Rihards Griva – McKeen's Hockey

2024 HLINKA GRETZKY CUP: Three standout performances by country

Adam Tate — Fri, 16 Aug 2024 20:14:30 +0000

The unofficial start of the scouting season, the 2024 Hlinka Gretzky Cup is a summer tournament that gives scouts and teams their first looks at the players to see how they’ve improved with a summer of training. This year’s tournament took place from August 5th to 10th in Edmonton, Alberta, and McKeen’s Hockey was there to take in the action and get some early impressions of the players.

The Hlinka Gretzky Cup is an international tournament for U-18 players looking to jump start their seasons, represent their countries, and show off their current level of play. Though not sanctioned by the IIHF, it’s still a prominent event for NHL clubs, and is well attended by scouts and team management. The participating players are generally in their draft eligible seasons. Some teams may bring 16-year-olds to the tournament if there is room on the roster and their play warrants inclusion.

This year’s tournament was won by Canada, with Czechia taking the silver medal. They were the two best teams of the tournament, with both squads going undefeated in the group stage. Sweden won the bronze medal game over the USA. Slovakia had a good tournament only losing to Canada and Sweden (in overtime). Finland posted a disappointing result, only winning their last game of the tournament. Germany only won one game as well, but it was against Finland, and the Germans seemed like they were on the cusp of better things. Finally, Switzerland struggled at the tournament and didn’t have the talent level to match the other teams, only scoring five goals in four games.

Here are our three Standouts from each team. Included with each is a video highlight from their play at the tournament.

Canada

This year’s squad from Canada was loaded with talent, as is usually the case. Led by Captain Matthew Schaefer, the team rarely struggled and deserved the Gold Medal. The team was loaded with upwards of six possible first round picks in the 2025 NHL Draft (not to mention Gavin McKenna, who’s only eligible to be drafted in 2026), was well balanced, and most players saw their fair share of ice in front of the scouts. It’s almost unfair to only pick three standouts.

Matthew Schaefer - Defense

Schaefer turned this tournament into his coming out party to the world. The smooth skating, two-way defender was everything for Canada. He played in all situations, frequently double shifted, and was one point off the team scoring lead. He was dynamic on the ice, using his skating to play in all parts of the offensive zone. He was a force defensively, showing some physicality to go along with excellent positioning and stick disruption. He may have played his way into a top three pick in the 2025 NHL Draft.

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This clip shows a little of everything that makes Schaefer (#5 in red) so great. From helping win the faceoff in his own zone, to taking advantage of a mistake by his opponent to create a zone exit and leading the rush for Canada, to the nice drop pass in the offensive zone, to getting back into position to have an effective pinch to keep the puck in the offensive zone for longer. All while killing 20 seconds of a Czechia power play.

Gavin McKenna - Forward

By the already lofty standards that he’s set, McKenna had a good, but not great, tournament. He was tied for Canada’s goal scoring lead, and shared second place in the team’s points race with Schaefer. He was dynamic with the puck, often playing a game of keep away with his opponents. He used his skating and puck handling skills to circle the offensive zone, looking for weaknesses. His shot was hard and accurate, often picking top corners of the net. He flashed his next level talent, but didn’t dominate as perhaps expected, even as a 16-year-old.

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This is an otherworldly shot from McKenna on the power play for Canada. Picking the top short side top corner on a shot from that distance is not a skill that every player possesses.

Caleb Desnoyers - Forward

While not the most offensively talented forward on Team Canada, Desnoyers was relied upon in all situations, and was often used as its top Center. He was a jack of all trades for Canada, and it suited his skill set. That being said, he was still dangerous on the ice and produced at a point per game pace, with a goal and four assists. He was strong on the puck and hard to play against in all three zones. Desnoyers should hear his name called in the first round of the 2025 NHL Draft and will likely be the first player from the QMJHL taken.

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This clip shows Desnoyers operating on the power play, taking the puck down below the goal line and then taking advantage of the defender’s opened up triangle.

