Simon Wolf – McKeen's Hockey

GERMANY: 2024-25 Hockey season kicks off!

Chapin Landvogt — Tue, 24 Sep 2024 12:30:36 +0000

Veit Oswald of Germany during the 2024 IIHF World Junior Championship.
Photo: Michael Erichsen / BILDBYRÅN / COP 89 / MI0591

The 24-25 season has been starting up across pro and junior leagues throughout Germany this past week. And we’re as excited as can be about some of the stories that should be unfolding on the prospect scene throughout the season.

One of key stories we’ll be following this season revolves around the DEL’s most successful clubs the past decade, the Munich Red Bulls. Aside from opening up a new arena, which will be the most modern in all of Europe, the team was one of the least active on the international market despite acquiring recent AHLer Adam Brooks and former NHLer - and cog in the German ice hockey scene - Tobias Rieder, who’ll be making his DEL debut. The underlying story is that the team appears to ready to double down on its intentions of bringing along internally developed U23 players such as goaltender Simon Wolf (20), defensemen Sten Fischer (21) and Jakob Weber (20), and forwards Filip Varejcka (23), Quirin Bader, Nikolaus Heigl (both 21), and Veit Oswald (20), who was the DEL’s shooting star last winter.

Oswald also proved to be a bit of a surprise seeing as how season’s such as the one he had have often led to getting drafted. It didn’t, but it did ultimately lead to him being invited to Toronto’s summer development camp. With a set role in a team filled with renewed championship ambitions, it still needs to be denoted that Oswald won’t turn 21 until August of 2025, so his draft eligibility is not yet a thing of the past.

And when one considers how similar his season was last year to the final season JJ Peterka had for the same club before jumping to the AHL, there’s probably no-one in the organization who’ll be more excited about the new arena’s opening night festivities, which will feature a match-up against Peterka’s Buffalo Sabres.

This all said, we’ve viewed goaltender Wolf as one of the most hidden goaltending talents in Europe in recent years and as things are now, he has a very good shot of sliding in as the team’s back-up goaltender, a move his pro play in the AlpsHL to date has supported. Could he become the next Arno Tiefensee?

Draftees

Speaking of which, naturally piquing our interest is what the season has in store for draft picks Kevin Bicker (DET), Hakan Hänelt (WAS), Nikita Quapp (CAR), and yes, Tiefensee (DAL). Of the three, Tiefensee is by far the most established and backed his surprisingly effective overage draft season with a 19-13 record and 2.43 GAA as the verified number 1 in goal for Mannheim last season, kicking that latter stat up a bit 2.32 in 7 playoff games. His upward trend is thoroughly expected to continue this season and on the whole, he’s in an ideal developmental spot for a player taken with a later round selection.

As for Bicker, Hänelt, and Quapp, all three are in more unique situations. For Bicker, this is Year 2 of his (probably rushed) DEL career, which saw him gather all of 3 points in 41 games last season before a leg injury ended his season prematurely. Bicker’s game is built on speed and after showing off his wares adequately at the WJC, he’s entering this year not only with a more prominent role in store for Frankfurt, but also the responsibility of being a go-to driver for this winter’s WJC. Hänelt’s great success last season was in actually getting through the season without any major physical setbacks. Otherwise, his 3 points in 40 games were nothing to write home about and he would need to make a big splash this season to re-garner a slot on the radar of prospect viability, as he’s quickly become an afterthought.

The 6’4” Quapp, on the other hand, is entering his first true DEL season after going 11-14 with a 2.63 GAA and .920 SV% in the DEL2 last season, decent numbers for a team that is among the most financially restricted in that respective league. He’ll now back up Norwegian international Henrik Haukeland, where he’ll have little competition entering the season. Furthermore, his Düsseldorf squad is itself among the most financially strapped in the DEL, meaning they’ll be counting on him as no less than a solid number 2 in net, with fire hydrant style responsibility if things sour. That’s how the season may have to kick off after Haukeland was injured in the most recent test game and is doubtful to be back in time for the opener.

U20 players

Unlike its European counterparts in Sweden, Finland, and even the Czech Republic, the number of players aged 17-19 who see ice time in the DEL can usually be counted on one hand during any given season. This leaves us wondering about the fates of a handful of youngsters who have been signed by DEL teams, unknowing what’s on dock for them. About the most fascinating thing that could happen on this front is seeing Dustin Willhöft (MAN), David Lewandowski (DUS), and Mateu Späth (CLG) wiggle their way into DEL action this season, hopefully even a (semi-)regular shift. That’s the kind of thing talents such as these tend to do in the aforementioned countries, even at the age of 17.

But there are a few more we’ll be watching closely. Edwin Tropmann (COL) was a top prospect heading into last season, as was Paul Mayer (MAN). And while Mayer saw DEL action and then finished the season with a fairly regular shift in the DEL2 - showing little statwise at either station - Tropmann’s early-season injury threw him out of the loop almost completely. We recently saw him playing this summer for the nation’s U20 team and he looked like he was getting back to form as the team’s top defenseman. These two defensemen are on the outside looking in with their DEL clubs, but both are strong likelihoods at one of the other two levels of pro hockey and should each be locks for the WJC team.

So, what will come of 6’7”, 207-pound defenseman Rio Kaiser in his draft year? He already got into 20 pro games (3 at the DEL level) this past season while being “Okay” at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup this summer. He’s already played both of Berlin’s Champions Hockey League games, so he’s getting a look. And that size just does not grow on trees. A very similar scenario has set in for 5’7” Alexander Vladelchtchikov with Bremerhaven, a defenseman who looked like he might be all the rage back when he was 14. A strong DNL season last year finally earned the 19-year-old a DEL contract with Bremerhaven, a team that has traditionally had problems bringing in younger German talent. But even among draft-eligible defenseman, he has overager Rayan Bettahar ahead of him, a player who lost a good portion of last season to a broken jaw when he was cheap-shotted after making a thundering open-ice check. He has been getting long looks in the preseason. Chances are that Vladelchtchikov will see time in the DEL2 instead, where he recently got his first pro league assist.

