Each week, World Hockey Hub highlights a few of the most exciting upcoming games in youth hockey. CSKA Moscow and Vityaz Podolsk kick things off with an ‘09 Top-10 tilt on Saturday. Jokerit Blue and Kiekko-Espoo EPS I tangle in a premier matchup between 2007s. The week concludes with Nacka HK dropping the puck in an ‘08 meeting with IFK Taby HC on Sunday.
Will No. 1 CSKA Moscow (34-0-0) ever lose a game this season? In two games thus far, CSKA has ended up in the win column against No. 9 Vityaz Podolsk (24-10-0) both times. It’s a tough task for Vityaz, let alone any Russian team, as this CSKA squad has been one of the best teams in youth hockey this season.
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| Saturday, March 11 |
Vityaz lost in the first game 4-3 before dropping a 10-2 decision in the second. But they have the talent to hang with a team like CSKA. If there is any club that can finally send CSKA home with a loss, it’s them.
For CSKA, look no further than to Nikita Siniken (51G, 61A) and Roman Andreev (52G, 43A). Much has already been discussed and written about these players already, but you can’t deny their incredible chemistry. Add to the fact they have found the scoresheet in every contest this season. The biggest task for Vityaz will be to shut them down and try to make up their production with the top players of their own.
Getting that task will be Kirill Pavlov (57G, 22A) and Artem Perepelov (21G, 14A).
Pete’s Pick: I’m torn. On one hand, I want to see how far CSKA can take their win streak. On the other hand, for a team to finally beat them would be an exciting narrative. But it’s not about what I want, it’s what happens on the ice. Given CSKA’s ability to beat teams in any fashion, coupled with them having the two best forwards of their birth year, they complete the sweep. Vityaz doesn’t make it easy though in a 5-3 final.
Craig’s Pick: I do think we’ve seen just a little bit of complacency lately from the No. 1 team in Russia. That may not be the best word for it, but either opponents are throwing their absolute best at CSKA or, CSKA is taking its foot off the gas ever so slightly. Either way, I think this game is close, and Vityaz even possesses a lead at one point, thanks to players like Pavlov and Alexander Trofimov. Ultimately, CSKA’s win streak survives and they escape with a 4-3 win.
With group play entering its home stretch in Finland, No. 7 Jokerit Blue (17-10-2) and No. 9 Kiekko-Espoo EPS I (15-11-2) will look for some separation in the ‘09 Top 10 with a Sunday matchup.
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| Sunday, March 12 |
It’s been an up-and-down stretch for both clubs in group play to this point. With neither team able to put together a consistent string of success, this matchup may be the jumping off point they both need to finish strong.
In this stage of group play, Luka Ahola and Wilmer Hämäläinen’s five goals and 11 points lead Jokerit, with Veeti Palomäki scoring five goals and 10 points for K-Espoo. Since the start of the season, both players have notched five-point games this season, with Palomäki accomplishing the feat twice.
Pete’s Pick: I’ve gone back and forth on this one for a bit, but in the end I think Jokerit pulls out a win. They’ve skated with slightly more consistency and have competed well against some of the bigger opponents of the group. If this gets into a goal scoring contest, they have the depth to get them over the finish line.
Craig’s Pick: I always like to look at shared opponents as a good measure for upcoming games. Jokerit and Kiekko-Espoo have played six of the same teams in the last six weeks. Against those teams, Kiekko-Espoo is 3-3-0, while Jokerit is 2-3-1. Slight lean toward KE EPS right? Wrong. Jokerit may have a slightly worse record in those games but showed way more compete with each of those six games being winnable. I’m going with Jokerit here, 6-3.
It’s a heavyweight tilt among the ‘08 Swedes when No. 1 Nacka HK (28-5-6) drops the puck with No. 3 Täby HC (25-11-4) this weekend.
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| Sunday, March 12 |
Nacka enters this primetime bout winners of its last four. Täby is coming off a loss to Eskilstuna Linden Hockey in their last outing. In their last meeting back on Jan. 15, Nacka posted six goals en route to a 6-1 decisive victory. In that matchup, Oliver Sundberg, Mikael Kim and Arvid Ermeskog all collected multi-point performances. Sundberg stands as the team leader in overall points as well, and third scorer in group play with 13 goals and 15 points.
Finding the back of the net for Täby’s lone goal was team leader Mille Forslund, who has compiled nine goals and 18 points. Nacka held Forslund and his teammates to just 15 shots on goal, while they peppered Täby netminder Caspar Lampe with 33. Lampe has been one of the more solid goalies in the group, earning a 2.40 goals-against average and .909 save percentage. A testament to the impressive firepower from Nacka to get six past him.
Pete’s Pick: Täby’s defense didn’t have an answer for Nacka last time out, and I don’t think that changes here. While their goaltending numbers don’t jump off the page, that’s not a concern when your club is averaging 3.5 goals a game and have a plus-27 goal differential. Nacka takes another victory here, 5-1.
Craig’s Pick: Significant shot discrepancies always grab my attention. A more than 2-to-1 difference in their last meeting says a lot about how these two teams stack up. Nacka scored late on a power play and a penalty shot, which inflated the score a little bit last time out. I’ll take Täby to keep it closer than the first meeting, but Nacka is just too dominant, 4-2.
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For the first time since Dec. 7th, No. 10 Avangard Omsk boosted themselves into the Top 10 in Russia among the 2007 World Rankings. Winners of their last 10 games, a two-game sweep of Metallurg Magnitogorsk was just the lift the club needed to be back among the best-of-the-best of their birth year.
The club is mainly led by the prolific forward trio of Rodion Kazantsev (10G, 20A), Nikita Kharionov (14G, 15A) and Artem Kitchenko (10G, 17A). What has helped is the last lines of defense between the pipes that Avangard is equipped with. Between Alexander Federov and Danai Shaikov, the team has been able to skate to a 22-4-0 record. Federov has posted a 1.96 goals-against average and .920 save percentage. Shaikov has suited up in slightly more games, recording an even more pristine 1.61 goals-against and .939 save percentage.