Czechia

Team Czechia’s goal this year was to win the tournament, after coming in second place to Canada last summer. The players made it a point to let people know that they wanted “revenge” on Canada for last year’s loss. They brought a top-heavy roster loaded with offensive talent with the likes of Adam Benak, Vit Zahejsky, Adam Novotny (2026 draft eligible), and Tomas Poletin. Unfortunately, they were unable to win the big prize and settled for Silver for the second year in a row.

Adam Benak - Forward

Easily one of the most gifted offensive players in this year’s tournament, Benak led the Czechs in scoring and was second in overall tournament scoring. Benak’s footspeed and shot were outstanding in this tournament, and he was difficult to contain at all times. You could see the determination in his play every game, and he led the Czechs by example. Despite being a smaller player, it wouldn't surprise to see him selected in the first round of the 2025 Draft due to his offensive talent. He’s going to play in the USHL with Youngstown this year, and a good season will help his draft stock.

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Another player with a next level shot, this top corner short side goal by Benak is almost impossible to stop.

Radim Mrtka - Defense

The large (6’6” / 198 lbs) right-handed defenseman got better with every game and was a solid two-way defender. While he didn’t score much, his zone transition work with his skating and passing was really good. He was strong in his own end, using his positioning, size, and length to disrupt passing lanes. In the offensive zone, he activated from the blue line often and created chaos for opposing defenses. Already in consideration for a mid-round pick in the 2025 Draft, Mrtka may move into the first round if he continues to play this well in the regular season. Mrkta may also jump over to the WHL and join the Seattle Thunderbirds this season if he’s not playing in the men’s league in Czechia.

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This clip is from the first minute of the Gold Medal game against Canada. Mrtka (#5 in white) helps lead the rush, something he got more and more comfortable doing as the tournament went along, and then sets the tone by absolutely crushing a Canadian player in their own zone.

Vit Zahejsky - Forward

Another Czech player that improved during the tournament, Zahejsky was promoted to the top line after the group stage and posted 7 points (3g - 4a) in 5 games. A slick offensive player that was used on the power play and 4 on 4 situations, Zahejsky showed good offensive awareness with both his passing and his shooting. Another potential mid-round pick who could move up if this level of play continues, Zahejsky will play for Kamloops in the WHL this season. He should see plenty of ice time and opportunity there.

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Czechia’s power play was lethal in this tournament, and it’s goals like this one from Zahejsky that made it so.

Sweden

While it would be hard to call Sweden’s Bronze medal a disappointment, it wouldn’t come as a surprise if the team felt that way. It’s still a step in the right direction for a program that didn’t medal in last year’s tournament, but with talent up front and in goal, more could’ve been possible. Anton Frondell, Sweden’s best prospect for the 2025 NHL Draft, was unable to take part due to injury, and top prospects Sascha Boumedienne and Jakob Ihs-Wozniak had disappointing tournaments compared to what was expected of them. Despite all of that, Sweden only lost to Canada in the group stage and Czechia in the semi-final.

Viktor Klingsell - Forward

With Frondell unable to play, Klingsell took it upon himself to help lead the team, and was the top scoring forward in the tournament. His 12 points (4g - 8a) were one point better than Czechia’s Adam Benak. Klingsell was a constant at both even strength and on the power play, and had points in all but one of Sweden’s games. His game shined in the offensive zone where he was able to use his hockey sense to create for his teammates.

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Klingsell’s (#25 in yellow) vision and offensive awareness are the highlights in this clip as he makes a nice pass over to Ivar Stenberg for an easy goal.

Ivar Stenberg - Forward

Another consistently good offensive player for Sweden, Stenberg was tied for third in scoring for the tournament with Milton Gastrin. A late 2007 birthday, Stenberg isn’t eligible for the NHL Draft until 2026, but his age didn’t stop him from standing out on a line with Klingsell and Gastrin. Stenberg will likely start his regular season in Sweden’s J20 league and is expected to be a high level prospect for the 2026 NHL Draft.

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This is a really nice goal from Stenberg (#15 in yellow). He identifies time and space for himself in the offensive zone, and then loads up a hard and accurate wrist shot that goes into the top corner.

Milton Gastrin - Forward

The center of the line with Klingsell and Stenberg, Gastrin was still a factor despite being a bit less heralded than his linemates. He, perhaps more so than his linemates, took advantage of their big game versus Switzerland to add to his point total. That being said, he was still one of the team’s better playmakers in this tournament.

