Scouching’s 2024 World Junior Championship Preview
Happy Holidays to you all! Once all the presents are opened and the turkey is consumed, it’s time for the best part of the season: Turkey sandwiches and the World Junior Hockey Championships, gathering the best of the best talent from ten hockey nations under the age of 20. This tournament is always a must-watch series of games full of drama, comebacks and dazzling highlight reel creativity. This year’s installment may lack the star power of names like Connor Bedard, Leo Carlsson and Adam Fantilli, but in my view this could be one of the more evenly competed tournaments that could feature some tremendously gif-able moments from quite a few teams.
As is tradition, below is a spreadsheet containing rosters, jersey numbers and some basic data behind some of these names so you can follow along with your favorites!
Relegation Contenders
Germany - 5.79 NHLeS
Player to Watch - Simon Wolf (G)
The Germans tournament is likely to come down to a victory over the Latvians in their division, which in my view may be a bit of a challenge considering the roster the Germans are bringing. A quarterfinal victory seems unlikely at best, but unlike Austria at last year’s tournament, this is a team that should at least be somewhat competitive, featuring a number of players either drafted to the NHL or likely could feasibly be on NHL radars.
Simon Wolf has been having an excellent season playing for the Red Bull Hockey Academy under strong workloads, and he will certainly be relied upon heavily in net. Julian Lutz is likely to be a major part of the offensive equation along with Roman Kechter, a combination of high pace, good skill and high physicality that will be necessary to make an impact against better teams. Moritz Elias factors in as well among other names who have had solid DEL seasons that could provide supplementary punch. Buffalo Sabres draft pick Norwin Panocha should be capable behind the offensive group moving pucks and closing gaps trying to make Wolf’s life a little easier. On the draft-eligible side, Paul Mayer is the only player in his first year of eligiblity and in the international viewings I’ve had of Mayer, I don’t have a whole lot to say and don’t expect him to be a major needle-mover for the Germans.
It’s likely to be a rough ride for this team in a pretty talented group. Could a great goaltending performance keep them afloat and challenge a better team on paper? Of course, this is the World Juniors and I’ve seen many a goaltender rob a team of a win over the last 25 years. Names like Kechner and Lutz can push things in the right direction, but it’ll take some stars aligning and a key win over Latvia to stay out of the danger zone.
Norway - 6.73 NHLeS
Player to Watch - Michael Brandsegg-Nygård (RW)
The team most likely to head to the relegation round out of Group B this year is likely this Norwegian team, but this is not a team to be underestimated if you think you’ll be able to roll over them. There is a little bit of a limited golden generation coming through Norway, and nothing is out of the question at this tournament. The Mora IK trip of Petter Vesterheim, Michael Brandsegg-Nygård and Noah Steen are likely to be seeing plenty of ice together, and we won’t be seeing two of those players at this level again. I’ve been a huge fan of Vesterheim over the last two season, and Noah Steen has developed into a highly skilled net-driven winger against professional competition in Sweden. While I’m not particularly a fan of their defense group, including 2024-eligible Stian Solberg (but I’m happy to have my mind changed here), players like Gabriel Koch, Ludvig Lafton and Christopher Lie have been impressive in spurts when I’ve caught them. There isn’t a ton of depth here, but the top end of the team could surely make an impact, even against some of the best teams in their division. Should they sneak out a few points over the Swiss or perhaps the Czechs, the Norwegians could land themselves in a surprise quarterfinal spot, but it’s going to be tough. 2023 World Under-18 Championship standout and 2024 NHL Draft prospect Elias Straume Vatne was left at home somewhat surprisingly, but after my viewings of him, he’s a frustrating and strange player, albeit highly skilled and creative… almost to a fault.
My expectation in net is that Markus Røhnebæk Stensrud will see the net, at least at first, with significant international experience, helping to earn the Norwegians a spot in this year’s top division tournament. He’s undersized and having a ho-hum season in Norway, and should he falter, the Mora IK system is sending another option in Martin Holtet Lundberg who has had some decent results. They’re going to be busy, but the challenge should be alleviated somewhat with the firepower up front.