Two more players we had on our draft radar not too long ago were defender Lua Niehus of Frankfurt and forward Linus Brandl of Straubing, both now 19. Heading into last season, much was expected of each but Niehus got into injury trouble while Brandl found himself basically being a 13th forward for Landshut in the DEL2. Both were part of Germany’s WJC entry, but Brandl’s role was that of an extra forward while Niehus’ tournament was already over after one game. The skill levels each possess were never really in question until last season, when the expectations proved to clearly be overwhelming, with Brandl’s skating weaknesses proving to be damning while Niehus’ 5’9”, 160-pound body just wasn’t up to the physical task. Will both or either take the next step already this season? Barring injury, you’ll see both at the WJC.

Getting long in the prospect tooth is former Rögle prospect, forward Roman Kechter (20), who was wonderful for Nuremberg last season, collecting 17 points and +1 rating over 42 games. He also captained the U20 team after having captained the U18 team in 2022. We mention him here because he’s finding himself in a situation with a low-budget team where he’ll be fully expected to carry the load of a top 9 forward and see situational ice time in what could be a lot of hard scenarios. In fact, there’s likely not a 20-year-old in the league who’ll have a more concrete regular shift and responsibility than Kechter. And it’ll bear watching.

What we can also say is that particularly Düsseldorf, Iserlohn, and Nuremberg look bound to make use of plenty of U23 players, with a good handful being under 20. Particularly forwards Lenny Boos (17) in Düsseldorf, Max Brunner (18) in Iserlohn, and defenseman Max Merkl (18) are players who bring above-average skill sets to the table (by German standards) and each was a cog in seeing the U18 team gain promotion this past spring. With Boos being the son of a long-time DEL pro, Brunner having spent the past two seasons in Sweden, and Merkl already the author of 15 DEL appearances in his young career, it’s not unreasonable to think each will see some DEL action this season. A breakthrough by any could earn draft consideration.

UFAs to be?

The league will also feature a number of young players we feel continue to be of interest to NHL teams under the right circumstances. Defenseman Colin Ugbekile (22) and Leon Hüttl (23) top that list on the defensive front. Each has established himself as an up-n-comer in the national team and each is an absolute cog on his team’s blueline, contributing value in all three zones. Ugbekile even became a power play specialist last season, putting up 12 goals and 33 points. Cologne’s goaltender, Tobias Ancicka (23), finally established himself as a DEL starter last season, going 23-15 with a 2.51 GAA. After spending part of his junior years in Finland, this son of a former German national team member (of Czech descent) is finally turning promise into results and will play for a Sharks team that has as much pressure as anyone to perform this season, seeing as how it has the best attendance in Europe and few championships to show for it.

His teammate Justin Schütz (24), a former draft pick of the Florida Panthers, put up a league-leading 30 goals in 55 games last season. Snubbed from the national team before the Men’s WC, it’s safe to say that he’ll be looking to verify last season’s results with a renewed push towards an NHL contract. At the same time, there’s probably not a German player in the league who has the wheels, hockey IQ, and hands of Wojciech Stachowiak, a 25-year-old forward who saw his stats drop a wee bit in DEL play last season, but then went 2-7-9 in 8 WC games in the Czech Republic. It’s difficult imagining a player with his drive and overall package not getting a look in North America at some point. There’s simply too much hustle there.

It wasn’t too long ago that we spilled some words in favor of now 22-year-old forwards Alexander Blank, Danjo Leonhardt, and former OHLer Josh Samanski. All three will be taking on even bigger roles for their teams, with Blank fighting relegation from the get-go while the latter two will be aiming for a top 4 spot in the league with their Straubing Tigers. And while Blank continues to see his game grow into that of a playmaker, there were times last year where we found ourselves thinking that it won’t be long until Leonhardt’s 13 goals turn into 25. He’s certainly got the surrounding cast for it this year. Neither is as entrenched in their team’s plans as Samanski is, who is on the fast track to a more stable spot in the national team. The 6’6” forwards skates like he’s 5 inches shorter and broke through last season with 12 goals and 33 points. It’s going to be hard for the NHL not to take notice if 40+ points and WC appearance ends up being in the cards for him this season.

Sticking with the Tigers, goaltender Florian Bugl (6’1”, 187 pounds) has really been nothing short of spectacular the past few seasons. He’s now 22 and although long thought to be ahead of Dallas’ Arno Tiefensee, hasn’t been drafted. But he’s put up 17-8 and then 15-8 records the past two seasons and even got into 3 of his team’s 6 playoff games last season. He once again has a veteran North American goaltender to share duties with, but with his Straubing Tigers now in the Champions Hockey League and fully expected to be a top 4 club in the DEL again, there’s no reason to believe he’ll see fewer starts than he has to date as “spreading the wealth” will be part of the goaltending ice time plan.

DEL2

As wonderful as it is to theorize about possible draftees getting their feet wet in the DEL, it’s the second tier DEL2 that plays a much more significant role for the development of draftable youngsters. There’s usually more ice time to go around and teams are regularly looking for cheaper options for lower line roles. In addition, there’s a U23 role in place that downright requires the team to suit up a certain number of players 22 or younger for every game. We even expect many of the names listed above to more likely find themselves taking shifts here rather than the DEL as just about every DEL team has an affiliate in the lower ranks to whom they send their most promising youngsters.

The most prominent parking stations are Munich’s affiliate Kaufbeuren and Berlin’s affiliate Lausitz. These teams usually have some of the smaller league budgets, but see their rosters pepped up with youngsters the DEL teams acquire or bring up through their own junior programs. This year, we’ll be keeping a close eye on Kaufbeuren samples Jakob Peukert (D/18), Fabian Nifosi (D/20), Leon Sivic (F/20), and Jonas Fischer (F/19). The same is true for Lausitz with respect to the aforementioned Kaiser (D/17), Marlon Braun (D/20), Nils Elten (D/21), and Filip Ziesche (F/19). If we’re lucky, Linus Vieillard (G/18) will already be up to the task, as we’d like nothing more than to see him force his way into WJC consideration. He’s been slyly good wherever he’s played to date.

While at it, Nico Pertuch (19) is looking like the frontrunner for the spot as Germany’s #1 at the WJC and he spent all of last season as the back-up in Ravensburg. That role - including more ice time - is all but certain this season, so he’ll be a name to follow closely. We’ve liked him since he was 17, but the 6’2”, 212-pounder really took some major steps last season and shows some impressive mental fortitude.