With upcoming games against teams such as Traktor Chelyabinsk and Yugra-Yukior, these players will be vital for Avangard to continue its success. The more victories that can be piled up in their remaining tilts can only help to solidify Metallurg’s position down the home stretch of the 2022-23 season.
SKA St. Petersburg found themselves maneuvering their way up the Russian standings in not one but two different birth years in the latest rankings. A true testament to their program depth and ability to continually develop players throughout their youth hockey journey.
First, ‘08 SKA slid up from No. 8 to No. 5, thanks in large part to four decisive victories. A run that was highlighted by a 5-0 shutout over No. 10 SKA Strelna. At 31-0-1, the lone blemish in their record thus far was a tight 1-0 shootout loss to Dynamo St. Petersburg.
‘09 SKA St. Petersburg was also up to No. 7 after handling the SKA Silver Lions and Dynamo Junior St. Petersburg. Both teams were outscored 15-1 and the wins extended a current four-game winning streak for the club.
Another team that benefited from success against teams in close proximity to them were the ‘09
No. 23 Toronto Marlboros. They bested No. 1 Toronto Jr. Canadiens in a hard-fought 1-0 game before finding their offensive footing in a 7-0 shutout against the No. 9 Canadian-ranked Toronto Red Wings.
In fact, in their previous two meetings with the Jr. Canadiens, they were also victorious. Not many teams have beaten the Jr. Canadiens this year once, let alone three times. Two shutouts against Top-10 opponents, one of which is the top team of the birth year will surely build confidence for the team towards the end of the season and into the GTHL playoffs.
Be sure to check out the complete world rankings, including Top 10s by country and World Top 25s for each of the 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011 birth years.
With the 2022-23 regular season beginning to wind down, teams across youth hockey are emptying the tanks before hopeful playoff runs. The ‘07 Toronto Marlboros and Tappara are on our teams of the month list for the second time. The Los Angeles Jr. Kings were one of the busier U.S. ‘08 clubs. Nacka HK and CSKA Moscow solidified their spots at the top of their respective ‘07 and ‘09 birth years as well. WHH takes a look at a few programs across all countries and birth years that established themselves among the best of the best in youth hockey.
It was a jam-packed month for the 2008-born No. 23 Los Angeles Jr. Kings. Suiting up in 14 contests across regular season, playoff and district play, they took care of business with wins in each matchup.
After opening the month with a 4-0-0 record, their next task was the Tier-1 Elite Hockey League (T1EHL) playoffs. In the 14U division, they rattled off five consecutive victories for the championship. Their run culminated in a hard-fought 5-3 victory over No. 25 Dallas Stars Elite. Tyus Sparks and Noah Davidson were the main point getters for the team, each collecting 12 points.
After a few days to recuperate, the Jr. Kings were back in action at the Pacific District playoffs with the hope of nabbing a spot at the upcoming USA Hockey Nationals. It was here they found the win column in another five straight games, outscoring opponents 31-4.
Next up will be a trip to Nationals, but as an added bonus they will have some company. The 15O Jr. Kings earned a trip as well, after securing their division. The Los Angeles program will be well-represented on the national stage later this month.
For the second time this season, the ‘07 No. 2 Toronto Marlboros have skated to ‘Team of the Month’ honors for Canada. Having last earned the honor in December, the Marlies continued to run the table in their birth year, going 7-0-0. Three of those victories came against ranked teams, twice over the No. 10 Toronto Jr. Canadiens and a 5-3 win vs. against No. 22 Mississauga Rebels.
With the GTHL playoffs around the corner, the Marlboros will look to build upon their current seven-game win streak.
Impressing in February was ‘07 No. 13 Nacka HK with a 5-1-0 record. The team did not have a light schedule, lacing up the skates against four powerhouses in the Top 10 of Sweden. After winning their opening 8-5 showdown with No. 3 Swedish-ranked Djurgårdens IF in thrilling fashion, they followed it up with another win over Trångsunds IF.
Despite a slight setback in a 3-2 loss to No. 8 Viggbyholms IK, they rebounded with solid showings against world-ranked No. 19 Täby HC, Almtuna IS and No. 5 Södertälje SK.
Ruben Westerling may be the club’s overall leading scorer with 16 goals and 32 points, but Neo Hirsch and Olle Därth had a month to remember. Across all six contests, Hirsch compiled four goals and 11 points to go along with Därth’s six goals and 10 points.
Like the Marlboros, ‘07 No. 15 Tappara is another program to be featured on our Teams of the Month list for a second time. Tappara was included in our list from November. Dropping the puck in seven games, Tappara skated to a 6-1-0 record, with a lone ‘blemish’ being a 5-4 loss to No. 5 Ilves.
Other than that, Tappara fared quite well against some top competition from Finland. They kicked off their schedule with the defeat to Ilves, but wasted no time in getting back on track with a 3-2 win against No. 10 KalPa. Following that, five more wins over No. 1 Kiekko-Espoo, Pelicans, No. 7 TPS, a second victory against KalPa and finishing off with Jokipojat.
It certainly didn’t hurt having the top two scorers of the group, either. Joonas Rajala and Eetu Orpana have each collected 30 points in 13 and 12 games, respectively. Orpana alone tallied in the team’s last five games of the month, garnering 3 goals and 10 points alone. Both players also spent time last month with the Finnish National Team at the 3 Nations Tournament in the Czech Republic.
No. 3 CSKA Moscow went a perfect 5-0-0 in February, highlighted by wins against No. 4 Spartak Moscow and No. 14 Atlant Mytishchi. The five victories combined with the four they ended January with give the club an impressive nine-game streak currently.
Nazar Privalov, the teams’ leading scorer, was on fire across all matches. Unable to be slowed by any opponent, he struck for six goals and nine points. Privalov has found the scoresheet in every game dating back to Jan. 22.
