Team Canada defeated Team Finland 3-2 in overtime Saturday to win the rescheduled World Junior Hockey Championship.
The atmosphere inside Rogers Place in Edmonton finally reached a level organizers had wished for as more than 13,000 (mostly Canadian) fans witnessed an exciting gold-medal game that ended the event on a high note.
Here are some observations from the tournament:
Game-saving stop
Mason McTavish was a force the entire tournament. The captain for Team Canada led the event in scoring (8G-9A-7GP), was used in all situations, brought a combination of power and finesses to the dance, showed off a back door one-timer on the power play and … showed off his hand/eye coordination when he knocked down a chipped puck by Finland that was destined for the open net in overtime. The ”save” is arguably one of the most remarkable highlights in the history of this event. McTavish is destined for full-time duty in Anaheim this fall. He’s NHL ready.
Sustaining Momentum
The Buffalo Sabres have to be pleased with the play of their first-round pick, Jiri Kulich. Kulich was the MVP at the U18 World Championship in Germany in the spring and carried his momentum into this event. He contributed two goals and six assists in Edmonton, with his three-point effort in eliminating Team USA standing out. Kulich is showing he is more than just a shooter. He pursued the play with more tenacity and worked much more consistently in all three zones. He’s definitely trending up for the Sabres.
Future No. 1 for the Wild
The Minnesota Wild have an outstanding goalie prospect in their pipeline. Their first-round pick in 2021 (20th overall) Jesper Wallstedt, from Sweden, has the potential to be an elite No. 1 NHL goalie. He was the MVG in the tournament. He posted a goals-against average of 1.62 and save percentage of .940. Wallstedt is 6-foot-3, 214 pounds. He takes up a ton of net but he’s also plenty athletic. He tracks laterally very well and rarely gets outside his posts. Team Sweden lacked offensive punch at this event. Otherwise they might have had a chance to play for gold. Their bronze medal was won on the back of Wallstedt.
Ridly Greig, Canada (Ottawa Senators, 28th overall, 2020)
WJC Stats: 5GP – 3G-3A-6PTS
There is always risk in loaning top prospects to events like the World Juniors. In the case of Ridly Greig, the Ottawa Senators must be excited about his tournament. He played with his usual grease and determination AND contributed offence. However, Greig suffered what appears to be a should injury and missed the back end of the tournament. Let’s hope it’s nothing serious. He looks like a prospect who is on the verge of opening eyes at NHL camp.
Logan Stankoven, Canada (Dallas Stars, 47th overall, 2021)
WJC Stats: 7GP – 4G-6A-10PTS
I couldn’t help but notice Stankoven every time he hit the ice. He’s an electric, highly skilled, uber competitive forward who is very difficult to defend. Logan has the ability and ice awareness to exploit seams and get pucks to the net quickly in traffic. I’m not the least bit concerned about his size (5-foo-8, 170 pounds). In my opinion, he has the potential to bring a bit of Johnny Gaudreau and Brayden Point to the Dallas Stars organization.
Olen Zellweger, Canada (Anaheim Ducks, 34th overall, 2021)
WJC Stats: 7GP – 2G-9A-11PTS
Time will tell, but Zellweger looks like a player who should have been selected higher than he was in 2021. I had undervalued him in the past. His element is clearly his mobility and vision in the offensive zone. Zellweger sees the ice. He makes plays. I was more concerned about his play off the puck and in the defensive zone. He’s not big (5-foot-9, 175 pounds) but he’s quick to take away space and out-think opponents in the defensive zone. He’s a transitional defender that has the potential to run an NHL power play in the future as more of a distributor than a shooter.