Each week, World Hockey Hub highlights a few of the most exciting upcoming games in youth hockey. From the hottest rivalries to the biggest tournaments, we focus on matchups that will impact the landscape among top teams in the sport.
Fresh off debuting in the 2008 Finland rankings, HPK Oranssi (8-3-2) will look to prove their position is no fluke when they meet Tappara Musta (9-3-1) for a two-game series this weekend.
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| Saturday, November 5 @ 4:45 p.m. EEST |
These two teams faced off against one another just last month, with HPK winning an offensive showdown 6-5. A victory that helped boost their profile in the world rankings. Heading into the third period clinging to a 4-3 lead, HPK doubled that margin early in the third period.
However, Tappara would strike twice in 13 seconds to knot things up 5-5. With just over three minutes remaining in the game, Tuomas Sompii tallied HPK’s sixth goal of the game for the eventual game-winner.
HPK likes to score in bunches, filling the net for five-or-more goals in four of their eight games thus far. Everi Sipilä’s balanced attack leads all HPK skaters with 18 points (9G, 9A). Nico Cape (6G, 7A), Jimi Koivisto (5G, 5A) and Mico Hjerp (2G, 8A) round out the top of the squad.
Tappara is supplied with a potent attack of their own, averaging at least four goals across all eight of their matches. HPK will be tasked with shutting down the explosive attack of Petteri Sakki. He has compiled an impressive 33 points (20G, 13A) in just eight games.
With loaded offenses like these two programs, this game has the makings of being just as explosive as their first meeting.
A top-25 matchup kicks things off this week between 2007-born teams No. 18-ranked Mount St. Charles (15-3-0) and No. 3-ranked Mississauga Senators (15-7-1).
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| Friday, November 4 @ 8:00 a.m. ET LECOM Harborcenter |
Mount has yet to suit up for any competition against programs from Canada. The Sens, on the other hand, have already experienced their fair share of American opponents.
Mount has exclusively played against teams from their country to this point in the season, and this upcoming tilt serves as an opportunity for them to test their talent against a premier team.
Facing off against some of the best from the U.S., Mississauga has skated against ranked clubs such as the Chicago Mission and Little Caesars. In contests against American teams, the Senators have compiled a 2-4-0 record.
In their last time out, the Mounties swept No. 11 Bishop Kearney Selects in a two-game series. They won 5-4 in overtime on Saturday, and then topped BK again the following day 6-2 in more convincing fashion.
It will be 11 days between games for Mississauga. They haven’t played since a 1-1 tie to Mississauga Reps last Monday. Expect a low-scoring contest here, as the Reps have allowed just 1.83 goals against in their last six games
No. 1 CSKA Moscow (20-0-0) will look to build upon their incredible run of play against No. 9 SKA Strelna (11-5-0) on Tuesday.
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| Tuesday, November 1 |
Historically, these two teams have only met eight times, with CSKA emerging as the victor each time. Tasked with stopping the juggernaut will be Strelna’s goaltending duo of Egor Sokolov and Ivan Savin. While they attempt to prevent goals, Daniil Gladikov (10G, 12A) and Timur Kazakov (12G, 9A) will lead the attack on their opponent.
CSKA’s Nikita Sinikin (27G, 30A) and Roman Andreev (27G, 22A) will be the toughest forwards to slow down. Each skater has been able to seemingly score at will. Both equipped with great hands and lethal shots, they can do damage from anywhere on the ice.
If Strelna can pull out a win, it will serve as a major point of strengthening its resume. Perhaps more importantly, it can serve as a notice to other teams that CSKA is indeed beatable.
Two Eastern Hockey Federation (EHF) foes will take part in a two-game series this weekend at Chelsea Piers in Connecticut. The No. 16 Mid-Fairfield Jr. Rangers (12-0-1) and No. 17 Boston Terriers (11-2-0) — both winners of six straight — come into this contest in the hopes of separating from one another.
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| Saturday, November 5 @ 11:30 a.m. ET Chelsea Piers |
Mid-Fairfield’s plus-91 goal differential is a daunting stat on paper. However, their opponent in the Terriers have a track record of holding their own as well. Boston has built a plus-41 differential over its last seven games, and hasn’t allowed more than two goals against in more than two weeks.
With two games scheduled just three hours apart, tensions between these two could be high on Saturday. The matchups give the youth hockey world back-to-back looks at two top American teams.
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This weekend, 126 youth hockey teams are taking over Boston, Massachusetts.
Their reason for invading Beantown? The Eastern Exposure Cup.
Bringing together top teams from across the United States and Canada, the Eastern Exposure Cup offers a tremendous look at some of the younger birth-years as the hockey season really gets rolling in North America. The 2008 birth-year serves as the oldest group for the Eastern Exposure Cup – individual birth-years go all the way down to 2013.
Thirteen of those 126 teams appear on the World Hockey Hub’s rankings for the U.S. and/or Canada, and they are all spread out across the 2008-2011 birth-years to offer great insight into who’s moving up and who’s moving down in future rankings.
Those are the birth-years we’re watching in Massachusetts this weekend, and we’re confident there will be some great hockey on display.
