Scouting Notebook: Top performers from Day 2 of 2023 U-17 World Hockey Challenge
Two days are in the books.
After fans were treated to three close, competitive games on Thursday, the United States went on a bender, beating Czechia 10-2 in the opening game. The evening contests saw the return of close action, with Canada Red erasing a 2-0 deficit to win 4-3 against Canada White as the dynamic duo of Gavin McKenna and Cole Reschny continued to thrive.
In the other match, Sweden also trailed 1-0 in the first, but a big two-game explosion from Anton Frondell in the second period helped the Swedes skate to a 3-2 victory.
The United States will keep the top spot in the standings, with Canada Red and Sweden completing the interim podium. With the loss, Finland sits last with just one point, with Czechia also on the outside looking in.
USA
#49 Jacob Kvasnicka, RW (2025): With four goals and an assist, it’s hard to beat Kvasnicka’s performance tonight. Whether it be making passes behind the net or capitalizing on the doorstep, he was always in the right spot at the right time. Just let the scoresheet do the talking here, no overthinking it: Kvasnicka was the best player today.
#36 Conrad Fondrk, LW (2025): After a three-point opener against Sweden, Fondrk did more of the same with another three-point game today. Fondrk loves shooting from the top of the left faceoff circle and can start and stop on a dime. When Fondrk slows the game down, he’s at his best.
#54 Cullenn Potter, C (2025): I can’t say I noticed Potter too much yesterday, but he scored today and had a few chances close around the Czech net. He brings good speed and work ethic to every shift. It wasn’t a flashy game for Potter, but he was noticeable nearly every time he touched the puck.
#53 Logan Hafele, RW (2026): Hafele had two goals for USA today, mostly creative havoc in front of the net. His hand-eye coordination was on display, as was his forecheck attack. These are the type of players that get NHL deals solely because they’re annoying to play against.
#38 LJ Mooney, RW (2025): He’s small, but he packs so much skill into his 5-foot-7 frame. After scoring a momentum-changing goal on Thursday, Mooney scored the game-tying marker early today before adding the team’s 10th goal. He has an excellent release he can get off from anywhere, thanks to his quick hands. Hopefully, this tournament is what allows him to get on track after a bit of a slower start.
Czechia
#11 Jakub Frolo, C (2026): Frolo was promoted to the second line and helped set up the first goal of the game, digging out a loose puck to find Vaclav Nestrasil. He took a penalty midway through, but he was one of the few Czechs who seemed to give a full effort for the whole game, even when it went kablooey.
Canada Red
#9 Gavin McKenna, RW (2026): Few players can feed others like McKenna. An outstanding pass through traffic helped set up Cole Reschny in close for the 2-1 goal. That’s the type of vision scouts have been raving about for a few years now, with his quick thinking coming in handy under pressure. McKenna then kicked off the second period with an absolute snipe, tying the game up at two apiece for his third goal of the tournament. Add in another assist to make it 4-3, and you’re starting to see he gets the job done.
#7 Cole Reschny, C (2025): Playing alongside McKenna, Reschny has been just as good – if not, better, depending on which scout you ask. The stout WHL playmaker went undetected on the first Canada Red goal before wrapping around and setting up McKenna on the second goal. Two outstanding performances for the skilled center.
#31 William Lacelle, G (2025): A huge breakaway stop midway through the first period helped change the course of the game for Red. It wasn’t a great start with two goals allowed early, but he stood on his head the rest of the period and helped his team stay in it. The Rimouski Oceanic draft pick might be playing AAA this year, but he’s already one of the best U-17 goaltenders in the country with the way he battles in the crease and takes space away quickly.
#13 Xavier Villeneuve, D (2026): Simple, smart and effective. Villeneuve never looked flustered under pressure and helped generate a few scoring chances from the point. Don’t think I saw him have a bad shift out there.
Canada White
#20 Emile Guite, RW (2025): It was hard to escape Guite’s presence in the first period, with the Quebec-born winger registering a handful of chances early on. He scored the opening goal at 3:19 after taking a Cole Temple feed, but probably could have had two or three.
#16 Cameron Schmidt, RW (2025): Schmidt scored the opening goal, but then took a potentially costly penalty in the third. Luckily, White killed it and Schmidt was able to force a turnover in front of Red’s net, scoring an in-close goal to make it 3-3. That’s one way to make up for a miscue.
#19 Carson Cameron, D (2025): I hadn’t seen much of Cameron before this tournament. But I’m convinced he’s been Canada White’s best defender through two games. Some smart passes, good stickhandling and he knows how to use his speed to his advantage. He was integral in giving White their first goal today.
Sweden
#16 Anton Frondell, C (2025): Even though the first goal was 100 percent offside, Frondell made up for it with a great play on his second goal. He caught a Finnish defender napping in front and just did enough to knock it over the line for the 3-1 goal. Frondell was the Swedish player with the most hype entering this event and his back-to-back shifts in the second period helped change the course of the game.
#15 Ivar Stenberg, LW (2026): It was only a matter of time until Stenberg scored his first. The Swedish junior standout gave his team some huge momentum after stealing the puck off of a Finnish defender along the boards and scoring with just six seconds left in the opening frame. His chemistry with Viktor Klinsell was apparent, too.
#5 Sascha Boumedienne, D (2025): The only Swedish player coming from outside of the Swedish junior ranks, Boumedienne is a confident player that can rush the puck up the ice and land some hits. I’d like to see him use his big bomb of a shot more often, but his own-zone play looked good tonight.
Finland
#30 Jooa Sammalniemi, G (2025): It was hard to point the finger at Sammalniemi for any of the goals against him, given two were the result of terrible giveaways by his defenders and another should have been called offside. He made some big saves early in the second period specifically to keep Sweden at bay before the Finns fell apart in their own net. Overall, Finland has gotten good goaltending so far between Sammalniemi and Patrik Kerkola.
#12 Rafael Pihlman, RW (2025): Pihlman’s goal a stroke of genius. He saw the Swedes get a player back from the penalty box and waited until he got back into the play. Then, using the extra screen, Pihlman turned around, rushed in and sent a high shot past William Forsberg, bringing Finland back within one. A good deceptive shooter, Pihlman has been one of Finland’s better players early despite playing on the fourth line.