It’s the first big tournament of the 2022-23 schedule, which means one thing — hockey season is officially here. The 2022 AAA Kickoff Classic is back for its second year, bringing together talent from across the country — and the globe — to Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Played across the 14U, 15O, 16U and 18U age groups, the early-season event kicks off today at the Southside Ice Arena and Kentwood Ice Arena on the west side of the Great Lakes State.
Let’s take a look at the competition for each of the divisions:
Eight teams are coming to Grand Rapids for the 14U age group, as the 2008 birth year begins play in its first nationals-bound season. The first game of the age group, however, features one of the teams that won’t be competing for a USA Hockey national title — HC Trinec of Czech Republic. HC Trinec, which will play the Nashville Jr. Predators to kick things off at 3 p.m. EST, is joined by the Pilsen Wolves, as two 14U teams from Czechia are making the pilgrimage to Grand Rapids.
Joining those three squads in the eight-team field are the Chicago Fury, Team Wisconsin, Seacoast Performance Academy, Team Illinois and Fox Motors, Southside Ice Arena’s primary tenant.
The 4:35 time slot at Kentwood will be a good one; the matchup between SPA and Team Wisconsin will certainly be one to keep an eye on. Last year, TW finished as the No. 8-ranked team in the country on our World Hockey Hub rankings, while SPA checked in at No. 19 on MyHockeyRankings. Rosters change every fall, but when those two squads clash, it will be a good matchup of Top-20 teams in the country.
15O AAA
The 15-Only age group features six teams competing from the 2007 birth-year. Team Minnesota and Michigan Hockey Advancement bring high school talent from two hockey powerhouse states together for the tournament. SPA brings its ’07 group, Fox Motors is in, and the Pittsburgh Predators and the Nashville Jr. Preds battle for the title of best Preds squad in the age group. It may just be six teams, but it’s going to be a fun weekend of hockey in the age group.
On Saturday, MHA and Team Minnesota battle it out; that’s definitely one to tune in for.
16U AAA
In the 16U group, we have 10 teams slated to participate. Like the younger age groups, there’s SPA, Fox Motors, the Pittsburgh Preds, Team Wisconsin, Michigan Hockey Advancement, Team Minnesota and the Nashville Jr. Predators. To spice things up a bit, Little Caesars, the Tri-State Spartans and a Team Wisconsin Prep team also enter the ring for the 2006 birth-year bracket.
Last year, the Little Caesars ’06s finished ranked No. 5 in the country and No. 11 in the world by World Hockey Hub. The roster will look a little different this fall, like it will for most teams, as some of the players have moved on to junior hockey. Still, LC will be expected to compete for a national title again this season, and they’re one of the many teams in this group to keep an eye on.
Caesars takes on SPA on Saturday, and Team Wisconsin to round things out on Sunday. Each of those battles could provide a glimpse into our preseason rankings set to come out next month.
In the biggest field of any age group, 12 teams will be competing in the 18U division at the Kickoff Classic. HoneyBaked makes the drive from Metro Detroit to GR for the tournament, as does Compuware. They will be battling SPA, Fox Motors, Team Wisconsin, Chicago Fury, MHA, Tri-State Spartans, Team Minnesota, the Nashville Jr. Preds and the Pittsburgh Preds over the four-day span.
The 18U Nashville Preds and Team Wisconsin squads finished two spots apart in last year’s 18U final rankings on MyHockeyRankings — they clash on Saturday for a big early-season battle.
Fox Motors and SPA wrap up a wild first day of hockey with an 8 p.m. puck drop Thursday night as well.
WHH will have more coverage from the Kickoff Classic, and other major tournaments to start the 2022-23 season. Be sure to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok and YouTube for the latest news!
The bad news? It’s back-to-school season.
The good news? It’s hockey season.
While youth hockey players pack up their backpacks to begin another school year, they’re also loading up their hockey bags for the beginning of the fall hockey campaign.
While the Canadian hockey community may be waiting a few more weeks to really get going, the end of August marks the start of some big, early-season tournaments in both the United States and Europe.
