Monday is the first day of the 2023 IIHF World Junior Championship, which is being held at Scotiabank Center in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and Avenir Center in Moncton, New Brunswick.
On Tap for Day 1
All games on NHL Network in US, TSN and RDS in Canada
Finland vs. Switzerland (11 a.m. ET) — Joakim Kemmell (Nashville Predators), who helped Finland reach the gold medal game at the 2022 WJC in August with 12 points (four goals, eight assists) in seven games, is one of seven returning players. Also back is forward Brad Lambert (Winnipeg Jets), who scored one goal in five games and was scratched for the final two but has game-breaking skills and has done well playing with Manitoba in the American Hockey League this season. Jani Lampinen (2023 draft eligible), who was the third goalie in August, also returns but it could be Niklas Kokko (Seattle Kraken) who starts the tournament as Finland’s No. 1 goalie. Attilio Biasca (2023 draft eligible) led Switzerland with six points (four goals, two assists) in August and is back alongside an experienced defense, with six returnees, including Brian Zanetti (Philadelphia Flyers), who has two seasons of experience playing in North America, with Peterborough of the Ontario Hockey League.
Sweden vs. Austria (1:30 p.m. ET) — The goal is to score goals for Sweden, something the bronze-medal winning team struggled to do at the 2022 WJC. Despite enviable offensive ability, Sweden scored 20 goals in seven games (2.86 per game), and five in three games in the medal round. Sweden has six first-round NHL draft picks among its forwards, incl Isak Rosen (Buffalo Sabres), who tied for the team lead with four goals in August. But they’ll need big contributions from Philip Bystedt (San Jose Sharks), Jonathan Lekkerimaki (Vancouver Canucks), Fabian Lysell (Boston Bruins), Liam Ohgren (Minnesota Wild) and Noah Ostlund (Buffalo Sabres). Leo Carlsson, a projected top-five pick in the 2023 Upper Deck NHL Draft, will likely play a top-six role for Sweden as well. Jonas Dobnig (2023 draft eligible) and Ian Scherzer (2023 draft eligible) return after scoring two of Austria’s four goals in August. Defenseman David Reinbacher, who had two assists in August, is a B-rated prospect in NHL Central Scouting’s preliminary players to watch list presented by BioSteel.
Latvia vs. United States (4 p.m. ET) — Latvia has 15 players back from its surprising trip to the quarterfinals in August, including forward Sandis Vilmanis (Florida Panthers), who has 24 points (11 goals, 13 assists) in 29 games with Sarnia of the OHL. The United States will be looking to improve from its disappointing 4-2 loss to Czechia in the quarterfinals. The defense, led by Luke Hughes (New Jersey Devils), is skilled and mobile, and the top line of Cutter Gauthier (Philadelphia Flyers), Logan Cooley (Arizona Coyotes) and Jimmy Snuggerud (St. Louis Blues) could be one of the most dynamic in the tournament. Also keep an eye on forward Charlie Stramel, a top 2023 draft prospect who will likely start in a bottom-six role but could work his way up the lineup.
Czechia vs. Canada (6:30 p.m. ET) — Czechia came up just short of winning its first WJC medal in August when it lost 3-1 to Sweden in the bronze medal game. Jiri Kulich (Buffalo Sabres) is the top returning scorer after he had seven points (two goals, five assists) in seven games. Czechia’s strength could be its defense, led by David Jiricek (Columbus Blue Jackets), Stanislav Svozil (Columbus Blue Jackets) and David Spacek (Minnesota Wild), all of whom played in the 2022 WJC. They’ll face a fierce challenge from Canada, the defending champion. Forward Connor Bedard, the projected top pick of the 2023 draft, is back after he had eight points (four goals, four assists) in seven games in August and has looked strong in pre-tournament games with five points (two goals, three assists ) in wins against Switzerland and Finland. A top line of Bedard, Shane Wright (Seattle Kraken) and Brennan Othmann (New York Rangers) could be dominant, and the second line of Adam Fantilli (2023 draft eligible), Logan Stankoven (Dallas Stars) and Dylan Guenther (Arizona Coyotes) could be just as productive. Benjamin Gaudreau (San Jose Sharks) is expected to start in goal.
Quick links
World Junior Championship predictions
Group A preview
Group B preview
World Juniors Championship rosters
World Juniors predictions
Tournament schedule
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