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The 2008-born No. 23 Los Angeles Jr. Kings, fresh off stellar showings at the T1EHL Playoffs and Pacific Districts, enjoyed a pleasant bump in the rankings. Downing some of the best teams their birth year has to offer provided the Jr. Kings a track to maneuver their way up the Top 10 U.S. teams. A run of play highlighted by holding off No. 25 Dallas Stars Elite in the 15O division TIEHL title game.
After falling out of the top spot in our last rankings, No. 1 Little Caesars is back at the top of the ‘07 Top 25 thanks to crucial victories over No. 17 Shattuck-St. Mary’s and No. 10 U.S.-ranked Compuware by a combined 19-0. Since their last loss — a 2-1 overtime defeat to No. 20 Long Island Gulls back on Feb. 2 — they have rattled off six consecutive wins.
But they are not the only team back in first place. Pittsburgh Penguins Elite settled back in as the No. 1 squad among 2011 programs by taking care of business against fellow Top 10 opponents. With recent wins against No. 2 Mid-Fairfield Jr. Rangers, No. 8 Rochester Coalition and a two-game split with No. 5 Little Caesars, Pens Elite has proven once again they are the team to beat in the age group. With an impressive week of their own, the South Shore Kings nabbed the No. 10 spot, having beaten the likes of the Jr. Rangers twice and No. 9 Philadelphia Hockey Club.
No. 9 Anaheim Jr. Ducks and No. 10 Philadelphia Hockey Club are back in the ‘09 Top 10 after extended absences. With wins over No. 8 Dallas Stars Elite and No. 2 St. Louis Blues, the Jr. Ducks bolstered their resume enough to be back among the elite after spending the last rankings out on the bubble. Not seeing a spot in the Top 10 since back on Sept. 28th, Philadelphia slid back in as winners of their last 12 as well.
No. 8 Jokerit held their own in three major ‘07 matchups, including a two-game set against No. 1 Kiekko-Espoo. Lauri Kouhia and Rasmus Kämäräinen each collected four points in a 5-2 victory in the first tilt against K-Espoo. In the second, Kouhia and Kämäräinen notched multi-point games once more, but Jokerit dropped a thrilling 6-5 decision in the shootout. The team rebounded with a winning effort against No. 9 Ässät, 6-3 the next time out.
In the 2008 age group, No. 7 Kärpät Musta raised eyebrows with multiple Top 10 victories. First, they dispatched No. 8 Kärpät Valkoinen, 6-3. Next, a 4-1 winning effort against No. 9 KalPa. Taking care of the teams previously ahead of them usually leads to good things, and Musta is a prime example of that fact.
Not to be outdone, but there was one other Finnish club that worked its way back into the Top 10 among ‘08s. KJT Haukat Blue, absent from the Top 10 since Nov. 9th, paved their way back in with three wins; two of them against ranked programs. Handling No. 6 Pelicans Turkoosi and No. 1 HIFK, provided enough of a lift to get them into a No. 10 placement.
Be sure to check out the complete world rankings, including Top 10s by country and World Top 25s for each of the 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011 birth years.
The youth hockey season is nearing its end, and USA Hockey Nationals are on the horizon. Teams from across the U.S. look to win their respective district playoffs in order to earn one of the 12 automatic bids to the national tournament, slated to begin on March 29th.
Two of those bids have already been awarded at each of the 14U, 15O, 16U and 18U age groups. And, over this past weekend, four more teams punched their ticket to nationals by winning the Pacific District playoffs.
The Pacific District bids — which consists of youth hockey teams from Alaska, California, Hawaii, Nevada, Oregon and Washington — were awarded to two teams from the Anaheim Jr. Ducks organization and two teams from the Los Angeles Jr. Kings organization.
They join the following teams who have also earned automatic bids to USAH Nationals:
Shattuck-St. Mary’s (Minnesota)
Los Angeles Jr. Kings (Pacific)
Neponset Valley River Rats (Massachusetts)
Shattuck-St. Mary’s (Minnesota)
Los Angeles Jr. Kings (Pacific)
Boston Little Bruins (Massachusetts)
Shattuck-St. Mary’s (Minnesota)
Anaheim Jr. Ducks (Pacific)
Boston Jr. Eagles (Massachusetts)
Shattuck-St. Mary’s (Minnesota)
Anaheim Jr. Ducks (Pacific)
The No. 25-ranked ‘08 team in the world, Los Angeles Jr. Kings displayed their talent and depth with a 5-0-0 showing among fellow 2008-born teams. Outscoring opponents in the round-robin stage by a combined 13-2, they continued their torrid pace by besting the California Wave and Team Alaska to cement their championship.
The high-flying trio of Brendan Russell, Tyus Sparks and Noah Davidson were standouts. Each collected eight points for the Jr. Kings, with Sparks and Davidson doing most of their damage in the semifinal and championship games.
The ‘07 Los Angeles Jr. Kings made quick work of a four-game schedule that saw them best teams such as the San Jose Jr. Sharks, California Golden Bears and Las Vegas Jr. Golden Knights. Luke Norcross led all players with four goals and seven points, tallying three of them on the power play. Additionally, 11 players totaled at least two points across four games. Norcross would also finish first among all players in the division in points.
However, special teams — especially the penalty kill — is where the team really had their time to shine. Killing off 13 of 15 penalties, the penalty killing unit was also able to collect a shorthanded goal as well. On the man advantage, the Jr. Kings found the back of the net four times across 15 opportunities. Seven players recorded at least one power-play point, with Norcross leading the charge with three (2G, 1A).
The power play unit would also secure the team the division championship. In the final game against the Jr. Sharks, the score was knotted at 1-1 in the third period. With Griffin Brown in the box for interference, Timofei Runtso finished off a passing play with Benjamin Kaven to put the Jr. Kings up 2-1 with 8:48 left. The tally would stand as the game-winning goal, as the Jr. Sharks were unable to find the equalizer for the remainder of regulation.