In the 2008 birth-year, two top-five teams will be competing – the No. 3-ranked Windy City Storm and the No. 5-ranked Los Angeles Jr. Kings. It was quite a trip for the Jr. Kings, who carry an unbeaten streak dating all the way back to Sept. 5 into the tournament. Meanwhile, Windy City quickly gets tested by the Long Island Gulls and Ottawa Myers Automotive in Friday’s games alone.
With the likes of the Boston Jr. Eagles, Dallas Stars Elite, Buffalo Jr. Sabres, Ottawa 67’s and more, the ‘08s have a lot of teams to watch this weekend.
At the 2009 birth-year, there are three teams from the latest U.S. Top 10, and three teams from the latest Canadian Top 10 on the World Hockey Hub, which hopefully means plenty of cross-over action for comparison purposes. The No. 4 Windy City Storm, No. 7 New Jersey Rockets and No. 9 Boston Jr. Eagles represent the top American clubs, while the No. 1 Don Mills Flyers, No. 3 Sun County Panthers and No. 5 Toronto Marlboros represent the Canadian teams to beat.
That’s right – three of the top five Canadian teams in ’09 birth-year in one tournament – on the other side of the border. When you consider some of the other teams participating who could very well be in the Top 10 sometime this season – Mid-Fairfield, the Boston Jr. Eagles, the Boston Jr. Terriers, etc. – you can certainly expect some fireworks at the Eastern Exposure Cup.
The ‘09 Jr. Eagles and Marlboros kicked off tournament action last night, with the Jr. Eagles edging out a 3-2 victory in a thriller.
The 2010 birth-year features just one ranked team in the No. 7 Philadelphia Jr. Flyers. Like the other age groups, however, it’s deep in brand names like the North Jersey Avalanche, Seacoast Performance Academy, Team Illinois and New Jersey Rockets, so we’re still expecting stiff tests for the Flyers and great hockey action.
In the 2011 group, four American squads check in on the WHH rankings – No. 2 Mid-Fairfield, No. 3 Boston Jr. Terriers, No. 9 New Jersey Colonials and No. 10 Dallas Stars Elite. Mid-Fairfield gets quite a challenge with the Quinte Red Devils coming on from Canada for Game 1, the Philadelphia Hockey Club taking them on in Game 2 and the L.A. Jr. Kings showing up for Game 3.
Meanwhile, the New Jersey Colonials and the Boston Jr. Terriers play in one of the first games on Friday. Top-10 showdown before most are done stopping by Dunkin’ for their first or second coffee.
Stay tuned for a wrap-up of the Eastern Exposure Cup, as we can’t wait to see how some of these cross-country battles play out.
As the days get shorter and the nights get colder, it’s easy to tell that youth hockey season around the world is in full action. From the biggest upsets to major movement in top-10 rankings, there’s plenty to catch up on from the last few weeks.
Here’s everything you need to know before exploring the updated youth hockey rankings:
The 2006-born New Jersey Rockets were propelled into the No. 4 spot thanks largely in part to three key victories against fellow U.S. teams.
Sitting on the outside looking in heading into their next stretch of games, the Rockets saw an opportunity to make some noise and prove that their 25-6-2 record is no fluke.
After edging then No. 3 Mount St. Charles in overtime, 3-2, they then bested the Pittsburgh Penguins Elite with another overtime victory, 5-4. Next up was a tilt with No. 10 Bishop-Kearney Selects. The Rockets would once again find themselves in another high-scoring affair, emerging as the victors 5-4.
With the three wins, New Jersey found themselves rocketing up the top-10 into their current position. Now that they are there, time will tell if they can hold onto it and prove they belong with the best.
No. 9 Sollentuna HC took advantage of a matchup with No. 10 SDE Hockey to maneuver their way into the top-10 among ‘08 clubs in Sweden.
Sitting second in their group with a 3-0-1 record, Sollentuna leaned on the heroics of leading scorer Victor Kumpulainen.
In what was a back and forth offensive display for the first 30 minutes, SDE went up 3-2 with about seven minutes remaining in the game.
It was then that Kumpulainen put his team on his shoulders. After tying the game just over a minute after SDE netted the lead, he scored his second goal of the game with just under three minutes left in the game for a 4-3 lead.
Kumpulainen not only leads Sollentuna in scoring, but is also tied for the group lead in points with seven (6G, 1A) with No. 8 AIK Hockey’s Filip Nyberg (4G, 3A). Even more exciting is that both of these squads will face each other on Nov. 13 in a game that could have major implications for things moving forward.
No. 2 Tappara cruised by No. 3 Kärpät 7-1, moving up two spots to leapfrog them at the top of the ‘07 Finnish rankings. It was a game that Tappara had circled on their calendars, as they were defeated by Kärpät 4-3 back in September, and were almost certainly itching for some payback.
In what was a close 2-1 contest going into the third period, Tappara buried five unanswered goals in the third period for the victory. Looking ahead, they have five upcoming games against teams that are all in the top-10.
While the road may not be easy, will we see Tappara strengthen their position at the top?
SKA Strelna also enjoyed a nice little boost in the Russian top-10 among 2007 birth-year teams resulting from wins over Dynamo St. Petersburg and SKA St. Petersburg.
Once handling Dynamo 4-3 in overtime, SKA Strelna’s defense and goaltending stole the show in a 3-0 win against SKA St. Petersburg. These two victories against teams ahead of them in the rankings strengthened their resume for the time being.
