It’s mid-October, and youth hockey worldwide is in full swing. The latest youth hockey rankings continue to identify some of the top teams in the world. Swedish clubs embark on District and Group play, Canadian leagues like the GTHL, CSSHL and LHEQ have started games, Finnish teams are a few weeks into Group schedules, and the U.S. and Russia have been going strong for more than a month.
Here’s everything you need to know before exploring the updated youth hockey rankings:
Previously ranked No. 14, Krylia Sovetov propelled themselves into the top five with a big win on Monday. Egor Sidorov’s shootout goal gave Krylia a 4-3 win over Dynamo Moscow. Both teams check in the Top 10 of this week’s world rankings, with Krylia peaking at fourth overall. That victory puts Krylia’s record to 8-2-1, with four of those wins coming against other Top-25 teams. They trail only CSKA Moscow amongst Russian teams, who previously defeated Krylia 6-0 on Aug. 24th. The top two teams in Russia are slated to meet three more times this season, the most recent matchup is scheduled for this Sunday.
Will we get some clarity or confusion later this month when the top four 2007-born teams in Finland face off? No. 2-ranked Kärpät and No. 4-ranked Tappara are set to clash on Oct. 23rd; They are the top two teams in Group 1 of the U16 SM-Series. They met a month ago, and back-to-back third-period goals from Juuso Juka and Elias Tiensuu secured the 4-3 win for Kärpät. That game included four lead changes as the two teams proved to be neck-and-neck.
The top two teams in Group 2 will take the ice on Oct. 28th when No. 1 Kiekko-Espoo plays No. 3 HIFK. It will be the first of two scheduled meetings between the ranked opponents, with the second matchup coming in December. This matchup will also feature the top four scorers in the country, with HIFK’s Oliver Torkki (19) and Matias Vanhanen (17) going head-to-head with Aleksi Kilpeläinen (17) and Aapo Vanninen (16) from Kiekko.
Both of these matchups should prove to be pivotal in the upcoming weeks.
Top-ranked CSKA Moscow is an astonishing 18-0-0 to start the season, just months after completing its U12 season with a 36-1-2 record. They’ve been held to less than five goals in a game just twice, defeating No. 3 Spartak Moscow 2-1 and No. 7 Vityaz Podolsk 4-3. CSKA’s remaining schedule features nine matchups against opponents currently ranked in the top 10 in the country. They’re fueled by a dynamic duo of Nikita Sinikin (48 points) and Roman Andreev (40) who account for 55 percent of the team’s total offense.
In Sweden, Viggbyholms IK maintains a 16-0-1 record, with tournament championship wins at the Nicklas Backstrom Cup and Nordic Youth Trophy. The lone ‘blemish’ on the team’s record is a 1-1 tie to Leksand IF Vit at the Farsta Games a month ago. Through that stretch, only two teams managed to score more than two goals in a single game against Viggbyholms. Goaltenders Elias Ådeby, Oscar Bergström and Douglas Ottoson have provided steady play between the pipes early on this season. Over the next few weeks, several Swedish programs split into two teams for Group Play, with Viggbyholms being one of them. Its Röd (red) team is 1-1-0 in Stockholm’s Group 2 while Blå (Blue) is 0-1-1 in Group 3.
No team at any age group in the United States remains undefeated with as many games played as the Minuteman Flames. The No. 4-ranked team in the world from Massachusetts is 12-0-1, with four wins over Top-10 American teams. The lone tie came two weeks ago against in-state rival and No. 8-ranked team in the world, Boston Jr. Eagles in the form of a 4-4 tie. Averaging 4.9 goals scored per game, the Flames are a tough offense to contain. Over the next few months, they’ll play more than 30 league games in the Eastern Hockey Federation (EHF). The league currently has three teams ranked in the top 20 among 2010s with the Flames, Jr. Eagles and Middlesex Islanders.
Want more coverage from the top youth hockey teams in the world? Follow WHH on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, Discord and YouTube for the latest news on matchups, teams, tournaments and 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.
This week, we highlight a cross-border tilt between Canadian and U.S. squads, a Sweden team trying to crack the top-10 and two Russian powerhouses facing off against one another.