A fitting ending for the No. 7 ranked team in the country.
One team separated themselves from the other 2006-born teams at the Pacific District playoffs. It was the Anaheim Jr. Ducks.
After the round-robin stage of games, the top five scorers all hailed from the Jr. Ducks, with Tanner Hendricks topping the list with eight points. He would add three more points in the semifinal and championship games to push his point total to 11 (3G, 8A). Closely behind him were Ty Ziadi (3G, 7A) and Colin Frank (5G, 4A).
When a team’s penalty kill is better than others power play, odds are that the club is destined for good things. That is what happened with the Jr. Ducks and their run to the 16U division championship. While scoring one power-play goal, they flipped the script on the penalty kill by notching four short-handed goals. Three of which came in their opening game against the Las Vegas Jr. Golden Knights.
In the title tilt, they faced off against the Junior Ice Dogs, who they defeated in the round-robin stage by a 3-2 final. The second time around, things would not be as close. Frank and teammate Brendan Dunphy each recorded multi-point performances en route to a 4-0 victory. Goaltender Jack Kavetsky also stopped the 22 shots he faced as well.
After a rocky round-robin performance that saw them go 1-0-2, the Anaheim Jr. Ducks rallied in their semifinal and championship appearances to take the 18U division title.
Opening their schedule with a large win against the Las Vegas Jr. Golden Knights, it seemed as if the road to the championship game might be a cakewalk for the Jr. Ducks. However, they proceeded to drop consecutive games in overtime and a shootout. The pendulum quickly shifted to a potentially early exit instead.
They bounced back with a 4-2 win against Team Alaska to put the Jr. Ducks into the finale against the San Jose Jr. Sharks. There, they took a 1-0 lead into the third period before the offense really picked up.
Each side would strike twice in the final frame, with Makar Klochkov notching a goal and an assist. Owen Crudale backstopped his squad with 34 saves to help the Jr. Ducks nab their second district trophy of the weekend.
USA Hockey District playoffs will continue over the next two weeks. Michigan, Mid-American, 14U Massachusetts and Atlantic qualifiers will take place this week. WHH will have continued coverage of each of the 12 USA Hockey District playoffs, as well as Nationals next month!
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Each week, World Hockey Hub highlights a few of the most exciting upcoming games in youth hockey. We have some early matchups this week. Atlant Mytishchi and Spartak Moscow kick things off with an ‘09 Top-10 tilt on Monday. Toronto Marlboros and Toronto Jr. Canadiens tangle in a premier matchup between 2007s in Canada on Tuesday. The week concludes with TPS dropping the puck in an ‘08 meeting with Tappara Sininen on Saturday.
No. 1 Toronto Marlboros (54-10-0) have been one of the best 2007-born teams all season long. It is rare that they have an off night, let alone multiple ones against one particular team. The No. 10 Toronto Jr. Canadiens (42-11-4), however, have figured out a way to best the Marlboros twice this season.
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| Tuesday, February 28 @ 8:15 PM EST Herbert Carnegie Centre |
With each side in full control of all aspects of their game, this one is shaping up to be a true heavyweight battle. There must be something in the water in Toronto, because the Jr. Canadiens and Marlboros can seemingly score at will. With goal differentials of plus-226 for the Marlboros and plus-122 for the Jr. Canadiens, it’s clear goals won’t be hard to come by.
The Marlboros will be out to prove that they deserve their No. 1 status, but another loss to the Jr. Canadiens could certainly place some doubt in fans’ minds. A third win for the Jr. Canadiens would be a very nice listing on their resume and may even have World Rankings implications further down the road.
Pete’s Pick: Probably the most even matchup out of the games we’ve highlighted this week, and it honestly could go either way. I think the Jr. Canadiens will put up a heck of a fight, but the added motivation from the Marlboros to not drop another decision to their fellow Toronto foe gives them the 4-3 win.
Craig’s Pick: The Marlies’ William Moore, Matheas Stark and Jaeden Nelson, and Jr. Canadiens Nico Addy will have to shift gears quickly. Saturday, they were teammates for Team Ontario at the 2023 Canada Winter Games. Just three days later, they’re opponents in Greater Toronto Hockey League (GTHL) play. Makes for an interesting dynamic in the fourth matchup of the season. I give the Marlies a significant edge, 5-2 to tie the season series two wins apiece.
No. 10 Atlant Mytishchi (22-11-1) will look to even up its season series against No. 4 Spartak Moscow (28-6-2) in the final regular season meeting on Monday. Each 2009-born club has alternated wins since the first game back on Oct. 2.
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| Monday, February 27 |
Atlant had no answer for Spartak in a 7-1 defeat in its most recent outing on Christmas Day. With plenty of time to regroup after that loss, they have since gone 13-4-1. Recently, however, they had a five-game win streak snapped at the hands of No. 3 CSKA Moscow. Spartak had their own five-game winning streak ended over the weekend as well with a 3-2 overtime loss to CSKA.
Leading them into this tilt will be Artemy Laskavy (35G, 45A) and Gleb Zhukov (25G, 34A). In the three prior contests, Zhukov has tallied three goals and four points with Laskavy also adding one goal. Spartak will counter with Dmitry Pavlov (22G, 20A) and Daniil Savin (17G, 25A). Perhaps most impressive is that in the series, Pavlov and Savin have been held in check by Atlant, with most of the offense coming from other areas of the lineup. The two top scorers for Spartak have only recorded a combined five points.
Pete’s Pick: If the three previous games have shown anything, it’s that even when Spartak’s top players aren’t producing, they have the depth to more than make up for it. For that reason alone they come out on top in this one, 5-2.
Craig’s Pick: Savin has 17 points in his last 10 games, and Pavlov has 15 in his last nine. If they’ve been held in check in previous meetings, I don’t see it happening this week. Spartak’s tandem is playing well heading down the stretch, and I think they run away with this one, 5-2 as well.
