DRAFT PROSPECTS HOCKEY

Tag: Filip Ekberg

  • USA White Outslugs Sweden 6-4 at World Junior Showcase

    USA White pulled off a big bounce-back win in an offensive marathon, defeating Sweden 6-4 on Day 2 of the World Junior Summer Showcase. 

    After a tough start for both teams on the opening day of the tournament, all eyes were on this game to see how they’d respond.

    As expected, it was an offensive start to this game with both teams trading chance after chance. It took just over 14 minutes for the first goal to be recorded, but the flurry came quickly after. 

    Carter Amico broke the deadlock, tipping one home off the shot-pass from Landon Nycz, putting USA White up a goal. 

    Sweden came roaring back 2:07 later with Milton Gastrin sniping one home off the rush to tie the game at one. 

    USA White had a quick response, just 15 seconds later, Jacob Kvasnicka used his quick speed to create the chance, firing the puck just past the outstretched glove of Måns Goos and into the back of the net. 

    They weren’t done there, though. After a slashing penalty taken by Alexander Command, Chase Reid blasted one from just above the faceoff dot to complete the 4-goal run in 3:42.

    The second period continued much like the first, both teams trading chances, forcing their goaltenders to make some big saves. Filip Ekberg took a cross-checking penalty halfway through the second, and the US power play was buzzing, eventually scoring with a nice passing play that Sammy Nelson back-doored into the net.

    Filip Ekberg got his first of the tournament off the one-timer to close out the second period 4-2.

    The high-octane pace continued with a 4-goal third period. Jack Murtagh scored with a nifty move on the power play, Jacob Ihs-Wozniak banked one off the mask of Ryder Fetterolf and in, Mason West found the loose puck in a scramble and fired it into the back of the net, and then Viktor Klingsell scored off the rebound in the final minute, which finished USA White’s 6-4 win.

    For Sweden, it has been a tough start to the World Junior Summer Showcase, losing both of their games in ugly fashion, and they will look to bounce back in a big way when they take on Canada on Wednesday.

    USA White will await their merge with USA Blue, with the announcement expected tomorrow morning. The merged USA team will take on Finland on Wednesday.

    Standouts:

    F Jacob Kvasnicka (USA | New York Islanders)

    We had talked about Kvasnicka in our recap video yesterday as a guy who needed to have a big day today if he wanted to be on the merged USA team. From scoring a goal to blocking a number of shots, Kvasnicka had one of the best games we saw the entire day, also picking up game MVP in the process. Looking forward to tomorrow, you can expect to see his name on USA’s merged roster, which looks strong heading into the real tournament starting on Wednesday.

    D Henry Brzustewicz (USA | Los Angeles Kings)

    In a 10-goal game, you’d expect the standouts to be someone who scored a lot of goals or, at the very least, got a point, but for Brzustewicz, he was extremely effective in all three zones tonight. On the defensive side, he got into shot lanes, broke up passes and was clean on his breakouts. On the offensive side, I lost track of the number of high-grade opportunities he generated, and although he didn’t find himself on the final stat sheet, you can expect to see Brzustewicz on the final USA roster come Tuesday morning.

    The USA White Power Play (USA)

    Yeah, that’s right, all of it. One of the hardest, yet most important things to do in international tournaments is to execute an effective power play. Seeing USA White snap around the puck as quickly as they did all night long reminded me of Sweden’s gold medal-winning run last year, which operated at a 43.48% rate throughout the tournament. A sign of good things to come for a US team that was operating on a split squad? Time will tell.

    F Filip Ekberg (SWE | Carolina Hurricanes)

    Can’t say I didn’t warn you of what to expect from Ekberg’s game. A guy who we talked quite extensively about in our preview of this World Junior Summer Showcase as a potential game-breaker if he could get hot after his 18-point performance in 7 games at the 2025 IIHF U18 World Championships. Now is one goal enough to hang a hat on? No. But expect his success to continue throughout if the Swedes continue with this kamikaze offensive style.

    F Jacob Ihs-Wozniak (SWE | Vegas Golden Knights)

    It was a very strong game from Ihs-Wozniak tonight, getting in the goal column and generating a handful of chances throughout the game. For a Swedish team that has struggled mightily to this point, they will need him to find the back of the net much more often if they want to be successful.

    F Viktor Klingsell (SWE | Winnipeg Jets)

    For a guy who is considered a bubble player for the roster in December, Klingsell made a really good case tonight for his spot on the 25-man roster. Racking up 1 goal and 2 assists, Klingsell found gaps, generated chances, and led the Swedish team’s counterattack throughout the night. Now, one night won’t be enough to earn him a spot on that roster, but it’s a step in the right direction and if he can continue his success, keep an eye out for what could be a sneaky middle-6 option for the Swedes.

