With Christmas over, it’s now time to turn the page and let the real holiday fun begin. Per hockey’s tradition, Dec. 26 brings Opening Day of the World Junior Championship — the sport’s best tournament.
For the next two weeks, future NHL stars showcase their talents for all to see, as the best young players from across the globe compete for WJC gold. Almost every game will be available on NHL Network TV — including every U.S., Canada, and Finland game.
For those unfamiliar, here’s a very quick, high-level overview to get you started. There are 10 countries competing, and they’re separated into two groups (A and B). Each team will play the other four teams in their group to determine the seeding for a single-elimination bracket leading to the medal games. Regulation wins are worth three points during the opening round-robin portion of the WJC. That is one unique difference compared to NHL games. Pretty much, everything else is the same. Well, except the rules of a shootout, but we’ll save that for later.
NOTE: This is the ‘2024’ World Junior Championship because the tournament will end with the gold medal game in early Jan. 2024.
Nearly every major star you could think of in the NHL right now has played in the World Juniors. This is your best chance to see the planet’s top players 20 years old and younger all in one place.
After having one of their prospects score the gold medal winning goal in back-to-back years (Akil Thomas for Canada, followed by Alex Turcotte for USA in 2021), Los Angeles is limited to just a single prospect in this year’s event.
Defenseman Otto Salin (selected by the Kings in 2022) will represent Team Finland and serve as one of their alternate captains.
From one of our articles a few weeks ago:
Originally selected at the 2022 NHL Draft, the 19-year-old right shot defenseman has been to LA for a few Development Camps. He has the skating ability needed and plays a full 200-foot game. He is expected to see time on the power play and penalty kill units with Finland. Salin likes to push the offensive momentum and will look to create a second wave of scoring. In five games at the WJC last year, he recorded three assists. Look for a bigger contribution this time around.
Below is the 2024 World Junior Championship schedule, along with some Kings related players to watch for each country.
Player Notes & 2024 Draft Eligibles
United States
Gabe Perreault is skating for Team USA this year. He was selected by the New York Rangers last year, while his dad Yanic played for the Kings from 1994-1999. Interesting tidbit on his father — Yanic was acquired by the Kings in a trade with the Maple Leafs, then later left LA via a trade with Toronto.
Most players on the top team’s at the WJC have already been drafted by NHL teams. Yet, there are still several Draft eligible players to look out for. Keep an eye on American defenseman Zeev Buium. He’s playing at the University of Denver this season; currently ranked No. 5 in the nation. He’s also riding a 12-game point streak as a freshman.
https://twitter.com/TeamECH/status/1736820263894102365?t=ufheWBueSSDv26zg6mNk-A&s=19
Canada
Oliver Bonk is playing for Canada this year. He’s the son of LA Kings legend Radek Bonk. And by legend we mean, he was part of the Kings for only a few minutes. Back at the 2004 Draft, LA acquired him from Ottawa, only to flip him to Montreal in a three-team deal that saw the Kings end up with goaltender Mathieu Garon.
As for this year’s group wearing the Canadian red jerseys, Kings prospect Koehn Ziemmer would have likely made the squad had he not broken his ankle just before Thanksgiving.
Czechia
They were supposed to feature a Kings prospect on their blueline this year. However, Jakub Dvorak opted out due to personal reasons (side note: look for him to head over to North America soon, joining the WHL for the balance of the season).
Ziemmer’s teammate in Prince George, forward Ondřej Becher will draw attention this year. He was overlooked at last year’s Draft, but is off to a strong start in the WHL and a solid performance in the WJC will only help his stock rise even further.
There are also two Draft eligible defenseman to watch among the Czechia group, Tomas Galvas and Adam Jiricek. The latter won’t lead the WJC in points from the blueline, yet that’s no reason to sleep on this player. His defense-first approach can be stifling for opponents. He moves the puck well and uses his stick to consistently break up plays.
Meanwhile, Galvas plays on the same team as Dvorak back home. Standing 5-foot-10, the left shot defender could land right in the sweet spot of where LA will likely be selecting in June, as well.
Finland
Again, Salin will skate on the team’s top defensive pair and play heavy minutes.
Two other names to watch here: right wing Emil Hemming and defenseman Jesse Pulkkinen.
Hemming is a two-way player with a wicked wrist shot. Pulkkinen went undrafted last summer, but has seen his stock rise quite a bit. He’s 6-foot-6, so he’ll be noticeable when on the ice.
Former Kings winger Jussi Jokinen is part of the Finnish coaching staff. Quick… how did the Kings acquire him?
Did you remember?
