From start to finish Boston University center Macklin Celebrini was at the top of the list of names for prospective first overall selections in 2024. Going back over two years, it was Finnish two-way defender Aron Kiviharju, American sniper Cole Eiserman, skilled Russian puck wizard Ivan Demidov, and the smart two-way Canadian Celebrini all at the top battling it out.
The San Jose Sharks won the 2024 NHL Draft lottery and with that the right to pick who they want at the No.1 spot, and it is all but automatic that the Crosby-like play of Celebrini has cemented his selection in that place.
But the 2024 NHL Draft is not just the aforementioned names, as there is a good amount of other top of the lineup future NHL players waiting to hear their names called by NHL teams, specifically a plethora of strong defensive prospects looking to make their dream of pulling on an NHL jersey come true later this month at the sphere in Vegas.
So after hundreds of scouting reports and months of evaluating each prospects development path, we as a group have come up with our final rankings on who we believe will be the best prospects selected at the position we have them slotted.
So, without further ado, here is Draft Prospect Hockey’s Final Top 100 Ranking assessment as compiled by our evaluators for the 2024 season.
For more in-depth information, a final 240 ranking, prospect profiles, and a look at future drafts be sure to pick up your comprehensive DraftPro 2024 NHL Draft Guide in either digital or physical copy format.
The 2024 NHL Scouting Combine took place last week at KeyBank Center and LECOM HarborCenter in Buffalo, NY. The combine is the time of the draft season that the top eligible prospects all congregate in one place, take turns interviewing with NHL team personnel as well as perform standardized physical testing and get team doctor medical assessments done. NHL teams can bring these prospects into their own facility after the combines completion for more assessment but this serves as another look at who they will be selecting in a few weeks’ time.
NHL teams listening to trade chatter.
The scouting combine also serves as a hot stove for NHL GM’s to let it known who they might be open to moving off their NHL rosters and what piece they might want to acquire via trade.
New Jersey general manager Tom Fitzgerald was all over telling media that he has an open line and is looking to improve his team. He was forthright in saying he is open to moving the #10 overall pick for an NHL team upgrade, specifically a goaltender or an upgrade at forward.
NHL names that were discussed in the public realm included Mitch Marner, Martin Necas, Jacob Markstrom, Linus Ullmark, Juuse Saros, John Gibson, Trevor Zegras, Nic Ehlers, Elias Pettersson, and Travis Konecny.
Specifically, Montreal has said they are looking to add another young NHL forward similar to what they have done the last couple of seasons around the draft. Chicago is said to be looking to add a young forward to play with Bedard. And Utah is said to be looking to make a play to add high-end NHL talent.
Scouts keeping their cards close to the vest.
The whole combine process has a bit of cloak and dagger to it with NHL teams interviewing some prospects they have little interest in selecting just to throw other teams off their scent. They also took some additional prospects out to dinner to camouflage the prospect they really have a heavy interest in. Really is hard to get a read on what teams are thinking from how they acted in Buffalo.
Prospects saying the right things.
The interview process is a major piece of the puzzle when it comes to gauging a prospects character and maturity level. NHL teams employ a psychiatrist to sit in and listen or in some cases even conduct the interviews themselves. From the 20-minutes they spend with the prospects they choose to meet with there are some interesting tidbits that filter out to the public. Like these questions proposed to the prospects such as the below.
“If you were in the military, would you rather be a sniper, a pilot or a medic?”
“What animal would you be on the ice and what animal they would be off the ice?”
“How would you describe the color blue?”
Physical testing a small but important ingredient.
The testing is a secondary evaluation point at the Combine as the real NHL interest is in getting the prospects into an interview which was done earlier in the week. The NHL strength and conditioning coaches use this time to evaluate potential issues and growth. Not much else is decided on the number of pullups a prospect can rattle off. Here is the results of the testing with the top five in each category listed.
Aerobic Fitness: Test Duration F Cole Beaudoin – 13:45 D Gabriel Eliasson – 13:14 F Oliver Josephson – 13:05 F Herman Traff – 13:04 D Alfons Freij – 13:04
Aerobic Fitness: VO2max (ml/kg/min) F Oliver Josephson – 65.0 F Tij Iginla – 65.0 F Simon Zether – 64.0 F Macklin Celebrini – 63.0 F Max Plante – 63.0
Agility & Balance: Pro Agility – Left (sec) D Stian Solberg – 4.12 F Kamil Bednarik – 4.25 F John Mustard – 4.26 F Terik Parascak – 4.28 F Michael Hage – 4.29
Agility & Balance: Pro Agility – Right (sec) D Stian Solberg – 4.08 F Jett Luchanko – 4.23 D EJ Emery – 4.23 F AJ Spellacy – 4.24 F Terik Parascak, F Sam O’Reilly – 4.25
Anaerobic Fitness (Wingate Test): Mean Power Output (watts/kg) F Jett Luchanko – 12.9 D Alexis Bernier – 12.8 F Linus Eriksson – 12.7 D Sebastian Soini – 12.7 F Aatos Koivu – 12.6
Anaerobic Fitness (Wingate Test): Peak Power Output (watts/kg) F AJ Spellacy – 18.3 F Maxim Massé – 18.1 F Linus Eriksson – 18.0 D Ben Danford – 18.0 F Michael Brandsegg-Nygård – 17.9
Anaerobic Fitness (Wingate Test): Fatigue Index F Oliver Josephson – 35.1 F Ondrej Becher – 39.7 F Ryder Ritchie – 40.5 F Emil Hemming – 40.9 F Christian Humphreys – 41.6
Wing Span (inches) F Dean Letourneau – 83.25 D Gabriel Eliasson – 81.00 D EJ Emery – 80.75 D Jesse Pulkkinen – 80.75 F Erik Mateiko – 80.25
Body Composition Yuhasz % Body Fat D EJ Emery – 3.64 D Sam Dickinson – 3.64 F Ethan Procyszyn – 6.84 F Simon Zether – 7.11 G Mikhail Yegorov – 7.11
Force Plate: Vertical Jump (inches) D EJ Emery – 27.23 F Jett Luchanko – 24.63 D Veeti Vaisanen – 24.22 D Will Skahan – 23.88 D Stian Solberg – 23.84
Force Plate: Squat Jump (inches) F Jack Pridham – 19.52 F Aatos Koivu – 19.08 F Linus Eriksson – 18.96 D EJ Emery – 18.82 F Tij Iginla – 18.38
Force Plate: No Arm Jump (inches) D EJ Emery – 23.57 D Veeti Vaisanen – 21.91 F Jack Pridham – 21.21 F Jett Luchanko – 21.11 F Linus Eriksson – 20.75
Musculoskeletal: Bench Press 50% Body Weight – Power (watts/kg) F Cole Beaudoin – 8.71 D Lukas Fischer – 8.26 F John Mustard – 7.78 F Cayden Lindstrom – 7.69 D Sebastian Soini – 7.54
Musculoskeletal: Left Hand Grip (lbs) F Jett Luchanko – 172 F Cayden Lindstrom – 168 F Erik Mateiko – 166 F Sacha Boisvert – 163 F Michael Brandsegg-Nygård – 160
Musculoskeletal: Right Hand Grip (lbs) F Jett Luchanko – 175 F Cayden Lindstrom – 166 D Colton Roberts – 165 D Gabriel Eliasson – 162 F Jack Pridham – 162
Musculoskeletal: Pull-Ups Consecutive (max #) D Zeev Buium – 16 D Lukas Fischer – 15 D Colton Roberts, F Jack Pridham, F Cole Beaudoin, F Oliver Josephson, F Tij Iginla – 13 F Kamil Bednarik, F Ethan Procyszyn, F Kevin He, F Tanner Howe, G Mikhail Yegorov, F Rilet Patterson, F AJ Spellacy, F Max Plante, D EJ Emery – 12
Musculoskeletal: Standing Long Jump (inches) D EJ Emery – 123.0 F AJ Spellacy – 119.3 G Mikhail Yegorov – 115.8 F Jack Pridham, D Alexis Bernier, F Dean Letourneau – 114.5 F Linus Eriksson – 113.8
NHL teams give their final draft rankings a tweak.
The week also serves as a time for NHL scouting staffs to get together and give their draft boards a tweak three plus weeks before the big event. While this is not the last time a name can move up or down the board it is the last time any substantial changes are made.
2024 Eligible Prospects who stood out.
EJ Emery of the Under-18 US National Development Team, Stian Solberg of Vålerenga in Norway, A.J. Spellacy of the OHL’s Windsor Spitfires, Cole Beaudoin of the OHL’s OHL’s Barrie Colts, Lukas Fischer of the Sarnia Sting and Jett Luchanko of the OHL’s Guelph Storm were names that stood out in the physical testing with their athleticism and strength.
Get your hands on the comprehensive DraftPro 2024 Draft Guide now!
In the 2024 Draft Guide our team ranks the top 224 NHL Draft eligibles, provides well-written profiles on the top 224 names for this year, includes in-depth prospect features, looks at the NHL’s top 50 drafted prospects coming down the pipe, dives into what each NHL team has in the prospect cupboard and what their draft needs are, provides a comprehensive look at the 2025 NHL Draft with profiles on the top 32, provides a top 32 ranking on the 2026 NHL Draft with profiles on the top 10, and so much more.
Now that time has passed since we saw the hosts Saginaw Spirit be crowned the 2024 Memorial Cup Champions, I felt it was only appropriate to reflect on the ten-day experience in Saginaw, Michigan at the 2024 CHL Memorial Cup presented by Dow.
The atmosphere sitting in the crowd watching all four teams compete was an experience like none-other. This was the first Memorial Cup appearance in franchise history for the Western Hockey League Champions Moose Jaw Warriors. And the Drummondville Voltigeurs first appearance since 2009 and the first appearance since winning the Memorial Cup in 2016 for the Ontario Hockey League Champions London Knights.
The Memorial Cup was quite the event to experience for the first time traveling to Saginaw, Michigan. The community rallied behind their hometown Spirit showing their support with beautiful painted murals, posters on street posts, advertisements on billboards and outside of local restaurants all across the city. The Dow Event Center, home of the Saginaw Spirit, was the place to be in Michigan during this ten-day event.