In yet another rematch this week, No. 5 TPS (25-8-1) will look for revenge against No. 3 Tappara Sininen (25-4-5) in a Top-10 clash of ’08 Finnish teams.
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| Saturday, March 4 |
The last time these sides laced up the skates against one another on Feb. 4, it was a long night for TPS and goaltender Sisu Timonen in a 5-1 loss. Timonen did his best in the crease, turning aside 41 shots. Surprisingly, the dynamic duo of Petteri Sakki and Miko Vatjus were not the main names on the scoresheet for Tappara. Those honors went to Benjamin Lehtinen and Oliver Raimovaara, who notched three and two points, respectively.
Despite limiting their damage, TPS will have to be wary of Vatjus (8G, 15A) and Sakki (10G, 12A), as both top the scorers list for the group. In order to combat that production, Paavo Fugleberg (11G, 9A) and Miro Aaltonen (11G, 4A) will do their best to get some pucks past Tappara’s defense. A more concentrated team effort in front of whoever tends the net for TPS will help as well.
Pete’s Pick: TPS will have to be much tighter as a unit to have any chance of coming away with a victory here. They struggled with Tappara’s depth last game, and Timonen did all he could, facing nearly 50 shots. While I don’t think it’s as big a gap as 5-1, Tappara takes another win here, 4-2. Special teams will be crucial, but watch out for Sakki and Vatjus. They have three shorthanded goals to their credit already.
Craig’s Pick: If giving up 46 shots was a rarity, I’d chalk it up as an anomaly for TPS. However, they’ve been outshot — and surrendering 30-plus in most games — in six of their last nine contests. You give a team like Tappara that many cracks at the net and they’re bound to make you pay. Petteri Saki, Miko Vatjus and company roll again for Tappara 5-1.
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The Tier-1 Elite Hockey League (T1EHL) held its annual playoffs at Schwan Super Rink in Blaine, Minnesota from Feb. 17-20. Teams from the 2006, 2007 and 2008 birth years were in attendance to battle it out for division supremacy. First, league members competed in three pool-play games. After that, four teams advanced to the semifinals, and then championship games of their respective age groups.
No. 25 Los Angeles Jr. Kings were feeling confident in their play heading into the league playoffs. Fresh off a newly appointed position in the World Rankings, they hoped to continue to make some noise against their fellow U14 T1EHL teams. They made quick work of their first three opponents of the weekend, outscoring the Washington Little Capitals, Cleveland Barons and Nashville Jr. Predators by a combined 19-5 total. That 3-0-0 run set up a semifinals clash with the Sioux Falls Power.
Tyus Sparks and Noah Davidson, the two leading point getters for the Jr. Kings continued their playoff dominance in that game. With Davidson tallying three points and Sparks nabbing two of his own, the L.A. defeated Sioux Falls 5-2 to reach the championship. Across five playoff games, Sparks and Davidson each collected 12 points.
The final hurdle for Los Angeles was No. 23 Dallas Stars Elite. Entering the game with extra motivation, the Jr. Kings were bested by Dallas, 3-2 back on Nov. 12. Winning all four games on their schedule, the stage was set for an exciting winner-take-all tilt. Each club would find the back of the net in the first period before the Jr. Kings pulled away in the second. Tallies by Sparks, Sean Burick and Karsten Hirasawa gave their squad a commanding 4-1 lead heading into the final frame.
But Dallas was not going to go away quietly.
Jeff Turcotte led LA Jr. Kings 14U AAA team won the Tier 1 Elite League Championship in Blaine, Minnesota with a 5-3 win over the Dallas Stars. Congratulations! pic.twitter.com/XD2KQ273n7
— LA Jr. Kings (@JrKingsHockey) February 21, 2023
After two scores by Landon Amrhein and Dennis Emesibe, the Jr. Kings suddenly found their lead dwindle to just one goal. DSE proceeded to throw everything but the kitchen sink at the L.A. net, but were unable to find the equalizer. Then, Jake Brown cemented the 5-3 victory with a late shorthanded goal.
Now winners of their past nine and a fresh division championship to their name, it will be exciting to see what this Jr. Kings group does with the rest of their season.
Heading into the postseason portion of its season, Victory Honda had suffered tough defeats at the hands of two premier U.S. teams. Dropping consecutive decisions to No. 1 Little Caesars and No. 10 Compuware, VH was in search of a spark to get back into the win column. They not only found that spark but caught fire as they rolled their way to a league championship among fellow 2007-born programs.
After taking down the Milwaukee Jr. Admirals 6-1, it seemed that Victory Honda got its mojo back by rattling off two more wins to reach the semifinal round. A narrow 5-4 win over Fox Motors put VH into the title game against the Buffalo Jr. Sabres. There was some familiarity between the two teams, as they split two games during the regular season. With the score knotted at 1-1 entering the third period, the heroics of Mike Zielinski arrived just in time. He found the back of the net twice about three minutes apart to give VH some breathing room. Two more late tallies would secure the 5-1 final.
What became apparent over their run was that VH had depth that most clubs in the league lacked. Led by Luc Plante’s five goals and seven points, by the end of the weekend, 11 players had two or more points. Plante was also a menace on special teams, notching two power-play goals and a shorthanded one as well.
We have had Cullen Potter and the 2006-born Dallas Stars Elite on our radar all season long. They have shown they are capable of skating with the top-tier clubs of their birth year and can pretty much play in any game situation.
Alexander Dicker got his playoff stretch off on the right foot by backstopping Stars Elite to a 5-0 win over the Colorado Rampage. Connor Addington would take over net-minding duties in their next contest against the Jr. Admirals, a 7-1 victory. In that win, the Dallas blue line showed its strength as well, allowing only 12 shots on net. In fact, across three pool-play matchups, DSE did not give up more than 19 shots on goal in any game.