Russia has been known to produce its fair share of hockey talent over the years, and one of the premier programs at doing so has been CSKA Moscow. With the 2022-23 season in full gear, it’s safe to say this year is no different.
CSKA currently sits alone at the top of the rankings both in Russia and the world for the following birth years: 2008, 2009 and 2010. They are also ranked No. 1 among ‘06 teams in Russia.
While this is an impressive feat by itself, perhaps more astounding is the current winning streak of one of their programs. The 2010-born program is in the midst of a 20-game winning streak, dispatching all they have faced thus far.
It will be very interesting to see how long they can keep this streak alive, as they will surely be getting the very best of their opponents each night from here on out.
The 2022 CCM World Invite Motown took place across Metro Detroit this past weekend, as 352 teams traveled to Michigan to compete.
With multiple divisions for the 2008-2013 birth-years, as well as 150, 16U and 18U brackets, we focused on the Supertacks divisions of the birth-years that are included in the World Hockey Hub rankings, as well as the two youngest divisions at the bottom for good measure.
It was the first CCM Motown since 2019 that featured Canadian teams, and they certainly made up for lost time.
Here is a Supertacks division breakdown by birth-year:
At the 16U age level, Michigan Hockey Advancement – a collection of high school hockey players skating together before their winter school season – captured the ‘06 Supertacks division title at the 2022 Motown.
MHA started with a 6-2 win over the Wasatch Renegades and a 4-2 win over the Pittsburgh Predators on Friday, before wrapping up the round-robin play with a 5-0 win over Golden State Elite Saturday morning. In the quarterfinals Saturday evening, they beat Team Wisconsin 3-2.
On Championship Sunday, they first beat the Maine Nordiques 4-3 in the semifinals, before taking down the Anaheim Ice Dogs 2-0 in the championship game to wrap up a perfect 6-0 mark on the weekend.
In the 2007 birth-year Supertacks division championship game, it was the Chicago Reapers prevailing over Team Illinois in a Windy City rivalry showdown.
The Reapers had a dominant Friday, blanking the PHA Icemen 6-0 before beating Michigan Hockey Advancement 7-1. On Saturday, they ran into two more Michigan clubs, defeating Belle Tire 6-1 to conclude preliminary-round play and later Victory Honda 5-4 in the quarterfinals.
In the semifinals, they shut out Omaha Mastery 3-0, and in the aforementioned finals, the Reapers beat Team Illinois 4-2.
Playing in their home city of Farmington Hills, HoneyBaked successfully defended home ice, winning the 2008 Supertacks division of the 2022 Motown.
It was a dominant Friday for HoneyBaked, as they started with a 7-2 win over the SHAHA Panthers before shutting out the Ohio Jr. Blue Jackets 6-0 in the evening.
Saturday started with a 5-3 loss to the Toronto Red Wings, but it didn’t keep HB out of the playoff round.
In Saturday night’s quarterfinals, they bested the Chicago Reapers 3-2 before beating their HPHL rivals in the Oakland Jr. Grizzlies 5-4 in the semifinals.
In the final, HB posted a 5-2 win over the London Jr. Knights to capture the hardware for the ’08 bracket.
It was an all-Canadian final for the ’09 birth-year, as the Toronto Titans topped the Toronto Red Wings 4-1 in the championship game Sunday.
It didn’t come as much of a surprise that the Titans took home the championship banner, as the Toronto-based club was ranked No. 2 in Canada and No. 7 in the world heading into the Motown.
The Titans topped the Milwaukee Jr. Admirals 4-2 to start tournament play on Friday, and they wrapped up Day 1 with a 7-1 win over Team Illinois. On Saturday, they beat the No. 5 Anaheim Jr. Ducks 3-1 to conclude round-robin play.
The Elimination rounds started with a 2-1 nail-biter win over the Pittsburgh Penguins Elite. That’s as close as the Titans would come to defeat, as on Championship Sunday they posted a 3-0 win over Team Illinois in the semifinals, and a 4-1 win over the Toronto Red Wings in the final.
A Canadian squad prevailed in the 2010 Supertacks division, as the Sun County Panthers played to a perfect 6-0 record.
The Panthers opened things up with a tight 3-2 win over the Credit River Capitals Friday morning before cruising 6-0 over the Indiana Elite later in the day.
On Saturday, they played Fox Motors in a preview of the championship contest, with Sun County prevailing 3-1. To start tournament play, they squared off with the Soo Jr. Greyhounds, and the Panthers won 5-0 over their Canadian counterparts.
On Sunday, they took down the Pittsburgh Vengeance 2-1 in the semifinals – a big win over a Pennsylvania club that had recorded victories over the No. 8-ranked Chicago Fury and No. 5-ranked Little Caesars.
Fox Motors got a shot at revenge in the title game, but the Panthers played a full 200-foot game and won a 1-0 thriller.
The Toronto Jr. Canadiens – ranked No. 2 in the world and No. 1 in Canada – kept the Canadian winning streak going in the 2011 birth-year, as they too registered a perfect 6-0 weekend en route to a championship.
Familiar foes in the London Jr. Knights were the first team on the schedule for the Jr. Canadiens – the Toronto club prevailed 5-1. Later on in Day 1, the Jr. Habs beat Chicago Fury 8-2.