As far as players are concerned who were already in scout’s notebooks this past summer and who could certainly gain overage drafting consideration with a strong winter are Kassel’s Clemens Sager and Weiden’s Elias Pul, both forwards. A north/south player with some moxy, Sager has a penchant for being very involved in board work while smart enough to compliment skill players of any sort. His team is a heavy favorite for the DEL2 championship and with that, promotion to the DEL. Will he get the ice time we’d hope for on such a loaded squad? That’s something we won’t really need to be asking with respect to league newbie Weiden, which has plucked the solid two-way Pul from the Red Bull Juniors program and looks ready to force-feed him with DEL2 minutes. He’ll need to adjust to bigger and better opponents, but if the talent and overall wherewithal we’ve come to know from him truly speak of his package, then he could be turning a lot of heads by season’s end.

DNL

At the nation’s top junior level, Landshut was the surprise victor last spring, coming back from being down 2-0 in the series against powerhouse Berlin to come out on top with a 3-2 Best-of-Five victory, much of that success on the backs of forwards Tobias Schwarz and Simon Seidl. The two not only lead the way offensively throughout the playoffs, but also got into several dozen DEL2 games as well as a starring role in the D1A U18 Worlds, where Germany went 5-0 in gaining promotion back into the elite group. With DEL contracts in their pockets (Straubing), the sky's the limit for the duo, which is expected to spend most the season back in the DEL2, but should be about a lock for Germany at the WJC.

This DNL season will nonetheless be one that is all about redemption for traditional powerhouse Mannheim, a program that will host one of the biggest storylines coming out of Germany, a young man we’ve been talking about for a bit now named Max Penkin. We’re not going to hold back in saying that he’s the most dynamic forward prospect coming out of Germany since Tim Stützle. That’s the trajectory at this point. Now, Mannheim started slowly out of the gates last season and found itself on the outside looking in once the initial qualification round concluded after just 14 games, placing the team in a B group that would battle to retain the class and thus, out of championship contention.

This hiccup surely will be a thing of the past and many of the reasons could be seen at the Eli Palfreyman Memorial Invitational in Canada at the conclusion of August. There, fans were able to see Penkin’s exploits. To clarify, Penkin is a 15-year-old who is first eligible for the 2027 draft. He dominated the U17 league last season and is set to be a go-to figure already this year, maybe even getting a look at the pro level. He is that intriguing and he’s actually so young that he had to gain “Exceptional Status” to be permitted to play at the DNL level already this season.

But fans at the tournament above were also able to see several other players who’ll look to be draft topics next summer, namely crafty tiny tot Dustin Willhöft, defenseman Nick Mahler, and dynamic twins Gustavs and Rihards Griva, originally from Latvia. We’re also excited to see what 18-year old overager Nikita Zhvanov (Tschwanow) will be able to do after a shortened 23-24 season saw him put up 28 points in 33 games and another 9 (and +9) in 18 games for 3rd league pro team Heilbronn.

Along with Mannheim, the usual suspects are expected to throw their hats into the championship picture, namely Berlin and Cologne. And with Germany back with the big boys at the U18 level, the DNL will continue to hold great importance as the provider of what will likely be over 50% of the team come next April. The Hlinka Gretzky Cup this past summer once again saw Germany overwhelmed at times, but a 2-1 victory over Finland was huge for the program and a placement game loss to Switzerland saw a wonderful effort by Germany tossed down the tubes with a late breakdown.

With that in mind, some of the most exciting DNL names to follow this year are those of Maxim Schäfer, Elias Schneider, Tom Fitschen, Moritz Kretschmar (all Berlin), Tobin Brandt, Noah and Marco Münzenberger (both roughly 6’4” and no confirmed relation to Edmonton prospect Luca), Matthias Pape, Max Ziergiebel (all Cologne), Niclas Focks, Konstantin Redinger, Tim Schütz (all Krefeld), Peukert (Kaufbeuren), and Fabio & Timo Kose (Regensburg).

Following the DNL this year will be about focussing on what talent forces its way onto the U18 roster. If any come into WJC consideration, then we’re talking about an exception of sorts as Coach Abstreiter rarely strays from his eldest options, most of whom have pro or CHL experience under their belts.

But to be clear, we’re here to see just how far Penkin can take his prospect star at this early stage in his career. He’s got 3 points in the loaded team’s first 5 games.

BELL: Scout’s Prospects Notebook: One Overlooked Player From Each 2024 World Juniors Team to Watch

Josh Bell — Wed, 27 Dec 2023 15:26:33 +0000

GOTHENBURG, SWEDEN - DECEMBER 26: Finland vs Canada Preliminary Round - Group A action at the 2024 IIHF World Junior Championship at Scandinavium on December 26, 2023 in Gothenburg, Sweden. (Photo by Matt Zambonin/IIHF)

The World Juniors brings together some of the top prospects in hockey in one action-packed, exciting event. While the stars often take a large portion of center stage, we can always count on some unexpected (or less expected) prospects to make an impact and stand out in a big way.

The 2024 World Juniors will be no different. While players like Matthew Savoie, Jonathan Lekkermaki, Jiri Kulich, Lane Hutson, and Denton Mateychuk will be expected to take on huge roles, some other prospects are hitting the ice that are likely to have just as much impact in this event.

Here’s one player to watch from every World Juniors’ team this year, who may not be the main star or focus on their team as they enter the event but could very well be the hero by the end.

Team Canada: Mathis Rousseau (2024 Eligible)

The Canadian roster is filled with players who can stand out and step up in this event. It’s loaded with star power from Savoie and Macklin Celebrini up front to Mateychuk on the back end. Any skater on this team could be a star whether they came into the event as one or not. However, as we’re accustomed to discussing about Canada in this event - what about goaltending? Enter Mathis Rousseau.

Rousseau has been dominating the QMJHL this season with a 16-3-2 record to go along with his .934 save percentage. Despite recording a .912 save percentage and a 36-7-2 record last season, the Montreal native went undrafted in last year’s draft (and the year before). This could very well be his year and this World Juniors could be his pedestal to show why.