Latvia - 7.72 NHLeS
Key Player - Dans Locmelis (C)
The Latvians are going to likely be battling the Germans for a spot in the relegation round, and bouncing around the names on this roster, they’re going to be in for a challenge. It’s the youngest team in the tournament, carrying 9 players eligible for the 2024 NHL Draft for the first time. There is some size in Eriks Mateiko, Emils Veckaktins, and Rainers Rullers among others, and being willing to use it and physically challenge their opponents will likely be key. A power play here and there could be critical to their success, as goaltending and firepower at 5v5 is likely to be a huge challenge. They have shooting threats in Darels Uljanskis and Sandis Vilmanis, and certainly a good amount of physical resilience in their big players, but this tournament is going to be a challenge to keep them in the top division and it could easily come down to a couple of fateful games against a decent Norwegian team, or the Swiss. The advantage they have is that many of these players have experience playing together and certainly show up to tournaments like this, but a deep Cinderella run seems like a bit of a longshot.
Switzerland - 8.15 NHLeS
Key Player - Rodwin Dionicio (D)
I might be one of very few, but the Switzerland/Norway matchup is going to be pivotal for both teams in order to earn a playoff spot. I would put my cash on the Swiss to come out on top, with a number of players coming from an underrated Swiss top men’s division that could really move the needle. Goaltending is absolutely a question mark, as is dependable scoring depth, but Rodwin Dionicio leads a defense group that could be a surprise for NHL Draft nerds if they play Leon Muggli and Daniil Ustinkov as much as they should this year. Muggli has his faults, but the offense and shot on the PP are undeniably positive, and if he isn’t on the ice, Zurich’s Daniil Ustinkov is no slouch in the offensive zone, regardless of what his men’s league production has been. He’s careful with the puck, simple but effective defensively, and has been a mainstay on the Swiss national team for years already, and I hope to see plenty of both he and Muggli this year.
They’re going to need bounces to go their way here and there, and I don’t think it’s out of the realm of possibility that Norway finds their way into the Quarterfinals over Switzerland, but with the pace and skill of Jamiro Reber and Endo Meier, with the well rounded offensive game of Leo Braillard, Miles Müller and Gregory Weber, if they get some solid insulating defense, staying in the top division should be doable for this group.
Medal Contenders
Czechia - 12.57 NHLeS
Key Player - Jiri Kulich (C)
Czechia is bringing a team that could potentially make some serious waves in this tournament. Led by high end NHL draft selections Jiri Kulich and Eduard Sale, don’t forget about the solid talent around them that could give the team a serious boost. Matyas Sapovaliv returns and should bring a powerful, steady presence to the middle of the ice, and Dominik Rymon has carried his high scoring skilled game from the Czech junior levels through to his WHL experience with the Everett Silvertips. The Prince George Cougars have been a wagon this year, and many eyes are trained on 2024 Draft Eligible Terik Parascak, I’ve found that a ton of that bus driving is being done by Ondrej Becher. He’s slippery, pushes defenders onto their heels with his pace and deception, and could be an outside chance of being an NHL pick himself should his World Junior performance match his excellent WHL campaign. There’s solid depth up front, even if it lacks significant raw firepower outside of Jiri Kulich.
Defensively, the Czechs contain a solid amount of stability and flash, with Tomas Cibulka, 2024 NHL Draft prospect Tomas Galvas and at times, Vojtech Port all showing skill and offensive flashes. Tomas Hamara, Marek Alscher and Adam Jiricek add some level of mobility and safety to offset those previous names, and are great examples of size down the lineup for the Czechs.
There’s no doubt that this team can hold themselves against other medal contending competition and potentially grind out a tough quarterfinal win. The one thing standing in their way is potentially in between the pipes. Michael Hrabal has had his share of shaky starts in the Czech net over the last few years, but his potential is sky-high. If he falters, Jakub Vondras and Michael Schnattinger are largely unproven at this level, but you never know. Goaltending is extremely important in this tournament, and with the team set out in front of Hrabal, if he plays his best, this team could surprise.