There can only be one No. 1, and two of the premier teams at the 2010 birth year in Russia will square off this weekend to determine just who that is. CSKA Moscow (18-0-0) and Spartak Moscow (18-4-0) will not only have bragging rights on the line, but the outcome of this game may shake up the top of the Russian rankings.
 |  |
| Saturday, October 15 |
These two programs have already faced each other twice this season, with CSKA emerging victorious both times by scores of 7-6 and 2-1. Rest will play a factor in this game, as both sides will be heading into this tilt following some time off.
A rest that will aid the incredible scorers hailing from both sides.
On paper, the dynamic offenses for both squads are certainly noticeable. For CSKA, names like Nikita Sinikin (24G, 24A), Roman Andreev (23G, 17A), and Bogdan Doroshkevich (7G, 11A) certainly have raised eyebrows of opponents.
Spartak comes equipped with their own set of high-profile scorers; Artem Korolev (16G, 18A), Alexander Sidorenko (10G, 12A), and Mikhail Isaev (8G, 10A) lead the group.
Amazing offensive output from two strong forward cores, but each team also boasts a player from the defensive side of the puck who can also rack up the points.
For Spartak, that player comes in the form of Gordey Khotkov (8G, 13A) and for CSKA it is Mikhail Makeev, who has collected 17 points (1G, 16A) on the season thus far.
Given how the season has played out for both teams, both individually and the two games they have under their belt against the other, high offense and dazzling playmaking should be on tap.
With district group-play beginning this past week in Sweden, many top-10 clubs are in full swing. For 2007-born teams, a matchup between SDE Hockey (6-5-2) and IFK Täby HC (11-2-1) headlines the schedule.
 |  |
| Tuesday, October 11 @ 8:00 pm CET Stockhagens Ice Hall |
Täby is fresh off an 8-3 win against Viggbyholms IK. With that victory, they remain undefeated in group play.
Their offense has been propelled by the balanced attack of 5-foot-7 forward Theo Stockselius (1G, 7A), dynamic play-making of Max Johannesén (1G, 7A), and strong goal scoring of Viggo Björck (5G, 1A).
SDE — currently holding down the 10th spot in the Sweden rankings were bested by Viggbyholms in overtime in their last outing. Filip Thorling (1G, 2A) and Oliver Höglund (2G) were forces in the game for SDE, standing out as its two best forwards.
A big focus for Täby will be staying out of the box, as SDE’s power play was firing on all cylinders against Viggbyholms. They went 2-for-2 with both goals coming from the hot stick of Höglund.
Djurgårdens IF (5-1-0) will take to the ice against Flemingsbergs IK (8-4-2) for an ‘07 mid-week matchup, hoping to continue their impressive start to group play.
 |  |
| Wednesday, October 12 @ 7:30 pm CET Mälarhöjdens Ice Hall |
With a 6-2 statement win right out of the gate against IFK Tumba IK, Djurgårdens appears ready to prove why it’s one of the top teams in their group.
William Håkansson (1G, 2A) and Kean Tollet (1G, 1A) have been early leaders among the forward corps for Djurgårdens. The team’s secret weapon, however, lies with 5-foot-9 defenseman Lucas Grahn. Not only bringing size and strong defensive play to the team’s blueline, he has a knack for finding the scoresheet as well. Grahn has one goal and two assists in one game.
Djurgårdens is also prepared for a run of strong play in net thanks to Oscar Sääf. Displaying a calm demeanor in net, he turned aside 22 of 24 shots in their opening win.
Following an overtime loss to Södertälje SK 1, Flemingsbergs got back on track with a 5-3 win against IFK Tumba last weekend.
Samuel Palenik (2G, 1A), Carl Carlenius (1G, 2A), Sebastian Dahlqvist (1G, 2A) and Michal Horníček (3A) top the leaderboard for Flemingsbergs in the early stages of group play.
Flemingsbergs boasts their own star goaltender Lukas Furaev, who has solidly performed in his duties, racking up a 2.86 goals-against average and .933 save percentage.
Comparing those numbers to that of Sääf, whose modest performance in net had led to a 2.00 goals-against average and .916 save percentage, it shows that both clubs are served with a strong goaltending.
This matchup may very well come down to who performs best between the pipes.
This one has been circled on the calendar since the rankings came out last week. On October 15, the No. 1-ranked team in Canada, Vaughan Kings (9-1-1), will meet with the No. 3-ranked team in the U.S., Chicago Mission (13-1-1). It will be a battle between two of the top 2008-born clubs in the world.
 |  |
| Saturday, October 15 @ 7:00 pm EST BELFOR Training Center |
Chicago is coming off a successful weekend where they swept fellow U.S. clubs Honeybaked and Compuware.
