Team depth is always a vital component of determining success during the course of a season. The ability of a club to rely on more than one or two players to produce allows for better flow and chemistry amongst the roster to develop naturally.
No team showed more depth at the 2022 Maxi Nacka Cup for 2009-born teams than Södertälje SK. The club boasted four of the top five scorers in the tournament, and it is from this immense spread of wealth that Södertälje was able to come home with a silver medal.
In their first game of the tournament, Nahuel Valdebenito used his strong hockey sense and quick hands to supply all the goals Södertälje would need in a 2-0 win against Värdmö HC.
Winston Ilmarsson — whose 11 points (4G, 7A) not only led Södertälje but were tops among all players at the games — was a constant threat to make something happen offensively every time he stepped onto the ice.
Despite this, Ilmarsson didn’t find the scoresheet until the team’s second game against Lidingö. He more than made up for it with the first two goals of the matchup and added an assist later.
In the following game — a 6-0 rout of Lidingö — Valdebenito did not record a single point. Insert Willie Asplund, who netted his first goal of the weekend only to end up tied with two other players at the tournament in total points with six (2G, 4A). Ilmarsson again added two tallies of his own as well.
In the team’s next victory, a second straight shutout this time against SDE, Neo Reimdal joined the fray in bolstering his offensive numbers with two goals, one assisted by Ilmarsson and the other by Valdebenito. Reimdal would find himself tied for third in points with Lidingö’s Wilhelm Andersson Jöhnk at tournament’s end with seven (4G, 3A).
In an 8-2 drubbing of Boo HC, Södertälje’s squad fully had their skating legs under them and it was evident from puck drop how comfortable the group was playing.
Out of the club’s eight goals, Ilmarsson, Asplund, Reimdal and Valdebenito all had a hand in six of them in some way. Boo was no match for the incredible chemistry on display from Södertälje’s top attackers.
Asplund fed Valdebenito with a fantastic pass to tie things up 1-1 in the first period of their first playoff game against Västerås. Wanting to add to his goal total, Asplund finished off a pretty passing play between Reimdal and Ilmarsson to give Södertälje a 2-1 lead five minutes later in an eventual 4-1 win.
What became evident as the tournament progressed was the incredible ability for Södertälje to work as a cohesive unit. If one player was shut down, another was ready to step in his place and produce results.
If anything, they entered their club in the mix of ‘09 teams to be reckoned with this season in Sweden.
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Last weekend, ten teams at the 2009 birth year clashed at the Björknäs Ice Hall in Nacka, Sweden, as they battled one another at the 2022 Maxi Nacka Cup.
The tournament was designed to split the clubs into two groups of five, totaling a number of four games per team in the group stage. Games consisted of two, 15-minute periods, ending in a tie if necessary. Brinkens IF was placed into Group B, along with Västerås, Viggbyholms IK, Huddinge IK and Almtuna IS.
Brinkens opened group play with a 4-0 shutout of Västerås. Forward Leonard Torgner’s hot stick would help him find the back of the net three times, with Erik Sevallius adding the team’s fourth of the game. While not the busiest night in net, goaltender Arvid Carlgren turned aside all 11 shots he faced, helping Brinkens off to a perfect start.
Next up was Almtuna, who was handled by Brinkens in a 5-2 win. Sevallius’ dynamic offensive ability was on display yet again, as he struck twine four times. Oskar Mivell’s ability to find players in open ice largely contributed to the victory, as he connected with Sevallius on three of his four tallies. Assisted by a strong defensive effort, goaltender Sebastian Rosenberg only faced 10 shots, turning aside eight.
Viggbyholms, coming off a 6-3 loss to Västerås in their third game, was next up for Brinkens. After a first period that would end with Brinkens up 2-1, two quick goals by Carl de Wall and Anton Roos Olsen put Viggbyholms on top 3-2 in the second period. But with just about four minutes left in the game, Torgner would play the hero yet again for Brinkens to tie the game 3-3, which is where things would eventually stand.