Potter collected the only hat trick of the playoffs in a come-from-behind 4-2 win against the Anaheim Jr. Ducks. Despite peppering Addington with 31 shots, the Phoenix Jr. Coyotes were unable to get more than one goal past him in a 3-1 defeat, allowing Stars Elite to move on to the title game.
Dallas Stars Elite Hockey Club…16U Tier 1 Elite Hockey League Champions!!!
— Dallas Stars Elite (@DSEHC) February 20, 2023
Congratulations to all the coaches and players!#gostarselite #elitedna #GreenHelmets #t1ehlplayoffs2023 pic.twitter.com/4Aim4ljolZ
Ready to drop the puck against them were the Cleveland Barons, and fans certainly got their money’s worth in this one. After falling into a 2-0 hole in the first period, Jackson Crowder injected some life into the Dallas lineup by cutting into the deficit. Landon Watson responded for the Barons, reinstating the two-goal lead. Shortly after, Potter deposited a sweet pass from Carter Murphy to make it a 3-2 score with his team-leading 10th point of the playoffs. Sent to a late power play, Caleb Mahar tied it up in regulation to send it to overtime.
Both sides traded chances once the extra frame began, but it was Landon Hafele with the late-game heroics for DSE. With 3:43 left in overtime, Hafele notched his first goal of the playoffs, beating Gino Texter to cement the Stars Elite’s championship.
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Each week, World Hockey Hub highlights a few of the most exciting upcoming games in youth hockey. It’s a full slate of games to keep an eye on this week. Djurgardens IF and AIK Hockey kick things off with an ‘08 Top-10 tilt on Wednesday. CSKA Moscow and Vityaz Podolsk tangle in a premier matchup between 2011s in Russia on Thursday. Then, we head North of the border for an ‘09 clash between Don Mills Flyers and Toronto Red Wings. The week concludes with Shattuck-St. Mary’s dropping the puck in an ‘07 meeting with Little Caesars on Saturday.
In the three times that No 2. Little Caesars (61-6-2) has faced off with No. 17 Shattuck-St. Mary’s (29-16-4) this season, they have been victorious. With one final game remaining in their season series, Shattuck looks to finally solve a club that has been a thorn in their side.
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| Saturday, February 26 @ 2 PM EST Belfor Arena |
In those three previous contests, Caesars outscored Shattuck 15-4. Despite the solid seasons of their top point getters, Shattuck’s inability to shut down the explosive attack of Caesars has been a big factor. Their blue line and goalies should prepare for another long night of wave after wave of offense. As a result, players like Aaron Obobaifo (34G, 21A) and Gavin Katz (28G, 23A) will have to do the heavy lifting for Shattuck in this one.
Pete’s Pick: I’d like to give Shattuck more credit here, but I think the depth of Caesars is just too much for them to overcome. With the first three games coming in Shattuck’s own barn, now they are heading on the road. Trying to take down one of the best teams in not only their birth year, but youth hockey this season won’t be easy. Caesars sweeps the season series with a 5-1 win.
Craig’s Pick: Caesars has not been at its best lately. If ever there was a time for Shattuck to catch ‘em, it’s now. However, I think even on an off night, Little Caesars’ good is better than most everyone else’s best. Will Horcoff, Aiden Janz and Little Caesars in a close one, 4-2.
No. 9 AIK Hockey (20-11-3) will lace up the skates against No. 2 Djurgårdens IF (29-14-10) on Wednesday. They also will not be quick to forget how they lost a 2-0 lead in the last meeting between these two squads in an eventual 3-2 loss.
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| Wednesday, February 22 Mälarhöjdens Ishall |
Back on Jan. 11, it seemed as though AIK was well on its way to a victory. However, a shorthanded goal from Nick Travergård would cut the lead in half, things were quickly tied up about three minutes later. Sebastian Von Berens would net the winning goal with minutes left in regulation to give Djurgårdens the comeback victory.
Travergård, the leading scorer on DIF with 12 goals and 24 points, will lead his squad into this matchup. Just behind him in overall group scoring is AIK’s Filip Nyberg with 11 goals and 22 points. In the meeting in January, Nyberg notched a goal and assist. Given how things played out last time these two shared a sheet of ice, special teams will be crucial.
Pete’s Pick: AIK proved they could skate with a team like Djurgårdens last time out, they just ran out of gas. A near-perfect game is needed to beat a team of Djurgårdens caliber. I believe they learned a hard lesson last time out, and will get a victory back in this one, 4-3.
Craig’s Pick: Last time out, I think it just took DIF a little while to get going. Clearly, once they did, AIK couldn’t keep up with the three unanswered goals. I like Djurgårdens to get out to a better start in this one, play with a lead, and hang onto it. DIF over AIK 4-2.
It has been quite some time since No. 7 CSKA Moscow (25-12-2) and No. 8 Vityaz Podolsk (27-6-1) have seen one another in competitive play. They will reignite their season series on Thursday before ending their 2022-23 schedules against one another in April.
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| Thursday, February 23 |
Alexei Katsuro (17G, 19A) and Darius Malyshev (24G, 25A), leaders in scoring for CSKA, only accounted for one point in the previous 4-1 loss to Vityaz. Mikhail Maltsev (47G, 44A), Petr Bedretdinov (35G, 35A) and Kirill Rodionov (36G, 33A) form the formidable trio for Vityaz. Rodionov collected four points, along with a natural hat trick against CSKA back in that April contest. Maltsev added two helpers as well.
It’s an intriguing game, as Vityaz has been the hotter team as of late but CSKA has the skill to skate with any fellow Top-10 team in Russia. Ultimately, whichever team has their top players going in this one will be coming out on top.
Pete’s Pick: I like Vityaz’s stretch of play over the past few weeks. They have been beating the teams they need to beat with little issue. CSKA has collected the wins, but some games make me wonder if they at times play up or down to their opponent. I think Vityaz skates away with the win here, 3-2.