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This is a great pass from Gastrin (#22 in yellow) to a streaking Klingsell for a goal.

USA

Ending the tournament just outside of the medals, it’s hard to consider the result a failure by Team USA as they generally don’t bring their best prospects to this event. The USNTDP players don’t play here, so it can be hard for them to compete against nations that bring their best of the best, like Canada and Czechia. Despite that, they were still in a tier above nations like Slovakia and Finland.

Matthew Lansing - Forward

Lansing was USA’s top center and one of, if not their best, forwards. He was used in all situations by the coaching staff and was usually one of the first players over the boards for power plays and penalty kills. As good a playmaker as a goal scorer, he used his skating to slash into the offensive zone with the puck and get defenses to commit to him to open up passing lanes. He was equally as creative taking the puck to the net for his own scoring chances where he had a bit more success. Not considered a top draft prospect currently, this tournament along with a strong season in the USHL might make teams take more notice.

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Lansing’s (#22 in blue) display of deft pucking handling along with some good skating allow him to keep this puck all the way to Sweden’s goal where he takes advantage of their goaltender committing first.

Blake Fiddler - Defense

The Captain of this US team, Fiddler was asked to play a defensive defenseman role by the coaching staff, and he played the role very well. The right handed defender snuffed out plays with good gap control, stick work, and physicality throughout the tournament. He showed he’s capable of defending at a higher level than seen in his first season in the WHL, and it bodes well for his draft stock. He even found opportunities to rush the puck from his own end and scored a nice goal. There were rumblings from the media that this tournament may have raised his stock to the first round of the NHL Draft.

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The aforementioned nice goal. Fiddler (#3 in white) creates a zone exit and a zone entry with the puck on his stick, dangles a German defender, and then makes a power forward type move to the net to score.

Ben Kevan - Forward

This spot could’ve easily belonged to Sam Spehar or Alexander Donovan, but Ben Kevan’s consistently high compete level makes the selection easier. Kevan was used in all situations by the US coaching staff, and was noticeable every game they played. He played with pace and was always looking to be on the right side of the puck. His skating ability was one of his better traits. He had a couple of multi point games as well. Kevan is expected to be a mid-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft, but a season where he plays like he did in this tournament might see his stock rise.

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This clip is a little longer but is a good example of Kevan’s (#7 in white) overall game. He was always looking to disrupt opposition puck carriers while getting himself into advantageous positions in the offensive zone.

Slovakia

Winners of the fifth place game in this year’s tournament, Slovakia didn’t have as many players with 2025 NHL Draft pedigree as the nations that finished ahead of it. That being said, they do have some standout players such as Jan Chovan, as well as some that could rise in the draft rankings over the course of the season such as Andreas Straka and Tobias Tomik. They have some dark horse players eligible for the draft as well that stood out in this tournament.

Jan Chovan - Forward

Easily Slovakia’s best forward in the tournament, and likely its best player, Chovan was their top line center and played in all situations. He had points in all of Slovakia’s games and used good footspeed to get up and down the ice. He possesses good size and skating ability. He showed good playmaking skills in the offensive zone, and some defensive play in the neutral and defensive zones where he got himself into passing lanes regularly. He plays in Finland during the regular season, and will either start his season with Tappara’s U20 team or join the Sudbury Wolves of the OHL. If he has a good season, it’s possible to see him picked in the second or third round of the 2025 Draft.

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This is a really nice pass from Chovan (#26 in blue) on Slovakia’s power play. It displays really nice vision and awareness on Chovan’s part. The goal scorer may never score an easier goal in his life.

Michal Svrcek - Forward

Playing on Jan Chovan’s wing, Svrcek was the recipient of much of Chovan’s playmaking, and scored goals in three of Slovakia’s four games. He scored the overtime game winner in the fifth place game. He has really nice puck skills and can get creative in the offensive zone. He’s played his regular season games in Sweden the last two years, moving up Brynas’s system, and he’ll likely start with their J20 team this year.

