NHL fans don’t typically have much to watch most summers when the draft wraps up and the free hand wanes. But this year is different as the rescheduled World Junior Championships get underway in Edmonton on Tuesday.
In late December, multiple positive COVID-19 cases in Edmonton and Red Deer, Alta., bubbles forced the IIHF to cancel the men’s tournament, with the possibility of rescheduling later in the year, hopeful but uncertain. Seven months later, it’s time to drop the puck.
With the reshuffled World Juniors finally starting Tuesday, here’s a look at the participating players from Canada’s NHL teams.
Ottawa Senators
F Ridly Grieg (CAN)
F Zack Ostapchuk (CAN)
F Roby Jarventie (FIN)
D Tomas Hamara (CZE)
D Tyler Kleven (USA)
G. Leevi Merilainen (FIN)
Ottawa Senators have the most prospects at World Juniors 2022 with six teams including Brandon Wheat Kings’ Ridly Greig. The 20-year-old from nearby Lethbridge, Alta., was drafted 28th overall by Ottawa in the 2020 draft and was second with 26 goals and third in points (63) with the Wheat Kings in just 39 games last season.
He was ranked No. 2 in Ottawa’s system behind Jake Sanderson by TSN Scouting Director Craig Button in his April Top Canadian Teams Prospect List.
Greig played at camp with fellow Sens player Zack Ostapchuk, who is joining the Canada squad as an injury substitute. The Vancouver Giants winger had 26 goals and 43 points in 60 WHL competitions last season.
“I was surprised when they called, but I was hooked,” Ostapchuk, 19, told TSN’s Mark Masters last week.
Montreal Canadiens
F Riley kidney (CAN)
F Joshua Roy (CAN)
F. Jan Mysak (CZE)
F.Oliver Kapanen (FIN)
D. Petteri Nurmi (FIN)
The Montreal Canadiens are just behind the Sens, with five of their candidates going to the Juniors, led by Team Canada right winger Joshua Roy.
The 19-year-old led the QMHJL with 119 points (51 goals, 68 assists) in 66 games for the Sherbrooke Phoenix last season. He was a finalist in December’s original selection camp but is now expected to lead Canada’s attacking attack, playing on the top line alongside 17-year-old phenomenon Connor Bedard and Mason McTavish.
Roy told Masters that the opportunity to be part of Team Canada this summer was one of the motivating factors that went into his outstanding season with Sherbrooke.
“My conditioning is the most important thing I’ve had to improve,” he said of his transformation. “It helped me with everything. Backcheck, forecheck, finishing my shots, everything.”
Meanwhile, Hamilton Bulldogs center Jan Mysak will serve as Czech captain as they seek their first medal since winning bronze in 2005. He had 34 goals and 30 assists for 64 points in 61 OHL games last season.
Toronto Maple Leafs
F Matthew Knies (USA)
F Roni Hirvonen (FIN)
D Topi Niemela (FIN)
The Toronto Maple Leafs will have a trio of prospects in Edmonton.
University of Minnesota star Matthew Knies will help lead the American attack by scoring the first goal for the United States with a skillful one-timer last December.
He had 15 goals and 18 assists for 33 points in 33 games last year in the Big-10. He will return to the Golden Gophers for his second season to continue his development.
Striker Roni Hirvonen and defender Topi Niemela should register great minutes for a Finnish side seeking their sixth title.
Hirvonen, both 20, spent last season at HIFK Helsinki and Niemela played for Karpat in Finland’s SM-liiga.
Vancouver Canucks
F Jonathan Lekkerimaki (SWE)
D.Joni Jurmo (FIN)
D Jacob Truscott (USA)
Along with the Leafs for the third-biggest prospect at the World Juniors among Canadian teams, the Vancouver Canucks are sending three players representing three different teams.
Jonathan Lekkerimaki, number 15 overall, recorded just nine points (seven goals, two assists) in 26 games with Djurgardens IF in Sweden’s elite league last season but caused quite a stir at the 2022 U18 World Cup, guiding Sweden to gold medal five Goals and 15 points in just six games.
“He has the ability to score goals but also to make a lot of plays. I think his hockey skills are great. And he’s a threat there in so many different ways,” said Canucks general manager Patrik Allvin after picking him in this year’s draft.
The 20-year-old Truscott ended his sophomore season at the University of Michigan with two goals and 15 assists in 40 games. 20-year-old Jurmo has two goals and eight assists in 50 games for Jujurit Mikkeli in SM-liiga.
Winnipeg Jets
F Brad Lambert (FIN)
F Daniel Torgersson (SWE)
Winnipeg Jets fans will be able to see 18-year-old forward Brad Lambert up close starting this week.
Lambert, who was selected as the team’s first-round pick in this year’s draft, had just four goals and six assists in 49 SM-liiga games last season but was able to set the numbers for a Finnish team that always finds a way in the world to be competitive juniors. He played his best hockey at last year’s tournament before it was canceled, scoring one goal and assisting in four others in two games.
Torgersson played at three different levels last season and also featured in two of Sweden’s games last December. Torgersson played for AIK in Sweden and recorded seven goals and ten assists in 40 games. He also appeared in four games with the AHL’s Manitoba Moose, scoring two goals and adding one assist.
Calgary Flames
F Matt Coronato (USA)
The Calgary Flames’ sole representative at the World Juniors is American winger Matt Coronato.
The Harvard product is likely to lead a top line in the US alongside Knies and No. 3 overall Logan Cooley and was with the team in December, recording an assist in their only tournament game.
The Greenlawn, NY native was drafted 13th overall by the Flames in the 2021 NHL Draft and had 18 goals and 18 assists in 34 games in his freshman season last year.
Coronato was ranked No. 3 in the Calgary system by Button in April, behind goalkeeper Dustin Wolf and winger Jakob Pelletier.
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