chicago in the first game. Another interesting fact is that these teams didn’t meet until November last season, so this contest serves as an opportunity for either team to strike an early blow.
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The concept is nothing new to the youth hockey audience, but it’s the participating teams list that makes the MAHA Tier-1 Showcase one of the more unique events in the sport.
First organized and executed in 2019, the Michigan Amateur Hockey Association (MAHA) has created an annual Tier-1 Showcase, which brings all of the state’s AAA programs at the 14U, 15O, 16U and 18U age groups together for a series of games over a three-day weekend.
That’s eight Tier-1 organizations, and four age groups, all bringing the best Michigan has to offer for the 2022-23 campaign to the Troy Sports Center in Metro Detroit to start the season with a bang.
“The MAHA Tier I Showcase is a highly competitive weekend of hockey,” said Jason Reynolds, MAHA Director of Operations and Marketing, in a press release. “There’s a great deal of pride taken in being able to highlight some of our top hockey talent in Michigan. We know there will be eyes on these games, whether in-rink or streaming online, and the early-season exposure may lead some of these elite players to opportunities in the future.”
In regards to the streaming, YouthSportsPLUS will be bringing all the games to interested parties who cannot attend the weekend showcase.
“The Showcase is a great kickoff event for all of the Tier-one organizations in Michigan,” said Mike Slobodnik, Hockey Director at Fox Motors Hockey Club, in the press release. “For the players, the opportunity to compete against peers from across the state is always exciting. It’s also a chance for college, junior and professional scouts to get an early look at our teams and players. For coaches and administrators, we’re proud to bring this one-of-a-kind experience to all of our participants.”
The Troy Sports Center is a four-sheet facility, which means each of the age groups get their own rink for the weekend. On Rink 1, the 18U teams will welcome the lone non-Michigan organization in, as Chicago Mission makes the trek to Detroit for games with Biggby Coffee, Belle Tire and the Soo Indians. That last team, the Soo Indians, is the reason Mission gets an invite — the Sault Ste. Marie-based program was grandfathered in when MAHA reclassified its Tier-1 operations, and the Indians continue to operate a 18U AAA team out of Northern Michigan. That brings the total of 18U Tier-1 teams in Michigan to nine, so an at-large team fills in to make it an even number.
Last year, Belle Tire won the 18U Tier-1 state title. Along with Mission, they will also take on Fox Motors and the Oakland Jr. Grizzlies in the weekend showcase; both could serve as early tests for the club looking to defend its title.
At the 16U age group, teams will be trying to dethrone the ’06 Little Caesars club, which won the 15O state title last spring. It will be a new-look Caesars team, however, after Austin Baker and Lucas Van Vliet made the USA Hockey’s National Team Development Program (USNTDP) Under-17 Team, and Liam Storch has already signed with the OHL’s Saginaw Spirit as well.
Caesars starts things off with a showdown against Victory Honda on Rink 2, before running into Biggby Coffee and Fox Motors in the final two days.
The ‘07s start their important 15-Only season on Rink 3, and just like the aforementioned age group, Little Caesars is looking for a state championship repeat. Can the storied AAA franchise connected to the Detroit Red Wings repeat in the 15O age group as the 2007 team moves up into their junior draft season?
The LC ’07s feature plenty of firepower with the likes of Aiden Janz, Easton Pace, Evan Jardine and William Horcoff, son of former NHLer and Red Wings assistant general manager Shawn Horcoff. They start things off with a rivalry battle against HoneyBaked as the first game of the weekend on Rink 3 Friday afternoon, and then LC gets Fox and Belle Tire to round out the weekend.
The 2008 birth year begins its first season with a spot at USA Hockey Nationals on the line. Last year, HoneyBaked claimed the crown at the end of the state tournament for the age group. Will they be repeating this season?
The HB squad starts things off with a battle against Biggby to wrap up the Rink 4 activities on Friday. Saturday, they close the rink after a skate with Victory Honda. On Sunday, they wrap things up with the Oakland Jr. Grizzlies, who are the de facto host team as the primary resident of the Troy Sports Center.
There can be some big turnover on rosters from year-to-year in the state of Michigan, which makes forecasting an early-season showcase hard to do. That said, the one thing we can be sure of is that there will be a whole bunch of junior and college scouts watching from the corners of the rinks, looking to see what the Mitten State has to offer this year.
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It was a busy weekend in Sweden with a variety of tournaments signaling the start of the 2022-23 season. This collection of games across varying tournaments allowed those from 2008, 2009 and 2010 birth years to showcase their talent. From upsets to big finishes, see all the highlights from the tournaments below.
The Sweden Hockey Trophy was held last weekend for the 2008 birth year, with Nacka HK standing atop the rankings by the end of the weekend. The champions went undefeated through the entire tournament, and sliced through the playoffs, besting Astana HC and Linden Hockey by a combined score of 9-1.
