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GOTHENBURG, Sweden — The 2024 IIHF World Junior Championship concluded today with Team USA defeating Sweden 6-2 for an eye-popping gold medal. Jonathan Lekkerimäki was named his MVP of the tournament by the media. Over the past 10 days, here are the key players that have impressed me and those that I thought underperformed compared to expectations.
outstanding work
Gavin Brindley, RW, Columbus (USA)
Brindley was arguably the United States’ most consistent player throughout the tournament. Although he is a small forward, he plays like he is 6 feet 2 inches tall and has great speed in the game. Brindley was buzzing on the ice with even intensity. He won many races against the pack, often outscoring muscular players or defeating much larger players head on. In addition to that, he created considerable offensive power for the American team and was promoted to the first power play unit by the end of the tournament. If you’re a Blue Jackets fan and have watched Brindley, you can see why they drafted him high in the second round, despite his size.
even deeper
Team USA wins 6th gold medal at World Juniors
Macklin Celebrini, C, 2024 Draft Eligible (Canada)
Chebrini has become Canada’s clear top forward in this tournament. The 17-year-old showed great pace with great skill and creativity with the puck, making him a constant offensive threat when he was on the ice. He was dangerous on the power play and even-strength, but was held scoreless in Canada’s two most important games against the Czech Republic and Sweden. He looked like a player with hidden star potential as a professional.
Cutter Gauthier, C., Philadelphia (USA)
Gauthier was the top forward on the tournament’s top offensive line. Not many defenders could handle his combination of size, speed, and skill. Known as a goal scorer, Gauthier’s playmaking was even more noticeable in this tournament, as he struggled to get his signature shots into the back of the net until the crucial moments late in the semifinals. I wouldn’t say it was a dominant tournament for Gauthier, but he tipped the ice in his appearances and showed why he is a top NHL prospect.
Canada’s top defense pair
Canada had to rely heavily on their top duo of Denton Matejczuk (CBJ) and Maverick Lamoureux (ARI), and they delivered. Matejczuk was an excellent skater and was often called upon to carry the puck up the ice and play in transition. Lamoureux is a big guy who skates well for his size and is very physical. His puck play was inconsistent, but his first pass was enough to make a positive contribution on the ice. They both made a lot of defensive stops and kept the play moving in the right direction.
Jonathan Reckelimäki, RW, Vancouver (Sweden)
This tournament was the best and most consistent hockey I’ve seen in Lekkerimäki. We all know he is a very skilled player and has a great shot. Those elements were often on display, a lot happened around the puck, and they were deadly for Sweden on the power play. What I liked more about Lekkerimaki was his effort. He often played without the puck, winning one-on-one battles and creating chances for himself. I sometimes thought he was a low-effort perimeter shooter, but I was very intrigued by the way he played when the pressure was at its highest for Sweden.
Noah Ostlund, C, Buffalo (Sweden)
Østlund is Sweden’s top center and was clearly the best-playing driver of the tournament. He’s a good skater who can push the pace and make a lot of tough plays with the puck at full speed. Although Ostlund isn’t very physical, his effort level was high and he was often involved in plays and finding ways to maintain puck possession. Østlund did a lot of important work in giving the puck to his teammate Lekkerimäki, while at the same time he also created a lot of scoring chances and goals himself.
sweden blue line
As of this writing, it is unknown who the IIHF will name as the tournament’s top defenseman. I think it’s someone in Sweden. Their defensive unit was the best part of the team, but I personally never saw one name better than the other. Elias Pettersson (VAN), Matthias Havelid (SJS), Theo Lindstein (STL), Tom Wilander (VAN), Elias Salomonsson (WPG) and Axel Sandin Pellikka (DET) all played well. I showed you. All six of these players skated well, moved the puck efficiently and competed hard. Sandin Pelica provided important power play attack. It is said that Lindstein participated in the tournament as a substitute for an injured player and became the top player on the Swedish national team. Petsson, Salomonsson, and Wilander were very solid defenders who made it tough on opponents, and Wilander’s skating was often outstanding.
boston college line
In fact, I thought America’s third line centered around Will Smith (SJS) between Gabe Perreault (NYR) and Ryan Leonard (WSH) was pretty average in the round robin. They weren’t America’s best players throughout the tournament. But in the important moments, especially in the semi-finals against Finland and the gold medal match against Sweden, they were at their best. After a shaky start, Smith found his game and showed off his dynamic playmaking by the end of the tournament. Leonard was a constant threat on the forecheck and in transition, and he volunteered to score a crucial late goal in the gold medal game. Perreault’s pace will be criticized by NHL scouts, but he accomplished a lot with the puck and often came up with key plays in the medal rounds.