Live music, delicious food trucks, fans tailgating, and street hockey games were all going on outside the arena before every game. The legendary Grind Line consisting of Kris Draper, Joey Kocur, Kirk Maltby and Darren McCarty, from the Stanley Cup winning Detroit Red Wings teams in the late 90’s to early 2000’s were all in attendance getting fans excited for the event and shared their experiences playing in Detroit and touched upon the impact of hosting a monumental hockey event like the Memorial Cup will have on hockey in Michigan. Kris Draper and Kirk Maltby are still currently involved with the Red Wings organization as Draper is the current Director of Scouting and Maltby is a Pro Scout.
The attendance was full of hockey personnel with NHL General Managers (saw Utah GM Bill Armstrong), scouts, and players (former CHL players and a few USNTDP players) all at the event. A fascinating partnership that deserves mentioning was the community art contest that was held for school children in the area. The artwork was designed around the theme “United We Soar” promoting the valued relationship between Canada and the United States, being an American city hosting the Memorial Cup and celebrating the achievements of everyone involved in the tournament that led them to where they are today. The selected winners of the contest had their artwork printed on game tickets and posted along the walls of the hallway from the Spirit’s dressing room to the ice surface.
My time away from the rink was spent exploring the city of Saginaw. I explored a few hiking trails in the area, most notably at the Dow Gardens in Midland, Michigan. The Dow Gardens is a 110-acre botanical garden with a canopy walk, unique bridges and walking trails. Fun fact, in 1899, Herbert H. Dow and his wife, Grace A. Dow built their estate on the property, Herbert Dow went on to create the Dow chemical company which was a main sponsor of the 2024 Memorial Cup.
Most notably, one of the top tourist attractions in the Great Lakes Bay Region is Frankenmuth, Michigan, approximately 20 minutes south of Saginaw. Frankenmuth is famous for its Bavarian culture and architecture as the community was settled by German immigrants in the late 1800’s. The historical and art museums in Frankenmuth are a must-see. One of the top tourist destinations in Frankenmuth is Bronner’s Christmas Wonderland, promoted as the “World’s Largest Christmas Store”, the store carries everything Christmas related you can think of; ornaments, decorations, lights, trees, wreaths, nativity scenes, clothing, Christmas cards, wrapping paper, you name it.
The Memorial Cup kicked off with the host Saginaw Spirit taking on the WHL Champions Moose Jaw Warriors. The hosts jumped to a quick lead and never looked back, winning their first game 5-4. Moose Jaw made a push late in the second period and carried over the momentum into the final frame led by their stars Seattle Kraken Prospect Jagger Firkus, Pittsburgh Penguins Prospect Brayden Yager, Buffalo Sabres Prospect Matthew Savoie and Columbus Blue Jackets Prospect Denton Mateychuk, who tallied for a combined nine points in the hockey game.
The OHL and QMJHL Champions kicked off their tournaments against each other with the OHL Champions London Knights earning the win with a 4-0 victory thanks to a two-goal effort from Knights forward Ruslan Gazizov. Philadelphia Flyers Prospect Oliver Bonk was named Player of the Game with a goal and assist in the hockey game.
Saginaw and Drummondville met for their second game of the tournament. The Voltiguers scored their first two goals of the Memorial Cup climbing to a 2-0 lead over the hosts. Saginaw battled back squaring the game 2-2 before a late go-ahead goal by the Voltigeurs late in the second period. The Spirit kept pushing and were rewarded with two goals in the third period to win the game 4-3.
London battled Moose Jaw in their respective second games. A game filled with tons of elite talent and skill across the ice, the offence was in full force. In a game, many were expecting London to dominate and just overpower Moose Jaw, the Warriors secured the first goal of the hockey game. The Knights found their groove thanks to another goal by forward Ruslan Gazizov, the Knights opened the floodgates eventually commanding a 5-2 lead. Just six seconds after London jumped to a 5-2 lead, Moose Jaw scored from a shot well far out to make it a 5-3 game. A very entertaining fight between London forward Max McCue and Moose Jaw defender Caleb Parker sparked more adrenaline into the game setting up for an exciting third period. The camera angles of the scrap captured by the TSN broadcasting team were incredible, the camera work of the fight became a huge talking point in the hockey world and I highly recommend watching it on YouTube. Moose Jaw pushed for the equalizer in the third but the Knights defense stayed strong earning them the victory.
In the final set of round-robin games for Moose Jaw and Drummondville, both clubs were sitting winless, requiring a victory or else they were going home out of the tournament. The teams started the game out playing cautious, figuring each other out and playing safe taking minimal risks to avoid making a potential mistake. Moose Jaw climbed to a 3-0 lead as the game started to open up a lot more. Drummondville stormed back with three unanswered goals to tie the hockey game. Drummondville was surging offensively looking to score the goal ahead goal. Moose Jaw Warriors forward and Kraken Prospect Jagger Firkus took a very unnecessary and undisciplined roughing penalty by shoving a Voltigeurs player on the bench. Moose Jaw defender Aiden Ziprick scored the eventual game-winning goal while short-handed, killing off Firkus’ penalty. Ziprick scored two goals all season, the first was in the final game of the WHL regular season and now in the Memorial Cup to send his team to the semi-final. Warriors goalie Jackson Ungar was named player of the game, he made 49 saves on 52 shots in the game.
The highly anticipated round robin matchup between two undefeated teams with the winner advancing straight to the Memorial Cup final while the other must battle through Moose Jaw for a shot of redemption for the Memorial Cup. Forward Alex Christopolous got the Spirit on the board first with a controversial goal after the puck ricocheted off his foot before sliding into the net, the Knights appealed for a kicking-motion, but the goal stood. NHL Draft prospect Zayne Parekh was called for a four-minute-high sticking penalty, San Jose Sharks prospect Kasper Halttunen scored on the power-play with a nice toe-drag release shot. The Spirit and Knights were deadlocked at two goals apiece late in the third period before Toronto Maple Leafs prospect Easton Cowan scored the game-winning goal for the Knights to push them into the Memorial Cup final. In a moment when his team needed him most, Easton Cowan shined, stepping up big for his team, just like all star players are required to do in big moments, Cowan was the deal breaker and scored the big goal for the Knights.
The semi-final game was set between the host Saginaw Spirit and WHL Champions Moose Jaw Warriors. The hosts Saginaw were looking to punch their ticket for a re-match with London in the final while Moose Jaw were aiming to find glory like the 2009 Windsor Spitfires team, who won the 2009 Memorial Cup after falling to a 0-2 record in their first two round-robin games. The first period was tightly contested, Saginaw scored first with a goal by Ethan Hay however, Moose Jaw forward Jagger Firkus replied with a goal of his own. Saginaw scored the eventual game-winning goal early in the second period off a shot from Spirit captain Braden Haché. It appeared Moose Jaw’s tank was empty, the players were out of gas, they struggled to create offence and could not withhold the attacking push by the Spirit. Saginaw defeated Moose Jaw 7-1 to advance to the final, setting up a rematch with the London Knights.
The stage was set for an all-OHL Memorial Cup final between the OHL Champions London Knights vs the hosts Saginaw Spirit. This was the first all OHL Memorial Cup final since 2017 when the host Windsor Spitfires defeated OHL Champions Erie Otters. The Knights were favoured to win the Memorial Cup as they were seen as a complete team filled with skill, speed and grit throughout their lineup. They had the experience of losing in the OHL finals a year prior to Peterborough. With their core still in tack, the Hunters made a deal to acquire OHL champion goalie Michael Simpson from Peterborough last summer to help backstop the Knights for their expected playoff run. The Knights had the best record in the OHL finishing with 104 points, just two points more than Saginaw. London won 7 of their 11 meetings against the Spirit this year, outscoring the Spirit 43-36 in those 11 games.
Saginaw were a team also filled with NHL prospects and carried players with skill throughout their lineup. In a winner take-all final anything can happen. The crowd for the Memorial Cup final was electric, it felt like the Dow Event Center was split in half, first you would hear fans cheering on the Saginaw Spirit then chants cheering on the London Knights would break out. Heading into the final, you knew the first goal was going to be very important.
The Spirit could not have drawn up a more perfect start to the final.
Saginaw was creating chances early, efficient with their puck movement and not allowing London to set up offensively. Montreal Canadiens prospect Owen Beck opened the scoring in the final midway through the first period. Frustration was starting to boil over for the Knights, being heavily outshot by Saginaw, San Jose Sharks prospect Landon Sim received a five-minute major and a game misconduct for a check to the head on Spirit defenseman Zayne Parekh. Parekh had to leave the ice to receive medical treatment but returned to the hockey game. Saginaw punished London for the major penalty with another goal by Owen Beck.
Nashville Predators prospect Joey Willis increased the Spirit lead 3-0 over London. By the end of the second period, Saginaw was out shooting London 24-6.
The Knights were able to trim the deficit to 3-1 with a goal by Kasper Halttunen on a wrister over the Spirits shoulder. The Knights were slowly starting to come alive then Easton Cowan scored a goal to bring the Knights within one off a nice assist from Sam Dickinson and Oliver Bonk. Less than five minutes later, 2024 NHL Draft eligible prospect Sam Dickinson scored to tie the game on a beautiful shot top corner in the slot.
The momentum in the game completely shifted. The Knights took over, still being heavily outshot by Saginaw, London was still in the hockey game and carried all the momentum and confidence. Saginaw withheld the Knights late attack most notably with an important timely save by Spirit goalie Andrew Oke on Easton Cowan late in the third period. The atmosphere was tense, the final had everything a hockey fan could expect; lots of goals, a late comeback push, key timely saves and end with a game-winning one goal game. The game was looking like it was going to end in overtime, before Vancouver Canucks prospect Josh Bloom, playing in his final game as an overager, poked home the loose puck in the Knights crease with less than a minute to play giving Saginaw a 4-3 lead.
London was the team Saginaw could not solve all season, finishing two points behind London in the regular season standings, losing the season series, losing to London in the conference finals, losing in the final minutes in the round-robin and having their three-goal lead erased in the Memorial Cup final, it seemed impossible for London to lose but Saginaw continued to battle and managed to get the goal they needed to defeat the Knights in the final.