Brinkens would follow that tie up with a 1-0 shutout of Huddinge, with Torgner’s goal-scoring prowess providing the only offense needed and Rosenberg’s perfect game between the pipes.
After going 3-0-1 in group play, the first playoff test for Brinkens was Värmdö HC, who also went 3-0-1 in Group A. With both teams showing high offensive ability and tight defense, it appeared as if this game would be an even match of skill.
However, Värmdö was unable to corral the dynamic forwards of Brinkens which ultimately resulted in a 7-2 loss. It was a complete team effort for Brinkens, as they peppered the opposing goalie John Kaarle with 26 shots. Värmdö managed to get their scoring chances, but could not finish most of them as a result of the tight-checking defense and solid performance of Rosenberg yet again.
The gold medal match was set between Brinkens and Group A leader Södertälje SK, who came into the championship game with an undefeated 5-0-0 record, dispatching both Group A opponents and playoff foes with ease.
An eye-popping stat alone, they only allowed two goals against during the entire group stage. The only team to score on them was Boo HC, and prior to that they shut out Värmdö, Lindingö and SDE. A large result of that was Södertälje’s top goalie tandem of Vilmer Salén Forsberg and Jonatan Duse, who combined to only let five goals in across all appearances.
At 10:11 of the first period, Nahuel Valdebenito opened the scoring, with assists from Wille Asplund and Winston Ilmarsson. Just over a minute later, Jack Lundvall would tie it 1-1.
Brinkens would waste no time gaining the lead in the second period. Just 26 seconds after action had begun, William Arbin rocketed a shot past Forsberg for a 2-1 lead.
Up to that point in the tournament, Forsberg had been the goalie for Södertälje in three of their five wins, splitting time with Duse in the 4-0 victory over SDE. In those appearances, Forsberg only let in one goal.
Supplied with their own set of stellar goalies, Brinkens would deploy both Rosenberg and Arvid Carlgren in the gold medal game, who combined to stop 13 shots.
Torgner would tally his tournament-leading ninth goal in the waning stages of the period to secure the win for Brinkens.
Ilmarsson would end the Nacka Cup as the leading point-getter with 11 points (4G, 7A), followed by Torgner (9G) and fellow teammate Valdebenito (6G, 3A) with nine points.
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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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With the tournament season well underway in Sweden for the 2009 birth year, teams have been kicking off their 2022-23 campaigns against some tough competition right out of the gate.
And the lineup at the 2022 Farsta Games saw a majority of these top teams in action.
Five of the Top 10 teams in Sweden in our preseason rankings for ’09 birth year took to the ice at the Farsta Games, with AIK second-place finish and a 4-2-1 record on the weekend.
AIK opened their tournament with 3-0 and 5-2 wins against Nacka HK and IFK Täby HC, respectively. They then followed up their decent start by being shut out by Tyresö Hanviken Hockey 3-0.
They would regroup from that loss by serving up a shutout of their own; a 3-0 victory against Huddinge Hockey.
Next up on their schedule was a heavyweight bout with Brinkens IF, the eventual tournament champion and current No. 1 in Sweden in the preseason rankings. Ocean Warsi would open the scoring for AIK a little over three minutes into the matchup. A few minutes later, Viggo Malmin — one of the premier offensive players for Brinkens during the tournament — found the back of the net to tie things at 1-1.
Anton Persson would give AIK the lead right back towards the middle of the opening period, when he cashed in on a pass from Joel Johnsson for a 2-1 lead.
After a scoreless start to the second period, Malmin would tally his second goal of the game to even things up again at 7:38. That would be all for both squads as the contest would end in a 2-2 tie.
AIK would take out their frustrations over the tie in their next outing against host FOC Farsta Ishockeyförening, peppering them with goal after goal en route to a 8-1 victory. The squad’s depth was evident in the win, as they had four players record at least two points.