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This clip is a good example of Svrcek’s (#10 in blue) ability to score goals. Leading the rush and starting the give and go on a two on one is a good way to get the lone defender moving and the goaltender scrambling.

Michal Pradel - Goaltender

It might seem a bit unusual to list a fifth place team goaltender as a standout, but Pradel was really good for a Slovakian squad that was underwhelming defensively. He was very good in two of the three games he played in, but was pulled in the game against Canada. He battles hard, covers the bottom of the net well, and has good lateral movement. He has great size for a goaltender at 6’4” / 194 lbs. It will be interesting to see how he develops over the year in Europe and see if he can play his way into a mid to late round 2025 NHL Draft selection.

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This video of Pradel making some saves using good positioning only tells half the story here. With Sweden already up by a goal mid-way through the first period, Pradel needs to shut the door to keep Slovakia from falling too far behind in the game, and in this series of chances, he’s able to do that.

Germany

Starting the tournament with an overtime win over Finland, Germany must’ve been thrilled with the win knowing that they had to face Czechia and the USA in the group stage. The win got them into the fifth place game where they were downed by Slovakia, but it proved to be a worthwhile tournament for the Germans overall. Some of their more hyped prospects like David Lewandowski and Max Bleicher had decent tournaments, but the best Germans were some of their lesser regarded players. If they can continue to improve, this year’s class of German players could see a few more players picked in the NHL Draft.

Carlos Handel - Defense

Handel was Germany’s best two-way defender and his transition play from zone to zone either by carrying or passing the puck was a highlight for this year’s team. A good skater with and without the puck, he was able to activate offensively by using his speed. His puck skills are a plus as well. His defensive play will need to be an area of focus moving forward. Handel was drafted by Moncton of the QMJHL in this summer’s Import Draft, and it’s expected he will play there. A good season in the Q will help his draft stock.

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Perhaps the best play of Handel’s (#7 in black) tournament, his ability to transition the puck while leading the rush, is something scouts saw often from him. The goal at the end is really nice as well as he loads up a wrist shot to pick a top corner.

Dustin Willhoft - Forward

Willhoft was one of the smaller players at the tournament this year, but what he lacks in size, he makes up for in skill and desire. He skates very well and uses his foot speed and pace to slash into the offensive zone with the puck where he looks to make plays or take the puck to the net. He’s not a perimeter player and will go to the slot with and without the puck. His play in his own zone isn’t as polished as his offensive play and he struggles a bit with a lack of length due to his height. He’s a notable prospect for the Germans, but it would likely take a massive breakout season to put him on the NHL’s radar for the Draft.

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This is one of Willhoft’s nicer goals and he’s able to elevate the puck even with the Czech defender harassing him.

Gustavs & Rihards Griva - Forwards

Is it a cheat to include the twins together as one standout player? Yes, probably, but these two were attached at the hip and were tied for the scoring lead for Germany in the tournament. They finished with four points each (both had 2g - 2a) and they bookended Germany’s goal scoring with the first and last goals of the tournament. They also combined for the game winning goal against Finland, and in this case, that’s enough to be a combined standout for this squad. They will likely continue to play together in Germany this upcoming season as they try to raise their draft profiles.

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This play has Gustavs (#28 in white) using his hockey sense to steal the pass from the goaltender and get the puck to Rihards (#27) in the slot. Rihard’s shot is good and finds the top corner of the net. Any goal a twin scored, the other had an assist.

Finland

A bit of a disappointing tournament for Finland this year, only managing a seventh place finish. There was a lack of high end offense and star power on this year’s team and they averaged only a goal per game in the group stage of the tournament. They broke the seventh place game open, scoring five goals against Switzerland, but by then the tournament had gotten away from them. Jesper Kotajarvi, their best prospect heading into the tournament, struggled and wasn’t the effective mobile, puck moving defenseman that was expected for the most part.

Patrik Kerkola - Goaltender

Just on statistics alone, Kerkola was one of the better goaltenders of the tournament, despite his team’s record and overall play. He had the third best save % (.913) and third best goals against (2.31) of the goaltenders who started most of their team’s games. More so, behind a less than stellar Finnish defense, Kerkola’s steady play stood out and he gave his team a chance to win all of the games he started. The netminder has strong fundamentals and could start his season with Barrie in the OHL, who took him 75th in this summer’s CHL Import Draft.

