Top players from Day 1 of the 2024 World Junior Championship
Canada beats Finland as title defense begins
Canada kicked off its World Junior Championship title defense by beating Finland 5-2 to begin action at Scandinavium Arena in Gothenburg, Sweden.
It was a strong goaltending battle, with Canada’s Mathis Rousseau and Finland’s Niklas Kokko keeping things interesting. It was a fluky goal that gave Canada a 1-0 lead in the first, with Nate Danielson directing a shot off his rear end to open the scoring. His linemate, Owen Allard, would make it 2-0, but Aleksanteri Kaskimaki cut the lead in half at 35:56.
The game remained close, but Macklin Celebrini managed to restore Canada’s two-goal lead in the third period. It required a review, but he managed to sneak the puck below Kokko’s right leg and in for the 3-1 lead. The teams would trade goals late in the game, but it didn’t matter as Celebrini’s goal ended up proving to be the game-winner.
Canada
#30 Mathis Rousseau, G (Undrafted): There were questions about Canada’s goaltending heading into this game, especially after a pair of subpar performances from Rousseau during the pre-tournament. But his huge glove say on the play just before Canada’s first goal helped shift the momentum, and Rousseau looked great the rest of the way. They’ll need more efforts like that if Canada is going to win this tournament.
#13 Maveric Lamoureux, D (Arizona Coyotes): From a big hit early to the shot that led to Danielson’s opening goal, Lamoureux was Canada’s most noticeable defenseman in this game. It helps he’s 6-foot-7, but he played a great two-way game and did a great job of just getting in everyone’s way. That’s his game – and the empty netter was a bonus.
#21 Owen Allard, LW (Undrafted): Allard scored Canada’s second goal of the game, capping off a tremendous period that saw Allard tally three shots. He served on the penalty kill as expected, but he also played on the second power-play unit as the net-front presence. Allard has been one of Canada’s most effective players since the start of selection camp in Oakville, but this felt like his best effort to date.
#9 Nate Danielson, RW (Detroit Red Wings): Danielson scored the first goal of the game, but it was a tip off his butt. Instead, Danielson’s smart decision-making with the puck, and how he took players out of position stood out to me. You can tell why the Red Wings nearly kept him for its opening night roster: Danielson just seems so mature for his age. Special shoutout to Owen Beck, who was the glue that kept that Canadian energy line together.
#15 Matthew Poitras, C (Boston Bruins): That first period alone showed why Poitras is an NHLer. He’s a heads-up playmaker who seemed to find his linemates with ease, creating smart plays throughout. His hands were quick, his shot was deceptive and he was easily Canada’s best player early in the game. Poitras scored an empty-netter with over two minutes to go, but I really prefered how he played in the first half today.
Finland
#30 Niklas Kokko, G (Seattle Kraken): Kokko is the primary reason why Canada didn’t walk away with this one. He made a big glove stop on Poitras in the first, and then, despite allowing two goals in the first 40, he still managed to steal the show in the net. Kokko showed at the World Junior Summer Showcase what he can do with Finland when he’s on the top of his game, and this felt like one of his more dominant efforts in international competition.
#4 Arttu Karki, D (Vegas Golden Knights): Once the Finns figured out how to use him on the power play, Karki thrived. His point shot led to Aleksanteri Kaskimaki’s 2-1 goal, with Karki’s decision to shoot the puck down low looking intentional. Karki is gifted with the puck, and I won’t be surprised if he ends up being one of the better defensemen in the tournament once this event gets fully fleshed out.
#9 Konsta Helenius, C (2024 NHL Draft): Celebrini scored for Canada, but I personally liked Helenius’ two-way game more between the two 2024 NHL Draft stars. He made some good defensive plays and brought the energy we’re used to from him. Helenius wasn’t rewarded on the score sheet, but I still thought it was good showing for the underager.
#29 Lenni Hameenaho, RW (New Jersey Devils): Hameenaho is a big part of Finland’s offense, and he was busy with four shots in the first two periods. He was good around the net, but also generated chances in open space, too.
USA beats Norway 4-1 in tight affair
Everyone expected a blowout, but it didn’t come easy.
The United States skated out to a 4-1 win over Norway to start off Group B action on the right foot on Tuesday. But Norway gave them a run for their money, going toe-to-toe, shot-wise, throughout the first two periods. USA only had a 26-21 advantage in that department, and the score remained even for the first 30:02 of the contest.
At the halfway mark of the game, things finally started to go the United States’ way. Jimmy Snuggerud to make it 1-0 after some passing around the Norweigan net, before Gavin Brindley scored goals at 34:00 and 36:33 to make it 3-0. Petter Verterheim gave the Norwegians a reason to celebrate with a shorthanded goal at 44:18, but Isaac Howard finished the PP off with a goal to make it 4-1.