Heading into the elimination rounds, the stage was set for a rematch with Linden, whose only loss in the tournament came to Nacka in the preliminary rounds in a tight 4-3 game, the day before.
However, Linden’s offense dried up in the title game on Sunday, with Nacka snagging a shutout victory 4-0, led largely in part to dual two-point performances by Sam Tillström (2G) and Oliver Sundberg (2A). Tillström tallied three points (2G, 1A) in the team’s five games heading into the playoff round, but really turned it on in the group playoff stage, where his four points (3G, 1A) and Sundberg’s three assists over two games paved the way for Nacka to secure the title.
Nacka also managed to hold Linden to just eight shots on net in the two-period, 40-minute championship game.
Despite the loss in the championship game, Linden managed to gather the second-best record at the tournament, going 4-1 in their five games before the group playoff brackets. Leo Gürler and Melker Juhlin Ulvhag tallied nine points (6G, 3A) and seven points (4G, 3A) respectively, to lead Linden to the playoff round. Gürler would add three more points in two playoff games, trailing only Alfred Lagerberg’s five-point total (3G,2A).
In the bronze medal game, Astana HC defeated Boo HC in a close 5-4 affair. After Astana jumped out to a 2-0 lead, Boo stormed back with two goals in 41 seconds from Viggo Fors and Gustaf Revay to tie things up to end the first period.
Nikita Gridassov would put Astana back up by one just five minutes into the second period, but Boo would again knot things up just over a minute later thanks to Hugo Mikaelsson’s tally. And just a little more than a minute after that, Ollie Andersson would put Boo ahead 4-3 with a goal of his own.
Egor Panych would even the score 4-4 and just about two minutes following that, Roman Michurov would put Astana up 5-4 towards the middle of the second period with what would stand as the eventual game-winning goal.
Overall, Arvid Ermeskog would lead all players in the tournament with 12 points in five games (7G, 5A), with Flemingbergs IK’s Salim Ismailov tallying the most goals with seven. Astana’s Rakhymbek Rakhymzhan, was statistically the best netminder between the pipes, leading all goalies in wins (4), save percentage (.966) and goals against average (0.92).
The Farsta Games for the 2009 birth year took place last weekend as well, with Brinkens IF topping the table of the seven teams in Group A. Each club played one game against each team in the group to determine final standings.
Across six games, Brinkins would end tournament play with a 4-0-2 record. One of those ties was against the second-best team of the weekend, AIK Hockey, who ended their run with a 4-1-1 record. Just behind them, the only other team to record four wins at the tournament was Huddinge Hockey, who skated to a 4-0-2 record.
Viggo Malmin (11G) and Leonard Torgner (4G,7A), both forwards for Brinkins, tied for most points with 11. Just behind them was Lucas Törngren, who tallied 10 points (6G,4A) for Huddinge.
Topping the stats column for AIK were Anton Persson and Joel Johnsson, who both recorded five goals and four assists for nine points. Altogether, Brinkins had 10 skaters from a points perspective in the top 10, showcasing their depth en route to a first-place finish.
Those in Sweden within the 2010 birth year took part in the Tommy Söderström Cup this past weekend. Eight teams were split into two groups of four for a round-robin schedule. Following that, clubs faced a single-elimination, four-team playoff rounds.
Värmdö Hockey and Täby HC topped the Group A standings with equal 2-0-1 records, with one tie coming against each other. Trånsgunds IF would top the Group B table, going 3-0-0 with a high-powered offense that found the back of the net 30 times over their three games.
Yet, the offense for Trånsgunds would dry up in the semifinal round, as eventual gold medal winners Täby bested them 3-2 in overtime to kick off the playoff rounds.
Trånsgunds would have a chance for a medal as they took to the ice against SDE in the bronze medal game. It would also require overtime, though, with Helge Anund finding the back of the net at 2:04 of the extra frame to secure the victory for Trånsgunds.
Täby found themselves in the title game against fellow Group A club Värmdö. With both these teams sitting atop their group, it came as no surprise that the gold medal game was a thrilling display of offensive skill, with Taby coming out on top 8-6.
Leading the way for Täby were forwards Gustav Jacobsson (2G, 1A) and Felix Ragneborn (2G), who propelled the squad to an early 3-1 lead. After Charles Wikström got one back for Värmdö to make it a 4-2 game, Täby would pot four goals in just over four minutes to take a commanding 8-2 lead.
Not done yet, Alexander Myrentorp tallied a natural hat trick in just under six minutes to bring the score to 8-5 around 12 minutes into the second period. Charlie Ebberyd would add a late tally to close the gap to 8-6 but the hole was too deep for Värmdö to fully mount a comeback.