  • 2026 World Juniors Summer Showcase: Ultimate Preview

    July may usually belong to the heart of the hockey offseason, but the arrival of the World Junior Summer Showcase, hosted from July 26-August 1, at the WFCU Centre in Windsor, Ontario, marks the official kickoff of the road to the World Juniors.

    This ten-game annual Showcase features many of the top under-20 prospects from Canada, Finland, USA, and Sweden who have hopes of securing a nomination to their country’s respective 25-man 2027 IIHF World Junior Championship roster, which will be named closer to Boxing Day. 

    Video: World Junior Summer Showcase Roster & Tactical Breakdown

    The Storylines:

    Canada’s International Struggles

    The World Juniors have been a tough go for Canada since they took back-to-back golds in 2022 and 2023. Three years in a row, Canada has lost in the knockout stage against Team Czechia, and although they will not play them at the showcase tournament, Canada will look to shake the demons when the tournament comes home in December after snapping their 2-year medal drought in 2026.

    In addition to the demons that come with this tournament, 2026 has also been one of the worst years in Canadian international hockey history. Since 1990, Canada has never gone more than a month without holding a gold medal at a major IIHF tournament, which only adds to the pressure. (Note: The 2026 IIHF Women’s World Championships will take place from November 6-16 in Herning, Denmark, which will conclude the 2026 season). Canada will look to bounce back in a big way at the upcoming 2027 World Junior Championships on home ice in Edmonton and Red Deer. 

    USA Looking to Get Back on Track

    All eyes were on Team USA at the 2026 World Juniors as they searched for the ever-elusive three-peat. A team which never found their rhythm until it was too late saw themselves fall at the hands of Team Finland in the quarterfinals after a back-and-forth game that ended in overtime.

    Coming into this WJSS tournament, Team USA will look to get back on track after a tough go at the IIHF U18 Men’s World Championships, losing to Latvia in the quarterfinals. It will be a must-watch tournament for the US as they will bring a much better team than last year and will hope to establish themselves in the WJC favourite conversation at the end of the showcase. 

    Finland Has Something to Prove

    One of the hardest teams to play against is back for yet another year with hopes to return to the podium after a fourth-place finish in 2026. With Petteri Rimpinen aging out of the U20 group, Team Finland will look to the WJSS in hopes of solidifying the starting goaltender position, with a close battle expected to unfold throughout the showcase between Patrik Kerkola, Jester Rossi, and Juuso Ainasto.

    Finland will bring a total of 18 NHL 2027 draft-eligible players to the WJSS, with a handful expected to hear their names called come June of next year. With the World Juniors being a highly touted event, expect an extra effort from these players throughout the showcase to demonstrate why their names deserve to be on the roster.

    Sweden’s World Juniors Gold Medal Defence

    Coming off their first gold medal since Mika Zibanejad’s golden goal against Russia in 2012, Team Sweden will look to defend their title when they come to Edmonton and Red Deer in December. With an already impressive squad filled with returnees and potential NHL-caliber talent, Sweden is expected to be amongst the favourites walking into the 2027 edition of the World Juniors. With their recent gold medal at the U18 Men’s World Championships, it feels that there’s an overwhelming amount of momentum propelling this team.

    One of Sweden’s biggest World Junior storylines is whether Viggo Björck will be available come Boxing Day. After being barred from the U18s for prioritizing his U20 club finals, Björck bounced back with a 6-point showing at the Men’s World Championship. Now signed with Winnipeg and expected to start the season in the NHL, his potential release by the Jets would immediately make Sweden the tournament favourite.

    The Schedule:

    Team USA, who will bring an initial 47-player roster, will begin the tournament with 2 teams divided into USA Blue and USA White. Expected on July 28, the US team will merge into 1 unified team for the remainder of the tournament.