Craig’s Pick: Much of Vityaz’ success in the last meeting stemmed from keeping CSKA’s top scorers at bay. That’s a tough task to achieve twice, and I don’t think Katsuro and Malyshev can be contained to just one point a second time. They open up the offense, and CSKA gets the 5-2 win.
No. 1 Don Mills Flyers (47-5-4) and No. 23 Toronto Red Wings (37-11-5) will meet on Friday in the third game of their season series. Don Mills won the first contest, 3-1 with the second game ending in a 3-3 tie on Jan. 6.
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| Friday, February 24 @ 8:50 PM EST Chesswood 2 |
Each club enters this contest winners of six straight, so you would be hard pressed to find another game where both teams are coming in with this much confidence. Toronto knowingly is heading into this matchup with the feeling that they have a large task ahead of them. But, given how close the previous matchups have been, it should give them some added confidence that they can pull out a win.
Pete’s Pick: Toronto can surprise in this matchup, but I think Don Mills has a bit more depth. Sometimes it can take a bounce here or there, yet just feels like Toronto would need a good amount of those. It’s another close one, with Don Mills taking a 3-2 final.
Craig’s Pick: I like DMF too. This will be a very competitive, exciting game with plenty of back and forth, I don’t doubt that. I just think when the dust settles, it’s Don Mills standing victorious, 3-2.
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All-star youth hockey teams from 13 Canadian provinces and territories will compete in the 29th edition of the Canada Winter Games. A national event that has taken place every other year since 1967 features some of the best young athletes Canada has to offer.
The 2023 Canada Winter Games will be hosted in Prince Edward Island, where more than 3,600 athletes will compete in 20 different sports. Hockey is set to begin on Sunday, with the championship game concluding on February 25th.
Thirteen provinces and territories were divided into three pools; two pools of four teams and one pool of five teams. Manitoba, New Brunswick, Quebec and Saskatchewan make up Pool A. Alberta, British Columbia, Nova Scotia and Ontario will compete in Pool B. The final group, Pool C, consists of Newfoundland and Labrador, Northwest Territories, Nunavut, host Prince Edward Island and Yukon Territories.
There was no tournament in 2021, likely due to circumstances around COVID-19 at the time. So you’ve got to go back to 2019, where Quebec defeated Ontario for national supremacy. That tournament featured the best 2003-born youth hockey players in the country, and more than 50 that went on to be drafted into the NHL.
Now, the ‘07s enter the spotlight, and names like Caleb Desnoyers, Philippe Veilleux and Shawn Carrier will look to repeat as champions for Quebec. All three are playing U18 hockey this season, and Desnoyers has scored 23 goals and 53 points in 42 games for Saint-Hyacinthe Gaulois. Veilleux and Carrier are near point-per-game forwards for College Charles-Lemoyne and Trois-Rivieres respectively.
Saskatchewan may present the biggest obstacle in their way for pool play.
All but two players on Saskatchewan’s roster were selected last April in the 2022 WHL Draft. Top-5 picks Cole Reschny and Reese Hamilton will be a terrific tandem, and quite frankly, one of the best duos at the Canada Winter Games. Reschny and Hamilton are teammates on the U18 Saskatoon Blazers, where they’ve combined to score 96 points this season. Saskatoon is in first place in the Saskatchewan Major AAA Hockey League (SMAAHL) and sends seven players, including Reschny, Hamilton and Lee Shurgot from its club to represent the province at the Canada Winter Games.
Manitoba and New Brunswick round out the four-team field in Pool A. Every player on Manitoba’s roster was selected in last spring’s WHL Draft, headlined by the No. 5 and No. 6 overall picks, Cole Temple and Peyton Kettles. At 6-foot-5, Kettles is literally the biggest athlete on the ice at the Canada Winter Games. The big-bodied defenseman has two goals and 16 points in 22 games for RINK Hockey Winnipeg this season.
The province has never finished higher than sixth in the Canada Winter Games, but Noah Collette and Liam Kilfoil will look to reach new heights with New Brunswick. Colette is a top prospect in the upcoming 2023 QMJHL Draft. Kilfoil, on the other hand, has played the last two seasons in the United States. Most notably, Kilfoil scored 59 goals and 154 points in 75 games for Mount St. Charles last season.
PREDICTION FOR POOL PLAY:
No province has won gold in the Canada Winter Games more than Ontario. It has played in the championship game seven of the last 13 tournaments, and won gold twice in the last four.
They come loaded with highly-touted prospects like Ryan Roobroeck, William Moore, Matt Schaefer and Brady Martin. Roobroeck plays for the No. 4-ranked London Jr. Knights and Moore skates on the top-ranked Toronto Marlboros. Roobroeck has scored 58 goals and 90 points in 32 games in the ALLIANCE Hockey League.
Additionally, both Ontario goaltenders have had strong seasons. Jaeden Nelson is teammates with Moore on the No. 1 Marlies squad, while Jack Ivankovic has ben the guy for No. 10 Mississauga Senators.
With Alberta and British Columbia also in the mix, Pool B feels like the toughest of the three groups.
All but one player on Alberta’s roster was selected in the 2022 WHL Draft. Second overall pick Jackson Smith, Braeden Cootes and Nathan Behm are among ones to watch. Both Cootes and Behm are among the top 20 in scoring in the Alberta Elite Hockey League (AEHL) this season. Smith is also a standout defenseman for U18 Edge School. He’ll be joined by fellow teammates Hayden Harsanyi and Cash Koch at the Canada Winter Games.
British Columbia is a similar story. Its squad is headlined by standouts from the Canadian Sport School Hockey League (CSSHL). Forwards Hudson Kibblewhite, Chase Harrington, Jakob Oreskovic and defenseman Will Sharpe are among the leading scorers in the league back home for their respective teams. Not to mention Vancouver Giants first-round pick Cameron Schmidt at forward as well.
