World Under-17 Hockey Challenge: Top 2024 and 2025 NHL Draft prospects to watch
We’ve barely just started the 2023 NHL Draft season, so, naturally, it’s time to discuss the 2024 and 2025 draft classes.
The World Under-17 Hockey Challenge, set to begin Thursday in British Columbia, returns for the first time since 2019 thanks to COVID-19 restrictions. Put on by Hockey Canada, the tournament features three Canadian teams – Red, Black and White – the U.S. National Team Development Program, Sweden, Finland and Czechia. Russia, the two-time defending champion, wasn’t invited back due to the ongoing conflict with Ukraine, meaning we’ll get a new winner for the first time since USA took gold in 2017.
Canada’s three teams are randomly split up with prospects from the CHL, Jr. A and USHL. Canada Black, however, enters with some of the tournament’s biggest stars, including Macklin Celebrini, Sam Dickinson, Matthew Virgilio and Malcolm Spence, among others.
The tournament is full of talents that aren’t eligible for the draft for another two to three years, but here’s a look at whom to keep an eye on when the six teams battle it out from Nov. 3-12:
2024
Macklin Celebrini, C (Canada Black)
Celebrini has had an electric start to his USHL career, putting up more than a point per game early. Taken first overall by the Seattle Thunderbirds at the 2021 WHL U.S. Prospect Draft, Celebrini has elected to go the NCAA route with Boston University, but don’t expect him to last there long. He’ll be one of the first players taken in 2024 for his shot, quickness, ability to read plays at a high level and his dominant scoring prowess. He’s going to be a star in the NHL in no time.
Sam Dickinson, D (Canada Black)
Dickinson made waves when, instead of playing for the Niagara IceDogs that drafted him, he was moved to the London Knights instead. So far, so good, with Dickinson playing an immediate top-four role. Dickinson is an excellent skater, but his puck-moving abilities really catch the attention of scouts. He doesn’t give attackers much room to work with, which makes him so dominant at times.
Matthew Virgilio, D (Canada Black)
One of the best defensemen in the tournament, Virgilio has started strong with the Soo Greyhounds and is starting to make a name for himself. He moves the puck well, loves to jump in on the rush and does most of the things you’d want from a top young defenseman. He’s just all-around solid and should have a prosperous NHL career.
Clarke Caswell, LW (Canada Black)
It’s truly unfair just how good Canada Black’s roster is, and Caswell is another example. The Swift Current Broncos forward has five points in his first 10 games, but he’s starting to show why he’s such a high-end offensive weapon. He plays a smart game, attacks with purpose and has tremendous speed and a quick release. Caswell has a bright future ahead of him, and he’s going to be a big part of this Canadian roster.
Cole Eiserman, LW (USA)
Just how dominant is Eiserman? In 2020-21 with the Shattuck’s U-14 prep team, he scored 97 goals and 154 points in just 50 games for one of the best U-14 prep seasons ever. He was then promoted to the U-18 team for 2021-22 and scored 56 goals and 86 points in 53 games, which, once again, made him one of the most dangerous prep scorers in the country. Now, he’s leading USA’s attack with the U-17 team and even looked good with the U-18 this year. He’s going to score a stupid number of goals in the NHL.
Melvin Fernström, LW (Sweden)
Through three U-17 national team games, Fernstrom is up to eight points already, good for first on the team. Add in the fact he’s one point behind Orebo teammate Oscar Davidsson for the Swedish U-18 scoring lead among 16-year-olds and even a couple of games in the U-20 league and you’ve got a forward riding high right now.
Konsta Helenius, C/RW (Finland)
Helenius has put an absolute beating on the Finnish U-20 league, sitting tied atop the leaderboard with 28 points in just 19 games. That’s pretty huge for a 16-year-old forward, and he’s set for some damage with the national squad. His teammate, Emil Hemming, has three goals with the Finnish U-17 team, and they’ll be a significant part of Finland’s attack this year.
Berkly Catton, C (Canada Red)
Selected first overall by the WHL’s Spokane Chiefs in 2021, Catton has been one of the team’s few bright spots after a 3-8-0 start. He has 10 points in 11 games, marking his territory as a dangerous offensive weapon early on in his career. Catton is tremendously skilled, deceptively gifted with the puck and is rarely not the best player on the ice on a given shift.
Lukas Kral, LW (Czechia)
Kral has already been busy with the U-17 team, scoring five goals and eight points to lead the team through seven games. He’s also the top-scoring U-17 player in the Czech U-20 league, which is nothing to sneeze at. Kral has been an offensive, two-way leader for Czechia whenever he’s donned the jersey and he’ll be asked to do the same in British Columbia.