    2026 World Junior Summer Showcase Schedule
    July 26USA White vs Finland – 12 p.m. EDT / 7 p.m. EEST
    USA Blue vs Sweden – 4 p.m. EDT / 10 p.m. CEST 
    July 27USA Blue vs Finland – 3 p.m. EDT / 10 p.m. EEST
    USA White vs Sweden – 7 p.m. EDT / 1 a.m. CEST
    July 28No Games (Practice Day) + Team USA Roster Merge
    July 29USA vs Finland – 3 p.m. EDT / 10 p.m. EEST
    Canada vs Sweden – 7 p.m. EDT / 1 a.m. CEST
    July 30USA vs Sweden – 3 p.m. EDT / 9 p.m. CEST
    Canada vs Finland – 7 p.m. EDT / 2 a.m. EEST
    July 31No Games (Practice Day)
    August 1Finland vs Sweden – 12 p.m. EDT / 9 p.m. CEST / 10 p.m. EEST
    Canada vs USA – 4 p.m. EDT

    Players to Watch:

    Team Sweden

    Filip Ekberg #14 (Photo by Micheline Veluvolu/IIHF)

    Filip Ekberg (F): Ekberg previously lit up the 2025 Under-18 Men’s World Championship with 18 points in 7 games to earn Tournament MVP honours. After a quieter 2026 OHL campaign with the Ottawa 67s, the WJSS provides him the perfect bounce-back stage to earn a go-to role for a Swedish team looking to win back-to-back golds in Edmonton and Red Deer.

    Elton Hermansson (F): Hermansson brings dynamic offensive talent which is only elevated when representing the Tre Kronor. At the Hlinka Gretzky Cup, he finished with 11 points over 5 games played, plus he is fresh off a strong U18 campaign where he racked up 12 points over 7 games. He will look to continue his international success into this year’s WJSS.

    Malte Gustafsson (D): Selected 13th overall at the 2026 NHL Draft by the New York Islanders, Gustafsson is a blue-line lock. A smooth-skating, defensively responsible defender (+7 at the U18s) who can push the pace off the rush, he projects to play heavy minutes for the Swedes at the WJSS and the World Juniors later this year.

    Team USA

    Chase Reid Must Watch Player World Juniors Summer Showcase
    Chase Reid #25 (Photo By Joel Marklund/Bildbyrån)

    Wyatt Cullen (F): One of the rapid risers of the 2026 NHL Draft class, Cullen has been a fascinating player to track over the past two seasons, growing over 8 inches and developing his game into a top 10 pick. Cullen produced 9 points in 5 games at the U18 Worlds on a US team which lost to Latvia in the quarterfinals. He possesses high-end goal-scoring talent and looks poised to become a central figure for the U.S. program over the next few years.

    Chase Reid (D): One of the biggest surprises of Draft night was seeing Chase Reid’s fall to 7th overall being selected by the Seattle Kraken. A returning player to the World Junior roster this year, Reid logged over 20 minutes of ice time per game at the last World Juniors and is expected to take on an even bigger role this year. This WJSS presents an opportunity to remind US brass of what he’ll bring to the table on Boxing Day.

    Sammy Nelson (F): A top-5 projected prospect for the 2027 NHL Entry Draft, Nelson is one of the most intriguing under-age players at the showcase this year. A strong showing here could lock down his spot on the December roster ahead of his draft year. 

    Team Finland

    Patrik Kerkola Must Watch Player
    Patrik Kerkola #1 (Photo By IIHF)

    Samu Alalauri (D): Drafted 66th overall by the Chicago Blackhawks in 2026, Alalauri is a physical, reliable defenseman with a strong skating ability which will continue to help him throughout the showcase and later into the tournament. Also strong on the international stage, we saw him record 4 points over 5 games at both the Hlinka Gretzky Cup and U18 Worlds. He projects as an anchor for the Finnish blue line. 

    Jere Somervuori (F): Somervuori seemed like the last cut for the Finnish World Junior team last year after putting together strong performances with Finland’s U20 team while also serving a full-time role with HIFK in Liiga. He is arguably one of the most deserving players to make the roster in December and will look to make another good impression in Windsor.

    Patrik Kerkola (G): A steadying presence between the pipes, Kerkola (2.44 GAA at the 2025 U18s) enters camp in a competitive battle for the starting job ahead of December. Although he did not dress at the 2026 World Juniors, Kerkola was named to the Finnish roster and will look to take on a much bigger role in Edmonton this year, which will all start with his performance at the WJSS.

    Team Canada

    World Juniors Summer Showcase Must Watch Players Jack Ivankovic
    Jack Ivankovic #1 (Photo by Tim Austen/IIHF)

    Keaton Verhoeff (D): Projected as a top-three pick for most of the year, Verhoeff slipped on draft night before going 9th overall to the San Jose Sharks. A returning defender from Canada’s 2026 World Junior squad, the 6-foot-4 blueliner will be heavily relied upon to lock down high-leverage defensive minutes and kill penalties in Windsor. With extra eyes on his skating ability, watching his mobility after an off-season of work will be a key storyline.