Saginaw Spirit forward Owen Beck was named MVP of the 2024 Memorial Cup while London Knights forward Easton Cowan finished first in points with 8 points in 4 games.
A major storyline heading into this year’s Memorial Cup was the top two ranked draft eligible players in the CHL going head-to-head between Zayne Parekh and Sam Dickinson.
2024 NHL Draft eligible Zayne Parekh finished the Memorial Cup with 1 goal, 4 assists for 5 points in 5 games. Parekh performed well at the Memorial Cup. He was a key contributor offensively for the Spirit in the tournament. The extra time off after being eliminated by London in the OHL playoffs benefited Parekh as it provided additional time to recover from injury he suffered earlier in the OHL playoffs. I thought Parekh was excellent in using his feet to exit the zone when under pressure. His lateral skating ability along the blueline opened up shooting lanes and his creativity with the puck was evident through his deceptive passes. Parekh was a targeted player by the opposition, he handled physicality fairly well, he made some mistakes in the defensive zone as a result from physicality, it is an aspect that needs to be eliminated moving forward but his skating, hockey IQ and offensive threat are the strong suits of his game which will make him a valuable top prospect for the NHL club that drafts him.
2024 NHL Draft eligible Sam Dickinson of the London Knights finished with 2 goals, 2 assists for 4 points in 4 games. Dickinson had an excellent performance in the Memorial Cup. Dickinson was a key piece to the Knights defensive core. Observing Dickinson all season leading up the Memorial Cup, his game elevated as the pressure mounted and he earned more trust from his coach Dale Hunter. In all four of London’s games Dickinson was on the ice playing every situation, even-strength and on special teams. Standing at 6’3” he skates extremely well for his size, excellent on his edges to protect the puck, plays with poise, no panic threshold and completes smart passes to create offence. At 195 lbs, Dickinson has the physical element in his game too. He closes his gaps quickly and eliminates space from his opponents. He finishes his checks and clears the front of the net through effective box outs and timely stick lifts. Dickinson was highly dependable playing a lot of minutes on the Knights blueline, minutes he earned through hard work on the ice. He helped ignite the Knights comeback in the Memorial Cup final recording the primary assist on Easton Cowan’s goal to bring London within one. Only a few minutes later Dickinson scored the game-tying goal on a wrist shot from the slot. Dickinson stepped up on the big stage, although the result did not go in his team’s favour, he had an excellent Memorial Cup.
Sam O’Reilly of the London Knights, a draft eligible prospect in 2024, was another prospect who may see his draft stock rise after the tournament. Sam O’Reilly was another player that improved as a player as the season progressed. O’Reilly performed well in the Memorial Cup finishing with 1 goal, 3 assists for 4 points. His lone goal of the tournament was one for the highlights. He took advantage of his opponent standing flat footed and made a nice move to the net before roofing the puck over the goalie’s shoulder, O’Reilly saw the goalie in his butterfly and knew he needed to elevate the puck to score. Watching O’Reilly play he uses his hockey IQ so effectively. He is a player that competes and does the little things right that leads to success for his team. O’Reilly recorded the primary assist on Cowan’s game winning goal to send London to the Memorial Cup final. His assist was very subtle but extremely important. O’Reilly is collecting a pass from teammate Oliver Bonk, as the puck approaches, he makes a timing stick lift on Saginaw forward Matyas Sapovaliv, this allows the puck to arrive to his stick cleanly and enter the o-zone, O’Reilly completes a pass into space to an area only Cowan can get to, beating his opponent to the puck, creating a high danger scoring chance that London capitalizes on to win the game. Watching the game, Cowan gets a lot of credit for the winning goal, which he fully deserves but the play can not happen without the play seconds before from O’Reilly. Playing for a London Knights team stacked with NHL prospects, O’Reilly similar to Easton Cowan and Oliver Bonk, was a high pick in his OHL draft and did not play for the Knights in his OHL rookie season however, he used his time in the OJHL to continue to develop as a player and push for a spot on the Knights roster the following season. As the Knights move forward next season with a few key departures from their lineup, I fully expect O’Reilly to become the next player up, similar to Cowan was this season and help lead the charge offensively for the Knights.
Michael Misa was the eighth player in the CHL granted exceptional status, drafted first overall in the 2022 OHL Draft. After winning the bid to host the 2024 Memorial Cup, Misa and Zayne Parekh, who was also drafted by Saginaw in the 2022 OHL Draft, became the draft pieces Saginaw wanted to build their Memorial Cup team around. Heading into the Memorial Cup, eyes were on Misa. Michael finished with 5 assists in the tournament, highlighted by a 3 assist effort earning player of the game against Drummondville in the round-robin. Coming off a regular season with 75 points, 29 goals and 46 assists in 67 games while accumulating 11 points in 17 playoff games, it was exciting to watch Misa live up close. Misa plays on the wing, he has solid hands with the puck and likes to create offence using his speed. He is a very talented skater, he only requires a few strides to reach stop speed, plays great on his edges and moves laterally very well with the puck. He is a pass first playmaker. Observing Misa throughout the tournament, I can notice his high potential. He showed glimpses of his skill with the puck, creating quick looks for his teammates and looking to generate speed through the neutral zone. I would like to see him shoot the puck more. It will be interesting to watch Misa entering his third season in the OHL, if he can add more strength to his body and implement what he learned from the playoffs and Memorial Cup and develop to become the number one guy offensively for the Spirit next season. Watching him at this year’s Memorial Cup, he was an important piece to the Spirit’s roster but he was outshined for minutes and production by the NHL prospects on his team but, as the majority of the players will be moving on with their hockey careers, Misa will be given a larger role on the team and highly dependent upon to create offence next season. Misa is not draft eligible until the 2025 NHL Draft. He is currently projected to be a top five selection in his draft class. Winning can be added to Misa’s scouting profile as he has now won the OHL Cup and Memorial Cup.
For a more in-depth analysis of the 2024 NHL Draft Class, get your hands on the comprehensive DraftPro 2024 Draft Guide now!
In the 2024 Draft Guide our team ranks the top 224 NHL Draft eligibles, provides well-written profiles on the top 224 names for this year, includes in-depth prospect features, looks at the NHL’s top 50 drafted prospects coming down the pipe, dives into what each NHL team has in the prospect cupboard and what their draft needs are, provides a comprehensive look at the 2025 NHL Draft with profiles on the top 32, provides a top 32 ranking on the 2026 NHL Draft with profiles on the top 10, and so much more.
The IIHF World U18 Hockey Championships just wrapped up last week in Espoo and Vantaa Finland, and was a scouting hotspot as a last big event for NHL staffs who are charged with evaluating the next wave of NHL talent.
There were some bright spots for the upcoming 2024 NHL draft that stood out and some future draft eligibles that really grabbed the spotlight. In this ten-part series we will look at each team entry and provide some review of prospects, how they performed and how their performance might have affected their draft stock. We will start with the last place team, Kazakhstan, and work our way through to the gold medal winning Canadian squad.
The Canadian roster was driven by underage performers and future NHL stars who are still a year or two out from being NHL Draft eligible. While not all difference making performances were from the underage contributors, plenty of 2024 NHL Draft eligibles also stepped up and made differences as the Canadians captured gold in Finland.
Here are some player reports from our Liam Staples on the Canadian U18 players that stood out.
#9 F Gavin McKenna, Medicine Hat Tigers (WHL), 6’0” 165 L. 20-12-2007
Heading into the tournament Gavin McKenna was a highly touted household name in the Western Hockey League (WHL) but by tournament’s end Gavin McKenna made his presence known on the International stage leaving scouts enthralled, eagerly having to wait in anticipation to draft Gavin McKenna. McKenna was Canada’s best player at the tournament and performed at his best when the moments mattered most. McKenna finished with 10 goals, 10 assists for 20 points in 7 games at the tournament, just two points behind American standout, James Hagens, for the tournament lead. The remarkable accomplishments McKenna achieved at this years U18 tournament become even more impressive by the fact that McKenna dominated a tournament meant for draft-eligible 17 year olds, McKenna aged 16 is considered a “double under-ager”, meaning he is not draft eligible until the 2026 NHL Draft, as he has a late 2007 December Birthday. He is a dynamic skater with a natural smooth straight-line stride. He excels playing at top speed with excellent control of the puck. His great edgework ability allows him to dodge opponents and move laterally without losing control. Gavin thinks the game at an elite level, he anticipates plays before they happen at an advanced level. As Canada progressed through the knockout stages, Gavin grew to become more of a leader on the ice for Canada, driving the play offensively, leading zone entries and became the player his defenceman would pass the puck to, to calm the storm in the defensive end and exit the zone in transition. McKenna saved his best performance for the gold medal game against the highly-skilled, favoured American side. Being heavily outshot and dominated in the possession game through the first half of the game. McKenna gave Canada life capitalizing on power play advantages with timely goals and stamped his performance with the empty net insurance goal for Canada to complete the hat-trick and secure the gold medal for Canada. McKenna’s skillset, skating and hockey IQ are at elite levels. If hockey fans were unaware of who Gavin McKenna was before the tournament, the Yukon native from Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in First Nation (Whitehorse) certainly is a player everyone needs to watch now.
#24 F Tij Iginla, Kelowna (WHL), 6’0” 185 L. 04-08-2006
Slotted on the forward line alongside Jett Luchanko and Ryder Ritchie. Iginla was strong on the puck, resilient and found ways to get his stick on pucks. When sizing up against his opponent to protect the puck, he was effective at opening up his skating gait by widening his stance, to distribute the strength in his lower body making it more difficult for opponents to knock him off the puck, by opening up his gait it provided that needed additional time and space for Iginla to find his teammates and make a play. This may sound familiar but Tij is an Iginla who likes to score goals. Iginla finished third in total points on the team with 12 points, 6 goals and 6 assists, in 7 games. Iginla averaged just below 4 shots per game in the tournament, about one shot less than his shots per game in the WHL this past season. Iginla elevated his game during the knockout stages of the tournament, recording 7 of his 12 points in the final 3 games, including the eventual game winning goal in the gold medal game against the United States. The gold medal winning tradition continues to run in the Iginla family, like his father Jarome, Tij carries a gold medal for Team Canada.
