2024 NHL Draft: Top 15 prospects to watch at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup

Berkly Catton (Steven Ellis/Daily Faceoff)

Credit: (Photo by Steven Ellis/Daily Fac

In the scouting world, there’s no such thing as an offseason.

Just over a month after the 2023 NHL Draft concluded in Nashville, we’re already onto the first major draft event for 2024. The Hlinka Gretzky Cup is an eight-team, U-18 tournament involving top talent for the 2024 and 2025 NHL Draft. Many of the top prospects won’t be there, including Macklin Celebrini (injury), Cole Eiserman (USA doesn’t send USA Hockey National Team Development Program players) and Aron Kiviharju (playing at the World Junior Summer Showcase). Otherwise, it’s the first chance of the year to get a good read on the rest of the pack.

Canada has typically dominated this tournament, winning it 23 times since 1991. They won gold in 2022, easily cruising along with a perfect record in Red Deer. With the tournament shifting back to Czechia and Slovakia, Canada once again looks to be the favorite. But it won’t come easy. USA, which has typically struggled compared to their success at the U-18 World Championship in the spring, has brought a much stronger roster than usual. You can always count on Finland to make some noise, and while Sweden doesn’t have a ton of top 2024 talent, they’re riding the longest active medal streak at five. Czechia should be a major contender, with some quality depth at every position, while Swiss fans are excited about their 2006-born crop.

Seriously, there are much worse things you can be doing in the dead heat of the summer than watching the Hlinka.

With the tournament set to run in Czechia and Slovakia from July 31 – Aug. 6, here’s a look at 15 prospects for the 2024 NHL Draft that you need to know:

Berkly Catton, C (Canada)

After putting up some truly dominant numbers at a young age, Catton hit the ice at full attack as a rookie with Spokane this past year. He had 55 points in the WHL and was among the best players at the U-17 World Hockey Challenge in November. He had a quiet, yet effective U-18 World Championship to cap the season off, showing a good mix of speed and skill. Catton is a hard worker with a ton of skill around the net. He might be the smartest prospect in the draft class.

Sam Dickinson, D (Canada)

At 6-foot-3, Dickinson is as big as they get among top-flight, mobile defenders. He’s a strong skater, smart puck-mover, can shoot the disk accurately and his defensive game is consistent and reliable. Dickinson doesn’t give you much room to work with, which makes him so effective. I wanted to see a bit more with him this past season, but I expect a huge year for Dickinson, who’ll eat minutes for breakfast every game.

Henry Mews, D (Canada)

Keeping the defensive train alive, Mews is a strong all-around defender that’ll give you 100 percent effort every night. He knows when to push on the attack without getting himself out of position, and he’s got enough speed to get him back after a rush. Mews is trending toward the type of prospect that excels in heavy minutes. Mews has always been near the top of his class among defensemen and this will be a perfect test to see what he can do against international competition.

Zayne Parekh, D (Canada)

Starting to notice a trend here? Canada’s blueline is looking stacked. Parekh had an excellent rookie season with Saginaw but he really showed how dominant he was with the puck at the 2022 U-17 World Hockey Challenge. Parekh can control the pace of play from the point with a good shot, great speed and excellent hockey IQ. It seems like he never has an issue putting pucks through traffic and generating chances – and it helps that he has Michael Misa to pick up the rebounds in Saginaw.

Justin Poirier, RW (Canada)

Poirier was one of Canada’s best players in the first exhibition game against Hungary, building upon an impressive year with the QMJHL’s Baie-Comeau Drakkar. The 5-foot-8 forward brings a mix of speed and skill, with his quick hands being apparent early. After a strong U-17 World Hockey Challenge last fall, Poirier will look to show he’s one to watch for the first round of the 2024 draft.

*Trevor Connelly (Steven Ellis/Daily Faceoff)*

Trevor Connelly, LW (USA)

There’s a lot of California-based talent on this American team, with Connelly being one of the most prominent. The Tri-City Storm forward finished third among U-17 USHL scoring last season with 24 goals and 47 points in 57 games. This will be his first time representing USA internationally, with the Providence College commit expected to play a big role. He had a strong showing at the USA Selects tournament earlier this month, and he’ll want to keep things rolling.