USA
#4 Gavin Brindley, RW (Columbus Blue Jackets): Brindley had one goal in seven games with USA at last year’s event, but he had two in just the second period today. The Blue Jackets forward is full of energy, and even when the Americans were struggling to generate chances in the first, Brindley was noticeable.
#34 Gabe Perreault, LW (New York Rangers): Perreault was USA’s best player in pre-tournament play and his playmaking was on display again today. He set up Brindley’s second goal and nearly had one of his own in the middle stanza. Perreault has become a better all-around player over the past year, and it shows.
#26 Seamus Casey, D (New Jersey Devils): Casey set up Jimmy Snuggerud for the first American goal after having two decent scoring chances of his own in the first period. Most eyes will be on Late Hutson, but Casey gave USA’s second line a lot to work with on the point as a fourth forward, essentially.
#1 Trey Augustine, G (Detroit Red Wings): With 21 saves in the first two periods alone, Augustine was significantly busier than most would have expected. Augustine struggled in the pre-tournament, especially compared to Jacob Fowler, but he was tested quite often on Tuesday against a team perhaps the Americans were underestimating. For Augustine’s own sake, it’s a good thing this didn’t go south.
Norway
#1 Markus Stensrud, G (Undrafted): This was a given, unless he instead allowed 10 goals in an absolute blowout. Instead, Stensrud had 40 saves, including 17 in the third period as the Americans completely dominated the puck. Stensrud will need to be so good against Switzerland later in this tournament if they’re going to avoid heading to the relegation round.
#28 Michael Nygaard-Brandsegg, RW (2024 NHL Draft): Norway’s top draft prospect was in hyper-mode all game long, attacking defenders and chasing down pucks. He had some difficult matchups, but MNB’s effort was as good as anyone’s in the game.
#13 Petter Vesterheim, C (Undrafted): It only made sense that the team’s top center scored in this one. He played all situations for the Americans, including the power play and penalty kill. His goal came while shorthanded, pressuring USA to make a mistake at the blueline before beating Augustine with a nice move. A good effort from one of Norway’s most important players.
Slovakia erases slow start to beat Czechia
The opening game of the 2024 World Junior Championship started with a rivalry matchup, and it ended with Slovakia taking a 6-2 win over Czechia.
Czechia had a mix of speed and relentless forechecking, allowing them to pin the Slovaks in their own zone early. But Slovakia didn’t back down, and after starting the game trailing 1-0, they were the far better team in the second period and capitalized with Servac Petrovsky’s tying goal. Peter Repcik’s goal at 38:34 gave the Slovaks its first lead in a period that saw them control the scoring chances.
From there, the Slovaks scored three goals in a five-minute stretch – including a shorthanded marker from Boris Zabka – to change the course of the game. Slovakia was in full control, with the Czechs taking costly penalties and struggling to gain any form of momentum.
Of note, Adam Jiricek – one of the top 2024 NHL Draft prospects in the tournament – injured his right leg in the second period. He came back out to start the third, but again hurt the same leg and left the game for good. We’ll have to see his status for the rest of the tournament, as Jiricek was expected to be an important part of Czechia’s blueline as an underage.
Czechia
#19 Ondrej Becher, RW (Undrafted): It was a simple, quick play, but his quick-touch pass to Dominik Rymon a minute in led to the game’s opening goal. From my viewings, Becher is a smart forward who’s always got his head moving, looking for the right play. After going undrafted a second time due to an underwhelming season in Prince George last year, I feel like Becher has evolved as a thinker, allowing him to make much more effective passes this year. I wouldn’t be surprised if he finished with 100 points in the WHL.
#24 Matyas Sapovaliv, C (Vegas Golden Knights): The Czechs didn’t get much out of Jiri Kulich or Eduard Sale, but Sapovaliv looked good for them instead. The team’s first line center played a good two-way game while not shying away from physical play either. He eventually scored Czechia’s second goal of the game, but the score was well out of reach at that point. Sapovaliv has shown in OHL that he can outthink players on the rush, but today’s game felt more like he was focused on keeping the puck away from his own goaltender.
Slovakia
#30 Adam Gajan, G (Chicago Blackhawks): The Slovaks need Gajan to be nearly perfect if the Slovaks are going to shake things up in this tournament. He was especially good in the first period, stopping a flurry of chances as the Czechs dominated puck possession. That came in clutch as the Slovaks took control in the second period, with Gajan’s early game saves keeping the Slovaks in this one.
