World Juniors 2018 News & Stories
Insights, analysis, and news about World Juniors 2018 from the Elite Prospects editorial team. Stay updated with expert coverage on World Juniors 2018, including key stories and in-depth articles.
2018-12-11, 12:18World Juniors 2018The steal of the 2017 draft – Eeli Tolvanen looks NHL ready
In European hockey, a huge debate is always tied to the question whether the most promising players should move overseas or keep on developing at home. While there is no...
2018-02-15, 11:44World Juniors 2018Heiskanen carries burden of expectation going into Olympics, NHL career
Few prospects carry the same aura of expectation as young blueliner Miro Heiskanen. While the Dallas Stars’ 3rd overall pick in the 2017 draft likely holds himself to a high...
2018-02-02, 17:24World Juniors 2018Kailer Yamamoto has hit his stride in the WHL
Kailer Yamamoto took a wicked slash from Oskar Steen in the dying seconds of the United States’ semifinal loss to Sweden at the World Juniors in Buffalo. It looked like...
2018-01-30, 17:47World Juniors 2018Canada’s golden hero is having a season for the ages
One could argue the success of Jordan Kyrou began when he was drafted 35th overall by the St. Louis Blues in the 2016 NHL draft. Perhaps when he made the...
2018-01-08, 18:49World Juniors 2018The WJC summed up in seven thoughts
Rasmus Dahlin lived up to the hype: Since last June’s NHL draft, Rasmus Dahlin has been the face of 2018. For non-playoff teams in the NHL this season, Dahlin is...
2018-01-08, 08:49World Juniors 2018The future of Avalanche blueline resides in Canada
Cale Makar. Conor Timmins. Samuel Girard. If you are a hockey fan, chances are you’ve heard one or more of these names mentioned at least once. Perhaps ahead of the...
2018-01-06, 20:43World Juniors 2018Gold medal recap: Canada wins gold at WJC in Buffalo
USA 9, Czech Republic 3 Though Czech Republic was looking to win their first medal since the 2005 tournament, the host Americans were ultimately too much to ask for. Scoring...
2018-01-05, 10:15World Juniors 2018WJC Semifinals Recap – Sweden, Canada advance to gold medal game
Sweden 4, USA 2 While the host Americans would have liked to win the gold medal for their home fans, Sweden commandingly earned a berth in the championship game with...
2018-01-03, 14:36World Juniors 2018WJC Quarterfinals Recap: The Czechs upset Finland – Canada cruises to semifinals
Czech Republic 4, Finland 3 The first quarterfinal game on Day 8 was arguably the best of the bunch. The Czechs battled back from two different one-goal deficits including a...
2018-01-02, 10:09World Juniors 2018WJC 2018 Quarterfinal Preview – here are the match-ups
Czech Republic vs. Finland The opening game of the quarterfinal round pits together two teams both looking at an uphill battle to come out of the tournament with a medal....
2018-01-01, 22:21World Juniors 2018Casey Mittelstadt clear MVP through group stage; 2018 draft-eligibles shine
It’s a difficult time to be a Buffalo Sabres fan. The team currently sits dead last in the NHL’s Eastern Conference and are on their way to missing the playoffs...
2018-01-01, 22:14World Juniors 2018Recap of Day 6: Sweden tops Group B, USA pulls out late win against Finland
Czech Republic 6, Switzerland 3 Despite being outshot 60-30 in this one, Switzerland kept the game competitive well into the third period. After falling behind 3-1 early in the second...
2017-12-31, 13:22World Juniors 2018Kurashev leading second wave of talented Swiss prospects
When Nico Hischiers name was called first in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft, he became the first Swiss player to ever be drafted first overall. In fact, in the last...
2017-12-31, 09:50World Juniors 2018Recap of Day 5: Canada tops out in Group A – Sweden takes third straight win
Czech Republic 6, Belarus 5 In arguably the tournament’s most back-and-forth game, Czech Republic managed their second victory of the tournament. Belarus scored on their first shot on the power...
2017-12-29, 14:00World Juniors 2018The call him “The Hunter” – meet the Caps’ rising prospect
He will never be mistaken for an offensive superstar, but Axel Jonsson Fjällby has attributes that appeal to the masses. Selected 147th overall by the Washington Capitals in the 2016...
2017-12-29, 07:53World Juniors 2018Recap of Day 3: Slovakia upsets United States, Finland dominates Denmark
Finland 4, Denmark 1 This game’s score was a lot more flattering than it could have been. The Finns dominated Denmark all game, peppering 62 shots on goal while conceding...
2017-12-28, 07:11World Juniors 2018Recap of Day 2 – Canada pushes past Slovakia to remain perfect
Canada 6, Slovakia 0 While it wasn’t set to be a rout from the opening faceoff, there was never much doubt as to who was going to win this game....