Vaughan started the season off with a nine-game unbeaten streak. That came to an end with a 3-2 overtime loss at the hands of the North York Rangers on October 2. Last weekend, they took to the ice against the Oakville Rangers, skating away with a 4-2 victory.
It’s a rare Top-10 international matchup in a battle between Canada’s best and one of America’s top programs. The youth hockey world is in for a good one on Saturday.
Want to stay updated on all the games of the week and the top teams across youth hockey? Follow WHH on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, Discord and YouTube for more!
While it may be Canada’s game, they are typically late to the party when it comes to the unofficial start of the youth hockey season. The AAA Wendy Dufton Memorial Tournament kicks off Thursday in London, Ontario. On Friday, two others follow suit; the Tournoi Laval in Quebec and Bauer U15 Elite Invite in Abbotsford, B.C. Three major tournaments in three different provinces across the country unofficially signify the start to the youth hockey season.
Most top-level Swedish clubs have played double-digit games already. Youth hockey in Finland has seen several tournaments, with league play still in the early stages. Some Russian programs started regular-season play as early as the first week of August. All of this is dwarfed by dozens of top American teams who are nearing 15-plus game results on October 6.
Some Canadian teams have logged a game or two’s worth of action — three and four in rare instances — but the extended weekend of celebration for the Canadian Thanksgiving also symbolizes the start of the hockey season. With three major tournaments set to take place across the country, ‘the birthplace of hockey’ is about to get its youth hockey season into full swing.
The Wendy Dufton tournament features U14, U15 and U16 divisions, and with the London Jr. Knights hosting, talented teams from across Ontario will be flocking in for an early-season test.
Twelve teams are competing at the 2009 birth year, including the World Hockey Hub’s No. 7-ranked York Simcoe Express. Traditional powers like the Vaughan Kings, Markham Waxers, Whitby Wildcats and the Jr. Knights make for a tough field for all of the participants.
At the U15 age group, 20 top-level ’08 teams are competing. The highest ranked participating club is actually the lone American organization sending teams across the border, with the Bishop Kearney Selects. Ranked No. 1 in the U.S. by WHH, BK will challenge top Canadian teams like No. 6 Elgin-Middlesex Canucks and No. 8 ranked York Simcoe Express.
The U16 division gets its tournament season underway, as well, as the 2007 birth year begins its junior draft-eligible season. There are three ranked programs ready to make an early impression in the No. 3 Toronto Jr. Canadiens, No. 6 Southern Tier Admirals and No. 7 Peterborough Petes. The Bishop Kearney Selects will be flying the American flag in this division, as well, which gives scouts their first taste of cross-country competition.
The Wendy Dufton plays through Sunday evening, with the U16s wrapping it up with an 8 p.m. championship-game puck drop. All teams are guaranteed at least four games.
Meanwhile, out in British Columbia, the 2008 birth year will be competing in the Bauer U15 Elite Invite. Four divisions of four — named after the Bauer product lines of Vapor, Supreme, Nexus and Prodigy — will battle it out for an early tournament title.
Stretching into Monday over the holiday weekend, the 16 participating clubs will get any early test against impressive competition. The Bauer Invite brings together teams from the Alberta Elite Hockey League (AEHL) and Canadian Sport School Hockey League (CSSHL), which means spectators get an early preview for teams to watch out for out west.
Edge School Prep is off to a fast start in CSSHL league play; they hold a 5-0-0 record already. Cruz Pavao has 14 points in those five games, while Marcus Vo has 11, and Owen Cooper and Landon DuPont both have 10. Cole Prelusky has played all five games in goal, registering a 1.60 goals-against average, a .942 save percentage and one shutout so far. None of the Alberta Elite teams have played in more than two league games.
Just like with the Wendy Dufton, the Bauer Invite will also offer a bit of cross-border comparisons, as well, with the San Jose Jr. Sharks making the trek to B.C. to battle top Canadian squads.
Top 2010s at the Laval AAA
In Quebec, the Laval AAA Development Committee and Hockey Région Laval host the first tournament of the Ligue de Hockey d’Escellence du Quebec (LHEQ). As the top youth league in the province, the LHEQ is a breeding ground for French Canadian youth hockey prospects.