Let’s take a look at some of the early-season offerings and tournaments the World Hockey Hub will be keeping an eye on as we put away our sunblock and dust off our preferred rink attire.
The AAA Kickoff Classic brings top talent to Grand Rapids, Michigan, for a season-opening tournament in the 14U through 18U age groups. At the 14U level, eight teams will do battle, including two from Czechia — HC Trinec and the Pilsen Wolves. The six-team 15U division features the likes of Team Minnesota and New Hampshire’s Seacoast Performance Academy, while 10 teams show up for 16U, including Little Caesars, Team Wisconsin, and the Nashville Jr. Predators. The largest field is a 12-team 18U division.
While the west coast of Michigan will have a big-time AAA tournament taking place, the east coast of the United States will be having one, as well. The NJ August Showcase for the Eastern Exposure Series is bringing a select group of teams together in the same 14U through 18U age brackets for an early-season tune-up. At 14U, the St. Lawrence Steel, Mercer Chiefs, New Jersey Devils and New Jersey Jets will square off for a five-game weekend, while the older groups will play three-game showcase-style tournaments. Showing up in the older brackets are the likes of the North Jersey Avalanche, the Philadelphia Hockey Club, the New Jersey Rockets, and the PAL Jr. Islanders. It will be some tough competition for teams that will be spending a lot of time together this year.
The Sweden Hockey Trophy tournament series kicks off Sept. 1 – 4 for the 2008 age group. 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012 birth years will follow suit over the following weeks, making Stockholm the place to be in Sweden. This preseason event regularly sets the tone for top teams in the country, separating contenders from pretenders. It isn’t just local, either. Teams from Finland, Norway, Czech Republic, Slovakia and other Central European countries have competed in this Swedish tournament in recent years.
Another top-level, early-season Scandinavian event is the U15 DIF Elitcup, set to showcase 2008s next month. Hosted by one of the top clubs in the country, Djurgårdens IF welcomes other reputable programs like Frölunda HC, Färjestad BK and a select few others to compete in an elite eight-team tournament. Nearly 30 games in three days of some of the best teams in Sweden.
Tuki-Areena in Rauma, Finland, will host a bevy of teams from the 2010 age group across three different divisions. The AAA+ Division features arguably the top eight clubs in the country with Jokerit, Kärpät, and Tappara leading the way.
Just concluded over the weekend, but worth noting another event out of Finland. The Symppisturnaus featured 16 teams at the U15 age group across two divisons: AAA+ and AAA. Only one team was shut out on the weekend; each of the other 15 teams all picked up at least one point in the three-game round robin. Tappara Black defeated KalPa Black 3-2 in the AAA+ championship game; the last of 23 tournament games to be decided by two goals or fewer over the weekend.
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Thursday night marked the official start of the CCM 68 Combine, but the real action starts today.
Each summer, some of the best players — both boys and girls — in the upcoming 14U age group gather in Chicago for a four-day camp for training, learning and competing in the event put on by 200×85 and CCM.
Thirty-six forwards, 24 defensemen and eight goalies are split into four teams for each gender, and the teams are put through training and testing while also competing in games. On- and off-ice testing is reminiscent of the NHL Draft combine, as players are provided with information to gauge their abilities against the country’s best.
The CCM 68 alumni list paints quite a picture for how successful the staff has been at bringing together future stars. Oliver Wahlstrom, K’Andre Miller, Cam York, Cole Caufield and Spencer Knight are just some of the players who have skated in the prestigious summer event; more than 150 alumni have made NCAA Division-I commitments since the program’s inception.
In a more youth hockey-centric look, we took a deep dive into the 2006 birth year as it relates to the CCM 68, as they are now two years removed from the combine and on the cusp of junior hockey careers.
Nine of the 13 forwards selected for this upcoming season’s U.S. National Team Development Program Under-17 Team (USNTDP) — Austin Baker (Little Caesars), Kamil Bednarik (New Jersey Rockets), Cole Eiserman (Shattuck-St. Mary’s), Kristian Epperson (Shattuck-St. Mary’s), James Hagens (Mount St. Charles), Christian Humphreys (Bishop Kearney Selects), Max Plante (Hermantown H.S.), Shane Vansaghi (St. Louis Jr. Blues) and Brodie Ziemer (Shattuck-St. Mary’s) — were standouts at the 2020 CCM 68 Combine.