2017-12-27, 20:11World Juniors 2018Will Czech Republic’s Necas and Chytil continue to produce their magic?
Czech Republic has never been a small fry on the international hockey stage. Consistently producing NHL stars such Jaromir Jagr, Patrik Elias and David Pastrnak, it’s been a factory for...
2017-12-27, 05:21World Juniors 2018Recap of Day 1 – Czechs confirm dark horse status with win over Russia
Czech Republic 5, Russia 4 This was certainly the story of the day. The Czech Republic entered the tournament as the dark horse. They have a bevy of skill we...
2017-12-26, 15:37World Juniors 2018Russia looks to extend WJC streak with largely unknown squad
There has been nobody more consistent at the World Juniors than Russia. They’ve medalled in each of the past seven tournaments, and only four times since they stopped competing as...
2017-12-26, 15:27World Juniors 2018Rasmus Dahlin highlights Swedish squad looking to end medal drought
For the last three tournaments, Sweden has gone undefeated in the group stage only to come up short come playoff time. They haven’t won a medal since losing to Finland...
2017-12-26, 15:15World Juniors 2018Talented Finnish team eager to make amends after last year’s fiasco
After a disastrous showing in the 2017 WJC group stage that resulted in a mass firing of the coaching staff, Finland’s U-20 team is back for World Juniors (barely). With...
2017-12-26, 14:59World Juniors 2018Who belongs where? – The WJC players and the NHL teams they are drafted by
The World Juniors give the future stars a chance to show what they’re made of. Many of these players will make an impact in the NHL, maybe as soon as...
2017-12-25, 22:14World Juniors 2018Too good for the World Juniors – here are the players you’ll miss in Buffalo
As usual, the World Juniors will be played without the best junior players in the world. They are already suiting up and making a difference in the NHL. Last year,...
2017-12-24, 09:07World Juniors 2018United States send roster loaded with offensive talent to Buffalo
The United States enters the 2018 World Juniors as the defending champions after a thrilling shootout win over Canada in last year’s tournament. The Americans are enjoying a golden age...
2017-12-21, 22:30World Juniors 2018WJC Countdown: The NHL lockout allowed Canada to ice a historically-good team in 2005
The 2004-05 season was a dark one for hockey fans. For the first time in league history, the National Hockey League had an entire season cancelled due to labour dispute...
2017-12-21, 16:10World Juniors 2018Back in the spotlight
With just a few days remaining until the very best young hockey players in the world clash in Buffalo, the second tier tournaments of the World Junior Championships have already...
2017-12-21, 09:50World Juniors 2018Russia’s Svechnikov fighting for roster spot, high draft position
If there’s a label that’s hanging around Andrei Svechnikov’s name these days, it’s “projected #2 pick in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft”. But as we’ve seen in the past —...
2017-12-20, 21:50World Juniors 2018WJC Countdown: Kapanen’s heroics etch his name in Finnish history
At the 2016 World Junior Hockey Championship, just about everything went Finland’s way. Hosting the tournament in Helsinki, Finland came out of the round robin flying, picking up 23 goals...
2017-12-20, 14:45World Juniors 2018Predicting the top scorer for the 2018 World Junior Championships
Predictions are a tricky thing. Stick your chin out too far and you open yourself up to easy puns and jabs should your bold prediction fail to pan out. Go...
2017-12-19, 17:55World Juniors 2018European free agents providing value for NHL clubs
Drafting and developing is king in the NHL, but European free agents provide value for savvy NHL teams. Teams are always investing in the draft, tearing down their teams to...
2017-12-19, 12:14World Juniors 2018WJC Countdown: Kazakhstan upsets Canada in front of tiny crowd
Inexplicable is about the only way you could describe the 7th place game between Canada and Kazakhstan at the 1998 World Juniors. Taking place in the town of Hämeenlinna, Finland,...
2017-12-18, 19:35World Juniors 2018WJC Countdown: United States wins first-ever gold medal after bizarre own-goal
The 2004 World Junior Championships in Helsinki, Finland was supposed to be the coming out party for the next wave of hockey superstars. But instead, all of that was just...
2017-12-18, 13:00World Juniors 2018The five WJC defenders most likely to be on an NHL roster this fall
You have probably heard the expression before. The one about defenders taking longer time to develop than forwards. Usually followed by an explanation on how forwards reach their prime around...
2017-12-17, 20:15World Juniors 2018WJC Countdown: Russia snaps gold medal drought in 2011 with three ridiculous comebacks
Over the next 10 days, I’m going to count down to the 2018 World Juniors in Buffalo with some great moments and performances from past tournaments. Since the fall of...
2017-12-17, 16:06World Juniors 2018Canada leaves skill at home in favour of balanced team
Hockey Canada announced its roster for the World Junior Championships in Buffalo well before the tournament’s deadline on Christmas Day, giving us plenty of time to dissect the team’s strange...