Nova Scotia wraps up Pool B, and it will have its hands full. A trio of 2023 QMJHL Draft prospects will look to keep pace with a competitive field. Cole Chandler, Owen Conrad and Lane Sim are all considered top talents in Eastern Canada. Chandler, most notably, has amass 50 points for Steele Subaru this season.
PREDICTION FOR POOL PLAY:
Only two teams from Pool C advance to the playoff rounds. Both will compete in a play-in matchup against the No. 4 seed from both Pool A and B.
Yukon Territories has one big reason why it could survive pool play and make a playoff push. It’s 5-foot-11 forward Gavin McKenna, who was the first overall pick in the 2022 WHL Draft last spring. He is an exceptional talent, and maybe one of the best prospects at the Canada Winter Games. McKenna played 11 games in the WHL this season and tallied eight assists during that stretch. He spent the rest of the ‘22-23 season with U18 South Alberta Hockey Academy, where McKenna is the team’s leading scorer with 73 points in 25 games.
Host Prince Edward Island hasn’t finished higher than fourth in the tournament, and that was back in 1979. In the last five Canada Winter Games, PEI has finished ninth three times and 10th twice. Jackson Batchilder and Carson MacKenzie will look to benefit from some home cooking from the host province. They also have a trio of underagers in 2008-born Carson Murnaghan, Derek Andrews and Ayden Mackay-Gallant. Mackay-Gallant, most notably, has scored 43 goals and 74 points in 30 games this season for U15 Prince County Warriors.
PREDICTION FOR POOL PLAY:
World Hockey Hub will have continued coverage of the 2023 Canada Winter Games. Be sure to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, Discord and YouTube for the latest news, top performers and more!
Last weekend, the Northeast Pack Hockey League held its playoffs for teams in the 2006, 2007 and 2008 birth years. There were a fair share of surprises and upsets over the course of three exciting days at the Northford Ice Pavilion. No team that ended the regular season in first place went on to finish as champions.
Let’s take a look at how things shook out when all the dust settled…
When the NE Pack regular season wrapped up on Jan. 22, No. 18 New Jersey Rockets were sitting in second among 2006-born teams. An opportunity to make some noise once the playoffs rolled around, but they would have to continue clawing their way through a packed field. This division housed juggernauts such as No. 3 Long Island Gulls, No. 11 Bishop Kearney Selects, No. 21 Pittsburgh Penguins Elite and No. 20 Mount St. Charles.
New Jersey handled business in their first two round-robin matchups, dispatching Mount St. Charles and Pens Elite, 5-3 and 6-4, respectively. After the play-in game, they were tasked once again to take on Pens Elite in the semifinals. Emerging as the victor once more, their lone challenge left was in the form of BK Selects for the championship. A team they had moderate success against in the regular season with a 4-2-0 record.
It would prove to be their toughest game of the postseason. Goals and chances were traded for the duration of regulation before things would end 4-4. With no winner coming in overtime, the game was settled in a shootout, where the Rockets prevailed 5-4 and secured the division.
@RocketsHC are your 2023 NE Pack 16U Champions pic.twitter.com/gcpRRPI6cv
— NE Pack Hockey (@nepackhockey) February 12, 2023
The 2007-born division also had its fair share of Top-10 U.S. teams from the World Rankings. No. 5 Long Island Gulls kicked off their run with a 4-3 win over the New Jersey Rockets. After securing a spot in the semifinals with a 4-2 victory against the No. 6 Mount St. Charles, the two sides were slated for a rematch in the semifinals. Despite Mount’s best efforts, it was a familiar script with the Gulls skating to a 5-3 victory.
The road for No. 8 Pittsburgh Penguins Elite to get to the championship game was not an easy one. After suffering an opening loss to Mount, they would need to rebound in their next game, or run the risk of having their playoff hopes dashed quite early.
And rebound they did, taking No. 9 Mid-Fairfield Jr. Rangers to task in a 6-2 win. With confidence restored, they took their next game against No. 2 Bishop Kearney Selects, setting the stage for a meeting against Long Island. It was also a chance at redemption for PPE, who went just 1-2-1 against the Gulls in the season series.
Despite the fireworks both clubs endured in their previous games, it was a rather subdued final. The Gulls clamped things down on defense in a tight 2-1 final.
@LIGullsHockey are your 2023 NE Pack 15O Champions pic.twitter.com/3ehU8zF1Sg
— NE Pack Hockey (@nepackhockey) February 12, 2023
When the regular season ended, the two teams that stood atop the division table were the Bishop Kearney Selects and Mount St. Charles. It was no surprise then to see both squads in the championship game for 2008-born NE Pack teams.
Ranked No. 4 and No. 9 in the U.S. rankings, both BK and Mount had undefeated runs en route to their title tilt. For Bishop Kearney, the likes of No. 3 Pittsburgh Penguins Elite, Mid-Fairfield Jr. Rangers and Long Island Gulls were no match for them. Mount St. Charles had to take care of the New Jersey Rockets and, coincidentally, the Gulls and Penguins as well.
With a 3-1-1 record against BK in the regular season, Mount knew it had the skill to emerge as champions with a concentrated team effort. Their depth was on full display as they cruised to a 7-2 victory for the title.
@RISaintMsHockey are your 2023 NE Pack 14U Champions pic.twitter.com/F4BtCXmgT3
— NE Pack Hockey (@nepackhockey) February 12, 2023
Check out the video below for some of the best goals from this division.
This weeks LiveBarn Top 5 features goals from the 14U @nepackhockey Tournament! Check them out! pic.twitter.com/wgPtwV4Egv
— LiveBarn (@LiveBarn) February 15, 2023
There was also a playoff round held for 18U teams of the Long Island Gulls, Mount St. Charles, Penguins Elite, BK Selects and New Jersey Rockets. The lone club standing at the end of it all was the PPE, who defeated the Rockets 6-1 in the final.
@PghPensElite are your 2023 NE Pack 18U Champions pic.twitter.com/zfSY9FYLA5
— NE Pack Hockey (@nepackhockey) February 12, 2023
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