#30 G Carter George, Owen Sound (OHL), 6’1” 185 L. 20-05-2006
The crease for Canada’s number one goalie belonged to Carter George. The Canadian goalkeeper was insurmountable in his performance backstopping Canada to the gold medal. George finished the tournament with a .914 save percentage and 2.33 Goals-Against Average in the tournament. George was named a Tournament All-Star and awarded as the Best Goalie of the tournament. His reaction time was superb in the gold medal game against the United States. The Americans were a team that likes to move the puck quickly, maintain possession through cycles and timely passes and use the threat of deception through shot fakes and outlook passes to get goalies to react and move out of position. George managed to weather the storm for Canada, making key saves and remaining composed when being bombarded with shots by the Americans. Down by two goals and being outshot by close to 20 shots in the second period, George quite literally saved the game for Canada by making an acrobatic stick save on the goal-line to deny USA forward James Hagens from putting a stranglehold on the game by pushing the game to 4-1. George stayed square to shooters by getting to the top of his crease to make saves. There were moments when George was scrambly in his crease after having to recover from multiple shot attempts in close but he kept his composure and did not lose sight of the puck. George’s performance was remarkable throughout the entirety of the tournament. George played like how a NHL playoff goalie is expected to perform, play well enough to make timely saves, keep your team in the hockey game and possibly steal a victory for your team when it matters most and George certainly lived up to that.
#22 F Porter Martone, Mississauga (OHL), 6’3” 170 R. 26-10-2006
Martone was named captain and the only returnee for Canada at the tournament. Playing on a line with Gavin McKenna (Medicine Hat) and Caleb Desnoyers (Moncton), all three forwards are not eligible until the 2025 and 2026 NHL Draft. Martone is not draft eligible until 2025 because he was born with a late 2006 birthday. The combination of skill and size Martone possesses was too much for defenders throughout the tournament. Watching Martone with the puck, he draws in multiple defenders to challenge him for the puck forcing the defence to collapse and create valuable open space for his teammates in the offensive zone. Martone is so effective at shielding the puck with his size and thoroughly understands how to use his body to gain advantages on the ice. Martone plays similar to a power forward; he finishes his checks, he hunts down pucks and uses his body to create offence. Yet, his skill with the puck is his strongest trait. Martone was a perfect fit for a top line with McKenna and Desnoyers, players that create offence using speed and quick in transition, Martone was so effective for this line because he utilized his size to create space on the ice for McKenna, who is so dangerous playing with speed and open space, and Martone possesses great passing ability that allowed him dish pucks out into open space for teammates in high danger scoring areas. Martone finished the tournament with 17 points, 5 goals and 12 assists in 7 games. He possesses a strong shot, capable of scoring from distance and great hand-eye coordination, he keeps plays alive in the offensive zone by batting down pucks out of the air and even scored a goal against Kazakhstan by batting the puck out of the air. Important to consider, Martone recorded secondary assists in the semi-final and gold medal game. Although secondary assists are not always praised as much as primary assists by some, His effort on the assists should be noted as Martone started the scoring play and through his effective passing and puck protection, it led to significant goals for Canada in the respected hockey games. Martone is projected as a top prospect for the 2025 NHL Draft and will be a key player for a highly competitive Steelheads team aiming to make an OHL Championship run next season.
#8 D Frankie Marrelli, Ottawa (OHL), 5’11” 185 L. 16-02-2006
Paired with Ottawa 67’s teammate Henry Mews. Marrelli was a key piece on Canada’s backend who all played an excellent tournament. The defensive pairings on this Canadian roster, you could pick and choose who stood out to you and make a case for every player but Marrelli was a player who really stood out defensively in the tournament. Marrelli accepted his role of shut down duties as one of Canada’s defensive defenceman. Marrelli was excellent in his own zone occupying skating lanes pushing opponents to take further lanes to the puck. Marrelli was dependent upon on the penalty kill and shutting down the opposition’s best players. Marrelli maintained excellent gap control, eliminating his man from the play at the blue line by using perfectly timed stick checks and physical play. There were instances when Marrelli and his partner needed to play closer together to close down the middle of the ice, the pairing got burned a few times by opponents using speed to split through the pair for a breakaway. Marrelli was smart with his decisions when pinch in the offensive zone, he was rewarded with his lone assist of the tournament for his efforts on a pinched play against Sweden in the semi-final. Marrelli managed puck retrievals well and made smart passing decisions on zone exits. Marrelli inherited physicality well, he committed to blocking shots consistently, he boxed out opponents in front of the net and provided support for his partner along the wall. When it came to defending one-on-one situations against highly skilled, elite goal scoring forwards like USA forward Cole Eiserman, Marrelli played physical, using his body and strength to separate his man from and puck, completely eliminating them from the play. Marrelli was great with puck protection along the boards, shielding the puck with his body allowing no chance for his opponent to win back the puck. Marrelli was correctly pinning his opponent to the boards through proper body positioning, not allowing his opponent to escape with the puck. Marrelli was a key piece in Canada’s defensive core in the tournament.
#4 D Harrison Brunicke, Kamloops (WHL), 6’3” 187 R. 08-05-2006
Brunicke was another standout on Canada’s blueline for his defensive efforts throughout the tournament. A tall right-handed shot defensive-defenceman Brunicke performed well to everything that is expected from a defensive-defenceman. Brunicke played an important role on Canada’s penalty kill, often paired with Frankie Marrelli on the penalty kill. Brunicke was quick to close the gap on his opponents, eliminating their time and space forcing turnovers or dump-in. Brunicke managed puck retrievals well, made smart passes to teammates and utilized his stick to knock pucks loose and obstruct passing lanes. The physical aspects noticeable in his game was how he used his strength to spin out his opponents, altering their momentum and direction effectively removing them out of the play. Brunicke was a committed shot blocker and boxed out opponents, clearing the front of the net. For a defenceman that played a more defensive role, Brunicke achieved four points in the tournament with one goal and three assists and led the Canadian defence with a +11 rating.
#5 D Henry Mews, Ottawa (OHL), 6’0” 185 R. 09-03-2006
Mews was the catalyst offensively on Canada’s blueline activating in on the rush and contributing offensively. Paired up with his Ottawa 67’s teammate, Frankie Marrelli, Mews served as another passing option for his partner during breakouts. The 67’s defence pair worked well together, building on their chemistry and understanding each other’s playing habits. Marrelli plays more defensively and prefers to move the puck, Mews plays more offensively, preferring to carry the puck more often and quarterback the offence from the blueline. Watching Mews play, he would leave you amazed with his decision making, for example, he baited forwards in to come pressure him in the corner below his own goal-line, once they committed to pressuring, he opened up his skating gait and used his edges to twist and turn his opponents around and break free, carrying the puck out of the zone. His skating agility is certainly impressive but the risks he would take in the defensive zone could easily cause negative consequences if the risk does not pay off. He played well defensively overall. He did not give up too much space after activating into the play. He was able to recover back defensively through his skating. He made smooth passes consistently. Mews finished with the most points on the Canadian blueline with 7 points, 2 goals and 5 assists, in the tournament.
Get your hands on the comprehensive DraftPro 2024 Draft Guide now!
In the 2024 Draft Guide our team ranks the top 224 NHL Draft eligibles, provides well-written profiles on the top 224 names for this year, includes in-depth prospect features, looks at the NHL’s top 50 drafted prospects coming down the pipe, dives into what each NHL team has in the prospect cupboard and what their draft needs are, provides a comprehensive look at the 2025 NHL Draft with profiles on the top 32, provides a top 32 ranking on the 2026 NHL Draft with profiles on the top 10, and so much more.
The IIHF World U18 Hockey Championships just wrapped up last week in Espoo and Vantaa Finland, and was a scouting hotspot as a last big event for NHL staffs who are charged with evaluating the next wave of NHL talent.
There were some bright spots for the upcoming 2024 NHL draft that stood out and some future draft eligibles that really grabbed the spotlight. In this ten-part series we will look at each team entry and provide some review of prospects, how they performed and how their performance might have affected their draft stock. We will start with the last place team, Kazakhstan, and work our way through to the gold medal winning Canadian squad.
The Americans are always a big threat to bring home the gold at this event. The National Team Development Program is geared toward this event being the culmination of their two-year programs aim for this roster as they battle from u17 to u18 age groups.
Here are some player reports from our Andy Miller on the USA U18 players that stood out.
#10 James Hagens, C, USNTDP, U18, 5’10”, 158, L, DOB 11.3.2006
Hagens is an electric player who did everything but disappoint with his demonstration of skill in the U18 tournament. He took over every game at some point or another. He was the tournament MVP leading the tournament in points. Hagens drove team USA through the round robin portion with his incredible hockey IQ and ability to distribute the puck to his teammates. He scored over a goal a game and averaged over three points a game. He had a remarkable tournament and the only smudge on his tournament was Canada’s ability to keep him off the scoresheet in the final game. His shot has a deceptive release and has a lot behind it.
Hutson demonstrated his elite offensive skill set from the backend at the tournament and was selected as the top defender in the tournament. He is a player who with one pass can exit the zone and he can transition from defense to offense quickly. He is a player that had a wonderful tournament. In the final game he played his best in the final against the deep and skilled team of Canada. He is a player who could develop into a top puck moving defenseman on a team and even a top one in the NHL. Hutson showed off his exceptional skating talent and he is a player who will be a later first round selection in the upcoming NHL draft.
Eiserman has a pro shot and this will translate well to the NHL in a few years. He finished second in goal scoring at the tournament with 9 goals and was a factor throughout the tournament. He displayed his strong skating skills in every game. He was a key player in keeping team USA in the hunt for the gold in the Final game and they just came up short. He continued to show his willingness to go to the tough areas of the ice against a team that defended exceptionally well. When looking at the shot map his shots were all quality chances. He needs to clean up his game without the puck though. He will be a top ten selection and has an outside chance of being inside the top 5 as well.
