DRAFT PROSPECTS HOCKEY

Tag: World Championships

  • Weekly 2026 NHL Draft Eligible Three Stars

    The final opportunities for NHL Draft prospects to make their case on the ice are here, with the Memorial Cup underway and the IIHF World Championship entering its medal rounds. For many players, these games represent one last chance to leave a lasting impression before NHL teams make their selections in June.

    This week’s three stars feature a Latvian defenseman with a chance to make history for his country, a Finnish winger whose breakout first season in the WHL is translating to success on junior hockey’s biggest stage, and an OHL blueliner whose steady postseason play continues to push him up draft boards.

    Here are the draft-eligible three stars for the week of May 18 to 25.

    Albert Smits | LHD | Latvia (WC)

    Latvian defenseman Albert Smits has taken a unique path through his draft year. The Valmiera native left home at just 13 years old to pursue his hockey dreams, and five years later, he finds himself on the doorstep of an NHL career.

    The 18-year-old began the season with Jukurit in Liiga, appearing in 38 games and recording 13 points (six goals, seven assists). From there, he represented Latvia at the World Junior Championship in Minnesota and the Olympic Games in Italy before joining EHC München in the DEL on loan for the remainder of the season and its playoff run.

    Now wearing Latvia’s colors one final time in his draft season, Smits has continued to make an impression at the IIHF World Championship in Switzerland. The 6-foot-3, 204-pound blueliner recorded three assists in four games this past week.

    Smits picked up an assist against Austria while leading Latvia’s defense in ice time in a 3-1 loss. He was held off the scoresheet in a 7-1 defeat against Finland and again against the United States, though he finished as a plus-2 while leading the team in ice time during Latvia’s 4-2 upset victory.

    The potentially highest-drafted Latvian in NHL history closed out his week with a two-assist performance in a 6-0 win over Great Britain.

    Matias Vanhanen | LW | Everett Silvertips (WHL)

    Matias Vanhanen went undrafted after posting 47 points (17 goals, 30 assists) in 42 games in Finland’s U20 league and producing at a point-per-game pace at the U18 World Championship. His decision to move to the WHL has proven to be a valuable one, positioning him to hear his name called this time around.

    The September 2007-born winger led the WHL champion Everett Silvertips in regular-season scoring with 87 points (21 goals, 67 assists) in 62 games. He followed that with 24 points (12 goals, 12 assists) in 18 playoff contests, finishing second on the team behind Seattle Kraken prospect and fellow Finnish standout Julius Miettinen.

    The Nokia native opened the Memorial Cup in impressive fashion. He recorded a secondary assist on a goal by Detroit Red Wings prospect Carter Bear to extend Everett’s lead to 4-2.

    Vanhanen later sealed the victory with a shorthanded empty-net goal with just 20 seconds remaining, helping the Silvertips secure a 5-3 win and continue his standout postseason.

    Alexander Bilecki | LHD | Kitchener Rangers (OHL)

    Alexander Bilecki may not carry the offensive flair of some of the more prominent defensemen in the 2026 draft class, but his steady play has made him an important piece of a championship-caliber Kitchener Rangers team.

    In his second season with the Rangers, the former Mississauga Rebel recorded 29 points (nine goals, 20 assists) in 66 regular-season games and added another 11 points in 18 playoff appearances.

    The 49th-ranked North American skater on NHL Central Scouting’s final rankings continued that production in Kitchener’s Memorial Cup opener against the host Kelowna Rockets.

    Bilecki picked up a secondary assist on Tampa Bay Lightning prospect Sam O’Reilly’s third-period goal before adding a primary assist on another late tally, helping the Rangers pull away for a convincing 5-0 victory.

  • Weekly 2026 NHL Draft Eligible Three Stars

    By Stuart Miller-Davis

    With playoff runs coming to an end across much of the hockey world, the draft year is officially winding down for many NHL hopefuls. While a select few still have opportunities to impress at the Memorial Cup or the IIHF World Championship, most prospects have already completed the most important campaigns of their young careers.

    This week’s three stars feature two Swedish forwards continuing to prove they can thrive against significantly older competition, along with an overage QMJHL forward whose strong finish helped deliver a championship for his club.

    Here are the draft-eligible three stars for the week of May 11 to 18.

    Ivar Stenberg | RW/LW | Sweden (WC)

    Swedish winger Ivar Stenberg has shown throughout his draft year that no stage is too big. After producing one of the strongest seasons ever by an 18-year-old in the SHL and playing a major role in Sweden’s gold medal run at the World Junior Championship, the Stenungsund native is now making his mark at the IIHF World Championship.

    The 6-foot forward recorded three assists in as many games this past week in Switzerland and has looked right at home on Sweden’s top line alongside Detroit Red Wings standout Lucas Raymond and fellow draft-eligible forward Viggo Björck.

    The second-ranked skater on Draft Prospects Hockey’s 2026 NHL Draft Rankings recorded a pair of assists in Sweden’s dominant win over Denmark. His playmaking ability was on full display, particularly on a setup to Björck, who converted with a one-timer past the Danish goaltender.

    Stenberg also added a secondary assist on a goal by Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson in Sweden’s comeback attempt against Czechia, though the Swedes ultimately fell short.

    Viggo Björck | C | Sweden (WC)

    Viggo Björck continues to strengthen his draft stock with every opportunity against older competition. The Swedish center emerged as Djurgården’s top-line pivot late in the season before dominating the U20 playoffs, where he recorded 20 points (eight goals, 12 assists) in nine games and helped lead his club to a league championship.

    Though slightly undersized at 5-foot-10 and 172 pounds, the Stockholm native has continued to prove that his skill and hockey sense allow him to thrive against more physically mature competition.

    That trust has carried over to the international stage, where Sweden has deployed Björck at center on its top line at the World Championship.

    Both of his tournament points came against Denmark, but his impact has extended well beyond the scoresheet. Among Swedish forwards, only established NHL players Lucas Raymond, Joel Eriksson Ek, and Adrian Kempe have averaged more ice time than the younger brother of Vancouver Canucks prospect Wilson Björck.

    Liam Lefebvre | C | Chicoutimi Saguenéens (QMJHL)

    Overage forward Liam Lefebvre has made a seamless transition from United States prep school hockey to Canadian major junior, emerging as an important contributor during a championship run.

    The Montreal native recorded 29 points (15 goals, 14 assists) in 35 games with the Rimouski Océanic before being acquired by the Chicoutimi Saguenéens ahead of the trade deadline.

    The 6-foot-3, 203-pound center elevated his production after the move to one of the QMJHL’s top clubs, recording 30 points (17 goals, 13 assists) in 25 games. Despite averaging just 14:32 of ice time per game, the Trinity-Pawling alumnus finished third on the team in points per game among skaters who appeared in at least 45 contests.

    Lefebvre added four points in four games this past week, helping the Saguenéens secure their first league championship since 1994. His ability to provide secondary scoring and consistent two-way play proved to be an important part of Chicoutimi’s title-winning run.