    Jack Ivankovic (G): After a tough 2025 WJC debut, losing to Latvia in a shootout, Ivankovic returned in 2026 with something to prove. He exacted quick revenge with a group stage win over Latvia, and later took over Canada’s starting crease for the playoff rounds, finishing with a tournament-leading 2.34 GAA to claim bronze. Boasting an impressive international resume, Ivankovic enters the WJSS as the clear-cut starter for Canada’s WJC team come Boxing Day. 

    Tynan Lawrence (F): Lawrence took a calculated risk leaving the USHL mid-season to jump straight to the NCAA with Boston University in his draft year. Although adapting to the collegiate pace came with a steeper learning curve than originally expected, we saw his potential on full display at the U18 World Championships, posting 6 points over 5 games. Lawrence will look to build on that momentum in Windsor as he pushes to lock down a top-six center role for Canada.

    What is shaping up to be one of the most competitive World Junior tournaments in history will begin with a preview of four legitimate gold medal contenders over the next week in Windsor. Stay tuned for more coverage throughout the week.

  • Weekly 2026 NHL Draft-Eligible Three Stars

    The World Junior Championships are in the books now, and players have returned to action for their respective club teams. The trade deadline has passed across the CHL which puts the push for the postseason front and center for some teams, while others prepare for the future. As teams gear up for playoff races in the second half of the season, NHL staff and countless other draft observers will be eyeing talent for the 2026 NHL Draft. This week in the three stars, a Swedish forward gets some recognition for his strong work this season, a Finn has returned to the OHL with new life after his trip to Minnesota, and a Canadian center is already adjusting to new surroundings after being dealt.

    Wiggo Sörensson | C/LW | Boro/Vetlanda HC (SWE-DIV2)

    Swedish forward Wiggo Sörensson is having a very productive season, splitting his games between the U20 level and Division 2 hockey. He’s amassed 52 points (30 goals, 22 assists) in 12 games with the Boro/Vetlanda HC U20 program and another 23 points (nine goals, 14 assists) in 20 Division 2 games. Sörenssen may lack a little in physical tools at just 5 feet 11 inches and 181 pounds, but the rest of his game more than makes up for it. When playing at the U20 junior level, the April 2008 born skater has dominated the competition and showcased his offensive gifts over the last two seasons.

    Splitting time between Division 2 hockey and U20 Division 1, Sörensson led all draft eligibles last week with six points in three games. After not registering a point in his first game of the week, the Vetlanda, Sweden, native had six goals in the next two games. His biggest performance of the week was scoring all four goals in a 5-4 loss to the U20 Division 1 Alvesta SK club.

    Jasper Kuhta | C | Ottawa 67’s (OHL)

    After missing out on being selected in the 2025 NHL Draft, Finnish center Jasper Kuhta is putting together a case to be drafted in 2026. The 6-foot-2, 198 pound forward was impressive with Finland, finishing second in team scoring with eight points at his first world junior tournament despite a disappointing finish for his country.

    He returned to Ottawa after his sojourn in Minnesota and hasn’t missed a beat. On a Northern Ontario road trip against the North Bay Battalion, Soo Greyhounds, and Sudbury Wolves, the Helsinki native had five points in three games.

    Kuhta capitalized on the power play against the Wolves with just over three minutes remaining in the second period. After finding some open space in the right-side faceoff circle, he took a pass from Carolina Hurricanes prospect Filip Ekberg and buried a wrist shot. With 1:45 remaining in the second period, Kuhta doubled up. After the newly acquired David Bedkowski fired a shot, Kuhta quickly flipped the rebound in past the keeper on the backhand.

    Jean-Cristoph Lemieux | C | Sudbury Wolves (OHL)

    17-year-old Jean-Cristoph Lemieux’s week started with a big change. The 2025 U17 World Hockey Challenge gold medalist was dealt from the Windsor Spitfires along with a package of eight draft picks to the Sudbury Wolves for Chicago Blackhawks draft pick Alex Pharand and Seattle Kraken prospect Nathan Villeneuve. Lemieux has had a pretty seamless transition after moving from the team at the most Southern point of the province to one of the furthest north, with five points (three goals, two assists) in three games.

    He opened the week with a goal and an assist against the Greyhounds in a 6-2 loss for the Wolves. He picked up another helper for his lone point in a 4-2 loss to the Niagara IceDogs.

    He saved his best for last with a two-goal outing against the high-flying Ottawa 67’s. With the Wolves on the power play in the first period, Lemieux wound up a one-timer to put the Wolves ahead by one. With just over three and a half minutes left in the second period, Lemieux went streaking down the left wing and took a breakaway pass to send him in alone. He made no mistake one-on-one with Ottawa goalie Jaeden Nelson, faking a shot and then flipping a backhand over the keeper.