#16 Trevor Connelly, F, USA, L, 6’1, 161, DOB 2.28.2006
Connelly is a very creative player who left a mark on this tournament. Being a bit of an outsider on team USA he did quite well fitting into the team, likely due to his high end skating skills. He demonstrated his great hands in passing the puck and putting it on the tape for quality chances, or deking in areas or around players. He is a player who if he has any time and space showed that he will make his opponent pay. Connelly was a player who managed to improve his game throughout the tournament and was a key piece for team USA. He is always an offensive threat on the ice and was a difference maker in many games. He will likely be a top 15 selection in the upcoming draft.
#27 Will Skahan, D, USNTDP U18 (USHL), L, 6’4”, 205, DOB 5.14.2006
Skahan played a solid tournament and left a positive impression. He did not change anyone’s opinion on his playing style as he is a defensive defenseman who can move the puck. He still managed to put up two points and played well every game. Plus/minus is not the most reliable stat but he was a +2 in the Gold medal loss which did represent his ice time as he was a positive player in the gold medal game on both sides of the puck. He is a player who will be a few years from getting to the NHL but will be a second pair guy on a deep team or a solid reliable anchor for an offensive defenseman on the first pair.
#8 Teddy Stiga, LW, USNTDP (USHL), L,5’10”, 176, DOB 4.5.2006
Stiga is a very quick skater who can turn on a dime and is very agile. He has the ability to find open lanes when he has the puck on his stick. He is a great puck handler and can be creative with the puck on his stick. He has a good shot and a quick release that is hard to read. Stiga is also responsible with the puck on his stick and while he makes quick decisions his decisions are typically the right one’s. He was a very versatile player who was effective in all areas of the game. He plays a 200 foot game and can play with speed in open ice or work the wall and come up with the puck. He solidified himself as a likely second round selection in the upcoming draft with his play in this tournament.
Rheuume-Mullen is a smooth skating defenseman who has good offensive instincts and can lead the rush confidently. He clearly has a high hockey IQ and uses that to make his decisions that he does with certainty. He was a bit too risky at times and could turn the puck over and made a bit more work for himself than was needed. He has great edge control and transitions quickly with or without the puck. He typically has good body position on the defensive side of the puck but like all young players could bulk up a bit more. He has another year til his draft but showed that he will be a solid draft option in the 2025 draft.
Hensler is a big defender who has decent mobility too. He put up almost a point a game in the tournament and was an effective player for pushing the puck up the ice for team USA. He was a physical presence at times. He is a quality passer who was able to find the seams and put the puck on a platter and made it easy to receive. He is a good defensive defenseman who has decent strength to help box players out at the net front. The tournament helped his draft status for next year as he demonstrated his ability to handle top end players.
#31 Nick Kempf, G, USA U18, L, 6’2”, 190, DOB 6.19.2006
Kempf is a goaltender with good size and he uses it well. He typically has good box control and doesn’t over play the puck. He demonstrated calmness during this tournament and was able to settle things down for team USA when it was needed. He was able to make the saves he needed to. He read the play well and tracked the puck well. He had good rebound control in the tournament and didn’t make extra work for himself in the tournament. Kempf moved well laterally and opened up few holes when he moved. He usurped Parsons as the number one goaltender for USA at this tournament and he certainly helped his status for the draft by doing that and could be as high as a fourth round selection after his play at this tournament.
Get your hands on the comprehensive DraftPro 2024 Draft Guide now!
In the 2024 Draft Guide our team ranks the top 224 NHL Draft eligibles, provides well-written profiles on the top 224 names for this year, includes in-depth prospect features, looks at the NHL’s top 50 drafted prospects coming down the pipe, dives into what each NHL team has in the prospect cupboard and what their draft needs are, provides a comprehensive look at the 2025 NHL Draft with profiles on the top 32, provides a top 32 ranking on the 2026 NHL Draft with profiles on the top 10, and so much more.
The IIHF World U18 Hockey Championships just wrapped up last week in Espoo and Vantaa Finland, and was a scouting hotspot as a last big event for NHL staffs who are charged with evaluating the next wave of NHL talent.
There were some bright spots for the upcoming 2024 NHL draft that stood out and some future draft eligibles that really grabbed the spotlight. In this ten-part series we will look at each team entry and provide some review of prospects, how they performed and how their performance might have affected their draft stock. We will start with the last place team, Kazakhstan, and work our way through to the gold medal winning Canadian squad.
The Swedish team was seen as a bit overmatched heading into the event with solid depth on the roster but lacking in game breaking offensive talent up front. The Swedes managed to grind their way to the third place game and come home with a bronze medal in their pockets.
Here are some player reports from our John Ryan on the Swedish U18 players that stood out.
#4 D, Leo Sahlin Wallenius, Sweden (Vaxjo Lakers HC J20, J20 Nationell), 6’0”, 183, L, 04.10.206
Was called upon to be the big-time minute muncher for team Sweden during the tournament. He was heavily relied upon to be the team’s best defensive defenseman in the tournament playing huge minutes. Additionally, he was tasked with being the quarterback for the first powerplay unit. Offensively, he left more to be desired and was outshined by his teammate, Alfons Freij. However, he was Sweden’s most steady defenseman and consistently made tape-to-tape passes out of the defensive zone to one of his teammates. I was expecting more engagement on the rush using his speed to carry the puck up the ice than what I saw throughout the tournament. He did have flashes where his offensive skill shined but was inconsistent. Overall, he had a strong tournament and proved that he can be relied on to play heavy minutes. He will likely be selected somewhere in the late first to early second round of the 2024 NHL Draft.
The offensive defenseman shined in this tournament. He was consistently Sweden’s biggest threat from the backend and was especially dangerous when he joined the rush up the ice. His skating ability, hands, and vision popped throughout the tournament. He is a smooth and fast skater that can handle the puck at top-end speeds and dance around opponents. He did have some defensive lapses during the tournament which is expected from an offensively minded defender that looks to push the play up ice nearly every shift. He stood out among all defenders for Sweden and was by far the biggest offensive threat from the backend throughout the tournament. Freij’s offensive tools and fast paced game should draw lots of attention from NHL scouts. He will likely be selected somewhere in the late first to early second round of the 2024 NHL Draft.
#26 F, Alexander Zetterbeg, Sweden (Orebro HK J20, J20 Nationell), 5’8”, 148, R, 04.24.2006
A gifted undersized forward that plays a skilled game and excels at offensive creativity. Unfortunately, his tournament was cut short because of an injury he suffered against team Switzerland. During his time in the tournament, he was arguably Sweden’s most consistent player at generating offense for his team. A great trait that he demonstrated throughout his time in the tournament is his willingness to drive to the high traffic areas despite his small stature. His puck skills and skating ability also showed well in the tournament. He used these abilities to juke around defenders and create offensive opportunities for himself and teammates. Due to his size and lack of high-end skill, Zetterberg will likely be selected in the 3rd-4th round of the 2024 NHL Draft if not later.
Played a strong 2-way game. Demonstrated that he can process plays quickly and has great vision of the ice throughout the tournament. His defensive game stood out more than his offensive skills throughout most of the tournament. He showed his high-end hockey IQ throughout the tournament with his positioning defensively and his ability to find open players in the offensive zone. Eriksson was consistently the first forward back in the defensive zone which further demonstrated the emphasis he puts on playing a strong defensive game. There were pockets of play where his offensive tools did flash, especially with his playmaking ability. He will likely be selected somewhere in the 2nd-3rd round of the 2024 NHL Draft.
A hard-working winger that drives to the front of the net to create chaos in front of opposing goaltenders. His compete level with and without the puck shined throughout the tournament. Whenever he mishandled the puck, he would quickly attack the opposing player attempting to strip the puck from them and take possession back. Most of his goals were scored within five feet of the net. He is an undersized forward which makes it even more impressive that he was able to compete for space in front of the goaltender to score close range goals. Eklund is not draft eligible until 2025 and with further growth in his skills and natural bodily growth, he could take a major step next season and shine even brighter at next season’s IIHF U18 Worlds tournament. Right now, he looks like a potential first round pick for the 2025 NHL Draft.
An average sized winger that possesses a great release. Unlike many of his counterparts on team Sweden, he does not excel away from the puck and is not a play driver. Instead, he is more of a support player and trigger man. I would have liked to see more engagement in the defensive zone and more of an ability to lead the rush. However, the things he does well in his game he did well in the tournament. He was strong along the boards in the offensive zone and did crash the net a few times. Additionally, he stripped opponents of the puck a few times in the offensive zone during the tournament which led to scoring chances for. A higher compete level in the neutral zone and defensive zone would make him a much more well-rounded player. Overall, he performed to the level that is expected of him. He will likely be selected in the 2nd-3rd round of the 2024 NHL Draft.
#11 F, Lucas Pettersson (MoDo Hockey J20, J20 Nationell), 5’11”, 172, L, 04.17.2006
A smart 2-way center that plays with a lot of pace. His play in transition was perhaps the best among all Swedish forwards in the tournament. In the offensive zone he saw the ice extremely well and made tight window passes look easy. He was especially dangerous when he used his speed and makes a quick cut to the slot to release his strong wrist shot. He played with a high motor and was consistently one of the best players on team Sweden throughout the tournament. His play away from the puck was also very impressive. He was consistently the first forward in the defensive zone and used strong stick work to strip the puck from opponents on the backcheck. He projects as a potential third line 2-way center with offensive upside. He will likely be drafted in the late first to early second round of the 2024 NHL draft.
Get your hands on the comprehensive DraftPro 2024 Draft Guide now!
In the 2024 Draft Guide our team ranks the top 224 NHL Draft eligibles, provides well-written profiles on the top 224 names for this year, includes in-depth prospect features, looks at the NHL’s top 50 drafted prospects coming down the pipe, dives into what each NHL team has in the prospect cupboard and what their draft needs are, provides a comprehensive look at the 2025 NHL Draft with profiles on the top 32, provides a top 32 ranking on the 2026 NHL Draft with profiles on the top 10, and so much more.
The IIHF World U18 Hockey Championships just wrapped up last week in Espoo and Vantaa Finland, and was a scouting hotspot as a last big event for NHL staffs who are charged with evaluating the next wave of NHL talent.