Four of the eight defensemen — Logan Hensler (Hill Murray H.S.), Cole Hutson (North Jersey Avalanche), Noah Lapointe (Shattuck-St. Mary’s), John Whipple (Shattuck-St. Mary’s) — did as well.
One of the two goalies selected — Nicholas Kempf, who just led Chicago Mission to the Tier 1 15-Only National Championship this past spring — also participated in the 68’s, though his drive to the rink was considerably shorter than others.
Meanwhile, five of the 10 players selected in the first round of the USHL Phase-I Draft participated in the 68s as well: Aidan Park (Shattuck-St. Mary’s), Geno Carcone (Bishop Kearney), Adam Kleber (Chaska H.S.), Gavin Cornforth (Thayer Academy) and Drake Murray (Shattuck-St. Mary’s).
Considering that Will Felicio (Mount St. Charles), Owen Keefe (Boston Jr. Eagles) and Trevor Connelly (Long Island Gulls) signed USHL tender contracts to lock in roster spots, that puts the 2006 class at 36 alumni already embarking on junior hockey careers less than two years removed from their shared weekend in the Windy City.
This year’s group — the 2008s — will be trying to live up to the lofty expectations set by their predecessors. They will have a great deal of guidance this weekend to set them up for success in the future, when you consider the coaching staff expected to be in attendance:
Derek Lalonde – Detroit Red Wings (NHL) Head Coach
Seth Appert – Rochester Americans (AHL) Head Coach
Jackie Crum – University of Wisconsin (NCAA Women’s D1) Assistant Coach
Chris Ardito – Union College (NCAA Women’s D1) Assistant Coach
Peter Mannino – Colorado College (NCAA Men’s D1) Assistant Coach
Jen Wilson – Lake Forest College (NCAA Women’s D3) Head Coach
Gabriel Salinas-Jones – Founder of OA (Overcome Average) Athletics
The complete lineup of 2008s invited for the 2022 combine is available HERE.
World Hockey Hub will have more from the CCM 68 Combine and the 2008 birth year, so be sure to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, YouTube and Discord!
After more than 400 teams rolled through Massachusetts for three consecutive weekends of hockey action, World Hockey Hub breaks down each division, including champs, MVPs and all-tournament teams below. Complete tournament infohere’s a look at how the three editions of the Chowder Cup played out.
Most Valuable Player – Ben Kotylak (Nailers HC)
Jr. A Elite All-Tournament Team:
Yusof Genderguneov
Ben Jenkinson
Matteo Turrin
Cole Crusberg-Roseen
Will Felicio
Dan Heroux
The Nailers HC squad picked up a 4-2 win over the Little Rhody HC/DMV Elite team in the championship game of the Jr. A Elite division on July 24. After Jake Hewitt scored first for the Nailers, two goals from Little Rhody HC’s Philippe Lamarre put the eventually victorious Nailers back on their heels for a bit. Will Felicio straightened things out with the game-tying goal before Owen Fowler scored the go-ahead goal and Ben Kotylak wrapped things up with No. 4.
The MVP of the Elite division was Kotylak; the Nailers HC forward is set to play for the Humboldt Broncos of the SJHL next season. Last year, Kotylak split time between the AJHL’s Calgary Canucks and the BCHL’s Nanaimo Clippers, compiling a total of 20 points in 59 games. He is a product of West Van Academy of the CSSHL.
Most Valuable Player – Connor Haynes
Jr. A All-Tournament Team:
Hunter Dunn
Shane Kozlina
Kyle Burton
Nick Foster
Zach Ladd
Ethan Labbe
The Ontario Wolfpack beat the CWE Express White squad 2-1 in the championship game on Sunday, July 24. Jack Mcara had the game-winning goal for the Wolfpack, while Ethan Labbe picked up the win between the pipes.
The MVP of the Jr. A Division went to Connor Haynes, a Sault Ste. Marie native who will be suiting up for a second season with the Hamilton Kilty B’s of the GOJHL in the fall. He is a former captain of the Markham Majors during his GTHL days.