Saturday featured more high-scoring performances, as Toronto beat the Oakland Jr. Grizzlies 6-4 and then the Buffalo Regals 7-1 in the quarterfinals.
In the finals, the Jr. Habs beat the Vaughan Kings 4-1 in the semifinals and the No. 6 Chicago Reapers 4-3 in the final.
At the 2012 birth-year, Little Caesars was able to defend home ice, as the Michigan-based squad recorded a 5-1 record on their way to a Supertacks title at Motown.
The 2013 birth-year Little Caesars club got it done, as well, going 6-0 to win the Supertacks division title.
It is the premier spring youth hockey tournament of the year, and Sixty Hockey Development will be there to compete in 2023. The World Selects Invitational (WSI) series has featured some of the best youth hockey players in the world for more than a decade. Not only that, but it’s taken place in some of the most beautiful cities in Europe. The tournament is a perfect combination of culture and competition through the game of hockey.
This spring, Sixty Hockey Development is assembling four AAA-level teams to compete in the WSI at various locations. The opportunity to compete against international teams was just something that general manager Paul Dovich said he couldn’t pass up.
“To be a part of the WSI is a tremendous honor,” said Dovich. “Being a part of the Nashville event [last summer], we got to see how amazing it could be when the whole world is involved. Having the opportunity to bring teams together and play and experience Europe was something I couldn’t pass up. We’re looking forward to it.”
Sixty Hockey Development debuted in the North American WSI in 2022, bringing top-level kids from across the country to compete in Nashville. Now, Sixty will have the opportunity to take its talents abroad and experience the tournament in an entirely different way.
The 2008 AAA tournament will take place in Stockholm, Sweden. The 2010s will travel to Chamonix, France, while the 2009s go to Prague, Czech Republic.
Bolzano, Italy, will host the 2011 AAA event near the end of April. The 2009s will travel to Prague, Czech Republic, the same week in May the that 2010s visit Chamonix, France. The 2008s close out European action on May 17th in Stockholm, Sweden.
Each host city is unique in its own way. From a Vasa Museum visit in Sweden, to a Vitava River cruise in the Czech Republic, participating in a WSI is more than just a hockey tournament. Immersive cultural experiences like Chamonix city tours in the shadows of Mont Blanc make these European tours unforgettable trips for the whole family.
With all transportation provided to and from airports, hotels and ice rinks, parents can rest easy and enjoy a European vacation. Meanwhile, kids compete, socialize and connect with other like-minded youth hockey players from varying backgrounds that span the globe.
“It really is impressive to see,” said Dovich. “On the ice, you get all these different styles and types of player and matchups when you play the Czechs or the Russians or Swedes. But then off the ice, kids from different teams and different countries are making real connections with each other. Even despite the language barrier, they’ve got their phones out and using Google Translate, following each other on Instagram and stuff. It’s very cool.”
Sixty Hockey Development originated in 2019, when Dovich and company assembled ‘The ‘06 Sixty’ Camp. They wanted to do something different and get some of the best 12-year-old hockey players in North America together for an extended weekend camp to develop and compete. The inaugural camp featured 60 players from the 2006 birth year, with names like James Hagens, Christian Humphries and Teddy Stiga — current members of the U.S. National Team Development Program (USNTDP) — as well as Owen Keefe and Will Felicio, who are currently playing in the United States Hockey League (USHL).
That camp dovetailed into spring and summer tournament teams that competed at major events like the Montreal Meltdown, Lobsterfest and the Warrior Boston Elite Invite. When the team won, and won again, and won again, people began to take notice.
“Through word of mouth, it just grew,” said Dovich. “Parents just started to see we were putting good teams together. Kids were developing and good things were happening.”
As successful as the tournament teams were, the main focus was always the Sixty Camp. It quickly expanded to more age groups, and in 2022, included more than 340 top-level youth hockey players from five different birth years. Designed to foster 60 skaters at each age group, the Sixty Camp is a four-day long event filled with on-ice drills, skills and competition. Between sessions, players are exposed to off-ice training and treated to informational presentations regarding college hockey, academics and nutrition, among other topics.
“What I’ve always said with the Sixty [Camp], is if you want to learn and you can compete, you’re more than welcome to come,” said Dovich.
While the Sixty Camp has become a major fixture in the youth hockey community, its European tours to WSI events look to expand the organization’s footprint internationally.
Open to all AAA-level players, Sixty HD is accepting applications for 2023 WSI tournament teams from the ‘08, ‘09, ‘10 and ‘11 birth years. The field of teams at the AAA events currently consists of as many as 10 different countries. Sweden, Finland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Norway and Latvia, among others, are expected to be in attendance. Applicants are thoroughly evaluated for consideration by Dovich and his team, and every submission is replied to, regardless of acceptance status.
Learn more about Sixty Hockey Development, and how you can get involved by following the links below:
It’s become a staple for the youth hockey community, and for 2022, it’s truly back to ‘normal.’
The CCM World Invite Motown is taking place across Metro Detroit this weekend, bringing 352 teams to Michigan. For the first time since 2019, Canadian teams are making their triumphant return to the tournament field.
Despite playing a ‘normal’ season last year, Canadian clubs still had restricted travel due to COVID-19. That meant no cross-country showdowns for the Motown tournament.