It won’t be easy as he’ll need to beat out Buffalo Sabres’ prospect Scott Ratzlaff for the role, but Rousseau has the talent to do it. While he’s an “undersized” goaltender at 5-foot-11, he reads the play so well and his technique is excellent. He can make a sprawling desperation safe when needed as well, and you can expect his athleticism will be on full display in this event. Prediction: he’ll be Canada’s guy by the end of the event. That means that Canada’s medal chances will rest on his shoulders.

Team Czechia: Matyas Sapovaliv (Vegas Golden Knights)

Looking at the Czech roster, of course, attention is drawn to captain Jiri Kulich or even recent draft pick Eduard Sale. However, don’t sleep on Matyas Sapovaliv. The centerman is entering his third World Juniors event, last year standing out with a point-per-game performance as he helped the Czechs to a silver medal. He was also named a top-three player on that team.

Sapovaliv looks to be taking a big step in the OHL this year, already with 36 points (12 goals, 24 assists) in 27 games. He’s on pace for 87 points - a big step up from his 56 points last season. The Vegas Golden Knights prospect, drafted 48th overall in 2022, is centring the top line between first-rounders Kulich and Sale and should more than fit in with those two.

The forward brings good size, excellent vision, impressive puck possession, and underappreciated two-way ability to the Czech roster. I’d expect him to push Kulich and Sale to be better in this event as the pivot on their line. Sapovaliv is not a passenger. He can drive plays, and look for him to do just that in what could be a breakout event for the young prospect.

Team Finland: Jani Nyman (Seattle Kraken)

Every discussion of this Finnish roster falls on one player: 2024-eligible Konsta Helenius. And that’s fair, if this roster is going to have any success, their young centerman will need to have a big tournament. But don’t forget about Jani Nyman. The Seattle Kraken prospect was drafted in 2022, 49th overall, and is playing in his second World Juniors.

Nyman has been having a strong season in the Liiga with Ilves, recording 22 points (14 goals, eight assists) in 28 games. That goal total is tied in the Liiga for the most in the league. As his stat line would suggest, he’s strong at finding the back of the net and that will be relied on heavily at the World Juniors if the Finns will have a chance at stealing a medal. I’d expect him to lead the secondary scoring for the Finns and potentially work his way up to the top of the lineup by the time the tournament’s over.

With Nyman’s excellent season in Finland, expect that to carry over into the World Juniors, especially as a returning, veteran player on this roster. His shot might be one of the best in the entire tournament and he’ll put it on display as much as he can. He has some soft hands as well and has a knack for finding open space. Keep an eye on him as the tournament progresses.

Team Germany: Simon Wolf (Undrafted - 2024 Eligible)

The Germans have had a ton of star power in recent years, but this year’s roster does seem to lack that aspect. Julian Lutz should be the leader, and any success that this team has will likely come from his stick, but it’s Simon Wolf could be the true catalyst for the Germans in this event.

The netminder is a returning player on this roster, granted he was the backup last year and had one, rough start. This year, it looks like he’ll take the starting reigns in the tough Group A and will be relied on heavily to face a large flurry of shots and keep his team in games as much as he can. He’s been passed over in the NHL Draft twice and while he’s a long shot to be selected in this year’s crop, a strong World Juniors could help change that (hello Tomas Suchacek and Adam Gajan).

Wolf has good size at 6-foot-2, 195 pounds, His stats haven’t been great over the years, but neither have the teams that he’s played on. He’s much better than his stats suggest. For example, in three games at the 2022 U18s, he was 0-3 with a .876 save percentage - but I thought he looked strong. He faced 56, 35, and 46 shots against though. Again, he’s better than the stats suggest.

Team Latvia: Darels Uljanskis (2024 Eligible)

Like Germany, this Latvian team doesn’t quite have star power in this year’s event. They do have some returning, NHL-drafted pieces that should help them in Sandis Vilmanis and Dans Locmelis, but it’s 2024 Darels Uljanskis that could be the one turning heads in this year’s event.

The 2024-eligible prospect has the potential to be a top-100 selection in the draft and could improve on that stock as the World Juniors roll on. The 17-year-old defender has spent most of the season with AIK J20 in the J20 Nationell, where he’s collected 16 points (five goals, 11 assists) in 25 games - good for third on the team as the youngest player on the team.

The prospect exudes confidence and loves to join the rush, make plays, and show off his creativity. While he’s still a younger player in this event, expect him to put that on full display as often as he can. He has good reach and an active stick and will be leaned on to make plays in his own end as well. Look for him to be a difference-maker for the Latvians and put his name on the draft map.

Team Norway: Petter Vesterheim (Undrafted - 2024 Eligible)

Noway has one clear-cut star on the roster in Michael Brandsegg-Nygard, who’s already earned the title of the best prospect to come out of Norway in recent memory and looks to be the first-ever first-rounder out of the country. Outside of him, the talent level on this Norweigan roster does drop off. But Brandsegg-Nygard’s teammate Petter Versterheim could help this team avoid relegation.

Vesterheim even plays on the same line as Brandsegg-Nygard with Mora IK in the HockeyAllsvenskan and has been playing well over the past two seasons. He’s up to nine points (one goal, eight assists) in 24 games - ahead of Brandsegg-Nygard by three points. He went undrafted in 2023 but was on a handful of public lists, including coming in at 216th at McKeen’s. He should be an overage target in this year’s draft.

The forward should be the pivot on the top line, maintaining his connection with MBN and Noah Steen (all on the same line with Mora) and leading the team all tournament. He’s a strong playmaker and consistently pushes the pace. He brings a level of creativity to his game, utilized often to create space for himself and his teammates.

Team Slovakia: Servac Petrovsky (Minnesota Wild)

The Slovaks have been pumping out some extremely talented prospects in recent years, and there’s a handful of them on this World Juniors roster. Dalibor Dvorsky, Filip Mesar, Samuel Honzek, and last year’s top goaltender Adam Gajan should help disrupt this tournament, and could even push Slovakia into the medal rounds. They’ll be helped though with some pieces throughout this roster, highlighted by Servac Petrovsky.

Drafted way down in the sixth round, 185th overall by the Minnesota Wild, Petrovsky has been having an excellent season in the OHL, maintaining a point-per-game pace. He’s entering his third World Juniors already, recording two goals and an assist in each of the last two. Expect that to shoot up this year.