Most Valuable Player – Marcus Gomes
College Open All-Tournament Team:
Amine Hajibi
Charles Thomassin
Aiden Aqpik Savard
Thierry Lizotte
Janvier Ludovic
Adam Lecours
The Quebec Prospects wrapped up their dominating weekend with a 2-0 shutout win over Rapid Hockey Development in the final. Mason Czaban and Charles Thomassin took care of the scoring in the title bout, while Marcus Gomes, a native of Beaconsfield, Quebec, recorded the shutout between the pipes en route to an MVP nod from tournament organizers. Gomes played for Bishop’s College School Prep U16 this past season, recording a 29-5-2 record.
Most Valuable Player – Teddy MacAusland
2006 Elite All-Tournament Team:
Mason Landry
Thomas Kuipers
Gavin Cornforth
Nicholas Pawlowski
Joseph Mense
Ryder Shea
Sam Caufield
The Mass Edge 67’s protected home ice for the 2006 Elite division of the Junior Chowder Cup. They capped things off with a 3-2 win over CHE Navy in the championship game on July 31. Nakate Benjamin exchanged goals with the CHE squad until Dennis Davidson broke a 2-2 tie for the game-winner. Ryder Shea was between the pipes for the victory.
Teddy MacAusland, fresh off a trip to the USA Hockey Select 16 Camp, was named MVP of the tournament. He was selected in the eighth round of the QMJHL Draft by the Cape Breton Eagles earlier this summer, while he was also drafted by the Boston Jr. Bruins in the NCDC Draft.
Most Valuable Player – Daniel Stefi
2006 All-Tournament Team:
Charlie Hilton
Henry Kastenberg
Riley Clark
Josh Brady
Lucas Preiano
Evan Cherry
Central Hockey Academy cruised through the finals with a 3-0 blanking of DevCo Hockey. Julian Mandarino scored twice, while Daniel Stefi added the exclamation point and Evan Cherry took care of business between the pipes. Stefi was named MVP of the division after the contest.
Most Valuable Player – William Moore
2007 Elite All-Tournament Team:
Jessie Orlowsky
Marko Liscica
Jeremy Martin
Donny Bracco
Cameron Reid
Jack Ivankovic
Maroon Hockey wrapped up an impressive weekend with a 5-1 win over Coaches Choice Elite in the 2007 Elite finals. Kieran Witkowski, a Toronto Marlboros product, recorded a hat trick in the title game, while Mississauga Senators standouts Matthew Manza and William Moore also found the back of the net.
Moore, fresh off playing up with the Sens U16s and helping them win a OHL Cup title, was named MVP of the ’07 group. He’s definitely one to watch as the ’07 group enters its junior draft year.
Most Valuable Player – Cole Emerton
2008 All-Tournament Team:
Al Diorio
Blake Zielinski
Christian Luo
Calum Croskery
James Reilly
Machala Musty
Maroon Hockey wrapped up a 2008 division championship at the Mini Chowder Cup with a 6-1 win over V Hockey. MVP honors went to Cole Emerton, a defenseman who suited up for the Barrie Colts U14 team last fall.
Most Valuable Player – James Scantlebury
2009 All-Tournament Team:
Loik Gariepy
Drew Fox
Ethan Sung
Malik L’Italien
Max Yakub
Thomas Bedard
Coached by former NHLers Marc-Andre Bergeron and Simon Gagne, the Quebec Prospects dominated the 2009 field at the Mini Chowder Cup. They wrapped up a tournament title with a 4-3 win over the East Coast Kings in the final, thanks to goals from Alex Desruisseaux, James Scantlebury, Oliver Boivin and Loik Gariepy. Thomas Bedard was between the pipes for the win.
Scantlebary was named MVP; this past season, he played for the Lac St-Louis Arsenal M15 AAA club to face some intimidating older competition.
You know when you have nearly 100 teams flocking to the Boston area in the middle of July for hockey, you have something big going on.
The Chowder Cup series is back for another set of summer hockey weekends, and by the way, that 100 number is just for the first of three scheduled weekends.
