Under-18 World Championship: Canada bounced, USA rolls, Czechia’s Jiri Kulich on fire

KAUFBEUREN, Germany – And then there were four. Half the tournament field at the 2022 IIHF Men’s Under-18 World Championship has seen their tournament end in the quarterfinals, and four teams are left to vie for three medals. Still standing are Finland, Sweden, Czechia and the heavily favored United States. Gone are Canada, Germany, Latvia and Switzerland.

The only competitive quarterfinal was that between Finland and Canada in what was probably the tournament’s best game to date. Canada held a two-goal lead late in the third period, but penalty trouble opened the door for a very skilled Finnish team to close the gap and tie the game late. Then it was an errant pass during overtime that led to a Joakim Kemell breakaway that ended with him roofing a shot to complete a hat trick and send Canada packing despite the heroics of 16-year-old phenom Connor Bedard.

This tournament has had a little bit of everything, and even though it hasn’t been the most competitive of U18 World Championships to date, it has provided enough information to expect some movement on draft boards as this will be the last on-ice test for many of these players hoping to be drafted in July.

As we head into the semifinals, which will feature preliminary-round rematches between Finland and Sweden and the United States and Czechia, here’s a look at some of the notable things I’ve seen and heard at the tournament so far.

Referee injury scare update

You may have seen that a referee was seriously injured when he sustained a significant cut from a player’s skate during Thursday’s quarterfinal game between the U.S and Latvia. German referee Lukas Kohlmueller scurried off the ice leaving a significant trail of blood and received immediate medical attention with about three minutes remaining in the first period.

Play was halted and both teams were sent to their dressing rooms while Kohlmueller received attention. I was at the other venue and did not see this but got texts from scouts in the building saying they had never seen anything like it and were gravely concerned for the official.

According to The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler, the Kohlmueller underwent surgery at a local hospital Thursday night after sustaining a cut to his wrist. I have inquired with the German Hockey Federation about any updates to his status and will provide that as soon as one becomes available.

Canada’s early exit

Despite Bedard’s best efforts including two outstanding goals from the 16-year-old sensation, Canada found itself heading home without a medal after winning gold last year. This team was always up against it as it didn’t have nearly the depth that other teams could boast. The absence of players in the CHL playoffs hurt more than I think it ever has, but the Canadians still had a chance.

Up 5-3 after Bedard scored a devastating shorthanded goal on a snipe that deflected off a defender’s stick and found the tiniest opening inside the near post, it seemed like Canada may pull off what – in Canada’s case – would be considered an upset over Finland. Then the penalties took over.

With under five minutes remaining in regulation, Finland got two power-play goals, including the equalizer which came with the extra attacker as well with just 1:43 left on the clock. Kasper Halttunen, who came on for the goalie, found a soft area and sniped a shot past Reid Dyck. Even though it was tied, it felt like the game was over with how significantly momentum had swung the other way.

It only took 29 seconds of a 10-minute 3-on-3 overtime period to decide the winner. Canada’s Adam Fantilli carried the puck up ice, thought he had Bedard crossing closer behind him and left a drop pass. That pass was scooped by Joakim Kemell, just about the last player you’d want to have that puck if you’re Canada. He zoomed past defenseman Spencer Sova, broke in all alone, made a nice move and roofed a shot over Dyck to advance his team.

Canada’s finish is disappointing but not totally unexpected. This group just didn’t have the depth of talent to hang with the biggest teams. I know that shouldn’t happen for Canada, but you also have to remember how many of those players lost a full year of development, which we’ll get to in another segment below.

Had Canada not blown a lead in similar fashion to Czechia in their preliminary-round game, the Canadians would have played a fairly weak Swiss team and likely would still be in the tournament. It was a good reminder that every game matters, especially when we’re in a tournament that’s already shortened enough.

Connor Bedard’s IIHF Dominance

He scored a pair of goals in the final game including one that had the decidedly pro-Finland crowd gasp in unison on each replay of the shot. Even if the puck caught a bit of the defender’s stick on the way, the release and the pinpoint precision he routinely scores with made that goal inevitable. That was Bedard’s sixth and final goal of the event. We’ll certainly next see him in the rescheduled 2022 World Junior Championship in Edmonton in August and it couldn’t come a moment two soon.

Bedard has already appeared in 13 games in IIHF World Championship competition including the last two World Under-18s and the brief World Juniors before it was cancelled last winter. Take a look at these numbers:

Thirteen games played, 17 goals scored, nine assists, 26 points. He won’t turn 17 until this summer and he’s averaging two points per game playing as an underager or double-underager in the two tournaments prior to this year’s U18s. I can only imagine what he’ll look like in August after a few months of off-ice training, gaining strength and adding more to his game on the ice, too. He’s a special player that has taken advantage of every opportunity put in front of him.

Czechia’s Jiri Kulich makes a statement

Possibly one of the most revelatory performances of the tournament has belonged to Jiri Kulich, who has been projected around the edges of the first round typically. He has goals in all four of his team’s games in this tournament and has been the driving force of their offense. He has far outshone teammate Matyas Sapovaliv, who has been ranked higher in many public rankings. But Kulich has also outshone a lot of the field in this tournament.