The stage was set for a rematch between Brinkens and AIK, but this time it was no close contest as AIK’s potent offense and stout defense were nowhere to be found in a lopsided 6-2 loss. Malmin once again was a standout for Brinkens, netting two more goals to finish his tournament run with 11, leading led all players.
Persson and Johnsson would end the tournament as the top point-getters for AIK, each tallying nine points in the form of five goals and four assists.
AIK Falls in Bronze-Medal Game at Nordic Youth Trophy
The following weekend, AIK was back in action as one of the 48 teams in attendance at the 2022 Nordic Youth Trophy in Värmland County, Sweden.
After being split into eight divisions of six teams, each ’09 club participated in a round-robin qualifying set of games against those in their division. Upon finishing the qualifiers, the field was divided even further into four playoff groups of A, B, C, and D.
AIK was placed in Group F for the qualifying round along with Nacka HK Vit, Hällefors IK/Filipstads IF, Lørenskog IK, Storhamar Hockey Gul, and Nor IK.
Day 1 of the tournament would see AIK start things off with a 4-2 victory over Nacka, followed by a 15-1 drubbing of Hällefors IK/Filipstads IF.
AIK would follow up their strong start by sweeping all three of their games during Day 2; a 7-0 win against Nor IK, a close-fought 6-5 win against Lørenskog, and a 16-0 rout of Storhamar.
By finishing the qualifying round atop Group F with a 5-0-0 record, AIK’s next opponent was Group C leader Djurgårdens IF in the quarterfinals for the A playoff group. In what would shape up to be a one-sided contest, AIK topped Djurgårdens and moved onto the the next round with a 7-0 victory.
Group F leader Flemingsbergs IK awaited in the semifinals, and AIK was quick to jump out to a 2-0 lead after 20 minutes of play thanks to goals from Persson and Lucas Sjöqvist.
However, Flemingbergs would come back for the second period with a renewed sense of urgency, striking for four unanswered goals in the span of just over 11 minutes to secure their 4-2 win.
Despite the loss, AIK had an opportunity to take home the Bronze Medal in their final game against Källered SK. Albin Lindström opened the scoring at 7:16 of the first period, before AIK’s Daniel Larsson found the back of the net nine seconds later to knot things up.
Sent to the power play at 11:41, Källered would strike on the man advantage at 11:54 to go up 2-1. With two more quick goals following that, they would end the period with a commanding 4-1 lead.
The second period would not fare any better for AIK, as they allowed four more goals to deepen their deficit. Despite two late tallies of their own, Källered would skate away with the bronze and an 8-3 win.
What didn’t help AIK was that its three leading scorers in Viking Simon (10G, 6A), Persson (10G, 4A) and Ernests Rullis (8G, 5A) could not match the firepower Källered presented at the other end of the ice.
A strong showing from AIK on consecutive weekends to open the season propelled them into the Top-10 rankings in the country, as well as the Top 25 in the world among 2009-born teams. Click HERE to see the full 2022-23 preseason rankings from all countries and birth years.
Want more coverage of the 2009 birth year as well as other age groups throughout youth hockey? Follow WHH on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok and YouTube for the latest news from around the world!
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.
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 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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A tournament that typically features 40-50 summer hockey teams, hosted just 14 teams over the course of two weeks in Sweden and France. While it was significantly downsized, the European Hockeyfest had a very intimate feel in 2022. A smaller field of teams provided participants with an exclusive experience both on and off the ice.
While this year’s lineup was a fraction of what we’ve typically come to expect from Hockeyfest, it still featured players from as many as six different countries. Sweden, Finland, Norway, Czech, Latvia, U.S. and Canada were all represented in the two host cities of Stockholm and Paris. The 2010 age group got the event started on July 22, while the ’09s and ’12s closed it down on July 30.