The puck drops today on the Mini Chowder Cup, which has teams from the 2008 and 2009 birth-years dragging their gear into the Foxboro Sports Center for a four-day tournament.
Fifty-eight teams are playing in the ’08 classification, and 39 are playing in the ’09.
Next week, it’s the Junior Chowder Cup, with 80 teams coming for the ’06 birth year, and 88 coming for the ’07 class.
The Senior Chowder Cup breaks into two divisions — the Jr. A Division and the College Open Teams division. The Jr. A Division — which has 76 teams participating — allows for 2002 birth-year players through 2005 birth-year players. The College Open Division features 2003, 2004 and 2005 birth-years — and that one has 77 teams slated to partake.
These tournament teams are selects-based, created for this particular event; you won’t recognize any of the usual AAA winter squads or anything of the sort.
What is noticeable are the names on the scouting list and alumni from the Chowder Cup series. In the 2021 NHL Draft, 23 Chowder Cup alums were selected, including first-round picks Matty Beniers (No. 2 overall, Seattle) and Matt Coronato (No. 12 overall, Calgary).
In 2020, even more Chowder Cup alums were selected — 32 in total. Three of those were in the top 10 picks of the draft, in fact, as Quinton Byfield (No. 2 overall, Los Angeles), Jamie Drysdale (No. 6 overall, Anaheim) and Cole Perfetti (No. 10 overall, Winnipeg) had all made the trek to Boston to play in the Mini Chowder Cup as young hockey players. Byfield was the tournament MVP of the 2002 birth year in 2015 as he posted 12 points in six games to lead Rink Eye Selects to a title.
Also of note, all three of those guys are Canadian, which means the Chowder Cup has some border-crossing appeal.
More recently, Cole Eiserman — expected to be one of the stars of USA Hockey’s National Team Development Program (USNTDP) Under-17 Team next fall — was named to the all-tournament team of the Mini Chowder Cup in 2019. Current NTDP stand-out Will Smith was tournament MVP of the ‘05 birth-year in 2018.
With elite talent like that skating in the summer tournaments, it’s easy to see why the scouts show up in Massachusetts during golf season, too. According to the Chowder Cup’s website, scouts from the Edmonton Oilers, Buffalo Sabres, Toronto Maple Leafs, Detroit Red Wings, Ottawa Senators and NHL Central Scouting will all be in attendance for the older groups, while a substantial collection of NCAA Division-I and Division-III coaches will be there as well.
Likewise, staff members from USHL, NAHL, NCDC, EHL, USPHL and NA3HL teams will be watching the Chowder Cup closely, as will a number of agencies and scouting services.
If you’re looking for exposure with Canadian junior programs, you get your wish at the Chowder Cup, too, as the OHL, QMJHL, OJHL, and AJHL are all represented.
World hockey Hub will have continued coverage of the Chowder Cup throughout the month. Be sure to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok and YouTube for updates!
It may be summer, but it’s hard to keep hockey people away from the rink for too long.
There are major hockey events sprinkled across the “off-season” calendar, and the World Hockey Hub will be keeping an eye on them as we fly through the warmer months of 2022.
Here are some of the highlighted hockey events taking place in North America this summer:
What’s better than one Brick? Two Bricks. The organizers for the Brick Invitational Hockey Tournament have expanded the annual summer tournament to two birth years, in an effort to accommodate a birth year that missed out on the tournament last year because of COVID-19. The 2011 birth-year will play from June 29 to July 3, and the 2012 birth-year will play from July 4-10. The tournament — played in the West Edmonton Mall — is one of the most unique events in all of youth sports, and while the 2010 birth year never ended up being able to participate, it’s great to see the 2011 group not miss out on the remarkable experience.
It may be a holiday in America, but it’s a work day for one of Canada’s three Major Junior leagues. The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) will start its annual draft on July 4, with the league setting aside two days to conduct its selection process of the 2006 birth-year class virtually.
The culminating event of youth hockey is the NHL Draft, where every summer the hockey world gets to experience dreams coming true for its best and brightest. The World Hockey Hub will be watching, as well, to see where the newest NHL Draft picks came from and how their youth hockey resumes shaped their journey to hockey’s highest league.