Will Felicio, D (USA)

Felicio looks like a solid threat to go in the first round of the draft. The University of Denver commit had 28 points in 55 games with the USHL’s Madison Capitols last year, the most by a U-17 defenseman in league history. It’s rare for a young player to play such a big role, but his hockey IQ allowed him to take control in the USHL last year. He’s not big by any means, standing at just 5-foot-10, but he’s a good enough puck-mover to get the job done.

Mac Swanson, LW (USA)

Short yet skilled, Swanson had a near-historic season for a U-17 scoring forward. His 55 points in 57 games is sixth all-time, with Celebrini holding the record with 86 points with Chicago. Swanson did it as an undersized skater with his admitted poor skating. But like Andrew Cristall this year, the numbers don’t lie – Swanson knows how to produce. Swanson looked fantastic against older competition at the World Junior A Challenge last year, but look for him to truly shine against his own age group at the Hlinka.

Adam Jiricek, D (Czechia)

The younger brother of Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman David Jiricek, Adam comes in a similar offensive-minded, high-pace package. Jiricek was tremendous against his own age group and played some significant time against U-18 national team competition, too. He proved he could handle the rigors of pro hockey in the top Czech league with HC Plzen, recording a pair of assists through 12 games. Jiricek will only get better with more experience, which could result in him spending another year with Plzen instead of an immediate arrival with Brantford. If he shows up at some point, what a huge addition.

Tomáš Galvas, D (Czechia)

Galvas is going to be a minute muncher for the Czechs. A 17-year-old with pro experience already, Galvas is a skilled, two-way defender with good speed and overall skating. He’s a strong puck-rusher who has only improved with more confidence over time. The younger brother of Chicago Blackhawks draft pick Jakub Galvas, expect the HC Olomouc product to be leaned on heavily on home ice.

Emil Hemming, LW (Finland)

Heming already looks like a man at 6-foot-2, and he produced some solid numbers against much older competition in the Finnish U-20 league last year. Hemming will return there this year and hopefully get into some games with TPS’ pro team, too. He has a powerful shot, and with Konsta Helenius with the U-20 team in Michigan, Hemming will be leaned on to generate offense quite a bit.

Karl Sterner, RW (Sweden)

Sterner was Sweden’s best player at the U-17 World Challenge last year, putting up seven points in six games. The 6-foot-3 winger puts a lot of power behind his release, and he skates well enough for his size, too. Scouts wanted him last year to be a bit more aggressive at attacking the play, so this will be a good opportunity for him to showcase any improvements.

Alexander Zetterberg, C (Sweden)

Zetterberg’s name was in the online sphere early after dominating the top Swedish U-16 league as a 13-year-old – and then there’s the last name. Yes, they’re related, but Alex himself isn’t sure how. Zetterberg is incredibly skilled with the puck, is a good skater, and is as competitive as they come. Against junior-aged players, production has never really been an issue. What is, however, is his 5-foot-8 frame. That’s an issue for next June. For now, expect him to put some points on the board.

*Daniil Ustinkov (Steven Ellis/Daily Faceoff)*

Daniil Ustinkov, D (Switzerland)

Ustinkov was a standout for Switzerland at the U-18 World Championship, putting up four points for the offensively challenged squad. He was the most prominent defender in the junior national team system for the Swiss all year long, a season that saw him play a handful of pro games in the NL and SL. There’s a similar trajectory between Ustinkov and David Reinbacher, which could include a draft-year stay in the top Swiss league. If he was to join London, an already deep blueline, he’d make them much more dominant.

Jamiro Reber, C (Switzerland)

Reber had a strong Draft-1 year, putting up 39 points in 44 games in the Swiss U-20 league. His best showing might have been at the U-18s, though, where he had a point per game in five outings for a Swiss team with ups and downs. Now he’s set to play in Sweden with HV71, which should put him in front of some scouts whether it’s at the U-18 or U-20 level. But before that, the smart, playmaking forward will be relied on heavily for a Swiss team looking to be more competitive this year.

2025 Notables: Michael Misa, LW (Canada), Porter Martone, RW (Canada), Malcolm Spence, LW (Canada), Jordan Gavin, C (Canada), Gabriel D’Aigle, G (Canada), Adam Benak, C (Czechia), Victor Eklund, RW (Sweden), Viggo Nordlund, LW (Sweden)

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