Scouting Notebook: Top performers from the 2023 U-17 World Hockey Challenge semifinals
Canada White and Czechia will play for gold at the 2023 U-17 World Hockey Challenge in Prince Edward Island on Saturday afternoon.
The two teams won their respective semifinal contests, with Canada crushing Sweden 6-1 and USA edging out Czechia 5-4 in overtime. For the Americans, they needed a goal with 0.7 seconds left on the clock to force overtime before LJ Mooney scored on a breakaway early in the extra frame to win the game.
Canada White advanced to the final for the second time ever, with the roster being randomized with no set construction plan each year. White won the tournament in 2015 with the likes of Nick Suzuki, Owen Tippett, Gabe Vilardi, Ryan McLeod and Evan Bouchard, among others.
Puck drop for the title decider will take place just after 4:00 PM ET, with Czechia and Sweden fighting for the bronze medal at 11:00 AM ET.
Here’s a look at the top performers from Friday’s semifinal action:
Canada White
#15 Caleb Desnoyers, C (2025): The Quebec native doesn’t miss many scoring chances from in close. After some good passing around the Swedish net, Desnoyers fired home the opening goal from around the slot to kick off the scoring. After a bit of a slow start, it feels like he’s gotten better as the tournament has gone on.
#16 Cameron Schmidt, LW (2025): Schmidt’s first goal was nice, scoring on a breakaway from a Tyler Hopkins pass. But his second goal minutes later was even better, scoring on a diving backhander that nobody saw coming. The Vancouver Giants forward hadn’t scored since his two-goal effort last Friday, but he definitely picked a good game to thrive in.
#23 Owen Griffin, RW (2025): After scoring from a difficult angle in the first, Griffin then created another scoring chance that saw Schmidt capitalize in the second period. He’s had some on-and-off games, but it looked like he had something to prove to scouts tonight with the way he worked his butt off.
#20 Emile Guite, RW (2025): Just an unstoppable force. Guité entered the game with five goals and seven points, registering at least one point in every game but the first one. His two power-play goals in the second period today put the game away for good. He loves the right faceoff dot on the man advantage. If he keeps that up in the NHL, he’ll be a 30-goal scorer, for sure.
#1 Jack Ivankovic, G (2025): With 37 saves, this was the best game of Ivankovic’s tournament. He has struggled with rebound control over the past week, and that’s what burnt him on the Swedish goal. But he’s one of the most competitive goalies you’ll find, and he played some of his best hockey after that. His glove save on Ekberg on the 2-on-1 chance was outstanding.
Sweden
#14 Filip Ekberg, LW (2025): Ekberg scored Sweden’s lone goal and got robbed on a second chance that would have kept the Swedes in the game. He has been Sweden’s most consistent performer in PEI, and he was finally rewarded with a goal of his own after spending the tournament setting up everyone else.
USA
#44 Will Horcoff, LW (2025): While his lack of production with the USNTDP this year might make you think otherwise, Horcoff is one heck of a skilled player. He assisted the first USA goal and then scored a beautiful penalty shot goal to make it 2-1. At 6-foot-4, he’s hard to contain around the net and it shows.
#39 Jack Murtagh, LW (2025): Before he scored, I liked Murtagh’s hustle and physical play. But then he scored the 3-3 goal and flipped the game on its head. His game-tying goal with 0.7 seconds left on the board was the result of being in the right spot at the right time. An overall clutch performance.
#38 LJ Mooney, RW (2025): That breakaway goal was brilliant. He was attacking, stole the puck and scored with a perfectly placed wrister. He had a good game, but nothing seemed to work. But he’s one of USA’s most skilled players, and the winning goal was well-deserved.
Czechia
#1 Ondrej Stebetak, G (2025): I’m convinced the Czechs wouldn’t be in the medal round if it wasn’t for Stebetak. Arguably the best goaltender all tournament long, he was busy, making 13 saves in the opening period. The first goal wasn’t great, and the second was a penalty shot goal, but he was lights out for most of the game. It wasn’t his fault Czechia lost today.
#17 Adam Benak, C (2025): It’s been a difficult tournament for Benak, who had just one goal and three points heading into Friday. Given he had 10 points in five games against older, stronger competition at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup, it’s been puzzling. But his shot on the power play is one of the reasons why he’s so dangerous. He’s a good setup man, but he puts significant power behind his release. Benak nabbed an assist on the game-winning goal, with his low shot getting directed to the side of the net for Vit Zahejsky to score. I’m not sure if it intentional that he shot it low, but it looked that way. If so, smart.
#12 Adam Novoty, RW (2025): His first goal was a fluke, but his pass to Vaclav Nestrasil on the second Czech goal was nice. I also thought his backchecking game was good, especially late in the second when the Americans started to put up the pressure a bit.