There are six different USA Hockey Player Development Camps, but the Boys Select 15 is the one that may have the most impact on top-level American talent. The first year of national camps for players progressing through the USA Hockey ranks, the Select 15 — held in Amherst, N.Y. — is the first big event of the year-long recruiting and evaluating process for the NTDP and junior league drafts.
The Chowder Cup — featuring a Mini, Junior and Senior divisions — brings top youth hockey talent to the Boston area for some impressive summer on-ice action. The Mini Chowder Cup features the 2008-09 classes on July 15-17, while the Junior Chowder Cup hosts the 2006-07s on July 21-24 and the Senior Chowder Cup for the 2002-05 groups on July 28-31.
It may not get as much publicity as the World Juniors (more on that below), but the Hlinka Gretzky Cup is a huge summer showcase to keep an eye on this year. USA Hockey and Hockey Canada use their summer player development camps as a tryout for the tournament, which will be taking place in Red Deer, Alberta this summer. It’s an Under-18 tournament that brings together elite players from across the globe heading into their NHL Draft year.
The Best of Best series, in its second season, aims to bring the best GTHL, Eastern OMHA, South-Central OMHA and ALLIANCE players together for elite hockey starting at the 2010 and 2011 birth-years. The idea is to bring the players in each summer, and in their fourth year through the program, play in a full OHL/NCAA showcase event.
One of the greatest events in all of sports will be a little warmer than usual, as the 2022 IIHF World Junior Championship will be taking place Aug. 9-20 in Edmonton and Red Deer, Alberta. The original tournament, which usually closes out one calendar year and opens the next, was postponed due to COVID-19 concerns, but the hockey community is making sure it still takes place – this time in the dead of summer.
For the 2008 birth-year class in the United States, few events are as big as the CCM 68’s. Hosted in Chicago, the 68’s annually bring together the best players in the country, both boys and girls, for a weekend of on- and off-ice training and education. Alumni include Jack Hughes, Cole Caufield, Trevor Zegras, Spencer Knight, Jacob Trouba, Tyler Seguin, Matthew Tkachuk, Clayton Keller and more.
Stay up-to-date on everything coming up in the world of youth hockey by following WHH on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok and YouTube!
World Hockey Hub prides itself on being the pulse of youth hockey, covering all things in the sport worldwide and being your number one resource for news, rankings, updates and more. In an effort to continue connecting with the community — while also providing a platform for the community to connect with each other — WHH has launched a Discord channel for everyone to talk all things youth hockey.
Discord is a free voice, video and text chat app that’s used by tens of millions of people worldwide. Discord has proven to be a valuable tool in the video game, NFT and sports talk communities, as well as academic, where students can connect on similar areas of study. WHH sets its sights on connecting youth hockey players, parents and coaches around the world.
We will continue delivering news and updates as we always have, while you can now provide your own commentary, opinions and feedback on those very topics, among others.
Going to The Brick tournament next month in Edmonton and not sure what to expect? Ask the community for suggestions on things to do in the area so you can get the most out of your experience.
Not sure if the CCM World Invite is the right tournament for your squad next season? Poll other Discord members for their opinion on good winter events that fit your team’s skill level.
And of course, members are encouraged to make suggestions on what would make not only the community better, but our website and coverage of youth hockey. Join our Discord channel today and voice your opinion on all things youth hockey!
In one of the more stunning outcomes in World Selects Invitationals history, the Czech Selects shocked the girls youth hockey world last week, winning the 14U championship.
After the conclusion of pool play, the Czechs were fifth out of six teams in the standings, and it’s only regulation win was over the sixth-seeded Alps Selects. When the elimination rounds began, the Czechs needed a 2-0 win over Germany Selects in the quarterfinals. That win gave them a rematch with top-seeded Sweden Selects; a team that had beaten them 4-1 just three days earlier. The Swedes had dominated their way to the top spot, out-scoring opponents 26-3 in round-robin action.
It was a tough semifinal, but a pair of goals from Alena Luxemburgová would change the tides in the rematch. That early offensive surge helped the Czechs knock off the No. 1 team 3-1 and advance to the gold medal game.
