U18: Countdown to the U18 World Championships

[Bra Wavers]

Just over 5 weeks left until the U18 worlds in Switzerland.
Who do you expect to be in the running for medals?
Canada's team is always a crapshoot at this tournament since they are made up mostly of non-playoff players.
Who do you expect to see on the Team Canada roster?

Click to read more...

 

[Czechboy]

This is a us stomping ground... I don't expect it to change.

 

[Sanz4]

Sweden has done it well this season in friendly games, with 5 wins and 2 losses, all losses were agaisnt USA, but the games was level so im not worried, we just need to score and get better defensively.

I think USA is the favorites to win, Canada second and Sweden third

 

[Antiillafire]

Slovakia played very well in 3 of 4 Hlinka games with this 2005 age group. The game against Sweden was very close and was lost primarily due to Slovak inability to finish. Also missing our best forward and best dman, and top 6 forward didn’t help. I think this team is a threat that top teams shouldn’t take light but not a medal favourite by any means

 

[NTDP]

This is a us stomping ground... I don't expect it to change.

In the past I'd say yes, and while we're most likely the favorites every year we haven't had as much success at winning gold lately. Which even as an American I find exciting.

However you'd think with how we lost to Sweden in the GMG last year and getting stonewalled by a great goalie performance this 05 group is looking to avenge that so to speak.

 

[theslatcher]

This is a us stomping ground... I don't expect it to change.

USA's last gold was in 2017. Since then:

Sweden x2
Canada x1
Finland x1

 

[Czechboy]

In the past I'd say yes, and while we're most likely the favorites every year we haven't had as much success at winning gold lately. Which even as an American I find exciting.

However you'd think with how we lost to Sweden in the GMG last year and getting stonewalled by a great goalie performance this 05 group is looking to avenge that so to speak.

Is eiserman eligible? I feel like he scores at michkov and Bedard levels!

 

[Czechboy]

USA's last gold was in 2017. Since then:

Sweden x2
Canada x1
Finland x1

Thank you

 

[Eye of Ra]

Sweden 2 gold and 1 bronze in the 3 last U18 WJC...dosent feel real, but it is.

 

[Goodman68]

Is eiserman eligible? I feel like he scores at michkov and Bedard levels!

Hard to say, he's eligible for the 2024 draft

 

[Sanz4]

Sweden 2 gold and 1 bronze in the 3 last U18 WJC...dosent feel real, but it is.

i feel the gold medal 2022 was a bit undeserved and lucky.. the only team we won ”easy” against was germany. And tbh it was only the first period we dominated, then they started to grow into the game.

Hugo Hävelid did all the job in the semifinal and final

 

[NTDP]

Is eiserman eligible? I feel like he scores at michkov and Bedard levels!

He certainly could be there, he’s played a few games w the U-18s this year. I saw him live score two goals vs an NCAA team in October when he was barely 16. I think he could really help them in this tournament

 

[Postulates]

Is eiserman eligible? I feel like he scores at michkov and Bedard levels!

Short answer: Yes

He got promoted a couple weeks ago to the U18s full time alongside James Hagens

 

[ORRFForever]

USA's last gold was in 2017. Since then:

Sweden x2
Canada x1
Finland x1

Other countries seem to be taking the tournament more seriously and doing well. Nice to see.

Of course, Canada is always handicapped.

 

[Gold Standard]

Other countries seem to be taking the tournament more seriously and doing well. Nice to see.

Of course, Canada is always handicapped.

easy solution. CHL can start the season a week or two earlier and cut about 10-12 games off the schedule. no need to be playing 68+ regular season games at the junior level. That would probably free up 95% of eligible Team Canada NT players. Somehow I doubt our competition would appreciate the change.

 

[NTDP]

easy solution. CHL can start the season a week or two earlier and cut about 10-12 games off the schedule. no need to be playing 68+ regular season games at the junior level. That would probably free up 95% of eligible Team Canada NT players. Somehow I doubt our competition would appreciate the change.

I for one would love it, always appreciate seeing a best on best.

 

[NTDP]

Other countries seem to be taking the tournament more seriously and doing well. Nice to see.

Of course, Canada is always handicapped.

As a die hard fan of the US in any tournament I agree, there's always legit names that can't play for Team Canada at the April U-18's. However, it's still fun to watch and evaluate who's there.