Cole Hutson, D (USA)
The younger brother of Montreal Canadiens prospect Lane Hutson brings a lot of the same qualities to the table. He’s small at 5-foot-8, but he sees the ice so well, isn’t afraid to get a bit feisty and can quarterback a power play. His size will be the biggest issue with him ahead of the 2024 NHL Draft, but there’s so much skill packed in there.
Other notables: Alexander Zetterberg, C (Sweden), Emil Hemming, RW (Finland), Henry Mews, D (Canada White), Bennett Sennecke, LW (Canada White), Cole Beaudoin, C (Canada Black).
2025
Michael Misa, C (Canada Red)
The latest forward to get OHL exceptional status, Misa has lived up to expectations with 10 goals and 17 points in 13 games as a 15-year-old. Misa’s name was everywhere after his explosive 2022 OHL Cup performance where he scored 10 goals and 20 points in just seven games to smash Connor McDavid’s record set a decade earlier. Misa is driving so much of the offense in Saginaw and, honestly, he might even warrant a training camp spot at the World Junior Championship. That would be a bit of a stretch, but he’s truly off to an exceptional start (pun intended) – and he’s only getting started. He’s the clear favorite to go first overall in 2025, for sure.
Malcolm Spence, LW (Canada Black)
If it weren’t for Misa’s incredible underage campaign that saw him earn exceptional status into the OHL, Spence would have been the consensus No. 1 pick. Spence had 29 goals in 28 GTHL games last year with the stacked Mississauga Senators and has been hovering around a point per game with Erie as an OHL rookie. Spence has the makings of a star in the NHL thanks to his confidence as a shooter, his quick footwork and his two-way play.
Jordan Gavin, C (Canada Black)
With 12 points in his first 10 games this season, Gavin has been on a tear with the Tri-City Americans. Last year with Delta Academy in British Columbia, Gavin finished with 48 goals and 105 points in just 28 games, the second most in CSSHL U-17 league history. It’s still early, but Gavin likely won’t have to wait too long to hear his name called on draft day in 2025.
Adam Benák, C (Czechia)
One of the top-producing forwards from the 2023 draft class, Benák is up to 22 points in just 10 Czechia U-17 league games so far. The 2007-born player had a whopping 64 points in 34 U-17 league games last year, the most by a U-15 player in league history. Watch out, goaltenders.
James Hagens, C (USA)
Hagens is second in scoring for USA with eight goals and 14 points while playing with Cole Eiserman. One of the few USNTDP players not to be connected to an NCAA school, Hagens is a tremendous goal-scorer thanks to a quick, powerful release.
Oscar Davidsson, LW (Sweden)
Despite being underaged, Davidsson has managed to be so dangerous alongside linemate Melvin Pettersson in the top Swedish U-18 league. Davidsson sits two points behind Pettersson with the league lead with 21 points, tying him for first among U-17 scorers.
Porter Martone, RW (Canada Red)
One of the GTHL’s biggest standouts last season with 104 points, Martone has had a slow start with Sarnia to kick off his OHL career. Still, the 6-foot-3 forward can be an absolute menace out there and has the makings of a power forward in the NHL one day.
Victor Eklund, LW (Sweden)
William’s little brother is ready to carve his own path. Eklund has a respectable seven points in eight games as an underager in the Swedish U-18 league and skated in three games with Sweden’s U-17 team. He’s small at 5-foot-9, but he has good speed and is a solid playmaker.
Lucas Karmiris, C (Canada Black)
The top ALLIANCE player in 2021-22, Karmiris has struggled out of the gate for the Mississauga Steelheads, but they’re quite competitive as it is. That means some younger guys, like Karmiris, aren’t getting the ice time needed to thrive, but the skill level is definitely there. Karmiris’ creative genes are evident, and his quick release can be deceptive at points, too.
Roger McQueen, C (Canada White)
Standing tall at 6-foot-4, McQueen has the build of a power forward, which should allow him to stand out in the WHL in the future. He has just one goal with the Brandon Wheat Kings this year, but he’s smart with the puck, moves well for his size and doesn’t lose a ton of puck battles.
Other notables: Justin Carbonneau, RW (Canada White), Sebastian Glas, RW (Czechia), Arttu Välilä, D (Finland), Jan Skok, D (Czechia), David Bedkowski, D (Canada Red).
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