The stage was set for the Czechs to take on the No. 2-seeded Finland Selects; another team they lost to earlier in the tournament. Again, this rematch would be all about the Czechs as Merkéta Kafková scored four goals to lead the team to a 6-1 victory and WSI championship.
A pair of Finns Yenna Kolmonen and Julia Kuhta led round-robin action in scoring with 12 points and 10 points respectively. Eventual champion Aneta Florýková also had 10 points. Goaltender Wilma Hallbeck played 139 minutes of scoreless hockey and didn’t allow a single goal against until playoffs. France Selects Lysa Nogaretto had a .914 save percentage, stopping 53-of-58 shots.
It’s just the second time that the Czech Selects have won a girls WSI event and the first time since 2015. This tournament in particular is a unique accomplishment after the WSI had been on pause for the past two years. Circumstances surrounding COVID-19 and international travel had made such events virtually impossible to operate. However, in 2022, the situation was such that several European countries were able to travel in some capacity and the six-team event was able to go off without a hitch.
The early success of this event — and the 12U Boys Elite event — is an encouraging step back towards normalcy regarding WSI. The World Selects Trophy in Nashville will feature 30 teams from eight different countries next week as well. Coupling all that together with the remaining slate of WSI events this month, and it adds up to a lot of progress for a series that was on hold for the better part of 24 months. After a full slate of tournaments this spring, the goal for 2023 will certainly be to have a full slate of teams in the competition, and the return of North American programs in European events.
Want more coverage of the World Selects Invitationals this spring? There’s seven events over the next two weeks, and WHH will have exclusive coverage of the top teams, players and champions. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok and YouTube for the last news!
Based out of the Twin Cities of Minnesota, the TC Selects will come to the World Selects Trophy in Nashville with a heavy contingent from Minneapolis and St. Paul metropolitan area. Nearly half the roster will have roots from ‘The Land of 10,000 Lakes’ while the other half stems from places like Colorado, New York, Connecticut, Michigan and Tennessee.
When the puck drops on May 11th, it will be the first time this group of players will share the ice. Coach Dan Johnson said that presents some unique challenges for the team when they arrive in the Music City.
“There are a handful of the Minnesota kids that have played with my groups for a few years now,” he said. “[But] we haven’t played together as a team so it will be important that we gel quickly and become a team fast.”
It’s possible that even as an underage 2008-born player, forward Cole Bumgarner could prove to be a standout performer at the 15U tournament in two weeks. While it’s rare for an underager to play up an age group at this particular tournament, the ones that have done so have shined brightly. Most recently, names like 2004-born players Shane Wright and Matthew Savoie were standouts at the ‘03 tournament in 2018, while 2005-born Connor Bedard played up the following year. Wright and Savoie are now considered top-10 picks in the upcoming NHL Draft while Bedard is a candidate for the first-overall selection in 2023.
Bumgarner is 6-foot-1 and 178 pounds, and played varsity hockey this winter as a 13-year-old. He has four goals and 18 points in 26 games. He should get significant help from fellow forwards Matvey Stremiakov and Peyton Chase. Stremiakov has great skill and is a threat with the puck on his stick while Chase is a big body who plays with an edge.
6-foot-5 defenseman Mace’o Phillips will be hard to overlook. Not only does he have a great frame, Phillips is a tremendous athlete who possesses great skill with room to grow. Him and Gentry Academy D-man Jacob Guille will anchor the back end for TC Selects.
Logan Nowlin and Oliver Scriver are a strong goaltending tandem from Benilde-St. Margaret’s. They will backstop TC Selects with a combination of athleticism, technical skills and size.
This will be the program’s debut in the World Selects tournament series. TC Selects is a strong spring-summer program out of Minnesota that regularly competes in top showcases. However, it has yet to compete in a World Selects event… until now.
World Hockey Hub will have exclusive coverage leading up to, and throughout, the 2022 15U World Selects Trophy. Be sure to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok and YouTube for previews, updates, top prospects, highlights, interviews and more!
The Vaughan Kings did it first.