This year, Canadian AAA teams are popping up all over the schedule for the various age groups set to compete. The tournament features multiple divisions for the Elite AAA, AAA and AA classifications in the 2013 through 2008 birth years, as well as the 15-only, 16-and-under and 18-and-under age groups.
The top teams in each age group are competing in the Supertacks divisions, and that’s what we will be focusing on this weekend. Here’s a look at each of the age groups featuring teams in the world rankings. In all, more than 6,000 players and 350 teams are expected to compete in the 2022 CCM World Invite Motown:
There are 16 teams set to compete in the top division of the 2011 field for the CCM Motown, and it’s an impressive mix of teams from across the U.S. and Canada.
While the No. 6-ranked Chicago Reapers are the highest-rated American team leading into the weekend, the top team in Canada shows up as the heavy favorite as well. The Toronto Jr. Canadiens are the No. 1 team in Canada — and second in the world — and will be in Pool A. They’ll be joined by the Oakland Jr. Grizzlies, Chicago Fury and London Jr. Knights. The Reapers, on the other hand, will be jockeying for position with Victory Honda, Buffalo Regals and York Simcoe Express.
If either of those two highly-ranked clubs slip up, the Reapers and the Jr. Canadiens could end up meeting in the first quarterfinal on Saturday. Otherwise, it wouldn’t be until the semifinals or championship for a heavyweight matchup like that.
The squads in Pool B and Pool C — Vaughan Kings, Team Illinois, California Goldrush, Belle Tire, Florida Alliance, Milwaukee Jr. Admirals, Oakville Rangers and Soo Jr. Greyhounds — make for a deep field for the ’11 age group.
We still think, however, that the Jr. Canadiens aren’t going to squander their weekend trip to the Motor City.
The 2010 birth year shapes up to potentially be a battle between two midwest hockey hotbeds in Detroit and Chicago. Little Caesars, ranked No. 5 in the country, headlines the field, while No. 8 Chicago Fury and No. 10 Chicago Reapers are ready to tangle.
Nine other teams will be fighting for the coveted Motown title. Canadian-based teams Soo Jr. Greyhounds, Burlington Eagles, Sun County Panthers, Credit River Capitals and Hamilton Jr. Bulldogs make up half the field. Fox Motors, Indiana Elite, Pittsburgh Vengeance and Compuware round out the field. Needless to say, with teams flocking in from all corners of the North America, this division will be fun to watch.
Little Caesars and Reapers won’t have to wait until elimination rounds for a Top-10 showdown — they will square off at noon on Saturday.
Worth noting, the Credit River Capitals are a new AAA program drawing from Brampton Hockey, Caledon Minor Hockey and Orangeville Minor Hockey in the Ontario Minor Hockey Association.
With wins over Chicago’s Mission and Fury this season already, Caesars should certainly be expected to take the Supertacks division in the battle of Original Six cities.
There are only eight teams in the 13U Supertacks division, but this could easily be seen as the premier division of the weekend.
Four of the eight teams appear on the world rankings — three from the U.S. and one from Canada. The American squads include No. 3 Chicago Reapers, No. 5 Anaheim Jr. Ducks and No. 6 Little Caesars. Meanwhile, the Toronto Titans — ranked No. 2 in all of Canada — come across the border.
Factor in that the other participants are still storied programs in the Pittsburgh Penguins Elite, Toronto Red Wings, Milwaukee Jr. Admirals and Team Illinois, and we can’t wait to see this division play out.
A whole lot of storied programs show up in Metro Detroit for the Motown this weekend. While they may not currently appear on the WHH rankings, they’re still some of the biggest names and most notable clubs on the continent.
The London Jr. Knights, Toronto Red Wings and Toronto Nationals represent the Canadian contingent. They will be taking on the Chicago Fury, Victory Honda, HoneyBaked, Ohio Blue Jackets, SHAHA Panthers, Oakland Jr. Grizzlies, Chicago Reapers, Madison Capitols and Anaheim Ice Dogs.
HoneyBaked has been heating up as of late. When you consider that this division is taking place at their home rink and a few facilities nearby, we like HB to take care of business in this bracket.
Much like the 14U group, there are plenty of big-name programs slated to compete in the 15O Supertacks division. The Mississauga Reps come in from Canada, while teams like the Carolina Jr. Hurricanes, Belle Tire, Victory Honda and Chicago Reapers look to make some noise at the prestigious tournament. We have the Reps’ Friday games against the Madison Capitols and Oakland Jr. Grizzlies circled. Both contests will serve as measuring sticks for how some 15O Canadian programs stack up against their American counterparts.
Omaha Mastery has a ‘Cinderella story’ feel with a 17-2-0 record. This weekend is a big opportunity for the Nebraska-based squad to make a statement. They already have a Chicago Steel Icebreaker championship to their name this season. We like them to add some more hardware here.
An eight-team field makes up the 16U Supertacks division for Motown. The Anaheim Ice Dogs, Tri-State Spartans, Maine Nordiques, Team Wisconsin, Golden State Elite, Pittsburgh Predators, Wasatch Renegades and Michigan Hockey Advancement (MHA) round out the field. It’s a pick-‘em here, so we will go with MHA. They are a collection of top high school players in the state, eager to prove themselves to scouts before heading off to their respective high school programs.
For more coverage of the 2022 CCM World Invite Motown, follow WHH on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, Discord and YouTube for more!