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This is a good breakaway save by Kerkola, especially given that the puck was turned over in his zone, not giving him much time to prepare.

Max Westergard - Forward

One of the best Finnish skaters at this year’s tournament, Westergard led the team in goal scoring with three, scoring in all of their games but one. A strong skater with good pace, Westergard is able to get up and down the ice quickly with or without the puck. He’s skilled with the puck and can flash in the offensive zone when he has some room to make a play. He played in Sweden last year and was very good in their J18 league. With a birthday close to the cutoff for the 2025 NHL Draft, it’ll be interesting to see how he fairs if he continues to play with Frolunda’s J20 team.

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This is the easiest, but also nicest, goal Westergard scored in the tournament this year.

Lasse Boelius - Defense

The best overall defender for Finland in the tournament, Boelius was able to use his skating to be an effective transitional defenseman. He was noticeable for all the right reasons when bringing the puck out of his own end, either with his skating or passing. He was used on the power play and showed good passing touch. His play in his own zone needs improvement as he struggled with puck battles along the boards and wasn’t very physical anywhere in the zone.

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This is a good zone exit clip from Boelius (#9 in white). His patience, vision, and skating allow him to find space to skate the puck out of the defensive zone with ease.

Switzerland

The last place team in the tournament, Switzerland lacked the overall talent that the other teams had, and it showed. They gave Slovakia a scare before losing in overtime, this after losing to Canada and Sweden by 10+ goals in their games. Switzerland was another team that lacked 2025 NHL Draft pedigree, but a few of their players may have made an early impression on NHL scouts.

Mike Aeschlimann - Forward

Their leading scorer and goal scorer, Aeschlimann scored two of Switzerland’s five goals in the tournament. He scored both of his goals in the seventh place game against Finland and one was a very nice backhand shot that found the back of the net. A decent skater who flashed some offensive skill, Aeschlimann will return to Langnau’s U20 team this upcoming season.

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This is a great goal from Aeschlimann (#11 in white), from the steal at the defensive blue line to create his own breakaway to the backhand shot that finds the top of the net, it’s a high quality play at each step.

Florian Schenk - Forward

Their top center, Schenk was used in all situations by the Swiss coaching staff. He added a goal and an assist to Switzerland’s scoring totals in the tournament, but his real value was in being as good defensively as he was offensively. He had a good hit on Gavin McKenna early in the game against Canada, and he was committed to good two way play. Schenk will have an opportunity to improve this season as he has committed to the St. John Sea Dogs of the QMJHL, who selected him seventh overall in this summer’s CHL Import Draft.

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For a team that didn’t score very many goals, this is a pretty good one from Schenk (#21 in white). Good positioning in the middle of the neutral zone helps to force the Slovakian puck carrier to make a poor passing decision. From there Schenk goes to the net and scores off the rebound. Solid play in both zones from Schenk.

Lars Steiner - Forward

Steiner played with Schenk on Switzerland’s top line and contributed with a goal and an assist during the tournament, with both of his points coming in the game against Slovakia. His goal was a nice shot from the right wing that found the top corner of the net. Another Swiss player drafted to the QMJHL in the CHL Import Draft, Steiner will play for the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies this upcoming season. A late 2007 birthday, Steiner is eligible for the 2026 NHL Draft.

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The aforementioned goal from Steiner (#15 in white). He starts the play by looking for an outlet to pass to but he decides to keep the puck and place a hard wrist shot into the back of the net.

