2027 NHL Draft-eligibles Milan Sundström, Brayden Willis lead standouts at U17 Five Nations

PLYMOUTH, Michigan – Six months after hosting the 2025 Under-17 Four Nations, USA Hockey Arena housed the 2026 Under-17 Five Nations last week here in Michigan. 

And this tournament, unlike the summer showcase, was a bit beefed up when it came to talent for the 2027 NHL Draft. Sweden and Finland entered the tournament, replacing Slovakia, while Team USA brought its full Under-17 NTDP roster as opposed to a select team model it used back in August.

Sweden ended up winning the tournament via tiebreaker after a head-to-head victory against Team USA. 

Elite Prospects was on site for the tournament. Here are some of the standouts. 

Milan Sundström, C, Sweden 

Already known as one of the top prospects for the 2027 NHL Draft, Milan Sundström ramped up his game in the final two contests to help the Swedes win the tournament. Sundström scored twice against Switzerland, and then had two goals and an assist in the de facto championship game against the Americans. Sundström showed off his ability as both a shooter and a playmaker, and, most notably, really started to open up space for his teammates because of his shot threat. 

Wiggo Forsberg, C, Sweden 

Wiggo Forsberg got stronger as the tournament progressed, building off his overall details and connection at centre, to scoring a key goal in the championship game against the United States. Forsberg's work in tight spaces stood out in particular, making small plays with puck touches to open up pockets of space for both himself and others. That included setting up Sweden's first goal against Czechia, where he drew and embraced contact before setting up a one-timer with a backhand. Forsberg is a really dedicated player in all three zones, and it's easy to see how he drives his linemates. 

Brayden Willis, RW, United States

One of the less heralded players within the NTDP ranks, Brayden Willis had an offensive coming out party at the tournament, leading Team USA with six points, five of them assists. Willis, in past viewings, has been more of a shooter rather than playmaker, but he seemed to embrace more of a setup role in this tournament. The rest of his details are sound, particularly on the forecheck, and he plays larger than you’d expect with his 5-foot-9 frame. At this point he’s still uncommitted NCAA-wise, which is interesting because he profiles as a very effective future college player. 

Patrik Poláček, C, Czechia 

Patrik Poláček plays a really effective game down the middle of the ice. He has strong details, and, with his size, he’s a handful for defenders, particularly at this age level. There are a lot of positive ideas on display with Polacek. His work in front of the net has improved according to Czech coaches, and it's something that was particularly noticeable against Finland, where Czechia was able to work through him on a couple key scoring chances, almost half-court basketball style. I’m just curious of how well it’ll translate as his peers start to level up a bit to his size. 

Finnegan Sears, LW, United States

Finnegan Sears was the subject of my mid-tournament notebook, and he continued to impress the rest of the way, even if the scoring touch cooled off a bit after his five-point explosion in the first two games. A left-handed shot, Sears did a nice job throughout the tournament pushing plays on entries, and then connecting with his centre, Freddie Schneider, on little area passes. He also had perhaps the highlight of the tournament, scoring a lacrosse-style goal against Switzerland in the opening game. With some evident creative flair, which pairs well with solid routes and details, Sears has the makings of a very good NCAA player once he arrives at Boston College. 

Matyáš Michálek, D, Czechia

Matyáš Michálek is perhaps my favorite player from this tournament and the Under-17 Four Nations back in August. The big defender dominates both your attention and the game itself with his size, skating and poise. He was very good at disrupting zone entries with both his skating and stick work, and there's a level of nastiness as well. He was again the youngest player in the tournament, and despite that fact looked like the one most ready to someday make the full-time jump to pro hockey. There have been times this season he’s looked a bit flustered against older competition back in Czechia, something his coaches said he's used as motivation. But against his peers, he’s a rock his team relies on and Czechia turned to Michael in all situations. 

Alessandro Domenichelli, C, Switzerland

Playing in the WHL this season as 16-year-old, things have been a bit overwhelming for Alessandro Domenichelli. But playing with his peers and in this tournament, he was one of the best Swiss forwards in the tournament, just like he was back in August at the Under-17 Four Nations. He also has an underrated shot, and scored against Finland with a quick wrister, after helping force a turnover as part of the secondary pressure on the Swiss forecheck. There’s upside to his game, and he attacks well with pace at times. He’s a player who would be intriguing to watch when his team isn’t as overmatched, the way the Swiss looked in this tournament at times. 

Eli Winters, G, United States

Team USA rotated goalies at this tournament, so we didn’t get to see Eli Winters in the championship game against Sweden, which personally I would have liked to see. Winters had a quiet game against Switzerland, before a stout performance in a 6-4 win against Czechia with 32 saves. He’s a good-sized, right-catching goalie, whose numbers with the NTDP this season partially diminish how good he’s been on a regular basis. A Wisconsin commit, Winters is patient and controlled in the net, which is a quality that the NTDP schedule has sometimes driven out of 16-year-old goalies. I was also particularly impressed with how well he handled the lulls in the game against Switzerland, responding with a couple key stops on rush chances they had against the flow of traffic. 

Luca Blaser, G, Switzerland

Luca Blaser has quietly become one of my favorite goalies to watch for the 2009-born age group. He’s listed at 5-foot-11, but looks smaller in the net. However, he plays with an aggressiveness and play tracking that make him quite fun to watch. He stole a game for Switzerland against Czechia, stopping 30 of 31 shots, and he kept the game closer than it should have been in his other start against Sweden. Again, the height and frame might hold him back, but the hands are quick and he's smart with his rebound control, which allowed him to really limit some of the damage and shot quantity.