Each week, World Hockey Hub highlights a few of the most exciting upcoming games in youth hockey. From the hottest rivalries to the biggest tournaments, we focus on matchups that will impact the landscape among top teams in the sport.
Entering the week as the No. 2-ranked team among Russian 2006-born clubs, Krylia Sovetov (8-2-2) prepares itself for a matchup against No. 7 Lokomotiv Yaroslavl (5-2-0) on Oct. 23rd.
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| Sunday, October 23 |
Fresh off a 3-2 overtime loss to CSKA Moscow, Krylia will look to get back into the win column this weekend.
It will be the first game between these two teams this season, with Lokomotiv leading the all-time series 12-6-1. Lokomotiv skated away with a 5-1 victory in the last game between the two clubs back in March at the end of last season.
Krylia has propelled themselves in the rankings thanks to victories against top opponents, including a close 4-3 win over No. 3 Dynamo Moscow. An early factor in the team’s success has been the production of three of its top scorers from last season. Ivan Kirilin (9G, 2A), Amirkhan Gusniev (2G, 7A) and Vitaly Korolyuk (2G, 6A) provide a balanced attack.
For the 5-foot-5 Korolyuk, the scoring touch seems to be a generational trait. His father Alexander notched more than 100 points in 296 NHL games as a member of the San Jose Sharks.
Meanwhile, Lokomotiv suffered a 3-2 defeat at the hands of Spartak Moscow last weekend, which ended a three-game winning streak.
Sitting firmly in the Top 10, Lokomotiv has fared well against the top competition of their birth year. To this point in the season, they are the only team to have defeated No. 1 CSKA, 5-3 back on Sept. 25th.
While the club has nine players with three or more points, the focus for Lokomitiv in shutting down Krylia will be in the net. Maxim Podomatsky has started a majority of Lokomotiv’s games, compiling a 2.25 goals-against average in the process. His 6-foot-1 frame looms large in the crease, leaving little room for opponents to find a place to slip a puck.
After this tilt, the two clubs will meet two more times this season, once in December and again in March of the new year.
Just over two weeks since their last meeting, No. 7 TPS (9-4-0) will take on No. 8 Lukko (8-5-0). A game that has significant implications in the ‘07 rankings for Finland.
If this matchup is anything like the last time they took to the ice together, it will be an exciting affair.
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| Saturday, October 22 @ 4:45 p.m. EEST |
Back on Oct. 8th, TPS edged out Lukko in overtime, 5-4. It was a back-and-forth contest once Petr Vechet got the scoring started for Lukko in the first period. TPS finally gained some breathing room by going up 4-2 in the middle of the second frame on a goal from Wilmer Kallio.
It was then that Vechet put matters into his own hands.
Vechet would hit the back of the net with a strong wrist shot at the end of the second period to make it a 4-3 game. Then, with a little under a minute remaining in regulation, he would complete a hat trick to force overtime. Three minutes into the overtime period, Henri Aava put the game away for TPS to halt any chance of a comeback victory for Lukko.
Vechet’s penchant for heroics has helped propel him for the lead on Lukko in points with 15 (7G, 8A), followed closely by playmaker Julius Suominen’s 12 (2G, 10A). Look for TPS to counter with their own one-two punch of Wilmer Kallio (6G, 7A) and Jeremi Virtanen (6G, 5A).
No. 7 Djurgårdens IF (18-8-1) hopes that a victory against No. 4 Flemingsbergs (14-0-0) will build their resume in the top 10 rankings among Sweden ‘09 teams.
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| Sunday, October 23 @ 5:30 p.m. CET Mälarhöjdens Ice Hall |
Going 6-1-0 since district play began, Djurgårdens shut out Haninge Anchors HC svart 3-0 in its latest contest. They are currently in third place in their group with a 2-1-0 record, behind Trångsunds IF vit (2-0-0) and Flemingsbergs (2-0-0).
Djurgårdens has fared well in the majority of its games so far. With a heavy tournament schedule as well as a handful of district games under their belt, their opponents know their strengths and weaknesses. Scoring has not been an issue for them, but goaltending has been a bit sub-par.
With a team like Flemingbergs waiting for them, it could be an area of concern.
Flemingsbergs is currently in the midst of a 14-game winning streak and will enter the matchup fully rested. It will be their first game since Oct. 9th. Not much more can be said of the offensive firepower of this team, as they seemingly score at will from anywhere on the ice.
Djurgårdens’ focus will have to be on the defensive aspect of its game, trying to limit the chances in the defensive zone. If not, it could spell disaster and will only boost Flemingsbergs’ chances at continuing an incredible streak.
Two 2010 programs experiencing stellar starts to the season are No. 2 Spartak Moscow (18-5-0), and No. 3 Dynamo Moscow (11-4-0). A game between two teams so close in the standings could have major implications for seeding moving deeper into the season.
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| Saturday, October 22 |
Last time out, Spartak had a meeting with No. 1-ranked CSKA Moscow, falling 7-5 in a high-scoring affair. The loss also ended a seven-game winning streak.
Spartak’s goal-scoring ability has been on display all season long, led by the trio of Artem Korolev (16G, 18A), Alexander Sidorenko (10G, 12A) and Gordey Khotkov (8G, 13A). As a team, they have only been held to 2 or fewer goals in two contests; one 2-1 loss to Lokomotiv and a 2-0 loss to CSKA.