Lane Hutson (MTL)/Ryan Chesley (WSH) combination
I reluctantly included this in the outstanding section. Because there was a time in this tournament when I thought this American combination was OK. Hutson is a dynamic offensive player who has dominated Hockey East, but he finished with six points in seven games. He wasn’t the flashy playmaker I expected him to be here. But when America had to rely on someone to make a big play on the thin blue line, they relied on those two to make reliable plays. They played almost half of the gold medal game, moving the puck well and making defensive stops. Hutson showed high-end skill and elusiveness, even if the plays he was trying to make didn’t connect much. Even if it wasn’t his best hockey, he earned a well-deserved reputation as one of the top two defensemen in the tournament.
disappointment
Canada’s top 6 forwards
Along with Celebrini, the rest of Canada’s top six forwards were Jordan Dumais (CBJ), Connor Geekie (ARI), Fraser Minten (TOR), Matthew Poitras (BOS), and Matt Savoy (BUF). This group ultimately let the team down when they needed it the most. In tough matches against Finland, Sweden and the Czech Republic, he scored a total of four points, two of which came in an empty net. No one in this group played great, but I didn’t really care for Geeky’s tournament. Therefore, we will focus on pure scorers/aggressors like Dumais, Savoie, and Poitra. They’re small, highly skilled playmakers whose job is to score, and they didn’t. Dumais and Poitra in particular incurred the ire of the scouts in attendance as they lacked pace in their games and were unable to consistently display their best skills. Savoie stood out a bit, but looked like a small winger with good basic speed and skill. Minten was given a big role by Canada, but he couldn’t fulfill it. He’s a smart and competitive player, but lacks the dynamic qualities that would be appropriate for the big offensive position he was placed in.
Filip Bystedt, C, San Jose (Sweden)
Bystedt was Sweden’s top player at the last tournament, so I thought he would be in good hands for this year’s tournament. He remained an important player for Sweden, a large, mobile center with the skills to play in a PP2 wing. However, I didn’t see a lot of playmaking in his games and I don’t think his overall effort level meets the level of midfield teammates like Noah Östlund or David Edstrom. Ta.
Dalibor Dvorsky, C, St. Louis (Slovakia)
Dvorsky’s tournament has had its ups and downs. In fact, he performed well in the quarterfinals against Finland, but given his skill level and being a player who scores close to 2 points per game in the OHL, he finished 4th in points against Slovakia. It was a shame it ended. Dvorski showed great skill and offensive flair, but his effort in the round robin was back and forth, and he lacked the pace of the game, which I didn’t think was an ideal matchup. That’s the story of his season and why he struggled playing against the guys in the first half in Sweden before coming to the OHL. Although he is very talented, Dvorsky needs to find a way to be a little more consistent.
What’s a World Juniors article without roster predictions? To stir the pot a little, I’m going to concede too soon Canadian and American team predictions for the 2025 tournament:
2025 Canadian National Team Predictions
Carson Rehkopf – Berkley Catton – Porter Merton
Easton Cowan – Caden Lindstrom – Matthew Wood
Colby Barlow – Brayden Yeager – Roger McQueen
Denver Berkey – Callan Lind – Tanner Howe
callum richie
Sam Dickinson – Carter Jakemchak
Tanner Molendyk – Oliver Bonk
Kayden Price – Charlie Eric
Zayn Parekh
Scott Ratzlaff
Carson Bjarnason
Project Team USA 2025
Gabe Perrault – Will Smith – Ryan Leonard
Cole Yzerman – James Hagens – Quentin Musti
Oliver Moore – Danny Nelson – Trevor Connelly
Carrie Terrence – Brody Ziemer – William Whitelaw
tanner adams
Jeev Bouium – Aram Minnetian
Drew Fortescue – Logan Hensler
Cole Hutson – EJ Emery
Zach Schultz
trey augustin
hampton sulkinski
(Photo of Jonathan Reckelimäki of Sweden and Lane Hutson of the United States: Bjorn Larsson Rosvall / TT News Agency / AFP via Getty Images)
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