There were some bright spots for the upcoming 2024 NHL draft that stood out and some future draft eligibles that really grabbed the spotlight. In this ten-part series we will look at each team entry and provide some review of prospects, how they performed and how their performance might have affected their draft stock. We will start with the last place team, Kazakhstan, and work our way through to the gold medal winning Canadian squad.
The plucky Slovak squad put up a good fight getting all the way to the bronze medal game before finally loosing to a solid Swedish team.
Here are some player reports from our Joseph Stanislau on the Slovakian U18 players that stood out.
The younger brother to New Jersey Devils defenseman, Simon Nemec, is a forward who plays a different style of hockey where he is a very good forechecker who plays a high energy game, and has a lot of drive similar to his brother. Adam had 2 goals in 7 games and he needs to bulk up a lot to around 185 lb because the way he attacks offensively, and defensively throwing his body around he will certainly be a great mid line winger with really good puck handling, shooting, and phenomenal passing. Adding that muscle variable will make him a really dangerous player to go up against. Nemec is a high volume shooter who does get a lot of pucks on net yielding high danger scoring opportunities and has the ability to become a really consistent forward as he grows. He is an exciting skater and has really good wheels and has really good agility on the breakaways.
18 Miroslav Satan (Jr.) C, 6’7, 190 lb, 02.03.2006 (Team Slovakia U18, Slovakia 2)
We know what you’re all thinking but yes this indeed is the son of former NHL’er Miroslav Satan. He has shown in the faceoff circle against lesser developed and skilled centers that he can beat them in the faceoff dot. However versus Finland, USA, and Sweden Satan needs to improve against those super skilled, really strong leveraging centers. That is room for Miroslav to grow in the muscle mass department, and with that size and reach he does forecheck really well, and zips really fast around the boards looking to poke the puck loose. He is a disciplined player who doesn’t go into the box often. He does throw the body around and is a high volume shooter, he just has to get more of those on the net. From the skillset this center can improve in the faceoff circle with the right developmental, and skills coaches. Miroslav can also look to be a natural winger where he has a lot of speed and can playmake but should focus more on powering his way and getting more versatility in more roles as he gets primed up for a future in the NHL.
The Slovak defenseman plays a really strong defensive game having nearly 2 shots blocked in his 5 games in the U18 Tournament, and getting 1 hit per game. He does a really good job of getting shots on net out of several opportunities he gets. Adam is a smaller sasquatch of a defenseman who even pinned one of Sweden’s skaters on the boards behind his goalies net. Belusko takes no prisoners and has very active feet, and an active hockey stick keeping his defensive positioning to limit any possible errors with an opponent he has from trying to evade. His ability to skate is rather good and is very smooth in skating backwards to keep an eye on his opponents. He plays as if he were a really big 6’3” but it truly is his heart of a competitor.
Haronik has a really big size and takes up a lot of net coverage. When he goes into the butterfly during very fast passing by his opponents he tends to be out of position enough in a small window. He made an original right pad save on the original shot and the rebound had 2 Latvians blitzing the 1 Slovak defender. Martin had no time to get a few inches over to his low left pad side to make that save. He did everything he could to keep his team in the game making 35/39 saves. Easily 3 of those were on the defense and that was due in part because 2 of the 3 screened Haronik. 1 of which Haronik could have had but wasn’t in position to put the glove out in time. He was dealing with moving fast enough to make those saves but his defense did less to help him save more high danger chances. His positioning was slightly off in this game. His composure, and athleticism was there, but needs to work a bit more on tracking the puck with traffic on top of rebound control. Haronik has all the tools he needs; he just needs to get a bit more seasoning because he could develop into a starting goaltender if he gets it all together, especially with a truly sound defense that can fetch pucks and clear the zone out so he doesn’t have to do all the lifting.
Maruna is a really unique player who knows how to forecheck, skate really well, and sees the play developing perfectly. He knows what to do and makes small aspects in a game like getting takeaways in an opponent’s zone and taking the opportunity to shoot the puck on net. The Slovak center did just that versus Czechia and was able to rifle one home on a wrist shot far away from mid danger behind the faceoff circle. His speed, agility, and tenacity along with him having a nose for the net is gonna be key as he grows older into an NHL player he will be enjoyable to coach. His ability to go after pucks and go to the dirty areas and making the opportunities for him and his team to potentially win games. He plays a similar utility and playmaker, goal scorer role similar to Ondrej Palat, and Yegor Sharangovich. It wouldn’t be a surprise as he progresses that he starts to become a goal scorer the next level of hockey he will progress into
Photos courtesy IIHF.com
Get your hands on the comprehensive DraftPro 2024 Draft Guide now!
In the 2024 Draft Guide our team ranks the top 224 NHL Draft eligibles, provides well-written profiles on the top 224 names for this year, includes in-depth prospect features, looks at the NHL’s top 50 drafted prospects coming down the pipe, dives into what each NHL team has in the prospect cupboard and what their draft needs are, provides a comprehensive look at the 2025 NHL Draft with profiles on the top 32, provides a top 32 ranking on the 2026 NHL Draft with profiles on the top 10, and so much more.
The IIHF World U18 Hockey Championships just wrapped up last week in Espoo and Vantaa Finland, and was a scouting hotspot as a last big event for NHL staffs who are charged with evaluating the next wave of NHL talent.
There were some bright spots for the upcoming 2024 NHL draft that stood out and some future draft eligibles that really grabbed the spotlight. In this ten-part series we will look at each team entry and provide some review of prospects, how they performed and how their performance might have affected their draft stock. We will start with the last place team, Kazakhstan, and work our way through to the gold medal winning Canadian squad.
The host Finns finished in fifth place and had some strong performances from its roster with more than a few names making jumps up NHL team draft lists in our estimation.
Here are some player reports from our Andy Miller on the Finnish U18 players that stood out.
#12 Aron Kiviharju, D, Finland U18, 5’10”, 172, L, DOB 1.26.2006
He is a dynamic defenseman who can push the play with confidence in the tournament. Despite missing much of the season due to surgery and seems to have recovered his game well. He was a great passer in the tournament and could initiate a breakout with a single pass, put the puck in an area or find a seam and thread the needle consistently. His shot could still use some more power or speed behind it.. His smaller size could be an issue at the NHL defensively but he will certainly bulk up by then. He defended well particularly by using his body positioning to box out and protect the net front. His play at the tournament locked him in as a first round defender in the upcoming draft.
#19 Konsta Helenius, F, Finland U18, 5’11”, 181, R, DOB 5.11.2006
Heleinius is a dynamic playmaker and could dictate the pace of the game. His slick skating game was on display throughout the tournament. who plays a 200 foot game. His high end offensive skills were often visible. He is usually a good decision maker but at times can be risky in the neutral zone or around the bluelines. He showed off his shooting skills at times but that skill could have been used a bit more in the tournament as zero goals stood out a bit. His tournament play solidified his ranking as a top puck distributor but may have dropped his overall ranking a bit due to his inability to elevate to a high level against other elite players. Helenius is definitely a top ten option in the upcoming draft and has a great shot at going in the top five.
#32 Emil Hemming, F, Finland U18, 6’2”, 194, L, DOB 1.27.2006
Hemming is a bigger forward who has good vision on the ice and he used that throughout the tournament. He was able to put the puck on the tape and made it easy to receive. He is a shooter first though and he has a good release that is hard to read for goaltenders and by scoring 4 goals in 5 games he had this skill set on display. He has exceptional hands and works the puck well. At times he was able to gain separation from plates on the ice with some quick acceleration. He wants to be involved in the game and is not afraid to go to the dirty areas on the ice. Hemming locked himself in as a quality shooter and finisher in this tournament and while he didn’t elevate his status he likely maintained it. He is a player who could be a top line player in the next few years and become a difference maker for a team that selects him in the top twenty in the upcoming draft.
#33 Tuomas Suoniemi, F, Finland U18, 5’10”, 161, L, DOB 4.16.2006
Suoniemi went to the net consistently and even though he isn’t very big he took up position and was hard to handle. He was well balanced on his edges and surprisingly led Finland in points. In his points he registered goals and assists showing he can distribute the puck as well as finish. He went to the hard areas on the ice and often came out with the puck. He showed he has an edge to his game and this is what will help him to become a better player than his skillset should allow. He has some good skill and could become a solid third line player with some offensive capabilities after a few years of development. He was a quality player in the tournament and likely ensured himself a middle round option in 2024. He is likely a fifth round option in the upcoming draft.
#36 Heiki Ruohonen, F, Finland U18, L, 6’1”, 196, DOB 6.19.2006
Ruohonen is a strong player on the wall and can protect the puck often. He demonstrated good offensive instincts throughout the tournament. He is a player who at times makes risky plays and can turn over the puck multiple times in a game. He has an ability to receive the puck through traffic and get the puck on the net. When he gets going he plays all 200 feet of the rink and can dictate the pace of the game, but the issue is that this doesn’t happen enough and he leaves onlookers wanting more. Ruohonen works the wall well and is a solid two way prayer. In the tournament he was a quality forward who supported his teammates and got on the scoreboard a bit. Has the ability to finish and could become a middle six forward and is a third round option in the upcoming draft.
#24 Joona Saarelainen, F, Finland U18, L, 5’9”, 176, DOB 5.5.2006
Saarelainen is a very strong skater who can effectively drive the puck through the neutral zone. He is a player who can dictate the pace of the game and change it mid shift. He is a game breaker who can change the dynamics of the game when he steps on the ice. The puck finds Saarelainen on the ice and sticks to him, particularly in the offensive zone. He has an excellent shot with a very deceptive release that is hard to read. He found the back of the net three times and was just under a point a game. He is a very good passer and can find the lanes and pass quickly or delay to open it up. More consistency would help elevate his selection status. He could become a second line player with a few years of development and be a third round option at the draft. His play at the tournament was good but he didn’t consistently stand out which matches what has been seen up until now, inconsistent play.