LA traded Mike Cammalleri to Edmonton in exchange for Jokinen in Nov. 2017. After being hired as General Manager in April 2017, Rob Blake made three trades for draft picks and/or prospects. The Cammalleri-Jokinen trade was his first deal where LA received an NHL player back in return.
Germany
Marco Sturm won’t like to hear this, but there isn’t much to report outside of left shot defenseman Paul Mayer. Despite being listed at 6-foot-3, he’s not expected to be included among the first 100 selections at next summer’s NHL Draft. Mayer is still worth tracking, though, as a potential late round pick.
Forward Eric Hördler is also on this team. He was an invitee to the Kings Development Camp last summer.
Latvia
Less than 30 Latvian players have ever skated in an NHL game. Raitis Ivanans did so for the Kings from 2006-2010. In current times, defenseman Darels Uljanskis brings size and skating ability. If he gets taken at the Draft, teams will surely talk about his shot.
Another Latvian player worth keying in on is forward Eriks Mateiko. At 6-foot-5, he’s still growing into his body. He’s currently playing in the QMJHL.
Norway
Expect to hear a lot about Michael Brandsegg-Nygard because he’ll likely get taken in the top 25. Said to play like a power forward with few holes in his game, he’s honing his craft in Sweden prior to the upcoming Draft. A relentless forechecker, scouts love to watch him play.
If it’s a defenseman you’re looking for, key in on Stian Solberg.
Slovakia
Maxim Strbak will play on defense after being selected by Buffalo in the second round last summer. His dad Martin played five games for the Kings in 2003-04 (scoring two goals).
Pay attention to forward Peter Repčík. He’s a forward in the QMJHL who wants an NHL team to take notice of his improved play at both ends of the ice. Thus far this season, he’s put up 38 points (18G, 20A) in 29 games.
Another one of Ziemmer’s WHL teammates, defenseman Viliam Kmec, should generate some talk here and leading up to next summer’s NHL Draft. Much like Ziemmer, he isn’t afraid to get his nose dirty and causes havoc in front of the net. His strength should overwhelm more than a few opposing players at this year’s tournament.
Sweden
Isac Born. That’s the name to remember when watching Sweden. He’s another player who went undrafted last summer, but that will change come next June. Born is a forward high on tenacity, just don’t expect him to light up the scoreboard throughout the tournament. Opponents hate playing against him.
Sweden only has five medals in the last 11 World Junior tournaments — no gold, three silver, and two bronze. That’s less than impressive for one of the world’s most talented countries. They had over 100 players in the NHL last season — including four regulars on the Kings. Serving as the WJC host this year, pressure has never been higher for Adrian Kempe’s favorite team.
Switzerland
There’s one more son of a former King worth noting. Goalie Ewan Huet is part of this year’s Swiss squad. He’s been with the WHL’s Regina Pats this season, prior to heading over to Europe for the tournament. His father Cristobal was drafted by the Kings in 2001, then tended net in LA for two seasons (2002-2004) before being dealt to Montreal in the aforementioned Bonk trade.
If the 2024 pre-tournament games are any indication of what’s to come, Daniil Ustinkov could become a breakout star for the Swiss. Even through he’ll likely get limited minutes in the early games, he’s a smooth skater who handles pressure well.
2024 World Juniors Schedule
Tuesday, Dec. 26
Slovakia 6, Czechia 2
Canada 5, Finland 2
United States 4, Norway 1
Sweden 6, Latvia 0
Wednesday, Dec. 27
Slovakia 3, Switzerland 0
Germany 4, Finland 3
Czechia 8, Norway 1
Canada 10, Latvia 0
Thursday, Dec. 28
United States 11, Switzerland 3
Sweden 5, Germany 0
Friday, Dec. 29
Slovakia 8, Norway 4
Finland 4, Latvia 0 (in progress)
Czechia vs. United States, 8 a.m.
Canada vs. Sweden, 10:30 a.m.
Saturday, Dec. 30
Switzerland 6, Norway 2
Latvia 6, Germany 2
Sunday, Dec. 31
United States 10, Slovakia 2
Finland 5, Sweden 4
Czechia 4, Switzerland 2
Canada 6, Germany 3
Jan. 2
Quarterfinals
Finland 4, Slovakia 3
Czechia 3, Canada 2
USA 7, Latvia 2
Sweden 3, Switzerland 2
Jan. 4
Semifinals:
SWE 🇸🇪 vs CZE 🇨🇿
6:00am
USA 🇺🇸 vs FIN 🇫🇮
10:30am
Jan. 5
Bronze Medal game and Gold Medal game
RELATED CONTENT:
World Juniors: Grading the Performance of Nine LA Kings Prospects
Lead Photo via USA Hockey
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