Here’s a look at the results from all three birth years:
Sweden SHD Light Blue prevailed 6-2 over Sweden SHD Blue in the final. It was a revenge game for the Light Blue squad, after Sweden SHD Blue handed them their lone loss on July 29 — a 3-1 final. Aside from that, the Light Blue squad took care of business over the week, winning a bunch of tight contests before running away with things in both the semifinals and finals.
They topped Finland SHD Blue 6-3 to start, before recording a 3-2 win over Norway Selects, a 1-0 win over Sweden SHD Blue, a 5-3 win over Finland SHD Blue and a 4-3 win over Norway Selects in preliminary-round play.
To earn another match with Sweden SHD Blue in the final, they topped Norway 6-2 in the semifinals.
The Light Blue squad did it with balanced scoring, as Ludvig Westman was the only player to have more than a point per game; he finished with seven points in six games in the prelims. Filip Leijonhielm had six points, while Samuel Barthelson and William Olofsson had five apiece.
Yury Rodichev and Andrii Pyl split time between the pipes en route to the championship.
A pair of Sweden Blue skaters led the tournament in scoring, as Oscar Wennberg had 12 points in six games, and Filip Wahlen had 10. Norway’s Isak Bjorland also cracked the top five in scoring, registering seven points in six games.
Carl Johnsson and Vilmer Salen-Forsberg were outstanding between the pipes for Sweden Blue, as well — Johnsson finished with a .938 save percentage, and Forsberg had a .914.
The Czech Knights Gold squad got a wake-up call when they lost in the first round of the playoffs. After posting a perfect 5-0 mark in the preliminary round, they dropped a 5-4 battle to Finland SHD, but luckily for the Knights, they got a chance for redemption in Round 2.
There, they blanked the same Finland squad 7-0, and in the finals, they continued to roll, beating the Sweden SHD team 10-0.
The dominating performances in their final two games certainly represented the Knights’ trip to Paris; aside from the aforementioned loss to Finland, they were unstoppable all week.
In the preliminary round, they out-scored the competition 40-3 in their five games, beating Draftday Canada 6-1, ALPS SHD 16-0, the Czech Knights Black squad 8-0, Sweden SHD 5-1 and Finland 5-1.
Six of the top seven scorers in preliminary-round play were members of the Czech Gold squad. Denis Dobias led the field in scoring with 14 points in five games, while Jakub Milanic had 13, Nicholas Novak had 12 and Sven Stalder had 11. The lone player outside of the Czech Knights Gold team to crack the top seven was still a Czech skater; Czech Knights Black’s Erik Zahradnik had 11 points, as well.
Novak led the postseason in scoring with seven points in two games, while Dobias had six, which means that those two tied for the tournament overall scoring lead with 20 apiece in just seven games.
Sweden’s River Kallander posted some impressive numbers between the pipes, registering a 2.40 goals-against average and .910 save percentage in the five preliminary contests. August Uutela of Finland was right there with him, racking up a 2.67 goals-against and .909 save percentage.
As we’re sure you guessed from the numbers discussed above, Tobias Orechovsky of the Czech Gold team put up some remarkable stats, as well. He finished the prelims with a 0.60 goals-against average and a .946 save percentage.
Finland SHD Blue emerged victorious in a four-team field for the 2012 birth-year, topping Sweden SHD Blue in the last contest by a score of 6-2.
The 2012 birth-year featured a Finland SHD Blue squad, Sweden SHD Blue and Sweden SHD Yellow, and a Latvia SHD squad.
The Finland squad posted a 5-1 record in the preliminary rounds before recording a 13-0 win over Latvia in the semifinals, and the aforementioned final against Sweden in the championship.
Ashton Salts of Sweden Yellow and Robin Torkki of Finland Blue finished atop the scoring list with 16 points in six games apiece. Signar Klingzell of Sweden Blue had 15, while Neo Huang of Sweden Blue had 14, Liam Jarvinen of Finland had 13 and Mikael Saila of Finland had 12.
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.