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IIHF World Junior Hockey tourney underway today

Last year Buffalo was lucky enough to host their second IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship. For anyone who does not know, this is the top tournament in the world for hockey players under 20 years of age. This year the tournament returns to Canada this year and will be played from today through Jan. 5.

The top nations usually battling for hardware at the tournament include the USA, Canada, Russia, Sweden, Finland and the Czech Republic. On occasion, other nations will surprise everyone and have a memorable performance. This year, the four to round out the table are Denmark, Kazakhstan, Slovakia and Switzerland.

The talent on the top nations mostly include players who have been drafted by NHL teams and perhaps one or two elite players that are draft eligible. In recent years names such as Rasmus Dahlin, Connor McDavid, Jack Eichel, and Auston Matthews have showcased their skills before being drafted, but typically the tournament is a great showcase for players recently drafted, giving fans a great opportunity to see the future leaders of the NHL.

This year the Buffalo Sabres will have four prospects representing their home nations. Matej Pekar a forward from the Czech Republic, Mattias Samuelson a defenseman from the United States, Ukko-Pekka Lukkonen a goalie and Oskari Laaksonen a defenseman both from Finland.

Last year the Sabres top prospect, and current second line center, Casey Mittelstadt earned tournament MVP honors. Mittelstadt led the United States to a Bronze medal in Buffalo, displaying much of his talent Sabres fans will get to see for many years to come.

Matej Pekar will be joining an improved Czech roster from last year and will certainly add to their already potent offense. Pekar is a member of the Barrie Colts in the Ontario Hockey League and has gotten off to a quick start registering 33 points in 30 games. Ukko-Pekka Lukkonen will be a vital piece to Finland’s success, if they intend to make a deep run in the tournament they will need him to perform well, he is currently Buffalo’s top goalie prospect.

Perhaps one of the deepest prospect pools in the NHL belongs to the New York Rangers. The Rangers will be sending five prospects to the tournament and each player will play a vital role with their team. The lead representative is Filip Chytil of the Czech Republic who is a current Ranger with plenty of NHL experience. Chytil has scored ten points for the Rangers this season.

Vitaly Kravstov, the ninth pick in last year’s draft, has lined up as the Russian’s top line center in the pre-tournament games. Kravstov plays for the Traktor Chelyabinsk in the KHL, which is widely considered the second best league in the world. Kravstov has recorded 17 points in 33 games this year. K’Andre Miller will be representing the U.S. on defense, Nils Lundqvist on defense for Sweden, and defenseman Nico Gross will play for Switzerland, rounding out the Rangers prospects.

The Penguins, a team with recent success will have very little representation at the tournament.

This year their only prospect will be Filip Hallander of Sweden. Hallander is a center for Timra Ik in the Swedish Hockey League, Hallander has recorded 12 points in 23 games this season.

Not every team in the NHL has prospects who will play in the tournament, but every team does have the opportunity to draft eligible players displaying their skills this year. Considering the Buffalo Sabres have a possibility of three first round picks this upcoming draft, it is feasible that we could draft almost anyone.

The top prospect on display will be one of the youngest players at the tournament and his name is Jack Hughes. Hughes is an American who is the current consensus number one pick for the NHL draft this June. Hughes currently has 48 points in just 25 games with the U.S. U-18 team. Although small in stature, Hughes is lightning quick and thinks the game at a very high level to go along with his excellent puck skills. If the American team hopes to have a successful tournament it will go through him and if they do he could see himself earning MVP honors.

The Canadians should be the tournament favorites, boasting 10 former first round picks and a stud goalie in Michael DiPietro (Vancouver Canucks). DiPietro is currently the backstop for the Ottawa 67’s, and is most known for leading the Windsor Spitfires to a Memorial Cup championship two years ago. After being cut last year, shortly before the tournament, DiPietro will have a lot to prove this year.

The United States brings in a weaker roster than in years past, but will look to extend their streak of medaling in consecutive tournaments to four. The Americans previous success has been headlined by several blue chip prospects including Auston Matthews, Charlie McAvoy, Brady and Matthew Tkachuk, and most recently Buffalo’s Casey Mittelstadt. A few familiar faces will return to the roster in Quinn Hughes (Vancouver Canucks), Michael Anderson (Los Angeles Kings), and Josh Norris (Ottawa Senators). Quinn Hughes, the older brother of phenom and future top pick Jack Hughes, is a dynamic offensive defenseman playing at Michigan in the NCAA.

Unfortunately, it’s hard to believe the USA will have the depth scoring to keep up with the loaded Canadian roster, or they might even get upset by a team like the Czech Republic in the playoff rounds.

The way it looks from the outside, the host Canadians look like they will claim back to back gold medals while the USA will find themselves fighting for bronze. If you’re interested in watching the future stars of the NHL or your favorite teams prospects, tune in tonight on the NHL Network where they will air most of the games. The United States puck drop is at 6:30 p.m. against Slovakia.

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