2017-12-17, 12:28World Juniors 2018CHL talent has history of producing gems on American roster
If there’s one thing that always sets the American World Junior team apart, it’s the overwhelming presence of NCAA players taking up nearly the entire roster. This year, the group...
2017-12-16, 17:00World Juniors 2018The matter of talent development in Sweden
The top leagues for professional hockey in Sweden, HockeyAllsvenskan and SHL, have supplied the Swedish WJC teams with the vast majority of its skaters in the past few championships. Take...
2017-12-16, 10:15World Juniors 2018WJC Countdown: Tavares’ MVP showing and Eberle’s clutch goal lead Canada to fifth-straight gold
Over the next 10 days, I’m going to count down to the 2018 World Juniors in Buffalo with some great moments and performances from past tournaments. Canada had a stacked...
2017-12-15, 14:54World Juniors 2018Makar looking to join rare group of Canadian NCAA stars
Cale Makar has shown flashes of brilliance on the big stage before. The fourth overall pick by the Colorado Avalanche in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft, Makar picked up six...
2017-12-14, 22:07World Juniors 2018Cool as a cucumber – Rasmus Dahlin ready to embrace the pressure of the WJC
There aren’t too many 17 year-olds that get their own press conference, but Rasmus Dahlin is not your average 17 year-old. Earlier today, the projected number one pick in next...
2017-12-14, 20:18World Juniors 2018Is Canada leaving too much skill at home?
Canada has a great talent pool across the Canadian Hockey League and college hockey. They can leave prolific scorers at home and still compete for the WJC gold every year....
2017-12-14, 16:38World Juniors 2018Is Flyers’ prospect Hart a lock for the Canadian starter’s job?
When looking at the Canadian starting goaltending job at the 2018 World Junior Hockey Championship, Carter Hart’s likely feeling pretty comfortable about his chances. The only returning goalie from last...
2017-12-14, 09:15World Juniors 2018Edmonton Oilers give Kailer Yamamoto the chance to shine at the WJC
The Edmonton Oilers made a difficult decision to play the long game with Kailer Yamamoto. As a result, he’ll be given his first opportunity to represent the United States at...
2017-12-13, 10:06World Juniors 2018Can any of the WJC underdogs break through in Buffalo?
It’s known who the Big 5 at the World Juniors are, as Canada, the United States, Sweden, Russia, and Finland historically form the top half of the tournament. But can...
2017-12-12, 15:18World Juniors 2018A Russian trend – three forwards headed for the first round?
It has been almost a decade since it happened the last time. To be specific, the year was 2010 and the players were Alexander Burmistrov, Vladimir Tarasenko and Yevgeni Kuznetsov....
2017-12-12, 09:17World Juniors 2018Deep Russian squad looks to extend medal streak
Though Russia hasn’t had many household names on their World Junior rosters recently, they’ve seen major success at the tournament. Last year, Russia went 2-2 in the group stage, getting...
2017-12-11, 15:04World Juniors 2018The 2018 WJC underdog that could win it all
Everyone loves an underdog. Be it professional sports, fictional stories or real life tales – there are few things quite as stirring as watching an unlikely hero triumph against impossible...
2017-12-11, 10:52World Juniors 2018The World Junior Championships – an audition for the Olympics
There will be more than medals at stake during the World Juniors in Buffalo later this month. The NHL’s decision to stop their players from participating in the Olympics in...
2017-12-10, 15:20World Juniors 2018Sweden’s elite talent looks to end cycle of WJC mediocrity
Sweden has had an underwhelming run at the World Juniors the last few years. But this year, things could change. In each of the past three tournaments, Sweden has gone...
2017-12-09, 16:20World Juniors 2018Nicklas Lidström on Rasmus Dahlin: “He looks like Brian Leetch”
There’s been no shortage of homages for Rasmus Dahlin this season. The projected first overall pick in the 2018 NHL entry draft has taken the hockey world with storm this...
2017-12-09, 09:51World Juniors 2018Where are they now? – Three forgotten WJC stars
Whenever you come across a story entitled “where are they now”, it is usually a foregone conclusion that the story will feature individuals who at one time performed great only...
2017-12-08, 15:15World Juniors 2018Breaking down Team Canada’s roster snubs
On Wednesday, Canada announced its preliminary roster for the World Junior Hockey tournament via an extravagant ceremony in St. Catharines, Ontario. For the 32 players selected, it’s an accomplishment to...
2017-12-08, 08:13World Juniors 2018Finland on the rebound after disastrous showing at last year’s WJC
It was nothing short of a disaster for Finland at last year’s World Juniors in Toronto and Montreal. The Finns won just one game in the group stage and finished...