Previewing the World Junior Relegation Round and Why it Matters
So the Round Robin of the 2024 IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship is in the books, and what a round of hockey it was. Germany beating Latvia, Latvia beating Germany, Germany giving Canada a run for their money, Canada getting shut out by Sweden, Sweden blowing a rivalry game against Finland, Finland losing to Germany, I could go on. Group A was a wild show, and Group B while a little more stable certainly had it’s fair share of surprises. Norway held the USA to just 4 goals, and the Czechs almost squeaking out a win over an all-time American roster made things a bit more interesting and gave the USA a bit to think about going into the playoff rounds. In Germany’s case, everything came down to their game against Canada, separating them from potentially 2nd in their division and the upcoming relegation match, and dangit they came close…ish!
So onto the relegation round. I think it’s important to cover these fledgling teams, especially after they both put on some relatively heroic performances. There isn’t nobody coming from these countries that can play hockey, and Norway especially seems to be on the right track for a strong group of youngsters moving forward. If it were up to me, this tournament would be even bigger and grander than it already is, but such is life. Celebrating the global reach of this sport is something I think we need more of, especially with the youth of the sport and just how good some of these players are. Michael Brandsegg-Nygård is almost certain to be the highest drafted Norwegian in the NHL Draft and there is likely more to come in the future. I greatly enjoyed watching these teams compete and have absolutely no clue exactly what is going to go down in the relegation game, but both of these teams can keep their heads held high both for their performance this season, and the potential in the seasons to come.
Norway
MVP - Petter Vesterheim
Curiosity - Stian Solberg
I will admit that the Norwegians didn’t quite have as good a round robin as I expected, except for a ridiculously wild game against the powerhouse Americans, holding them to just 4 goals in a 4-1 loss. Allowing 26 goals in four games isn’t going to get you places very often, and two of Norway’s most notable players are ineligible in Noah Steen and Petter Vesterheim, but in my view Vesterheim showed why he should be considered as a re-entry pick for the 2024 NHL Draft. The speed, energy level, and skill stood out as a player operating at a much higher pace than many of his teammates. 2024 Draft eligible Michael Brandsegg-Nygård was a standout as well, showing a great combination of size and skill while evading pressure and earning key controlled zone transitions and drove great results for the Norwegians including tying for the team lead in scoring.
The Norwegians were going to need to rely heavily on the undersized Markus Røhnebæk Stensrud, and while he had a spectacular showing against the Americans, he showed exactly why goalies his size are so difficult to rely on at times. The athleticism was clearly there, but once teams started shooting high and often, with pre-shot passing into scary scoring areas, things got exponentially more difficult. I remain a fan of the guy, as I’ll root for undersized players any day of the week, but this was a tough few games for Norway after a great start to the tournament against the USA.
Will they get relegated against the Germans? It’s entirely possible. The Germans have played tight, selfless and physical hockey, but there’s definitely a little more star power coming from the top of the Norwegian lineup. If all else fails, Norway has some highly interesting talent coming in the future, and 7 players are eligible and likely to return. 2023 U18 standout Elias Straume Vatne is likely entering the stage, but Lukas Nikolaj Pettersen-Finckenhagen, Jørgen Nyhus Myhre and especially Mikkel Eriksen are looking like bright pieces for the Norwegian future on the ice.
Germany
MVP - The Goaltending
Curiosity - Roman Kechter
While the Germans were sent to the relegation round, you can’t largely can’t fault their effort through the tournament considering the group they brought. Julian Lutz was expected to be a principal play driver for the team, but the Germans split their duties well, a trait necessary for any underdog team in this tournament. Roman Kechter and Veit Oswald’s skill and evasion were on display and helped keep Germany afloat against almost all opponents.
The real star of the show seemed to be Matthias Bittner, seemingly coming out of nowhere to make key stops against powerhouses Sweden and Canada. In my view, that Canada game ends extremely lopsided without Bittner in net, even with all the penalties flying around. His quickness, even in desperation and on secondary opportunities were key.
Unfortunately, every game in this tournament can make a huge difference, and a shock at the hands of Latvia puts them in the relegation game against Norway where I would expect them to remain in the top division, but the game could be tighter than expected. The Germans can go home with their heads held high in the least thanks to an extraordinary win over Finland. In case you had your TV on mute, it was their first against the Finns at this tournament ever. It was a tight, grinding game, but the Germans seemed to beat the Finns at their own game, doing a great Metapod impression, hardening their defensive game and taking advantage of the opportunities they had while getting a tremendous performance from Philipp Dietl. I don’t see a tremendous amount of high end talent coming to add to the six names returning for next year, but the Germans always show up to these tournaments ready to grind out another one. That said, David Lewandowski, Rio Kaiser, and Simon Seidl are all names that have popped up on my radar in quick viewings over this season and stretching into last year, so keep an eye peeled for that group to be part of a curious future for the Germans.
As a brief note, there will be a live show after the quarterfinals and semifinals in the evenings of January 3rd and 4th, and we’ll be doing live shows for the Medal Round on the 5th so be sure to subscribe to Scouching on YouTube, Twitch or follow on X to catch the next show and get notified when we go live! Thanks for reading and see you then!