Petrovsky’s offensive abilities are obvious thanks to his ability to find the soft ice and his knack for breaking free from the defender assigned to him. He has an excellent, accurate shot and likes to use it. But he also brings defensive ability, where he’s responsible and active as well. There’s a chance that Petrovsky becomes the hero of this team and should be a huge factor in any success the Slovaks have.

Team Sweden: Filip Bystedt (San Jose Sharks)

This Swedish roster has been built for success and there’s been a lot of talk about the top three forwards of Jonathan Lekkermaki, Noah Ostlund, and Liam Ohgren. There’s also been discussion of the potential top defender of the tournament Axel Sandin Pellikka. After these big four though, the roster will open up and rely on a large number of players. However, Filip Bystedt should be one to watch as he could very well be the difference-maker in games for Sweden.

There’s proof that this is possible actually, if you look back to the 2023 World Juniors where Bystedt went off for 10 points (four goals, six assists) in seven games where he was named a top three player on the team. Last year’s SHL Rookie of the Year has stuck in the SHL this year as well with Linkoping HC where he has nine points (four goals, five assists) in 26 games. That total isn’t exactly a step forward from last year, but this tournament could be the confidence boost he needs this season.

A hulking forward at 6-foot-4, Bystedt is a strong player who can dominate the play at times. He has good speed and his skating has improved this year. He’s a solid possession player that can make an impact in both ends of the ice. He should factor into the top six and should once again be an offensive leader on this team. I’m expecting this to be the jumping-off point of his season to get back on his development track.

Team Switzerland: Leon Muggli (2024 Eligible)

Switzerland is likely entering this tournament will a goal of avoiding relegation, unfortunately. The roster does lack a star-power element but does have Anaheim Ducks prospect Rodwin Dionicio who should be the leader of this team from the backend. The backend does have the potential to lead this team altogether, especially with another up-and-comer looking to be a cornerstone on the blue line in Leon Muggli.

The young defenseman has had an exceptional season so far in the Swiss National League with Zug, where he’s put up nine points (two goals, seven assists) in 25 games. While that might not pop off the page, this is a professional men’s league, he’s 17, and his 0.36 points per game is the best of a U18 defender in the league ever - including Nashville Predators star Roman Josi.

Muggli has been an underrated prospect to this point in the season, but the World Juniors could act as his public coming-out party. He looks to factor into the top four (if not the top line with Dionicio) and will display his intelligence and maturity in every play. He should contribute offensively and be relied on as a solid defensive piece. Look for him to lead the breakout and could join the rush often. Another prediction: Muggli ends the tournament as one of the Swiss’ top three players.

Team USA: Zeev Buium (2024 Eligible)

Team USA is in Sweden for one reason and one reason only: gold. They have the roster to do it. This team is stacked. Rutger McGroarty, Cutter Gauthier, Will Smith, Lane Hutson, Gabe Perrault, and the list goes on. This team looks to be the favourite to win the tournament. This forward corps has dominated much of the conversation so far, as has Hutson and Seamus Casey on the back end. But one defender that needs to be on the radar is Zeev Buium.

The 2024-eligible prospect is in the midst of a potentially historic season, putting up 25 points (five goals, 20 assists) in just 18 games with the University of Denver in the NCAA. He’s on pace for the highest-scoring season for a U19 defender in the history of the NCAA. He’s no stranger to having success with Team USA either, putting up six points (one goal, five assists) at the 2023 World U18s en route to a gold medal.

Buium is the only draft-eligible skater on this roster and should start the tournament by playing some sheltered minutes. However, if his play from the NCAA continues, he’ll force the USA coaching staff to move him up the lineup before the event ends. He’s incredibly intelligent and calm, with strong skating ability and excellent puck distribution. Watch

MCKEENS 2024 WORLD JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIP GUIDE – Team Germany plus an interview with Norwin Panocha

Chapin Landvogt — Sun, 24 Dec 2023 14:38:30 +0000

HALIFAX, NOVA SCOTIA - DECEMBER 28: Germany's Roman Kechter #24 celebrates at the bench with teammates after scoring a first period goal against Canada during Preliminary Round - Group A action at the 2023 IIHF World Junior Championship at Scotiabank Centre on December 28, 2022 in Halifax, Nova Scotia. (Photo by Matt Zambonin/IIHF)

Suddenly a regular in the quarterfinals after 3 straight appearances, Team Germany entered last year’s event as the biggest underdog on paper save for Team Austria. Long gone were the entries with names such as Tim Stützle and JJ Peterka, or even Maks Szuber and Benett Rossmy, and the staff was well aware of the uphill battle at hand as they made their way to Maritimes. With relegation once again part of the whole kit and caboodle, both Austria and Germany entered tourney action with December 30th encompassed by big red circles in their calendars. As preliminary round opponents, each knew to reckon with the victor of that game most likely avoiding relegation round play. Fortunately for Team Germany, despite spending the third period doing everything it could to grab defeat from the jaws of victory, a 4-2 triumph meant that the class had been maintained. The ensuing 8-1 loss to Czechia and 11-1 thrashing in the quarterfinal match-up against the US meant little in deterring from the achievement of earning a return ticket.

Germany is now entering this year’s event with some good vibes after strong summer showings and a recent 3-game bout against a group of selects from Finland, losing each contest by just one goal, with one game having gone to overtime. Granted, key returnees Rayan Bettahar (broken jaw) and Phillip Krening (having missed the entire season due to an undisclosed injury) aren’t going to be part of the fray, but Coach Abstreiter will be able to welcome four North American legionnaires to the line-up, with Arizona’s 2022 2nd rounder Julian Lutz being the most prominent of them. In addition, a line featuring former OHLer Moritz Elias, captain Roman Kechter, and current Detroit Red Wings 5th rounder Kevin Bicker went bonkers against Finland in the aforementioned test games, each accumulating between 6-8 points. All three are taking regular shifts in the DEL and will be joined up front in that capacity by Veit Oswald and Eric Hördler, with Oswald currently the DEL’s shooting “youngstar”. In fact, of the roster nominees playing in Germany, all of the forwards are gaining experience at the pro level this season.