Slovakia - 11.43 NHLeS
Key Player - Filip Mesar (RW)
Slovakia may very well have the most underrated roster in the whole tournament. I always highly value players who have spent time playing together, and the Slovak national team has set the stage for many of these players in their youth and where they are today. Defensively there are some gaps for sure, but I’ll be very curious to see 16 year old Luka Radivojevic, who has looked strong in the Swedish junior leagues when I’ve caught him.
The forward group is where their game is going to shine, in my view. Leading returnee Filip Mesar is likely to be an electrifying skilled player relied upon to produce in key moments, but Samuel Honzek, Dalibor Dvorský and Juraj Pekarcik will bring a combination of shooting ability, size and skill to the picture that should diversify the team’s abilities. Adam Sýkora and Martin Misiak are personal favourites with physical intensity and power skill games so I hope to see strong performances in every sense of the term. I’m also expecting another personal favorite in Alex Ciernik to be an offensive factor and make a bit of a name for himself after an exceptional season on a poor Västerviks team in HockeyAllsvenskan.
Adam Gajan, Samuel Urban and Rastislav Elias are a strong trio with excellent international experience, and should their workloads get heavy here, I have faith that they’ll be able to keep it together. This is a team that very nearly eliminated the Canadians last season in the quarterfinals driven by Adam Gajan saving 53 of 57 shots, and many key players are returning from that strong roster. I wouldn’t count this team out of winning a medal this year, and what’s more is 11 players being eligible to return next year as well.
Finland - 14.36 NHLeS
Key Player - Jani Nyman (RW)
Finland is a team I was expecting to look decent coming into this tournament, and I think I’ve forgotten about quite a few players on their roster. On paper, they’re led by Konsta Helenius and his oft-Golden Helmet worthy season with Jukurit, but the thing that I always keep in mind with Finns at this level is that they play as a unit, and when they play physical and counterattack effectively when they get chances, they win. Think of the Florida Panthers last year literally steamrolling through the Stanley Cup Playoffs, and now make them teenagers, and you may have the Finnish roster of this season’s tournament. 9 of their skaters are listed at 6’2” or taller, and only Canada has more in that category, and potentially Latvia depending on their cuts. In a sense, that could matter, and this is a team that may not look like they’re achieving much in a game, and then next thing you know, someone throws a puck in front of the net and a giant man is there to bash it in.
To be more specific, there are many names on this team that I’m a fan of. Jani Nyman brings size, pace and skill with excellent finishing ability, coming into the tournament as the highest scoring Liiga player. Copy paste what I just said about Kasper Halttunen in a way. He’s gigantic, but slow and heavy, but a lethal shot and a physical edge. If someone looks the wrong way at Niklas Kokko in net, he’ll probably be more than happy to get involved. Rasmus Kumpulainen, Emil Hemming, Kalle Kangas, Samu Bau and Lenni Hämeenaho all bring a physical edge as well to chip in on that side of the game.
This team isn’t all toughness and physical play though. Of course there’s Konsta Helenius up front, but Columbus Blue Jackets prospect Oiva Keskinen was one of the few players drafted that I had never seen that I was quite impressed by in my viewings with skill and pace in his game. Jere Lassila has been a Finnish junior team mainstay and brings speed and skill up the middle of the ice and should be able to transport pucks to his bigger and heavier teammates effectively. Coming from the NCAA, Max Koskipirtti and Tommi Männistö are also effective skaters who should be able to chip in with areas the team lacks.