Dynamo sits right on the heels of CSKA and Spartak in the top 10 in the country. However, Spartak cruised by Dynamo 6-2 when the two met previously back in August. Still, Dynamo has the skill to skate with the very best in Russia.
Arseniy Rychagov’s 11 points lead his team, with much of the supporting cast of forwards all huddled close behind. A balanced attack throughout four lines is arguably Dynamo’s biggest strength. The team’s success could hinge on whether or not that depth and versatility continues.
Time will tell if Dynamo learned anything from their first encounter with Spartak, or if the latter will once again come out on top.
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On the list of important dates for the 2022-23 Greater Toronto Hockey League (GTHL) season, Oct. 17 may be the most important.
It is officially ‘Game On’ for the arguably the most elite youth hockey league in the world.
With 51 different hockey clubs and associations — and a total of 508 teams competing — the GTHL is the largest minor hockey league in the world, located right in the heart of Canada’s most populated area. More than 40,000 players in Markham, Mississauga, Toronto and Vaughan skate in the GTHL each season.
Twelve of those clubs have teams competing in the AAA classification from U10 through U18.
Don Mills Flyers
Markham Majors
Mississauga Rebels
Mississauga Senators
North York Rangers
Reps Hockey Club
Toronto Jr. Canadiens
Toronto Marlboros
Toronto Red Wings
Toronto Titans
Toronto Young Nationals
Vaughan Kings
As we prepare for a new GTHL AAA campaign, there’s no better way to size up which teams are the favorites than by looking at who brought home the hardware last season.
U15 AAA (’07): Toronto Jr. Canadiens
U14 AAA (’08): Vaughan Kings
U13 AAA (’09): Don Mills Flyers
U12 AAA (’10): Markham Majors
U11 AAA (’11): Vaughan Kings
U10 AAA (’12): North York Rangers
Game action has already been underway, as the GTHL introduced a preseason schedule for the month of September. Meanwhile, the GTHL AAA schedule was increased at the older age groups; U10 through U14 will play 33 games, while U15 through U18 will play 36.
Expect big things out of the U16 age group, as the top three spots in the 2007 Canadian rankings all belong to GTHL teams. The Jr. Canadiens — fresh off winning the GTHL and All-Ontario titles last season — currently check in at No. 3, behind the No. 1 Mississauga Senators and No. 2 Toronto Marlboros.
Last year, of course, the ’06 Mississauga Senators won the U16 OHL Cup with the help of a few under-agers in ’07 forwards Marcus Lagana, William Moore and Michael Misa. That last guy ended up getting exceptional status for the OHL Draft and was selected No. 1 overall by the Saginaw Spirit. Moore, however, is skating for the Marlboros U16 team this year, and Lagana is with the Don Mills Flyers.
The Senators and the Marlboros first meet on Oct. 28 for a battle of No. 1 vs. No. 2. Before that, the Marlboros and the Jr. Canadiens clash on Oct. 21.
In the ’08 birth year, the Vaughan Kings are ranked No. 1 in Canada and No. 3 in the world (behind just two Russian teams). Close behind are the No. 4 Toronto Marlboros and No. 5 Toronto Jr. Canadiens. The Vaughan squad is familiar with on-ice success, as they won the inaugural U14 OHL Cup last season after taking care of business in the GTHL.
Vaughan will get big tests early in November, starting on Nov. 6th when the Jr. Canadiens come to town. The next night, the Kings get the Mississauga Senators, and then on Nov. 11th, the Marlboros show up for another top-five battle.
Much like the two elder birth years, the ‘09s feature some highly-rated GTHL squads, as well. Don Mills, ready to defend its GTHL postseason championship from last spring, checks in at No. 1. Breathing down their necks are the Toronto Titans, who are ranked No. 2, and the North York Rangers aren’t far away at No. 4.
The Flyers, already with an 8-2 win over the Vaughan Kings under their belts, will play the No. 4 Rangers on Oct. 18th.
At the 2010 birth year, the Toronto Jr. Canadiens hold the top spot in the latest Canadian rankings, while the Vaughan Kings are No. 4, Markham Majors are No. 6 and Don Mills Flyers are No. 8.
We’ve already had one top-10 showdown, as the Jr. Canadiens blanked Don Mills 4-0 on Oct. 13th.
And at the 2011 birth year — the youngest the WHH rankings go — the Toronto Jr. Canadiens hold the top spot as well. Don Mills is No. 3, the Toronto Red Wings are No. 4 and Toronto Titans are No. 6.
The Minor Hockey ALLIANCE of Ontario is set for a big season of hockey in Canada.
With 23 member associations and over 30,000 members, the ALLIANCE membership is larger than eight of Hockey Canada’s provincial governing bodies, and with that brings impressive AAA hockey talent to the organization.
Founded in 1993, ALLIANCE continues to establish itself as a premiere youth hockey organization in Canada. Twelve organizations have teams competing at the AAA level within ALLIANCE for the main youth hockey birth years and are split into two divisions. In the East Division, the Brantford 99ers, Cambridge Hawks, Hamilton Huskies, Huron-Perth Lakers, Kitchener Jr. Rangers and Waterloo Wolves are battling for positioning before the postseason begins in March.