Which brings us to the blueline, where we regret to inform you that there are no Mortiz Seiders to wonder at. In fact, the only returnee from last winter’s squad looks to be Philipp Sinn, a Red Bull Juniors regular who made highlight reels last winter with mindboggling defensive miscues. Spearheading the defensive efforts should be Buffalo Sabres 7th rounder Norwin Panocha and DEL youngster Lua Niehus, both of whom were go-to players for the U18 squad, which - we must mention - was unceremoniously relegated last spring. The scouting community would love to see 2024 prospect Paul Mayer, who has gained plenty of DEL experience this season (despite minimal minutes), in action, but he’s not even a lock to be in the top 6. Jakob Weber has been a DEL surprise this year, suiting up 20 times for reigning champ Red Bull Munich, while 6’2” Niklas Hübner brings not only DEL and DEL2 experience, but also spent 23 games in Finland’s top U20 circuit last season. Don’t be surprised to see Michael Reich or Samuel Schindler in the equation as the two program faves have been playing pro hockey all season, with the latter actually making a good bit of music as an Oberliga producer from the blueline.

What is as clear now as with last winter’s squad, is that any German goaltender seeing ice time simply has to reckon with more shots against than his peer on the other side of the ice. Probably far more. Had you asked us this time last year, we’d have said 6’3” Simon Wolf was the given #1 goaltender and he still should be, but his outings for Germany’s U20 squad simply haven’t been impressive this year. Phillip Dietl has been a bright light in Germany’s junior scene but is coming in with precious little pro playing time to date this season. He’s even splitting goaltending duties on his junior team. Third stringer Matthias Bittner has also spent most of his time in goal this season at the junior level but does have a 2-2 record and decent stats in 5 DEL2 outings.

Long story short, none of these guys is a Nikita Quapp, but as with years past, the team likely needs just one preliminary round victory to avoid the relegation round. That win will most likely have to come against Team Latvia, because odds are that group opponents Canada, Finland, and hometown favorite Sweden are simply a number too big. Weighing heavy for Germany could be the fact that Latvia has not only done extremely well against German U20 and U18 outfits over the past decade but is also bringing perhaps its most solid U20 team ever to Gothenburg later this month. While contemplating how Germany fell to Norway at the U18 Worlds last spring, we can’t help but think that Germany may have no choice but to try and return the favor early this January in the relegation round. Or will the cross-program shellshock vis-a-vis the Norwegians be too much to overcome? Without wanting to paint the Norwegians as a lock for the relegation round, you might want to plan with Team Germany being a relegation round participant if the squad doesn’t have any surprises up its sleeve in the preliminary round.

10 to Watch plus a Sleeper

Julian Lutz F

As a 2022 2nd rounder of the Arizona Coyotes, Lutz comes in as Germany’s clearcut go-to player. Truth be told, he’s finally giving his NHL organization a reason to experience a collective sigh of relief. After all, last season was anything but promising and gave reason for concern as he once again dealt with undisclosed injury issues while only producing very modestly with little sustained ice time at the DEL level. His 2 assists in last year’s WJC did little to inspire confidence as well. Now he’s in North America playing for the Green Bay Gamblers and seems to have a new lease on life, already registering 23 points in 19 games. As nice as that is, it’s nothing off the charts for a 19-year-old in a league geared towards producing NCAA players. For sure, Lutz has the power, skating, and offensive wherewithal to be a cog if this German team is going to push its way into a quarterfinal spot. But for that to happen, we’re going to pretty much need to see the best version of Julian Lutz we’ve seen to date.

Roman Kechter C

When Kechter was 16, he jumped down from Swedish juniors to spend the bulk of the pandemic-impacted DEL season with the Nuremberg Ice Tigers, looking like a terribly exciting prospect along the way. He hasn’t been able to build upon that since, despite renewed time with the Rögle organization, a U18 Worlds, and 3 points in 5 games at last winter’s WJC. Now 19, he’s entering this tournament as the team’s captain and he’s, well, red hot. With 15 points in 5 U20 test games this fall, his international play is only confirming his strong DEL showing, where he’s been a 3rd line catalyst for Nuremberg, collecting 5 goals and 12 points in 26 games. Put simply, Kechter is arriving as a serious pro player and he’s exactly what Team Germany needs in Sweden, where he’ll be lining up against a number of players he’s competed against in years past. There’s little talk about Kechter as an overage draftee option, but that could change real quick if he can spearhead an unexpectedly successful tourney for this underdog.

Luca Hauf C/LW

Similar in build and style to Kechter, Hauf is joining Team Germany all the way from Seattle, where he plays for the Thunderbirds of the WHL. It’s his second season in the WHL, having chipped in 21 points in 45 games with the Edmonton Oil Kings last year. He’s upped the ante a tick this season with 10 goals and 16 points in 25 games, but for this German squad, he’s going to need to play bigger. Already a heavy Oberliga contributor as a 16/17-year-old, Hauf has been looked to by the German program to assume a productive role up front, something he did well at the U18 Worlds (3 goals in 4 games) and not so well at this tournament last winter (only 1 assist). But there’s no time like the present for him to make more of his tools and simply be a hard player to defend against. His experience will surely be key, especially as a player who has often been lined up with Lutz in past international events. A first line role is there to be had.

Julius Sumpf C

Half Canadian, Sumpf comes in as Germany’s top overall playmaker and one of the few German players in recent years to have had such a successful transition to CHL hockey.

Currently 5th in scoring for the Moncton Wildcats of the QMJHL with 28 points and +12 in 30 games, Sumpf has been pivoting one of the top two lines since preseason action. For Germany, he was one of the few noticeable players at last spring’s disappointing U18 Worlds, serving as the team’s topscorer with 2 goals and 4 points in 6 games. What he won’t have in Gothenburg are linemates he’s all that familiar with, although he’s a lock for the top 6 and likely scheduled to line up next to Julian Lutz and Luca Hauf as a trio of North American legionnaires. We’re inclined to think that a strong WJC followed by a big second half push with a solid Moncton team could see Sumpf hear his name taken in next summer’s draft. He’ll have to show his true colors a few times in Sweden for Germany to have any real shot at avoiding relegation.