GERMAN PROSPECT MUSINGS 2022 #1 – Weak draft group, Rossmy’s late season surge, Germany host U18 World Championship, and more

Chapin Landvogt — Fri, 08 Apr 2022 18:03:29 +0000

Bennet Rossmy. Photo by Dan Hickling, Hickling Images

German Prospect Musings

The DEL season has now concluded and there are ultimately few surprises in the grand scheme of things. The reigning champion Eisbären Berlin, featuring draftees Dominik Bokk and Johan Södergran as well as overage draft-eligibles Tobias Ancicka and Bennet Rossmy, can be found at 1st overall while Krefeld is the team that finished last, meaning it will be relegated if the Frankfurt Lions of the DEL2 manage to win the DEL2 championship, for which they are still in the running. Many factors led to the last place finish for a Krefeld team that entered the season with a ton of established European pros and former Toronto Maple Leafs prospect Jeremy Bracco, who did become the team’s top scorer. Saddening is that no DEL team was more ready and willing to provide ice time to youngsters, including regular shifts for WJC performers Alexander Blank, Justin Volek, Maciej Rutkowski, and Nikita Quapp, who of course is a Carolina Hurricanes prospect.

Quapp did end up seeing a bit of ice time this year but cannot claim to have been more than average behind a porous defense, one that had for several stretches of the season only had four or five bodies, with the top three long since lost to injury. In fact, his 4.04 GAA and .875 save percentage tell a much different story. His teammate Blank has, however, - in conjunction with his outstanding WJC performance - become the nation’s top overager on the draft front and perhaps its best prospect available for this draft. Should the team truly be relegated, which would be as unfathomable for the German ice hockey scene as seeing Modo or HV71 or Djurgarden drop down in Sweden, both young men will definitely be playing their ice hockey elsewhere next season.

What the DEL season did show was teams getting hit by Covid at various junctures and a ton of rescheduled games, which often led to 4-game weeks for several teams. This led to a situation where any number of teams could look like world-beaters on one evening, and juniors the next. Powerhouses such as Mannheim and Munich each suffered through various losing streaks and the odd blowout loss along the way.

Poor year on the prospect front

Despite all the thin line-ups and number of games that saw junior-aged players dressed (if for no other reason than) to prevent the team from having to forfeit a game, several players did manage to gain considerable ice time and throw their name into this summer’s draft hat. In addition to Blank, Munich’s Filip Varejcka and Maks Szuber each assumed much larger roles with more considerable ice time than anyone would have imagined coming into the season. It’ll be Szuber’s third go at it despite first turning 20 in August. For Varejcka, who has never quite been able to obtain draft consideration, it’s his last shot at age 21. A host of other young men saw some time with the DEL club, including Sebastian Cimmermann and Thomas Heigl, but the biggest disappointment this season has been Germany’s top overall prospect for this year’s draft, Julian Lutz.

It’s no real fault of his own. Lutz was injured right before the season began and despite being known as a fitness nut and winner of many internal fitness competitions within the Red Bull organization, couldn’t make it back into the line-up until several weeks ago. Coming back has been a slow process and his 1-2-3 and +3 scoreline in 13 games isn’t screaming “Yes, I’m a top 90 pick”, but simply being back has given his draft chances quite the boost. What we’ll now have to see is just how far Munich goes this spring, as Lutz is eligible for the U18 Worlds being hosted right here in Germany (more on that later). When healthy, the DEL club has more than enough organizational depth to do without Lutz, but will he become integral enough to a go at the championship to dispatch him to the U18 team?

We may know very soon.

Another young man who was thought to spend his initial draft year in the DEL was 17-year-old Luca Hauf. Yes, he got into 12 games with the aforementioned last place club but had zero points and a minus rating. It was a step too much for him. He continued to ravage the nation’s 3rd league to the tune of 32 points in 25 games and the nation’s junior league with 14 points in four games, but most interesting has been his three points and +2 in seven DEL2 contests with the Frankfurt Lions. Yes, that’s right, with the one team that could replace Krefeld in the DEL next year. His spring in the DEL2 will also determine if he’ll be able to participate in the U18 worlds.

Both Lutz and Hauf would be 2/3rds of U18 Germany’s first line.

A couple of other top candidates for the big tourney are Moritz Elias and Leo Hafenrichter. Fans of CHL leagues will recognize those names right away, as both were drafted by and began the season with a WHL and OHL club, respectively. Both returned. Both have since been playing regularly in the DEL2. Neither has done much in the point production department, but each has been an integral part of some interesting playoff success.