Taking place in Guimond and Place Bell, 26 teams from the 2010 birth year will compete in a double-elimination style tournament from Oct. 7 – 10, which will be quite a way to establish the teams to watch in the U13 division.
The LHEQ starts at the U13 level, so this will be the first major AAA tournament for the age group in their new league.
The LHEQ is underway, however, and some teams have played as many as five games. College Francais Rive-Sud has quickly assembled a 5-0 record, thanks to strong goaltending from Benjamin Carreau and Mandy Ryan. Dannick Aubin-Humphrey leads the team with seven points in the five games, while Jaydan Belleus has five and Raphael Perreault has four.
The Patriotes de Laval are off to a 4-0 start, as well, with Lucas Elias and Xavier Lavoie splitting time between the pipes. Keironn Davis-Diakite has seven points in those four wins, while Rosario Picciola and Shawn-Anthony Senat have five points apiece.
For more coverage of major upcoming events in Canada and around the world, follow WHH on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, Discord and YouTube for more!
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.
 |  |
| 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.
 |  |
| 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.
 | |
| 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.
 |  |
| 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).
Want more coverage of the top games in youth hockey? Follow WHH on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok and YouTube for more!
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.
Be sure to follow World Hockey Hub on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok and YouTube for the latest news, rankings, events and more!
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.
Want more coverage of the top teams in youth hockey? Follow WHH on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok and YouTube for the latest news, rankings, events and more!
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.
When is the unofficially official start date to your season? Tell us about it on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok and YouTube
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.
Players from across North America just converged on El Segundo and Lakewood, Calif., for the SoCal Freeze Out on July 14 – 17, part of The Brick Series of spring and summer tournaments.
Billed as a “destination” tournament, the SoCal Freeze Out brought together 12 teams for some impressive hockey action and, you know, plenty of fun away from the rink when you consider the famous beaches, Hollywood, Disney, Universal, Six Flags, Rodeo Dr., etc…
Run independent of, but affiliated with The Brick Invitational, The Brick Series is an invite-only set of tournaments to help players prepare for The Brick and “build on The Brick experience after Edmonton.” The core group of programs — the Jr. Bruins, BC Canucks, Pro Hockey Development Group, Minnesota Blades, Connecticut Jr. Rangers, Illinois Selects, Spartan Alberta, HD Engine, Manitoba All-Stars, Western Selects and Northstar Elite — welcome a select few other programs in for the series as they play tournaments leading up The Brick and in the following years.
Note that one of the teams listed above — the CT Junior Rangers — just won their third straight Brick tournament in Edmonton.
For the SoCal tournament, it was the Jr. Bruins Gold prevailing in the title contest. They took down Pro Hockey SoCal 5-2 to win it all, capping a 6-1-0 weekend for the Bruins.
The Boston gang started the tournament with a 8-3 win over Vancouver on Thursday morning, before dropping a game to the Illinois Selects 4-2 three hours later.
That was the only game the Bruins would lose, as they rebounded with a 5-0 blanking of Northstar Elite Friday morning and a 6-5 win over PHD East Saturday morning.
Saturday afternoon marked the start of the playoffs, and that’s where the Bruins found their revenge, beating Illinois 7-2 to make up for the loss earlier in the weekend.
From there, Boston took care of the Western Selects 10-5 in the semifinals before the aforementioned win over Pro Hockey in the final.
Owen Lundin led the Bruins in scoring in the tournament, recording 18 points in seven games. Deverin Warner was second with 15 points, while Evan Vulkelic had 13 and Andrew Martineau had 11.
Enzo Stefanovski took care of goaltending duties. The tournament didn’t keep goalie-specific statistics, but if he played in all seven games, that means he finished with an even 3.00 goals-against average.
Nash Wilford of the Western Selects led the tournament in scoring overall, as he posted a dominating 19 points in only six games. Parker Colmer of HD Engine had 17 points in only five games to win the unofficial points-per-game scoring crown, however, as he registered 3.40 points-per-game to Wilford’s 3.17.
Ben Slavick of Pro Hockey SoCal registered 14 points in seven games, leading the runners-up in scoring. Chase Schulberger had eight points from the blue line for Pro Hockey, which was coached by former NHL star Ryan Kesler.
This was the seventh event in The Brick Series this spring/summer, but first and only for the 2010 birth year. The 2008s were slated to participate in a tournament in Atlantic City this week, but the event was postponed after the host rink closed up shop.