Norwin Panocha D

Without a doubt, Panocha was the fastest rising talent in Germany last winter. Featuring skating mechanics that may remind a few of Phil Housley, Panocha’s combination of mobility, puckhandling, and strong on-ice awareness allowed him to be a dominant figure in Germany’s junior league while sticking out as one of few German defensemen of international class throughout the season. The Buffalo Sabres snagged him last summer at the top of the 7th round and within weeks, he was scheduled to head to Chicoutimi of the QMJHL, where he’s taken on a regular role and collected 11 assists in 30 games. Granted, only two of those points have come in the last 10 games as Panocha has settled into more of bottom-3 style defensemen after an eye-opening preseason camp with the Sabres and a strong offensive showing in Chicoutimi’s preseason games. At this tournament, Coach Abstreiter will surely have a top 4 role in store for Panocha, even if Abstreiter generally looks to lean on his older players with bigger minutes. Thinkable is that Panocha will man the point on one of the powerplay units, something precious few of his blueline colleagues have been doing this winter.

Kevin Bicker LW

We won’t blame you for being surprised to see Bicker’s name in last summer’s draft, much less as a 5th round pick of the Detroit Red Wings and the first of 3 German players selected. Some may even think that whatever sold the Red Wings on Bicker, they saw it at the 2022 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, where Bicker had his speed and strong offensive skills on display with 4 points in 4 games for a heavily undermanned German side. His 22-23 season wasn’t all that bad, but definitely marred by injury, and featured a single game of pro play outside the DNL, where he did clip at over a point per game. His drafting was followed by a surprising DEL contract with Frankfurt, with whom he’s managed to suit up 24 times this season, despite just a single goal. Internationally though, Bicker has always contributed and is currently on a 3-game international U20 heater, collecting 8 points along the way. He’s here to outskate the opposition and ideally, continue to gel with Kechter and Moritz Elias in an offensive capacity. Enjoy what you see because Bicker can really turn on the turbo when heading up ice.

Veit Oswald RW

Oswald is a bit of a curiosity because all he’s done to date is excel at every step of the way. During his draft year, he was the German DNL’s topscorer and followed that with a solid U18 Worlds performance (3 points in 4 games) in his native Landshut. The next season saw him get into 23 DEL games while looking very comfortable in a secondary scoring role in the nation’s 3rd pro circuit. Now still just 19, he’s been a regular for Red Bull Munich all season long, delighting fans with 5 goals and 7 points in 24 games. More importantly, he’s a joker who has shown himself to be full of intangibles, something that has led to the coaching staff feeling very comfortable about putting him on the ice in all situations. We can expect Coach Abstreiter to lean on this attribute as well with serious top 9 minutes at this tournament. Oswald remains undrafted but there’s little doubt that he’s in the notebooks of scouts throughout the NHL. Will this tourney push him into “surefire overager” territory?

Simon Wolf G

Wolf is a big man who covers a lot of net. He can look hauntingly stoic only to be surprisingly quick on his feet while smothering pucks. Unfortunately, there are times when that puck-smothering turns into rebound city. There are also questions about his ability to read attacks through traffic. Either trend could lead to some ugly results at a WJC. After seeing Arno Tiefensee be drafted as a double overager last summer, Wolf definitely has some incentive in using this tournament to throw his name in the hat this time around. Unlike Tiefensee, he’s not spending this season splitting duties in a DEL net, but rather with Austrian Thomas Pfarrmaier for the Red Bull Juniors. There, Wolf has played 13 of 23 games including 4 of the last 5, putting up an 8-5 record with a 2.52 GAA and 9.15 SV%. He also got into two games a league higher for Salzburg, standing tall with a 1.92 GAA and .933 SV% in those outings. Alas, Wolf has been part of the program for several years now, even being the starter at the 2022 U18 Worlds, but it hasn’t been good. In fact, he hasn’t sported better than a 5.00 GAA in the past 4 years. Ouch!

Moritz Elias RW

A member of the Saskatoon Blades to kick off the 21-22 season (8 points and -8 in 28 games), Elias packed his tent and headed home by the holidays that season, proceeding to collect 15 points over 71 DEL2 games in two seasons before getting picked up last summer by expected DEL bottom-feeder Augsburg. Now officially one of the biggest junior surprises of the DEL season, the 5’8”, 172-pounder has already put up 9 points in 26 games in a lower line capacity, displaying savvy and confidence every step of the way. More importantly, the strong-skating battler has found a niche on the U20 squad together with captain Roman Kechter and Detroit 2023 5th rounder Kevin Bicker, having put up 7 points in 4 test games this fall. Elias will have to be a quiet generator in the background for Team Germany if a playoff spot is going to be a realizable goal.

Paul Mayer D

One of very few German defensemen currently considered to be of draft interest next summer (Edwin Tropmann being the other), Mayer was basically force-fed into DEL play this season by a Mannheim Adler team that has been losing many of its junior talents in recent summers. Only getting a handful of minutes at a time, he then spent 10 games with the team’s DEL2 partner in Bietigheim where he got plenty of action for a struggling team. Two more games with Mannheim, including a showing with almost 15 minutes of ice time, were put on the resume before joining the U20 squad in Gothenburg. For Mayer, this tournament will be less about excelling and more about showing that he can do a lot more swimming than sinking. Despite gobs of size, he just turned 18 three months ago and will see peer competition he’s seldom been exposed to. Germany’s blueline has precious little to offer, so it’d be telling if he isn’t taking a regular shift.

Sleeper

Lia Niehus D

Understandably passed over in the draft last summer, Niehus is a player insiders have been watching closely, and favorably, the past few years. After a fantastic DY-1, he failed to deliver with another step in progress in his draft year, even doing precious little in preventing Germany’s U18 team from relegation last spring. The surprise was rather large around ice hockey Germany when Niehus nonetheless received a DEL contract from regional rival Frankfurt, for whom he’s now suited up 15 times while also getting in 5 games of Oberliga play with farm team Stuttgart. What he’s shown though is that he’s an incredibly confident and shifty defenseman with strong overall mobility and a keen ability of getting pucks to the net. In two recent test games against Switzerland, Niehus was seen manning the point on the power play and jumping out as one of the top overall skaters on the ice. If he doesn’t end up being the sleeper on this club, then 6’3” forward Eric Hördler will be.