Elias’ Heilbronn Falcons knocked off the Dresden Loewen, who had spent much of the season in first place and finished 2nd overall. Kassel was a huge favorite coming into the season, but Hafenrichter’s Bad Nauheim just took them out in seven games. It’s doubtful that either team will survive the next round of the playoffs, so there really should be no danger of missing out on the U18 tournament. Both will be needed for their skillset, but also their knowledge of North American players, seeing as how Germany will be in a group with both Canada and the USA.

Lastly, we’d like to mention Roman Kechter, who plays in Sweden for Rögle BK, the same club top prospect Marco Kasper is playing for. As opposed to Kasper, whose name is popping up everywhere as a 1st round option for the draft, Kechter has taken a fairly large step back in his prospect status this season after having gained 21 games of DEL experience as a 17-year-old last season. That making his way into the SHL shouldn’t be expected was clear, but Kechter has played a bit of a menial role for the club’s U20 team, collecting 15 points in 31 games. Granted, he just turned 18 in mid-February and will have not only the Swedish junior playoffs to build his status with, but also the tournament in Landshut and Kaufbeuren. Of course, Kechter is currently seen as a Swedish prospect.

All things considered, the top names for first year eligible German prospects are going to need to make use of a big season-concluding tournament in order to really make themselves into possibilities for the draft. At this juncture, only Lutz seems to be a sure-fire pick and even that will be mostly based on what he did last season.

Late season splurge

Rossmy, Germany’s U18 captain last spring, was basically the top first year eligible prospect in Germany last season aside from Haakon Hänelt, a Washington Capitals draft pick who has come to play all of seven games for the Gatineau Olympiques of the QMJHL. But Rossmy spent the bulk of this season showing the NHL scouting community that they were right to take a wait and see approach in drafting him. He wasn’t able to produce in the DEL in over twenty games from the Eisbären Berlin and his DEL2 play didn’t see him chip in at the level he did just last season as a 17-year-old.

Well, something went click in this year’s relegation round, when it mattered most. There he exploded for four goals, 11 points, and a +8 rating in just five games. Once the class was retained for his Lausitzer Foxes, Berlin called him back up and he promptly scored his second DEL goal of the season in a 5-1 victory over Augsburg. To jog your memory, the 6’3”, 195-pound winger was part of Germany’s U20 team this winter and will spend the rest of the season with 1st place Berlin, which starts its playoff run this week.

Junior champions decided

The junior season has concluded in Germany’s top three junior circuits, namely the DNL (U20), U17, and U15, and it’s been a dandy of a season for a bunch of young people have missed out on championships over the past two years, particularly with respect to the DNL.

That’s where we’ll start as this end result was the season’s biggest surprise. The new champion is the Eisbären Berlin Juniors and despite the DEL team’s many achievements, it’s the first ever title in four attempts for the boys from the German capital. Adding to the nuance was that Berlin had to defeat Cologne in a Best-of-Three series, one that featured three very hard-fought battles ending 4-3 in OT, 5-3, and then 3-2. In fact, it’s the first time since 2010 that a team other than the Mannheim Jungadler had won the title. In total, Mannheim has taken the prize 17 times in the league’s 20-year history. Cologne had disposed of Mannheim rather convincingly in the semifinals with results of 3-0 and well, 3-0. Quiet for Mannheim in those losses were both Ralf Rollinger and Luigi Calce, who have spearheaded the team’s attack and are draft eligible for the first time this year.

The top scorer of the playoffs was Pascal Steck (member of last spring’s U18 team in Texas) with 3-8-11 in five games, but Berlin’s Kevin Handschuh proved the hero with the game-winner in the final and his league-leading 8th tally. The league’s top scorer this season was Veit Oswald, with 28-23-51 in 31 games, a player you can count on seeing at the upcoming U18 Worlds. First turning 18 on August 31st, he’ll be one of the youngest players technically available in this summer’s draft.

Mannheim did however wrap up the championships at the U17 and U15 levels, continuing to lead the nation’s charge in prospect development. Names we’ll be following very closely in the coming years are Kevin Bicker, Linus Brandl, Lua Niehus, Max Herzogs, twins Gustav and Rihards Griva (GER-LAT dual citizens), and newly acquired defenseman Paul Mayer. These are all players who are first draft-eligible between 2023-25, but the younger guys have already been getting considerable ice time with the higher league teams.