The defensive side of the team also brings a solid amount of skill and shooting ability with Arttu Kärki, Otto Salin, and Kasper Kulonummi bringing a solid combination of these talents. I’ve always had an interest in the skilled but understated Joona Väisänen coming out of the USHL as well. The bizarre wild card in all of this is the gigantic undrafted defender Jesse Pulkkinen. There are some who are considering him a relatively high prospect for the NHL draft this year, with remarkable size, confidence and skill level, and while I’m not quite sold at this point, I’ll be keeping an eye on him for this year’s contest. The Finnish junior league is a wildly unbalanced level of play, and a much older, and much bigger Pulkkinen gets away with a tremendous amount by virtue of his puck protection, creativity, and pure size. I’ve wanted to see him at higher levels of competition, and I haven’t been blown away with his Mestis play, but he could have some really fun moments in this tournament.
There’s clearly lots to dig into about the Finnish roster this year. Their potential to grind out some wins here and there like the Czechs is right there, and if they get some saves from whoever is guarding the pipes, they could take things as far as they want to. They have a physical edge, but skill and finishing ability at all positions. Don’t count them out either.
Medal or Bust
Canada - 21.66 NHLeS
Key Player - Matthew Savoie (C)
Canada is always a… somewhat frustrating team at this tournament. Poor goaltending and too many penalties in a more strict international game is always an Achilles heel that makes their road to a medal significantly harder than it should be. This season, the roster is no slouch, and could easily compete for a gold medal, but my line of thinking that Hockey Canada is more a part of the pack of elite hockey nations rather than a global leader continues to be somewhat reinforced when comparing this roster to the Swedes and United States.
The scoring side of things should not be in doubt. Matthew Savoie, Jagger Firkus and Conor Geekie are in the midst of outstanding WHL seasons. Oh wait, Jagger Firkus was left at home… Ok then! Easton Cowan, Carson Rehkopf, and Denver Barkey in the midst of outstanding OHL seasons of their own, and Jordan Dumais is scoring at a historic rate in the QMJHL. Oh wait, the Canadians sent home Denver Barkey too. Ok! Macklin Celebrini, the likely first overall selection in the 2024 NHL Draft will factor in as well with his impressive combination of offensive tools through strength, shooting, and flashes of playmaking. Brayden Yager, Owen Beck and Nate Danielson will also be major factors down the lineup for the forward group. Regardless of the somewhat questionable dismissals, Canada does have a strong, deep group of forwards more than capable of medaling.
The rest of the team appears to be a huge mixed bag. Their goaltending is a collection of high save percentage QMJHL options and some sub-0.900 goaltending from the much better OHL and WHL, and will certainly be challenged by a number of teams in their group. Defensively, there is a combination of rovers and physical defenders, and their effectiveness will be critical to the success of this team. I’m not a huge believer in Denton Mateychuk, but as a power play weapon, there is lots of potential for him to quarterback play from the blueline, and he’s effective when given freedom to push play offensively on his own. Tanner Molendyk is much the same, but somewhat of a higher pace offensive force, while also carrying some defensive warts. The rest of the defense group is a major question mark to me. There are big, physical players, as well as Jake Furlong, but actual defending in transition in high pace situations and effectively transporting pucks to the talented forward group is a weak point with many of these players, and that will be a common occurrence against the best teams.
The mantra of staying out of the penalty box and easing workloads on the goaltending will be imperative as it is every year. It’ll be fascinating to see how this Canadian group performs. They lack the goaltending of other teams, they lack some level of defensive depth, but the scoring potential is undeniable, and they certainly could be “hard to play against”, but there are some areas for the teams ahead to exploit and challenge.
Sweden - 13.48 NHLeS
Key Player - Jonathan Lekkerimäki (RW)
The Swedes in my view are about as talented a roster as I’ve ever seen recently in this tournament. There is a ton going on here from the frontlines, and should their goaltending keep things together, I could easily see this team getting themselves to their first gold medal game since 2018, driven by elite scoring and strong, physical and resilient depth. The key names will almost certainly revolve around an excellent trio of 2021 NHL Draft picks in Jonathan Lekkerimäki, Noah Östlund and Liam Öhgren, but Filip Bystedt will also likely factor into a diverse role. 2023 NHL Draft picks will fill in the depth well in my view, with David Edstrom, Anton Wahlberg, Otto Stenberg and Felix Unger Sörum bringing skill, pace and smarts with a bit of size to boot in Edstrom and Wahlberg. At the bottom of the lineup, Isac Born, and Zeb Forsfjäll should bring some nice physical forechecking play to eat minutes when needed.