 

[GermanSpitfire]

I’d expect the German U18 team to get stomped this year unfortunately.

There is a few players to watch but the group as a whole have been dissapointing internationally as of late. We even lost a game against Japan recently .

 

[Goldenhands]

Projected line-up for Sweden?

 

[Kabetogama]

Projected line-up for Sweden?

Stenberg-Forsfjäll-Nordh
Dower Nilsson-Edstrom-Wahlberg
Unger Sörum-Nilsson-Carlsson/Sagranden/Pettersson
Zether-Johansson-Carlsson/Sagranden/Pettersson

Lindstein-Sandin Pellika
Willander-Bergström
Landén-Wikman

Wahlberg might be playing with Unger Sörum and Nilsson. Don’t believe he clicked with Dower Nilsson and Edstrom.

 

[Maverick41]

I’d expect the German U18 team to get stomped this year unfortunately.

There is a few players to watch but the group as a whole have been dissapointing internationally as of late. We even lost a game against Japan recently .

To be fair, that appears to be a pretty good team Japan has there. They only lost 0-3 to Switzerland and 2-4 to Slovakia in the same tournament keeping both of those games fairly close.
And for some reason Germany was able to beat Slovakia 4-3 in a shootout to end that tournament.

But yes, this group will almost certainly lose every game, unless there are some crazy goalie heroics. Although I am not expecting all games to be blowouts, as long as everybody is healthy.
We have some forwards that are not so bad on the defensive end, and while there are no high end players anywhere on the roster, the defense looks solid in terms of depth at a decent level. Mayer, Tropmann, Panocha and Niehus should be a decent top4, add to that Bosecker and maybe one of the 06s like Merkl or Schams or whoever from the 05s and it is looking like one of the better groups we've had in recent years.

But overall I still have low expectations, because almost none of the players have developed as well as I had hoped before the season started.

 

[illone84]

any updates for team Finland? What are they going to look like?

 

[NTDP]

Stenberg-Forsfjäll-Nordh
Dower Nilsson-Edstrom-Wahlberg
Unger Sörum-Nilsson-Carlsson/Sagranden/Pettersson
Zether-Johansson-Carlsson/Sagranden/Pettersson

Lindstein-Sandin Pellika
Willander-Bergström
Landén-Wikman

Wahlberg might be playing with Unger Sörum and Nilsson. Don’t believe he clicked with Dower Nilsson and Edstrom.

I'm looking forward to seeing this team. Saw lots of those guys live at the U-18 5-nations in Plymouth back in November. A hot take I had then was that Tom Willander was the best D for their team throughout the tournament. In the final game vs USA I thought he was just a tad better than Sandin Pellika. Although after the WJC I'd have S-P ahead in my rankings, but Willander is a kid that I think will be a good prospect for a team one day.

 

[Sanz4]

I'm looking forward to seeing this team. Saw lots of those guys live at the U-18 5-nations in Plymouth back in November. A hot take I had then was that Tom Willander was the best D for their team throughout the tournament. In the final game vs USA I thought he was just a tad better than Sandin Pellika. Although after the WJC I'd have S-P ahead in my rankings, but Willander is a kid that I think will be a good prospect for a team one day.

Yeah i think ASP 1st, Willander 2rd and Lindstein third place.. I hope Lindstein and ASP will form a pair, they were great together in Finland in february.

Although i like our team, one thing i think Sweden miss is a first rounder forward, Stenberg is the only one that have a chance to go in the first round. 1-2 more and it would been great.

 

[Erikfromfin]

any updates for team Finland? What are they going to look like?

Based on last tournament maybe something like this

Emil Järventie - Topias Hynninen - Kasper Halttunen
Jesse Nurmi - Rasmus Kumpulainen - Jesse Kiiskinen
Emil Kuusla - Konsta Helenius - Tuomas Uronen
Julius Miettinen - Tom Leppä - Roope Vesterinen
Arttu Alasiurua
Santeri Elo

Aron Kiviharju - Niilopekka Muhonen
Veeti Väisänen - Emil Pieniniemi
Kalle Kangas - Jimi Junkkari
Janne Peltonen
Mitja Jokinen

Eemil Vinni
Noa Vali
Visa Vedenpää