#27 Aatos Koivu , F, Finland U18, R, 6’1”, 163, DOB 6.22.2006
Koivu won key faceoffs in the tournament or didn’t lose cleanly. He is a player with good hands and good offensive instincts. He worked the low area in the offensive zone well throughout the tournament. He is a smart player but at times can hesitate or not make a decision and run into trouble. Koivu has a good shot and has a quick release as well. He is responsible in his zone and typically has good body position. Koivu gets in the passing lanes and blocks or deters passes well. At times he can be a bit soft on his stick though and needs to protect the puck against high end players along the wall. He is likely a third round option in the upcoming draft and is likely a solid middle six forward with some offensive capabilities. In the tournament he was effective without the puck and that was good to see as he was not very noticeable offensively.
#4 Mitja Jokinen,D, Finland U18.L, 5’10”, 161, L DOB 3.1.2006
Jokinen has offensive instincts and protected the offensive blueline effectively in the tournament. He is a quality skater who moves up the ice well and reads the play that is given to him. Jokinen shoots the puck well and is able to get it on the net more often than not. He is a hard worker at the net front but he must use his skating ability to box players out which could be an issue as he moves up levels. He deferred to his teammates often in the tournament and one would like to see him exhibit more confidence in his game. He has the ability to carry the puck up the ice and rush the full ice and protect the puck at times. He needs to be more consistent with his effort. Jokinen is not a very physical player and can be out muscled in the corner. He is a quality defender who has some capabilities and could be a second pairing defender or may not crack the NHL too. His stats jump off the sheet in this tournament at a point a game, but the eye test left me wanting more from him. He is likely a fourth or fifth round option. He was a quality defender in the tournament who had almost a point a game and there is a chance he could round out his game and be a gem for a team in the draft.
#1 Petteri Rimpinen, G, FInland U18, 6’0”, 176, L, DOB 4.25.2006
Rimpinen was a strong goaltender and excellent stats in the majority of the tournament. He is a goaltender who went down when the puck is at or near the goal line area. He was able to recover to his feet quickly and makes good reads.He doesn’t appear to read the play before it is going to happen but rather reacts to the play that happens. Rimpinen moves quickly and stays deep in his net more often than most other goaltenders who is more of a blocking style goaltender. He is able to get out of the net and send up the puck or play it for his teammates. He played well in the tournament but needs to improve his consistency against high end players, like Team USA. Likely a later round option in the upcoming draft.
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In the 2024 Draft Guide our team ranks the top 224 NHL Draft eligibles, provides well-written profiles on the top 224 names for this year, includes in-depth prospect features, looks at the NHL’s top 50 drafted prospects coming down the pipe, dives into what each NHL team has in the prospect cupboard and what their draft needs are, provides a comprehensive look at the 2025 NHL Draft with profiles on the top 32, provides a top 32 ranking on the 2026 NHL Draft with profiles on the top 10, and so much more.
The IIHF World U18 Hockey Championships just wrapped up last week in Espoo and Vantaa Finland, and was a scouting hotspot as a last big event for NHL staffs who are charged with evaluating the next wave of NHL talent.
There were some bright spots for the upcoming 2024 NHL draft that stood out and some future draft eligibles that really grabbed the spotlight. In this ten-part series we will look at each team entry and provide some review of prospects, how they performed and how their performance might have affected their draft stock. We will start with the last place team, Kazakhstan, and work our way through to the gold medal winning Canadian squad.
The Czechia team came in looking to do some damage with a few big bodies and some highly skilled smaller players who can create offensive chances on their own. Unfortunately they has a bit of a disappointing showing as the consistency in play was just not there as they finished sixth overall.
Here are some player reports from our Liam Staples on the Czechia U18 players that stood out.
#19 F Adam Jecho, Czechia, 6’5” 198 R. 26-03-2006
A powerful skater, his skating has noticeably improved since the 2023 Hlinka-Gretzky tournament. He pivots and rotates his body correctly to stay involved in the play. His decision making needs to be quicker, against Canada and Sweden he was a step behind and as a result could not make plays like he wanted too. His offense was limited against Canada because defenders forced him to the outside with the puck, he did not try to carry the puck to the middle of the ice against Canada, he made successful seam passes but need to see him carry the puck into the middle of the ice more. Jecho is skilled with the puck, likes to make plays off the rush and take on opponents one on one. He is not overly physical, would like to see him engage in more body contact to separate the puck from his man. He is strong on the puck, protects the puck well with his wide gait and keeps his feet moving with the puck. Adam established a pre-set deke in the slot area with a quick drag and release. He scored several of his goals in the WHL this past season with his patented quick drag and release. He has a powerful shot from distance, quick release off his blade with solid accuracy capable of beating goaltenders up high on either side of the net. In a game against Sweden, Jecho showed off his impressive pre-set deke by scoring a goal on his off-side with a shot from the slot over the goalie’s shoulder on a two-on-one opportunity. He has great coordination with his body and his stick which can be credited towards his background in playing competitive tennis growing up. The reflexes he learned playing tennis translate on the ice through his quick stops and starts and maintaining control of the puck with his feet. He competes on the ice through hard backchecks and puck protection. He is very effective at using his stick to close the gap between his opponent. He is very disciplined with his stick, he does not fall into his opponent’s trap by lodging his stick into his opponent’s feet or hands causing a penalty. At this year’s tournament Czechia was missing their top-defenceman in Adam Jiricek, fourth ranked European skater by NHL Central Scouting, Jecho finished tied for the most points on his team with three points and led his team with two goals in the tournament. Czechia did not have the firepower offensively compared to previous years so the offense was limited but Jecho was one of the more productive players on the Czechia roster this year.
#23 F Petr Sikora, Czechia, 5’10” 172 L. 02-01-2006
Sikora was named an assistant captain for Czechia at the tournament. He is shifty with his feet, glides through traffic and gets into open areas on the ice by shifting his feet. On the penalty kill he occupies shooting lanes to the net through his shifty lateral skating. Scored his lone goal of the tournament against Sweden on a high blocker shot from the strong side faceoff circle. He took advantage of the space the defense was giving him and he made the Swedes pay for it. Sikora is strong on the puck, plays stronger than what his weight indicates, he can be difficult to knock off the puck as he protects the puck well with his body and opens his skating gait to put more strength into his skating stride. Sikora can play the puck at his feet, he was effective at maintaining possession through excellent footwork. Sikora carries a high intensity to his game, he embraces contact well and adjusts his body position accordingly, he plays at a fast pace, speed is not the only reliable option to his arsenal. He relies more on quick lateral movements and strong edgework to open himself up to the play, his edgework and puck protection made him effective at creating quick looks for his team in the offensive zone. Watching Sikora play you can see him processing the ongoing play on the ice, this allows him to read the developing play making him the first player in position when the puck arrives. There were numerous occurrences of Sikora being in the right position at the right time to retrieve the puck, coming out unexpectedly to intercept passes or close down lanes to the net; this was very noticeable in the quarter-final matchup against rival Slovakia.
#15 D Tomas Galvas, Czechia, 5’10 148 L. 11-02-2006
Galvas played on the top pairing for Czechia in the tournament and looked upon in every situation. He struggled against Canada eliminating opponent’s time and space, he failed to pin players along the boards ending the ongoing cycle. He plays with the positive instincts in the defensive end but lacks size and strength, as his body further develops and adds strength to his body frame, his defensive zone reads should improve. He needs work on his gap control, Galvas does an effective job keeping his opponent to the outside but lacks the strength to eliminate them from the play, as a result, when Galvas falls a step behind his opponent, he falls out of position and cannot make up for it with his size. Watching Galvas execute his puck retrievals is enticing because he finds ways to escape on coming pressure. His skating ability is a strong suit to his game, he is strong on his edges and lateral movements and pivots extremely well with the puck to create time and space for himself. His ability to pivot with the puck adds a sense of poise to his game. He is fairly consistent in completing breakout passes from puck retrievals but he is a smooth skater when he rushes the puck. Galvas quarterbacked the top Czechia power play, he walks the line well and looks to move the puck to his forwards. He does not regularly activate himself into the play often in the offensive zone however, he will pinch in the zone to become an available passing option.
#6 D Jakub Fibigr, Czechia, 6’0” 172 L. 22-07-2006
Fibigr was named an assistant captain for Czechia at the tournament. Jakub played on the top pairings for Czechia throughout the tournament averaging over 20 minutes of ice time a game. He was given responsibility as quarterbacking the second power play unit and a key member of Czechia’s penalty kill. Fibigr had rough starts to a couple hockey games. He struggled out of the gate in the contest against Canada. He fanned on a pass to his partner off the opening faceoff leading to a goal-against just a mere seconds into the hockey game. On his next shift, he failed to control a pass in his feet which eventually resulted in putting his team down two goals within two minutes of the game. As the game progressed he began to use his feet more. He uses good angles to keep players to the outside of the ice but struggles with proper body positioning when trying to take away space and disrupting possession. Fibigr is a puck-moving defenceman capable of making short distance passes but inconsistent with his long stretch breakout passes. He prefers to move the puck but can use his feet to elude trouble and find a passing option. Fibigr finished the tournament with one goal, his goal was a timely goal in the quarterfinal matchup against Slovakia to bring his team to within one in the third period.
#22 F Maxmilian Curran, Czechia, 6’3” 185 L. 27-08-2006
Standing at 6’3” Curran patrols the middle of the ice as a two-way forward. He drops down below the dots to provide defensive support but still has areas of improvement in the defensive end. His decision making needs to be quicker in the defensive zone. Czechia plays a man-on-man style defense, when someone loses their man, Curran needs to make quicker decisions to either cover for his teammate or stick to his man, oftentimes he will hesitate and that quick hesitation provides space to the net for his opponent. Skating is another area that Curran needs to improve, he is not a physical presence nor is he a bull in a China shop when it comes to competing for loose pucks in the corners, he is lacking foot speed and he is weak on his edges. The area he excels is in front of the net. He occupies the net front presence role on the first power play unit. He plays with good instincts down low through carrying the puck to the front of the net and absorbing contact, if he sees the net is covered he will try to move the puck cross ice. Curran finished tied for the most points for his team with three points in the tournament. He scored his lone goal of the tournament using his instincts to move the puck down low to the front of the net to his teammate and timed his net drive perfectly to slide in the rebound. He finished the tournament with two primary assists, the timing of his points were clutch for his team as he scored the first goal of the hockey game in the preliminary round against Switzerland and recorded the primary assist on the first goal of the game against Sweden, both games Curran got on the statsheet Czechia would go on to win.