The defense group is also very strong in multiple ways, led by confident skilled puck carriers in Axel Sandin Pellikka, Tom Willander and Mattias Hävelid, with Elias Salomonsson, Elias Pettersson, and Anton Johansson providing strong defense with length, mobility and smarts. The USA roster may carry some more depth, but Sweden should be able to hold their own against the best from front to back. The firepower is there, the ability to play hard and grind minutes is there, and if the goaltending holds strong when needed, this is a team that could easily challenge for a championship, however unlikely it seems on paper. I have a weird feeling that Melker Thelin could have a heck of a tournament, continuing a trend seen in HockeyAllsvenskan this season so far, but predicting goaltending in this tournament is a fickle and largely pointless operation.
United States - 20.06 NHLeS
Key Player - Will Smith (C)
Simply put, this team is absolutely stacked. From the net out, there is talent pretty much across the board. Physical players, skilled players, insane shooters, high-pace playmakers, they have it all. Their top six of Cutter Gauthier, Rutger McGroarty, Frank Nazar, Will Smith, Gabe Perreault, Ryan Leonard, Jimmy Snuggerud and Gavin Brindley is so loaded that you probably didn’t notice I mentioned nine players. That doesn’t even include players like Oliver Moore, William Whitelaw, Isaac Howard and Carey Terrance who are almost certainly going to provide supplementary offense down the lineup while playing solid defense. Oh yeah, and keep an eye out for the smart and creative playmaking of James Hagens when he hits the ice. The 2025 Draft looks pretty strong with him as part of the top group.
Speaking of defense, there’s even more to write about there. Sure there was much gnashing of teeth regarding leaving Hunter Brzustewicz at home, but when you have Lane Hutson, Seamus Casey, and Zeev Buium on the way, I think you’ll be fine for power play focused offensive creators. Sam Rinzel, Drew Fortescue, and Ryan Chesley are also likely to factor in as stabilizing talents that can get around the ice well. It’s really hard to pinpoint specific things to talk about regarding this roster outside of “they’re really really really good" and that this group has more than enough talent to waddle their way to the gold medal game and put on a show. Jacob Fowler and Trey Augustine in net is a dynamite duo that should also keep whatever pucks that get through this roster out of the net, and certainly aren’t a weak point on an otherwise outstanding roster once again.
The 2024 World Junior Championships are going to be one for the history books, I think. There are so many talented teams, and so many games could come down to a goal here or there, a save here or there, or just a darned lucky bounce at the right time. Sweden, Canada, the USA, Finland, and Slovakia are all bringing strong teams that should be able to go toe to toe with one another and crowd the podium. There are quite a few draft-eligible players I’ll have my eyes trained on as well this season, but all eyes here in North America are likely going to be on the US team alongside the usual overwhelming pressure on the Canadians. I’ll be glued to my television while out in the woods taking some time away over the holidays, and I hope you will be too. Almost every matchup could be a great one this year with plenty of insanity, highlights and surprises.
On the note of taking some time away, Scouching will be a post-quarterfinal stream on January 3, and watch-alongs for the semifinals and medal rounds so stay tuned for a finalized schedule in the coming weeks and subscribe to Scouching’s YouTube or Twitch channels. Before I go, because people love predictions, here are mine! Thanks for reading, and we’ll see you so soon! Enjoy the tournament, and please be nice to these actual teenaged humans on the internet if things don’t go the way you want them too please and thank you.
🥇USA
🥈Sweden
🥉Canada
🎀Slovakia
Tournament MVP: Cutter Gauthier
Best Forward: Cutter Gauthier
Best Defenseman: Axel Sandin Pellikka
Best Goaltender: Melker Thelin
All Star Team:
Cutter Gauthier - Will Smith - Noah Östlund
Axel Sandin Pellikka - Lane Hutson
Melker Thelin
