Top Performers from the U-17 World Hockey Challenge: Eiserman, Hagens lead the charge
Talk about dominance.
Following an 11-3 victory on Saturday over Canada Red, the United States capped off the most prolific tournament effort ever seen at the World U-17 Hockey Challenge with gold. USA won all seven games, scoring at least five goals in every outing. They showed no remorse against Canada in the final, taking full control as a pair of young superstars took center stage.
The talk of British Columbia was the play of James Hagens and Cole Eiserman. Together, they combined for 20 of USA’s 50 goals and had 11 points combined in the championship. Hagens had 21 total points, with Eiserman finishing with 20 – they moved into first and second respectively in all-time scoring, surpassing Colin White’s 18-point run back in 2013.
It was truly a remarkable showing from those two.
With everything wrapped up, here’s a look at some of the top performers from the U-17:
Cole Eiserman, LW (USA, 2024)
You could tell Eiserman was hungry for the tournament scoring record late in the 11-3 victory. His 12 goals tied Alex Ovechkin for the most ever, while his 20 points puts him second in tournament scoring history behind his good pal Hagens. His shot is so dangerous, but he put his passing ability on display, too. Still, everyone will remember how effortlessly he made getting past a defenseman look, and, with all honesty, his shot looks fully NHL ready already.
James Hagens, C (USA, 2025)
No big deal: he just had the greatest tournament in World U-17 Hockey Challenge history. The stout playmaker had at least two points in every game, highlighted by a five-point night when it mattered most against Canada Red. He easily established himself as one of the top prospects for the 2025 draft thanks to his incredible two-way play, ability to create scoring chances nearly every shift and he’s no slouch at picking corners.
Porter Martone, RW (Canada Red, 2025)
Martone had a solid start to the season with Sarnia before heading west, but he exploded on the scoresheet on Canada Red’s top line. He had seven goals and 12 points, causing some significant damage with Berkly Catton and Michael Misa all tournament long. Misa, in particular, was the player most pegged as the one to watch on Red, but Martone was equally dangerous as a goal-scorer and a setup man.
Berkly Catton, C (Canada Red, 2024)
Speaking of Catton, the Spokane Chiefs star lived up to the hype. He had three goals and 12 points in seven games, but was easily one of the more well-rounded players in the tournament. The first overall pick at the 2021 WHL Draft, Catton thinks the game at an exceptional level, and his defensive game is among the best in his age group right now. Catton will be a difference-maker in the NHL one day – he just gave Western Canada its first real glimpse of why on the international stage.
Konsta Helenius, RW (Finland 2024)
After smoking the competition in the Finnish U-20 league earlier this year, he continued that run with 10 points in seven games in British Columbia. He was one of the tournament’s better playmakers with nine assists and 11 points, but his physical play, speed and overall skill made him dominant. The Finns had a rough end to the round-robin, but Helenius was always looking to create damage, which was a big reason why they still managed to win bronze.
Roope Vesterinen, LW (Finland, 2024)
No matter the opponent, it seemed like Vesterinen was always in scoring position. He finished second in goals with seven and had 10 points total, marking his territory as a goal scorer to watch in 2024. He made some noise earlier this year after making his debut in the top Finnish men’s league at just 16, and he has a solid nine points in 14 games in the top U-20 league. There’s some significant Finnish talent coming in 2024, led by top prospect Aron Kiviharju, and Vesterinen will be near the top of the crop.
Max Plante, C (USA, 2024)
A University of Minnesota-Duluth commit, Plante had an offensive breakout with 10 assists in seven games. He’s not much of a shooter – he has zero goals and 14 points in 15 games with the U-17 team outside of this event – but few players in this age group can pass like he can. He’s so smart at finding scoring lanes and knows when it’s best to just bail and get back on the defensive side of the game. “Hockey IQ” is a cliche scouting term that gets passed around too often, but he’s definitely one heck of a brainiac on the ice.
Adam Titlbach, LW (Czechia, 2024)
Titlbach spent most of the tournament on Czechia’s third line, but he made it count with a point-per-game through six games. A dangerous shooter, Titlback is meticulous when choosing his shot selection – patience typically pays off. He’s always moving, has great acceleration and, despite being smaller at 5-foot-8, he’s not easy to push around. Around the net, he does an excellent job of attacking defenders’ sticks and forcing turnovers, which helped him pot a few goals in British Columbia.
Henry Mews, D (Canada White, 2024)
One of the highlights of the tournament was when Mews took a penalty late in a game against Czechia, and after Canada killed it off, Mews was sent on a breakaway and scored the game-winning goal. Mews is offensively inclined, often jumping in on the rush or bringing it down by himself. His ability to create plays from the blue line and find players near the net for tap-ins is hard to ignore. It’s still early, but the Ottawa 67s defender is looking like one of the better defensemen in a class that’s still wide-open.
Cole Hutson, D (USA, 2024)
Eiserman and Hagens were dynamite together, but Hutson was often helping to set plays up from the point. The power-play point man led all defensemen in scoring with _ points, all assists. It was reminiscent of what we saw from Cole’s older brother, Montreal Canadiens prospect Lane Hutson, with the USNTDP, especially when rushing the puck, keeping the play alive and generating offense. Hutson is small at 5-foot-8 but he packs so much skill into a slender frame. He’s going to be lethal on the power play in the NHL.
Other notables: Roger McQueen, C (Canada White), Christian Humphreys, C (USA), Joona Saarelainen, C (Finland), Karl Sterner, RW (Sweden), Adam Benak, C (Czechia)
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