#22 Alex Ciernik, LW (Philadelphia Flyers): I’ve seen some hit-and-miss efforts from Ciernik, but he gave the Slovaks its best chance in the first, which helped spark some late-period momentum. If this is the type of effort we’re to expect from Ciernik, I like Slovakia’s odds because they’ll need him to bring the energy and the open-ice awareness we know he’s capable of.
#10 Filip Mesar, RW (Montreal Canadiens): Mesar has been on a roll this year with Kitchener, and he helped the Slovaks generate quite a few opportunities early in the second period. His cross-ice pass to Servac Petrovsky was nice, leading to the first goal just minutes after nearly ending the deadlock even earlier. He then snagged two more assists early in the third to make it a three-point game. Mesar is one of Slovakia’s top players, and he’ll need to keep playing like that going forward.
#18 Servac Petrovsky, C (Minnesota Wild): Speaking of Petrovsky, he came so close to scoring in the first minute of the second, but he made up for it with his power-play blast. In open ice, few Slovaks can shoot like him, but he also had some good setup feeds both on the PP and at 5-on-5. His penalty kill effort was instrumental on the fourth goal, and then he scored again to make it 5-1. Great game all around from the returning center.
#14 Adam Sykora, RW (New York Rangers): We couldn’t keep the lone remaining top-line forward off this, could we? Sykora’s energy was abundant, landing hits, chasing down pucks and even setting up the second Slovak goal. Sykora is a slick passer, but his dog-on-a-bone mentality has stood out for me the past few years.
#27 Samuel Honzek, RW (Calgary Flames): You couldn’t tell this was just Honzek’s sixth game of the season. After two difficult WJCs, including an injury-shortened 2023 event, the big forward jabbed in the third goal after some good work around the net. With a big frame, he takes away sight and space away from opponents, and it paid off with that goal. There’s a reason he gets time on the power play.
#4 Maxim Strbak, D (Chicago Blackhawks): With no Simon Nemec, Slovakia is going to lean on Strbak heavily. They did today, and it paid off with a goal and an assist in the third period to help make it a big advantage for the Slovaks. He blocked shots, killed penalties and truly looked like a No. 1 defenseman in his third showing at this event.
Sweden cruises to win over Latvia
Sweden gave its fanbase much to cheer about on home ice, cruising to a 6-0 win over Latvia to close out the opening day of action.
It was a game dominated by power plays, with Sweden scoring three straight goals at 5-on-4. Even their fourth goal came with the man advantage, with Filip Bystedt scoring his second on a delayed penalty.
Anton Wahlberg, Felix Unger Sorum and Jonathan Lekkerimaki (twice) had the other goals for the Swedes, while goaltender Hugo Havelid stopped all 20 shots sent his way.
Sweden
#18 Filip Bystedt, C (San Jose Sharks): One came on the power play, and the other came on a delayed call. Bystedt thrives around the net, and his willingness to outmuscle defenders in front came in handy today. It’s what made him dangerous at the World Junior Summer Showcase, and it’s a reason why he’s one of the best players in the tournament.
#4 Axel Sandin Pellikka, D (Detroit Red Wings): ASP registered an assist on Sweden’s first goal to help end the deadlock, but it was everything after that was impressive. His speed, skill and deceptive play made predicting his decisions difficult, with the skill level difference between ASP and the Latvians becoming apparent.
#23 Jonathan Lekkerimaki, RW (Vancouver Canucks): Lekkerimaki struggled at this tournament in the past, but today’s game felt like a good effort from him. He drew a penalty and then scored eight seconds into the ensuing power play just for good measure. Lekkerimaki then scored with just over five minutes left to make it a 6-0 contest. Lekkerimaki’s overall game has taken nice steps forward over the past year, and I thought Lekkermaki looked especially aggressive in the neutral zone.
#16 Felix Unger Sorum, RW (Carolina Hurricanes): Since the start of the pre-tournament, FUS might have been Sweden’s best player. He’s been a playmaking machine with great hands and even better passes, but he also does a good job of getting to the front of the net. It paid off with just over 11 minutes to go in regulation, when he tipped in a point shot from Theo Lindstein. He’s on Sweden’s third line – a group that can rival anyone in the tournament alongside David Edstrom and Otto Stenberg.
Latvia
#23 Rodzers Bukarts, C (Undrafted): Bukarts had two decent scoring chances in the first 40 minutes while also playing an aggressive game. He had the pace to keep up with the Swedes and had some difficult matchups. In a game with very little to be excited about for Latvia, I thoughts Bukarts played well enough.
December 27 Schedule
Slovakia vs. Switzerland – 6:00 AM ET
Finland vs. Germany – 8:30 AM ET
Norway vs. Czechia – 11:00 AM ET
Canada vs. Latvia – 1:30 PM ET
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