With a 8-1 victory over the York-Simcoe Express on Saturday afternoon, the Kings captured the first-ever U14 OHL Cup.
The new tournament — an expansion of the iconic U16 OHL Cup – featured 12 of the top U14 AAA teams in the province of Ontario, and it was played over the course of three days.
The inaugural event was hosted by the Ontario Minor Hockey Association and played at Joshua’s Creek Arena in Oakville, Ontario. Here is a look at the teams that were invited:
“The OHL is proud to partner with the OMHA to present this exciting opportunity, and we look forward to an outstanding weekend of hockey in Oakville,” said OHL Commissioner David Branch prior to the event. “Occurring annually since 2003, the OHL Cup Showcase for U16 AAA players has included familiar names such as Connor McDavid, John Tavares and Steven Stamkos, in addition to countless players that have played in the OHL and gone on to pursue various careers with the use of their OHL Scholarship.
“The Ontario Hockey League is very proud to be a part of presenting a championship tournament of this magnitude to the U14 AAA category.”
The Kings, a team that entered the tournament as a heavy favorite after winning the GTHL, lived up to the hype, going 4-0-1 in tournament play en route to the title.
“It’s a little surreal,” said Kings head coach Daniel Spivak, who worked alongside a pair of OHL alumni in assistants Justin DiBenedetto and Mark Cundari. “The boys came hard, and after two years of interrupted hockey seasons, this is awfully rewarding for our guys who never quit and kept putting in the work.
“All of these guys bought in,” Spivak continued. “As a coach, it’s all you can hope for. They pushed through, they never stopped and it’s remarkable.”
After opening play with a 2-2 tie against the London Jr. Knights, Vaughan rebounded with some dominating wins — 9-3 over the Oakville Rangers, 7-3 over the Middlesex Chiefs in the quarterfinals and 10-2 over the OMHA champion Peterborough Petes in the semifinals.
Caleb Malhotra, son of former NHL star Manny Malhotra, led the tournament in scoring with 13 points – five of which came in the final game. Ben Bowen, Jager Pain and Alessandro Di lorio all had 11 in the five games.
The Toronto Jr. Canadiens just wrapped up an undefeated season with the U15 All-Ontario Championships title.
With an 8-0 run through the Ontario Hockey Federation playoffs, the Canadiens finished the season 50-0-4, dominating the competition en route to the U15AAA All-Ontario championship.
The Jr. Canadiens out-scored the competition 48-8 in those eight games; they logged four shutouts during the timeframe.
Chase Yanni and Nico Addy led the team in scoring with 15 points apiece, while Jake O’Brien had 13 and Simon Wang had 11.
Twins Nico and Alex Armellin split the time between the pipes for the Jr. Canadiens, both winning four games apiece. Nico Finished with a .944 save percentage, and Alex had a .934 mark; both recorded 1.00 goals-against averages and two shutouts.
Yanni was presented with the top scorer award at the conclusion of the tournament; Halton Hurricanes blueliner Casey Bridgewater was named top defenseman and the Elgin-Middlesex Chiefs’ Matthew Koprowski was named most-sportsmanlike.
At the U13 level, it was the Huron-Perth Lakers emerging victorious.
The Lakers topped the Don Mills Flyers 3-2 in the title game to secure the U15AAA All-Ontario championship.
It was some sweet revenge for Huron-Perth, after Don Mills had prevailed 6-3 in the preliminary round. That was one of two losses in the playoffs for Huron-Perth, as they also had to overcome a 6-5 loss to Ottawa Valley to earn their spot in the elimination round.
Lyndon Cabral led the Lakers in scoring with 15 points in the eight games; Kane Barch was just behind with 13. Maddyx Chaput posted nine, while Clark deBoer and Hudsyn Chaput both finished with eight.
Vaughn Barr played in seven of the eight games between the pipes, logging a 3.50 goals-against average and .840 save percentage. Andrew Menlove played in two contests, as well.
The All-Ontario championships effectively mark the conclusion to the 2021-22 winter season. Attention now shifts to the “off-season” — a phrase used lightly in AAA circles, as showcase season, selects teams, tours and tryouts are right around the corner for many high-end players.
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