Meanwhile in the West, the Chatham-Kent Cyclones, Elgin-Middlesex Canucks, Lambton Jr. Sting, London Jr. Knights, Sun County Panthers and Windsor Jr. Spitfires will be doing the same.
ALLIANCE champions carry with it more than just season-ending bragging rights. At the U13 and U15 age groups, it punches tickets to the Ontario Hockey Federation Championships, and to the OHL Cup in the U14 and U16 age groups.
This year, there are plenty of ALLIANCE teams to watch, and the league has plenty of representation on the Canadian rankings. At the ’08 level, for instance, Elgin-Middlesex Canucks rank No. 6 in the country. One birth year younger, there two major powerbrokers at the ’09 level, as the Sun County Panthers check in at No. 1, and the Huron-Perth Lakers are close behind at No. 2. Considering Huron-Perth is the defending ALLIANCE champions after knocking off Sun County in the final last year, this only adds to the budding rivalry between the two clubs. At the 2010 birth year, the Brantford 99ers appear at No. 6, and Sun County is No. 8. Lastly, the ’11 birth year features two teams as well; Elgin-Middlesex at No. 2 and Sun County at No. 10.
One of ALLIANCE’s biggest events helps propel the season into full gear this weekend when the league hosts its U15AAA Face Off in Komoka, home of Elgin-Middlesex. The league brings its U18, U16, U15 and U14 teams together on various weekends early in the season for jam-packed showcases of hockey; great for scouts, and for teams to really get a sense of where they stand in league-play.
On Friday, the 12 members of the U15 division gather for a 24-game weekend. While there have been some league games played already, this event really serves as the kick-off event for the 2008 birth year.
The U18 division started with their own Face-Off event on Sept. 30th. Meanwhile, the U14s will get underway Oct. 21 – 23, and the U16 group will take part on Nov. 18 – 20. The latter is a major event for the 2007 birth year as they compete for the attention of scouts in their junior draft-eligible season.
To win any hockey game is difficult. To win multiple games in a row to cultivate a streak is even harder. But what three teams have been able to do thus far into the 2022-23 youth hockey season is nothing short of amazing.
2009 Flemingsbergs IK (14-0-0), 2010 CSKA Moscow (18-0-0) and the 2010-born Minuteman Flames (12-0-1) are all in the midst of unparalleled unbeaten streaks to begin their campaigns.
In Sweden, No. 4 Flemingsbergs has roared out of the gates. The club got things off on the right track at the 2022 Nordic Youth Trophy. After going 5-0-0 in group play, they bested No. 6 AIK and No. 8 Almtuna IS in the playoffs en route to the gold medal.
At the tournament, Flemingsbergs tallied 74 goals, while only allowing six into their net. Putting that into perspective, the next-best team was Almtuna with a plus-49 goal differential.
Forward Dante Bergfors was as dynamic as they come, tallying 37 points (24G, 13A) across the team’s seven games, bolstered by two 11-point individual performances. Just behind him were Ludvig Schûnzel (11G, 11A) and Hugo Sandblom (9G, 12A). All three players’ balanced approach to the game rounded out the club’s potent attack.
The team’s focus shifts to district play now, and that explosive offense has allowed Flemingsbergs to continue its torrid stretch of play. Garnering a 5-0-0 record in the first batch of games, they averaged at least five goals scored in each matchup.
Flemingsbergs is currently out to a 2-0-0 start to their next stretch of district games, scoring 20 goals so far. Their only “blemish” being two goals allowed to Haninge Anchors HC svart in their latest outing.
Next up is a date with No. 7 Djurgårdens IF on Oct. 23rd. Can Djurgårdens stifle the phenomenal attack of Flemingsbergs?
No top team in its respective country has dominated the way CSKA has thus far.
Through 18 games, the No. 1-ranked 2010 team in the world, CSKA has been the model of perfection. A fact made all the more impressive when understanding that their schedule mostly consists of matchups against other top-10 teams in the country.
CSKA has been able to make light work of opponents thanks largely in part to — much like Flemingsbergs — a versatile offense. Seemingly able to score at will, they have only been held to less than two goals scored just twice. No matter what style of game falls into their lap, handling all sorts of situations has been a linchpin of the team’s success. They can trade goals with high-powered offenses when necessary, and can gut out low-scoring affairs in defensive battles.
Forwards Nikita Sinikin (24G, 24A) and Roman Andreev (23G, 17A) have been revelations up front, each racking up at least 40 points. Sinikin dished out three assists alone in the team’s last win, a 4-3 victory over No. 4 Vityaz Podolsk.
The road does not get any easier for CSKA, as a primetime tilt against No. 2 Spartak Moscow is next on their schedule this weekend. The two programs have met twice already this season, with CSKA coming out on top both times.
The Minuteman Flames began their season with a 4-2 win against HoneyBaked back on Sept. 9th. They debuted as the No. 1 team in the U.S. a week later, and have gone unbeaten in their next 12 games. The only decision that kept the Flames out of the win column was a 4-4 tie against the No. 8-ranked team in the world Boston Jr. Eagles.
If the Flames have any hope of holding down the No. 1 spot in the rankings, a continued focus on team play will be paramount over the next few months. With over 30 league games upcoming in the Eastern Hockey Federation (EHF), they will be battling familiar opponents such as the Jr. Eagles and Middlesex Islanders, who are another top-10 program in the U.S.
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