Who to watch in the Maritimes - IIHF

Group A (Halifax)

Austria

Vinzenz Rohrer - 18 - C/RW - (OHL)
For Rohrer, this tournament would be a whole lot easier if old colleague (and Detroit Red Wings 2021 first rounder) Marco Kasper were along for the ride, but now the burden of leading the tournament’s biggest underdog to a quarter-final spot lays firmly on the shoulders of this Montreal Canadians draft pick, an Ottawa 67’s player who knows how to win battles in the corners and get the puck to the net.

David Reinbacher - 18 - D - Kloten (SUI, NL)
Reinbacher has been spending this fall making himself a very hot topic for next season’s NHL draft. And it’s clear as to why when a smooth-skating, 190 cm, righty shot defender is putting up 0.50 points per game in Switzerland’s top professional league. When the game is on the line for Austria, he’ll be on the ice. Recently made his debut for the men’s national team, so there’s that.

Canada

Connor Bedard - 17 - C/RW - Regina Pats (WHL)
Seemingly from another solar system, Bedard is the most highly touted talent outside of the NHL since Connor McDavid. In fact, if it were permitted by the rules, he’d likely be playing NHL hockey right now. Instead, he’ll be flashing his wares - under the heaviest of microscopes - right at home in the biggest junior tournament on the planet. Easy for one of the most exciting talents you’ll ever want to see.

Brandt Clarke - 19 - D - Los Angeles Kings (NHL)
Fleet-footed and one of the passers on this team, if not the tournament, Clarke has spent this season skating for the Los Angeles Kings (9 games) and their AHL affiliate (5 games), making him one of the biggest profiles you’ll see in Halifax. A huge component for Coach Williams plans on an already star-studded blueline.

Dylan Guenther - 19 - RW/LW - Arizona Coyotes (NHL)
If you think you just saw this young man recently at an NHL rink, you’re probably right. With 21 games (11 points) under his belt in the NHL this season, Guenther’s participation in this tournament will surprise more than a few, but he’s ready to occupy the Ovechkin spot on the top power play unit and score goals until he’s got a chunk of gold around his neck.

Shane Wright - 18 - C - Coachella Valley Firebirds (AHL)
Captain Canada has seen 8 games of NHL action and another five (5 goals) in the AHL this season. After missing the summer U20 session, he’s now here to add some new hardware to his trophy cabinet after being a dominant force (14 points in 5 games) in earning gold at the 2021 U18 Worlds. You’re going to hear his name a lot, one way or another.

Olen Zellweger - 19 - D - Everett Silvertips (WHL)
Zellweger is the reigning WHL defender of the year and is tearing apart that league from the blueline again this season. About the smallest player on Canada’s blueline, Zellweger’s 11 points were instrumental in gaining gold this past summer and you shouldn’t be surprised in the least if he ends up being this tournament’s best defender, if not overall MVP.

Czechia

David Jiricek - 19 - D - Cleveland Monsters (AHL)
Selected 6th overall in last summer’s NHL draft, Jiricek has already made the move from pro hockey in Czechia to his first two NHL games and now 19 AHL contests, in which he has a whopping 20 points. Blowing away expectations at this early juncture, Czechia needs him to blow away the competition here if they’re to repeat their semifinal appearance this past summer.

Jiri Kulich - 18 - C/W - Rochester Americans (AHL)
One of the Buffalo Sabres’ three first-round picks this past summer, Kulich has joined Jiricek in jumping from Czechia’s top league to the AHL, where he has 16 points in 24 games this season. He’s got a bomb of a shot, put the constant use on the power play and was the top goal scorer (9) at the U18 Worlds last spring. Oh, and he’s coming off of 8 points in 7 games at the summer World Juniors.

Stanislav Svozil - 19 - D - Regina Pats (WHL)
Like Jiricek, a draft pick of the Columbus Blue Jackets, Svozil is now a bonafide veteran of this tournament as this is his third appearance. A true all-purpose weapon for his coach, Svozil is currently a teammate of Canada’s Connor Bedard and seems to be enjoying that status as he has 32 assists and 37 total points in just 28 games this season. 

Germany

Roman Kechter - 18 - C - Nuremberg Ice Tigers (GER, DEL)
After spending a few seasons as a junior with the Rogle program in Sweden, Kechter is back in Germany and making his way in a lower line role as one of the youngest players in the DEL. He meant a lot to the U18 squad last spring and is pumped to “arrive” on the international stage at this event. Coach Abstreiter will be giving him every opportunity to do so.

Bennet Rossmy - 19 - C/LW - Eisbären Berlin (GER, DEL)
Weighing in at a hulking 192 cm and 95 kg, Rossmy will be the team’s captain and is the returning top scorer (5 points in as many games) from the summer World Juniors. He’s currently taking a regular shift for reigning DEL champion Berlin and will be the team’s go-to offensive weapon in Halifax.

Simon Wolf - 18 - G - Red Bull Juniors (AUT, AlpsHL)
Don’t let his numbers at recent U18 Worlds fool you. The well-schooled 190 cm, 90 kg netminder has a good shot at being the man in net, and thus a key to any success Germany should enjoy in the days to come. He’s killing it for the Red Bull Juniors of the AlpsHL this season (a 9-1 record) and defeated Slovakia 5-0 in a pre-tournament test game.

Sweden

Leo Carlsson - 17 - LW - Orebro (SWE, SHL)
A supreme combo of talent and size, Carlsson is considered a likely top 5 pick in next summer’s NHL draft. He currently has 14 points in 25 SHL games for Orebro and has both the figure and skating ability to bulldoze his way through or around opponents at this tournament. A top six role is in the cards despite his age.

Fabian Lysell - 19 - RW - (AHL)
One of the contestants in this tournament who seems to be on the fast track to the NHL, Lysell left SHL Lulea last season to gain North American experience in the WHL. After an impressive playoffs, he had a starring role at the summer World Juniors (6 points in 7 games) and is now putting up just about a point per game in the AHL (19 points in 20 games). If anyone is shooting Sweden to gold, it’ll be Lysell.

Isak Rosen - 19 - LW - Rochester Americans (AHL)
He played a minor role for Leksand in the SHL last season but jumped out of the gates in an impressive manner this season in the AHL with 15 points in his first 25 games. The Buffalo Sabres first round draft pick is one of several contestants in the tournament to currently be playing AHL hockey and will be looked at as an offense-creating first liner who really knows how to make use of passing lines.

Axel Sandin Pellikka - 17 - D - Skelleftea (SWE, SHL)
His NHL draft stock has been rising quickly all fall long and you don’t have to spend too much time watching him strut his stuff on SHL ice to figure out why. Extremely smooth as both a skater and a stickhandler, Sandin Pellikka is looking like a premiere talent moving forward and in light of the overall blandness of Sweden’s current blueline, could wiggle his way into a starring role the next 10 days.

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2022-12-26 13:07:31Z
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