Nick Piccone
Today officially begins the journey to a gold medal for the juniors. The World Junior Championship tournament is upon us, and one of the most exciting times of the year if you’re a hockey fan. I’ve been following this tournament closely the last few years, and this year is no different. In fact, I may pay more attention to this year’s tournament given the amount of prospects that will be participating and representing the Philadelphia Flyers.
The Flyers will boast nine prospects at the tournament, representing six countries. The next highest NHL team? Five prospects for the Boston Bruins, Calgary Flames, Ottawa Senators, Tampa Bay Lighting and Dallas Stars each. Here’s a list of who to keep an eye on, followed by the schedule.
- Carter Hart (Canada, G)
- Philippe Myers (Canada, D)
- Tanner Laczynski (USA, F)
- German Rubtsov (Russia, F)
- Mikhail Vorobyov (Russia, F)
- David Kaše (Czech Republic, F)
- David Bernhardt (Sweden, D)
- Felix Sandström (Sweden, G)
- Matej Tomek (Slovakia, G)
The top three players I’ll be paying attention to are Hart, Myers and Rubtsov. Hart could very well be the future of Flyers goaltending and has impressed at every level he’s played at. Myers was an undrafted free agent who the Flyers signed before the season began, and I’m sure they’re happy about that decision. Rubtsov struggled in the KHL before being sent down to the MHL (Russia’s minor leagues), and now has 15 points in his last 15 games.
Here’s the schedule for the tournament’s group play.
Group/Phase |
Time |
Venue |
Team |
vs. |
Team |
| Monday, Dec. 26 | |||||
| Prelim – A | 1:00 ET | Centre Bell | Sweden | vs. | Denmark |
| Prelim – B | 3:30 ET | Air Canada Centre | United States | vs. | Latvia |
| Prelim – A | 5:00 ET | Centre Bell | Czech Republic | vs. | Finland |
| Prelim – B | 8:00 ET | Air Canada Centre | Canada | vs. | Russia |
| Tuesday, Dec. 27 | |||||
| Prelim – A | 1:00 ET | Centre Bell | Czech Republic | vs. | Switzerland |
| Prelim – B | 4:00 ET | Air Canada Centre | Latvia | vs. | Russia |
| Prelim – A | 5:30 ET | Centre Bell | Denmark | vs. | Finland |
| Prelim – B | 8:00 ET | Air Canada Centre | Canada | vs. | Slovakia |
| Wednesday, Dec. 28 | |||||
| Prelim – A | 5:00 ET | Centre Bell | Switzerland | vs. | Sweden |
| Prelim – B | 7:30 ET | Air Canada Centre | Slovakia | vs. | United States |
| Thursday, Dec. 29 | |||||
| Prelim – A | 1:00 ET | Centre Bell | Denmark | vs. | Czech Republic |
| Prelim – B | 3:30 ET | Air Canada Centre | Russia | vs. | United States |
| Prelim – A | 5:30 ET | Centre Bell | Finland | vs. | Sweden |
| Prelim – B | 8:00 ET | Air Canada Centre | Latvia | vs. | Canada |
| Friday, Dec. 30 | |||||
| Prelim – A | 5:00 ET | Centre Bell | Switzerland | vs. | Denmark |
| Prelim – B | 7:30 ET | Air Canada Centre | Slovakia | vs. | Latvia |
| Saturday, Dec. 31 | |||||
| Prelim – A | 1:00 ET | Centre Bell | Sweden | vs. | Czech Republic |
| Prelim – B | 3:30 ET | Air Canada Centre | Canada | vs. | United States |
| Prelim – A | 5:30 ET | Centre Bell | Finland | vs. | Switzerland |
| Prelim – B | 8:00 ET | Air Canada Centre | Russia | vs. | Slovakia |
Junior hockey is always fun to watch and the action is fast and furious. This should be a fantastic tournament.