2024 World U-17 Hockey Challenge Roundup: The top players from Day 2
SARNIA, Ont. – It can sometimes be difficult to find good, quality hockey at an international tournament so early in a player’s career.
But a pair of fun, mostly tight games on Monday gave fans plenty to talk about. Sweden trailed at various times against the Czechs before returning for a 5-3 victory in their first game of the tournament. Canada Red then stormed to a 3-0 lead early in the first period, only for the Americans to battle back. In the end, Canada managed to hang on to the win, finishing the round-robin with a perfect 2-0 record thanks to a 6-3 victory.
With the win, Canada Red has clinched the top spot in Group A and has advanced to Friday’s semifinal. Sweden and Canada White will battle for the top spot in Group B with their fight on Tuesday, with USA and Finland battling it out for second in Group A.
Here’s a look at some of Monday’s top players:
Canada Red
#8 Parker Vaughan, RW (2026): Vaughan just seemed to be in scoring position more often than not. He found open space easily, and while he didn’t score, he generated some decent chances. As a fourth-liner, Vaughan was tasked with bringing the energy, and he did just that, but he was also quite elusive with the puck.
#24 Alex McLean, LW (2026): McLean has been one of Canada’s best players early on this week. He had a goal in the opening game against the Finns and then scored the first goal tonight to help get the Canadian crowd into the fight. He’s got a great shot and, even dating back to his AAA days, you saw a guy who continuously finds ways to put himself in the right spot at the right time.
#18 Jaxon Jacobson, LW (2027): Jacobson had two assists, and he also had a couple of decent looks on the power play and made some good moves in open space. He might be small, but he’s got the footwork to burn opponents and keep them guessing. With a heads-up playmaking style like his, you’re going to see Jacobson put up a ton of points over the next few years.
#7 Cruz Pavao, RW (2026): Pavao was someone I hadn’t seen a lot of, and I didn’t notice him on Sunday. But today, he had a pair of secondary assists, including a nice pass that set up the 2-0 goal on the power play. Pavao was always scanning the ice to find his teammates and was close to getting a goal of his own in the second period.
USA
#42 Casey Mutryn, C (2026): Mutryn was the catalyst that led to the 3-1 goal and then scored one of his own early in the second to get the Americans back in it. Once Mutryn go that one, the momentum fully swung in USA’s favor. They’ll need all the scoring help they can get with Mikey Berchild out of the lineup, but Mutryn was great today.
#44 Victor Plante, LW (2026): When Victor’s brother, Max, played in this tournament two years ago, he put up 10 assists – but no goals. He was always a playmaker, while Victor has garnered a reputation as a good shooter. He scored the first American goal with seven seconds left in the first period before helping set up the 3-2 goal 23 seconds into the middle stanza. I just loved how involved he was with the puck all game long.
#38 Lukas Zajic, RW (2026): Zajic has been one of USA’s best players this season and he was probably the most active player at both ends of the ice. He was quick, battled hard, had some good scoring chances and even got physical, too. If you zero in on him, he’s always finding ways to get into open space.
Czechia
#23 Šimon Katolický, LW (2026): It’s hard to miss the 6-foot-4 forward out there, but, man, he can fly for his size. Katolický has been Czechia’s best forward, and now has three points in two games after a two-point day. He loves playing in open space and has great hands, allowing himself to beat opponents with ease. I can see plenty of teams zeroing in on him next year because his mix of size and skill is hard to ignore.
#4 Lukáš Kachlíř, D (2027): As a 2009-born defender, there are a lot of eyes on Kachlíř. Czechia’s defense was rough, but the 5-foot-7 blueliner was elusive and made some great plays from the point. He even scored a goal, too on a nice shot. Getting top-pairing duties as an underager – even on a bad team – is impressive, no matter the lineup, and I think he’s been one of the few solid pieces for the Czechs.
Sweden
#27 Viggo Björck, C (2026): There was one point early in the game when I wondered where Björck was. It felt like he wasn’t getting a lot of puck touches – and then that all changed in the second. He seemed to be the best player from then on, registering three assists in Sweden’s comeback effort. He outskated anyone and was clearly the most skilled forward on the ice, often being the one generating the scoring chances for the Swedes.
#28 Måns Josbrant, C (2026): Skating as Sweden’s 13th forward, it seemed like they had him playing a bit of everything today. From rushing the puck in, blocking shots, and bringing energy, Josbrant was the most noticeable Swede behind Björck for me. He rarely was caught making mistakes with the puck on his stick, which is always a positive.
#11 Simon Näslund, LW (2027): I noticed Näslund a lot more in the first half, but he scored the first Swedish goal after several dangerous looks early. He’s not big or strong, but he’s a smart forward who can outthink you at a high speed. Näslund is born about two weeks after the cutoff for the 2026 NHL Draft, but there should be interest in him in 2027 because he makes things happen with the puck.
#17 Elton Hermansson, LW (2026): Hermansson had a goal and an assist to help put the score out of reach in the third period. Like Naslund, Hermansson is a toolsy player who can dangle opponents and shoot from everywhere – but he also works hard and shoves guys around. First time noticing him in a game, and I liked what I saw.
SPONSORED BY bet365