#9 F Adam Benak, Czechia, 5’7” 152. L. 10-04-2007
An underage forward that plays with explosive speed, Benak played on the top forward line for Czechia and finished tied for the most points on the team. Benak’s short skating stride allows him to reach full speed in minimal strides. He possesses break away speed with an elusive first step, he builds up speed through his windup at the start of his turn and by the time he completes the turn and gathers the puck he has reached maximal speed. Listed at 5’7” 152 lbs, he struggled with overcoming physicality, defenders were able to close down the gap on him quickly and erase him from the play through body positioning. Defenders were able to box him out in the corners and use their body to protect the puck. For a smaller player with quick speed, Benak showed higher levels of compete compared to others on his team, he supported his teammates in board battles and dropped low in the defensive end to take away passing lanes in front of the net. He has silky hands, made nice saucer passes to teammates in traffic, with his skillset, when he adds more muscle to his body, his passing ability and coordination should improve. He is not afraid to let shots go from distance, he scored his lone goal of the tournament by shooting a puck on net from distance and outworking his opponent to collect his own rebound. Benak finished the tournament with one goal and two assists. As an underager Benak played top line minutes for his team, played on the top power play unit and was put on the ice in crucial situations for his team. Benak will be a vital returning piece offensively for Czechia next season in his draft year at the 2025 IIHF U18-World Hockey Championship.
Get your hands on the comprehensive DraftPro 2024 Draft Guide now!
In the 2024 Draft Guide our team ranks the top 224 NHL Draft eligibles, provides well-written profiles on the top 224 names for this year, includes in-depth prospect features, looks at the NHL’s top 50 drafted prospects coming down the pipe, dives into what each NHL team has in the prospect cupboard and what their draft needs are, provides a comprehensive look at the 2025 NHL Draft with profiles on the top 32, provides a top 32 ranking on the 2026 NHL Draft with profiles on the top 10, and so much more.
The IIHF World U18 Hockey Championships just wrapped up last week in Espoo and Vantaa Finland, and was a scouting hotspot as a last big event for NHL staffs who are charged with evaluating the next wave of NHL talent.
There were some bright spots for the upcoming 2024 NHL draft that stood out and some future draft eligibles that really grabbed the spotlight. In this ten-part series we will look at each team entry and provide some review of prospects, how they performed and how their performance might have affected their draft stock. We will start with the last place team, Kazakhstan, and work our way through to the gold medal winning Canadian squad.
The Swiss team came in with arguably the most talent we have seen at this event from them ever with more than a few projected draft picks dotting their roster. And they did not disappoint as they finished in seventh place out of a ten-team field.
Here are some player reports from our Seth Ditchfield on the Swiss U18 players that stood out.
23 D, LEON MUGGLI, (EV Zug, NL) 6’0, 176, L, DOB: 7.9.2006 It cannot be overstated just how critical Leon Muggli was for this roster, serving as a catalyst who was likely to be one of the most active players in the entire tournament. Muggli started off the tournament strong, but unfortunately, he had to leave game 3 with an injury and did not return. Despite being somewhat of a hidden gem due to the smaller market he plays in, he secured a solid and permanent role on Zug’s Swiss NL team. Muggli isn’t a towering presence; instead, he opts to use his core strength wisely, playing low to the ice to maximize his strength, and defending intelligently with his active and robust stick, as well as positional awareness. He is a safe, yet productive player, not the most flashy or dynamic, but possessing an incredible ability to move the puck to high-danger areas. Muggli demonstrated his excellent skating in this tournament, able to stop and start on a dime, and catch defenders off-guard with plenty of rush opportunities, fully showcasing his transition strength. He exits the zone with crisp, solid passes, and is always engaged and tactically sound away from the puck. He’s been one of the most mature and intelligent defenders in this draft, and the same continued to be true for Team Switzerland.
26 D, DANIIL USTINKOV, (GCK Lions, SL) 6’1, 201, L, DOB: 8.26.2006 Daniil Ustinkov is a case of talent versus execution. He had a prime opportunity to step up after Leon Muggli’s injury, yet he failed to take advantage. Ustinkov is a strong skater with fluid edges and great stickhandling under pressure. However, he often tries to do too much, especially in the neutral zone or when exiting the zone, leading to turnovers. His slow backchecking has often resulted in creating odd-man rushes against his team. Despite these issues, Ustinkov showcased incredible composure under pressure, consistently making solid first passes and proving his worth as a notable transition defender. His lack of explosiveness and faulty decision-making was apparent, as he struggled to control the tempo and was easily outmaneuvered by opponents who would simply dump the puck or pass it around him, despite his near unbeatability in one-on-one situations. Offensively, the tournament didn’t go well either, finishing with just one assist, he was unable to consistently generate offensive opportunities due to his decision-making flaws. Ustinkov’s potential remains high, but his performance likely lowered his draft stock. Moving forward, his challenge will be to improve his decision-making and play with significantly more intensity and competitiveness than he showed in this tournament.
4 D, GIAN MEIER, (GCK Lions, U20-Elit) 6’2, 168, R, DOB: 7.10.2006 What a story Gian Meier was in this tournament, he found a gap in the Swiss defense and leveraged it to significantly boost his draft stock. A defensive defenseman with only 3 goals in 60 games, Meier showed off some offense by scoring 2 goals and racking up 4 points in just 5 games, leading the Swiss roster. His defensive talent shone even in tough matches against Canada, where he was a bulwark, effectively using his strength to box out forwards, enhance his gap control, and aggressively play the corners. As Meier continues to bulk up, his presence in these areas will only grow stronger. Offensively, he showcased his abilities by smoothly transitioning the puck, supporting rushes with robust 4-way skating, and confidently taking shots from the point. His rapid decision-making and evolving offensive vision marked a significant development in his game, contributing heavily not just defensively but offensively, playing crucial minutes in all situations and logging over 20 minutes per game.
19 RW, KIMI KOERBLER, (Ottawa 67’s, OHL) 5’11, 168, L, DOB: 9.25.2006 A spark in a quiet Swiss team, Kimi Koerbler (2 goals, 5 games) wasn’t a scoring machine, but his thrilling bursts made him a standout. With elite skating speed, Koerbler kept up with the fastest, winning puck battles and showcasing a heavy shot. His hands stayed sure under pressure, fueling his aggressive style. However, inconsistency plagued him. Passes lacked zip and variety, and his game became predictable at times. Koerbler can dominate stretches, but then disappear. For early draft consideration in 2025, consistency is key.
1 G, CHRISTIAN KIRSCH, (Zug, U20-Elit) 6’3, 176, L, DOB: 6.18.2006 With no shortage of activity from Day 1, Christian Kirsch was a beacon of reliability in net, showcasing his blend of tactical intelligence. Kirsch is adept at covering the lower half of the net, as he’s very prominent in a split, and fluid from post to post. He’s a big presence during breakaway action, covering large portions of the net and forcing a deke. However, Kirsch also struggled with vision and technical talent. He let in some clean floater shots from the point due to screens, and the puck would slip through him when he was cleanly in position and ready. Despite the negatives, Kirsch has a solid frame and intelligence to build off of, making him one of the higher-upside goaltenders in the class.
7 LD, BASILE SANSONNENS, (Fribourg-Gottéron, U20-Elit) 6’3, 198, L, DOB: 8.19.2006 Basile Sansonnens is hardly an offensive dynamo, yet he stands out as a promising shutdown defenseman with solid 4-way skating, notably effective in backward crossovers and edgework. Despite his physical approach, particularly effective along the boards, he struggles against fast wingers and needs to boost his backward speed and physical assertiveness. During penalty kills, while he identifies passing lanes well, his blocking execution is lacking. Sansonnens must also refine his physical presence; his body checks often lack impact, necessitating further bulking up. Despite these areas for improvement, his potential as a reliable defenseman is evident, making him a valuable later-round pick.
18 LW, ROBIN NICO ANTENEN, (Zug, U20-Elit) 6’2, 190, L, DOB: 5.21.2006 Robin Antenen improved as the tournament went along, showing a strong work ethic away from the puck and a large presence on the ice. Known for his aggressive approach to puck battles, Antenen does a great job pressuring opponents on both forechecks and backchecks. While he lacks top speed, he’s persistent and competitive. He needs to improve his overall 4-way speed, particularly his first step, as it’s quite slow. Despite being quite strong, he doesn’t fully leverage that strength yet. I can see the potential for a strong bottom 6 player, with a strong shot, making him someone teams may target with a late-round pick.
6 C, JAMIRO REBER, (HV71, J20 Nationell) 5’10, 176, L, DOB: 9.4.2006 Jamiro Reber showed off a quick first step and held onto the puck well at top speed. He displayed impressive rush-shooting skills, creating numerous scoring chances every chance he got. His offensive style, though predictable, involved shooting at every opportunity from any angle, as well as handling the puck well in motion. He’s a strong transition player who became increasingly better at distributing the puck as the tournament progressed, though his playmaking ability still needs further development. At times, Reber struggled against tight defensive pressure, notably from Canada. As one of the youngest players in the draft, he has potential. To realize this potential, he needs to improve his agility, decision-making, and overall offensive variety to break through tougher systems.
3 LD, LUDVIG JOHNSON, (Zug, U20-Elit) 5’10, 174, L, DOB: 7.27.2006 Ludvig Johnson jumped into game action after the Leon Muggli injury, and he continued to show the intrigue he did in league games. He’s not the biggest, strongest, or most aware in his defensive end, but he was the most flashy in the offensive zone. He moves the puck extremely well in all 3 zones, he’s a great 4-way skater and pinches at all times. He got a secondary assist in his first shift against the Swedes and continued to impress with his puck skills in motion, as well as offensive zone possession. Johnson has a lot to work on: strength, defensive awareness, stick strength and awareness, rush defense, and more. However, I believe he’s an intriguing option to pick in the late rounds due to the potential he shows.
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