Teams at the Kronwall Cup for the 2010 birth year were split into two groups of four teams. Clubs took part in a round-robin schedule against their group, followed by a playoff round and then group finals.
All four of the clubs in Group A medaled at the tournament, with two from Group B receiving hardware as well. Nacka HK skated to a gold medal in the Group A final against Saltsjöbaden Hockey, while Segeltorps Idrottsförening garnered gold in the Group B final against Järfälla HC Röd.
The Group A bronze medal went to Järfälla HC Vit, and Balsta Hockey skated to bronze in the Group B final over Tyresö Hanviken.
While Saltsjöbaden fell short in their gold medal match, they were proud to have the top-three players in points come from their squad. Tiel Lindqvist (7G, 6A), Charlie Jacobson (7G, 3A) and Eliot Deltin (5G,4A). Jacobson found the back of the net twice in the gold medal game and Lindqvist added an assist.
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The AAA Kickoff Classic was the first big tournament of the fall in the United States, and in the process it provided an early look at some teams to watch for this season.
While the 15U, 16U and 18U divisions were showcase-style events with no true playoff structure, the 14U division featured a round-robin preliminary round before semifinal and championship contests, allowing Seacoast Performance Academy to flex some muscle at the 2008 birth year.
The SPA crew finished 5-1-1 over the course of the four-day event, leaving Grand Rapids, Mich., with a tournament title before the calendar flips to September.
In the championship game, the Spartans and Team Wisconsin both scored three goals apiece in the opening frame, but in the final two periods, SPA took control, and eventually won 6-3.
It was a big victory for SPA in terms of winning the AAA Kickoff Classic title, but also because they avenged their only loss in the early-season tournament. The Spartans started things off with a 3-2 nail-biting loss to the same Team Wisconsin club, ending up on the wrong end of a three-goal third period between the two clubs.
That was the only time they would lose in Grand Rapids, however, as Seacoast rebounded with a 7-1 thumping of Team Illinois Friday morning. In their second Friday tilt, SPA played one of the two clubs from Czechia, battling the Pilsen Wolves to a 5-5 tie.
On Saturday, SPA won their two contests by scoring five goals in each – first they beat Chicago Fury 5-2, before taking care of the Nashville Jr. Predators 5-1 later in the day.
In the first of two playoff games on Sunday, SPA took on the other Czech club, and HC Trinec dragged them all the way to a shootout. The Spartans prevailed in the shootout session, leaving with a 2-1 final on the scoreboard and a rematch with Team Wisconsin at 2 p.m.
In the title contest, Timothy Kazda wasn’t about to let SPA fall to Team Wisconsin again. A native of Slovakia, Kazda was dominant in the final, scoring a hat trick in the first period alone, and finishing with five goals in the 6-3 win.
That five-goal outing put Kazda in first place in scoring for both the 14U division and the Kickoff Classic field across all age groups. He finished with 12 goals and 13 total points. Aside from Kazda, SPA had well-balanced scoring throughout the tournament, as Jackson Smail had six points, while Daniel Trucka, Rockland Babcock, Hunter Chadbourne and Garrit Turcotte all had five.
Kamden Jackson and Filip Vavro took care of business between the pipes for SPA, both appearing in four contests apiece.
Team Wisconsin had plenty of firepower throughout the tournament, as well, as the next three spots in the 14U scoring race went to members of the second-place squad. Mack Diggins had 11 total points, while Grant Molski and Owen Porter both had nine.
They didn’t play in as many games as the 14U division, but the 16U Team Wisconsin made their own early-season statement in Grand Rapids.
After making the trek across (or probably around) Lake Michigan, Team Wisconsin played to a perfect 3-0-0 record in the showcase-style event.
None of their games were decided by more than two goals, showing that TW can go up against top competition and hold their own when things get tense.
On Friday, they took down SPA 3-1. Caden Feinstein scored in the first, Dylan Bryne scored in the second, and Will McDonald wrapped things up in the third.
Saturday, they took care of Team Minnesota, a collection of high school players from the ‘State of Hockey.’ Bryne’s third-period goal turned out to be the difference in that one; Riley Boyle and James Flanigan also scored for TW.
To wrap things up, they went toe-to-toe with Little Caesars in a Sunday afternoon affair, taking on a team that was a national title contender last season. All three goals in the contest were scored in the third period; TW scored twice, while LC only scored one. Quinn Smith and Jackson Hoem had the goals in a 2-1 win, as TW picked up a statement win early in the year.
Smith ended up leading TW in scoring with five points in the three games, while three players — Bryne, Vincent Greene and Joseph Coghlin — had two points apiece.
Rowan White started two games, finishing with a .938 save percentage and 1.00 goals-against average. Devin Rustlie played in one game, allowing two goals and registering a .913 save percentage.
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