Kulich is a six-foot center who had 14 points in 49 games in the top Czech pro league. He was one point off of Martin Necas’s total at the same age and ranks sixth all-time in scoring by a U18 player in that league. He had a good season, but it wasn’t necessarily so amazing that it made everyone pencil him in as a surefire first-rounder as Necas was.

That may have changed if the World Juniors wasn’t cancelled, because Kulich was playing a big role for that Czech team and played well in the two games we saw of him. Fast forward to this tournament and he’s tied for the tournament lead with 10 points and leads all players with eight goals.

He had a hat trick against Canada in the final preliminary-round game, two each against Germany and Switzerland and one against the U.S. in Czechia’s only loss. Six of those goals have been on the power play where he has been especially deadly. He has an elite one-time shot that has given goalies at this level no chance. There’s good touch to his game, too. He’s driving a line with some younger players on it and they’ve been by far Czechia’s best option to pressure the opposing defenses.

Kulich is generating a lot of buzz with his performance here and I think it’s getting harder and harder to leave him out of the first-round discussion.

American steamroller

Team USA has shown no mercy at this tournament. With the bulk of the team having played together at the NTDP all year, the chemistry should be well intact and it sure looks that way. The U.S. is seeking its first gold medal at this event since 2017 though, currently in its longest golden drought since the tournament began in 1999. This group looks poised to end that with the way it has played so far.

Team USA is averaging 9.25 goals per game and is outscoring opponents 37-10. Captain Rutger McGroarty took over the team lead with six goals so far in the tournament, while Isaac Howard still has five after scoring all five over the first two games including a four-goal outburst against Canada. Both of those players have strengthened their draft stocks with excellent performances in Germany to date. Fifteen different players have scored goals over the four games of the tournament.

There is a five-way tie for the team’s point lead as well with Howard, McGroarty, Frank Nazar, Cutter Gauthier and Logan Cooley all sitting on seven points heading into the semifinal. The U.S. also has two defensemen with six points in Lane Hutson and Seamus Casey, while Ryan Chesley has five points.

All skaters but one have at least one point and even goalie Tyler Muszelik has an assist in the tournament. It’s as dominant an offensive performance as I’ve seen at this event.

Other 2022 NHL Draft prospects of note

Jonathan Lekkerimaki, LW, Sweden: Tied for the tournament lead in scoring with 10 points, he’s the top assist man with seven so far in the tournament. That’s notable as Lekkerimaki is typically a shooter. He does have an elite shot and does have three goals in the tournament. He’s made a stronger case to be a top-half-of-the-first-round player with his goal scoring tool.

Joakim Kemell, LW, Finland: Kemell’s hat trick against Canada was bolstered by a pair of power play goals, but he showed off his elite shot and high-end offensive tools throughout the game. He has good hands, but it’s his release that really stands out. As he gets stronger, he should be an effective goal scorer with top-six upside. He dealt with injuries that derailed a near-record-pace season, but you see all the tools that allowed him such success in Finland. He has four goals and five points over three games played.

Mattias Havelid, D, Sweden: The top scoring defenseman in the tournament. Havelid’s draft stock seems to be soaring with how well he’s played here. Big minutes, steady play and high-end offensive capabilities have made him really pop at this event. Havelid is also one goal away from tying the single-tournament record co-held by Mathew Dumba and David Quenneville of five. With how well he’s played, Ryan Murphy’s single-tournament record for points by a defenseman may be at risk as well as he had 13. With four goals and five assists, Havelid currently sits at 10th all time with nine points.

Topi Ronni, C, Finland: He’s not been a scoring machine here, but Ronni has played a heavy, steady game while making an impact at both ends of the ice. He has four points so far in the tournament and I think he’s shown the versatility that a player of his caliber needs to play at to make it at the next level. He’s sturdy on his skates, always shows good awareness and gives a great effort shift-by-shift.

Tomas Hamara, D, Czechia: A very talented two-way blueliner, Hamara is tied with Lekkerimaki for most assists in the tournament with seven. He’s made a lot of smart plays and good reads, getting pucks out of his zone and up the ice in a hurry. He’s a guy that likely goes earlyish on Day 2 of the draft, possibly as high as the second round. Hamara did play 24 games in Finland’s top pro league this season and is trending in the right direction.

Kasper Kulonummi, D, Finland: He’s essentially been Finland’s No. 1 or No. 2 defenseman all tournament and plays a lot of tough matchups. Often paired with 15-year-old Aron Kiviharju, they’ve been Finland’s most effective puck-moving pair. Kulonummi has five assists so far in the tournament, making good reads and distributing pucks very well. He could sneak into the second round of this draft.

_____

POINTSBET IS LIVE IN ONTARIO

PointsBet Canada has officially launched in Ontario! Get a $25 free bet just for signing up right here!

_____

Under-18 World Championship: Canada bounced, USA rolls, Czechia’s Jiri Kulich on fire

Recently by Chris Peters