Germany hosting U18 Worlds

The last time Germany hosted the U18 Worlds was in 2011, when the JT Miller and Seth Jones-led USA defeated the Mika Zibanejad-led Team Sweden in a thrilling 3-2 overtime dual. That tournament also featured a line for Russia that set all tournament scoring records, namely Nail Yakupov and Nikita Kucherov flanking Mikhail Grigorenko.

There’ll be no Team Russia or Belarus at this year’s tourney and that means there will only be eight teams. The scouting community was licking its chops to see no less than Slovakia added, but the Slovaks are hosting the D1B U18 Worlds and that just couldn’t be pushed off for a number of financial and organizational reasons. For Germany, that will stiffen the competition with little time to prove itself. The good news is that no-one will be relegated, and each team is making the playoffs. That makes the preliminary round a warm-up and jostling for initial playoff opponents. Otherwise, it’s clear as day that Germany will be an underdog, even with Latvia also participating in the tournament. The Latvians have traditionally been a nightmare for the German squad at this event.

For now, Germany is holding a camp consisting primarily of DNL and Red Bull Academy junior players. The big name on the team is, of course, Lutz, but no less than goaltenders Philip Dietl and Leon Willerscheid, defensemen Leo Hafenrichter, Niklas Hübner, and Michael Reich, as well as fellow forwards Moritz Elias and Luca Hauf spent time this season playing DEL or DEL2 hockey. In addition, forwards Daniel Assavolyuk and Philip Krening spent the season with RB Hockey Juniors in the AlpsHL while Nikita Krymskiy spent the entire season playing Oberliga hockey. There is some verifiable pro experience on the team.

In addition, coach Alexander Dück’s U18 squad will play several test games against the nation’s U17 team, which features players such as defensemen Mayer, Niehus, and Alex Vladelchtchikov as well as forwards Bicker, Brandl, Noah Samanski, Julius Sumpf, and Paul Vinzens. There are many involved in Germany’s junior ranks who feel this wave of players trumps many of the current, older candidates. As such, the opportunity is there for several underagers to still be a part of the upcoming U18 Worlds. And that’s taking into account that Willerscheid and the highly touted Edwin Tropmann are 2005-born players who are already currently in the U18 camp, meaning their spot on the team is basically chiseled into stone.

Prospect tidbits

The season ended disappointingly for the RB Hockey Juniors of the AlpsHL. The team started the year strongly and then saw things get tougher once all the players returned from the canceled WJC. In the pre-playoffs, the team quickly lost its best-of-three series 2-0. With that, the season was over for a good handful of young men the scouting community would have loved to see in continued action.

For Germany, that meant that the aforementioned Krening could concentrate on the upcoming U18 Worlds. A bit lost in the fray, Krening is a first eligible prospect who missed a good chunk of the season to injury. The 5’11”, 175-pounder is however one of the most promising skill players in this year’s prospect batch and actually managed to put up 6-4-10 and a +2 in the 16 games he did play. That had him on pace for approximately the same amount of points we saw out of Lutz last year. We’ll be keeping a close eye on him should he be representing Team Germany in Landshut.

In North America, several players we’d like to touch upon have seen their college seasons come to an end while one more finds himself playing in the NCAA’s Final Four this week, namely Julian Napravnik of Minnesota State University. With 49 points in 38 games, he’s currently 4th overall in the nation in scoring. It will be interesting to see what that means as a soon-to-be free agent, who will naturally look to add to his scoring feats and trophy cabinet on the biggest weekend of his young career to date.

Two others we’d like to point out are Lukas Kälble and Tommy Pasanen, both of whom suited up for Clarkson this winter. The former was a 5th year senior and led the team’s blueline in scoring with 7-15-22 in 32 games. He has signed with the Florida Everblades of the ECHL and has one point in three games. Highly sought after by German pro teams, Kälble is reported as now wanting to make his way up the North American minor league circuit with an NHL contract in site down the line. The 6’4”, 218-pound Pasanen completed his first season of play with seven points in 28 games, but the righty shot was also a +16. He has another three years of NCAA eligibility and is a name we’ll be keeping close tabs on as his career progresses.