***

PORRENTRUY, SWITZERLAND - APRIL 29: Norway's Stian Solberg #10 gets tripped up by a stick while Germany's Norwin Panocha #6 and Linus Brandl #23 look on during Relegation Round action at the 2023 IIHF Ice Hockey U18 World Championship at Raiffeisen Arena on April 29, 2023 in Porrentruy, Switzerland. (Photo by Chris Tanouye/IIHF)

Q&A with defenseman Norwin Panocha

Here at McKeen’s Hockey, we were thrilled to watch mobile defender Norwin Panocha go from relative anonymity to a player deemed draftable by the NHL within a season’s time. Poise and maturity were regularly put on display in a junior league not quite on par with most of the circuits out there from which players are drafted, but we saw enough to know that what he was doing was above and beyond the norm. Ultimately ranking him 203rd overall in our draft guide, Panocha was selected 205th overall by the Buffalo Sabres in Nashville and proceeded to display his finest traits in the organization’s camp last fall, even getting to suit up for the NHL team for a preseason game in which he went +1.

Expected to be a cog on Germany’s blueline at the WJC, we conducted a short Q&A to get his thoughts on a variety of pertinent topics.

McKeen’s Hockey: Norwin, you find yourself in Sweden where you will be participating in your first ever WJC as a member of Team Germany. When you think about this opportunity to represent your country at this renowned tournament, what goes through your mind?

Norwin Panocha: It’s always a great honor to get to represent your county in any tournament and I’m now all that much more excited to get to do just that at this incredibly important event where we’ll be testing our metal against the best players in the world at this level. I’m also really excited about playing in this tournament with the class players ahead of me - those born in 2004 - and facing the challenges ahead with them.

MH: Your Group A opponents are Canada, Finland, Latvia, and hometown Sweden. It’s a group where no opponent can be taken lightly. Quite the opposite, in fact. What should spectators expect to see from Team Germany over the next 10 days?

NP: A strong team that is very unpleasant to play against. We’ve got a lot of character in this locker room and no matter who the opponent is, they’re going to have to battle hard for every inch out there.

MH: What are you looking forward to the most in the days to come in Gothenburg?

NP: I’m really looking forward to this opportunity to spend the Christmas holidays with my teammates. We’ve got a fantastic group of guys here and I can’t wait to go to war with them and put in a strong performance at this tournament.

MH: This past year has been anything but quiet for you personally. You developed in leaps and bounds with the Eisbären Berlin organization back home. Then you played at the U18 Worlds in Switzerland. Then you got drafted by the Buffalo Sabres and took part in their rookie camp. Now you’re playing for the Chicoutimi Saguenéens of the QMJHL, a league that regularly produces NHL stars. How have you grown as a player and person over this period of time?

NP: Oh yes, this past year has been an unbelievable ride and a ton of fun. I’ve met so many new, interesting, and admirable people, all of whom I’ve been able to watch and learn something from.I’m truly thankful for everything I’ve been able to experience, both on and off the ice. I think it’s all helped me a lot in becoming a more mature and responsible player in every facet of the game.

MH: Looking back at the U18 Worlds, a tournament where a lot happens in a short period of time, what does a player go through when his team is relegated at such an event?

NP: It was a very disappointing and frustrating experience in a lot of ways, but especially in knowing that the next generation is now going to have to battle its way back up out of the D1A group. It’s not going to get show what it can do against the best at the highest level. Personally, and perhaps also due in part to the outcome, the U18 tournament in Switzerland was a very positive experience that taught me quite a bit moving forward. Also in preparation for this tournament.

MH: This season, you’re playing for Chicoutimi in the QMJHL. How’s it been going with the transition to a new league and life in a francophone region of Canada?

NP: It was admittedly quite an adjustment at the beginning. In comparison to the junior league I know and am familiar with back home, the game here is much faster and harder, it’s more aggressive, and the competition is generally much larger in size. However, I think I’ve slowly started to arrive in the league and figure everything out.

My life off the ice is running smoothly. My billet family and the people in the organization are wonderful. And I’m at a point where the language isn’t a problem anymore.

MH: With a good 30 games under your belt, what are you expecting from yourself and your team in the second half of the QMJHL season?

NP: I now know what to expect when I head back for the rest of the season. I’m actively trying to improve myself and develop from game to game and shift to shift. Our team is very young but is getting better from game to game as well, and we keep getting more close-knit. It’s all coming together just in time to put in a good playoff push. The experience of this WJC will help me as well moving forward.

MH: What kind of feedback have you received to date from the Buffalo Sabres?

NP: Most particularly after the main camp, but also during the regular season since then, I’ve been hearing from them and getting very positive feedback.

MH: We’re curious. What did you hear from current Buffalo Sabre and German national team member JJ Peterka, perhaps in the days following the draft?

NP: Yes, I got to know JJ at camp with the Sabres. He’s one of my big role models and I can't emphasize enough how cool it was that he promptly congratulated me on getting drafted and offered me his help and support with everything I’ll be encountering in this new environment. That means the world to me.

2023 IIHF WORLD JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIP – TEAM PREVIEW – GERMANY

Chapin Landvogt — Sat, 24 Dec 2022 17:28:36 +0000

EDMONTON, ALBERTA - AUGUST 9: Germany's Nikita Quapp #30 makes a glove save against USA in Preliminary Round - Group B action at the 2022 IIHF World Junior Championship at Rogers Place on August 9, 2022 in Edmonton, Alberta. (Photo by Chris Tanouye/HHOF-IIHF Images)

Team Germany - Group A Preview

With Russia and Belarus still in exile, Germany is a team that is widely seen as “belonging” to the world’s top 10, if not top 8, in this age group. Things haven’t always been that way, but this little engine that could has been cementing itself as an up-and-comer for the past few years. The wave of players featuring Mo Seider (DET) and Dominik Bokk (CAR) got the team back into the elite class, then held it there. The wave featuring Stützle (OTT) and Peterka (BUF) put this club in the playoffs. This past summer, the group anchored by blueliners Maks Szuber (ARI) and Luca Münzenberger (EDM) then won the nation two preliminary first round games and launched it to the quarterfinals for the second time in a row - a first in Germany’s history.

For head coach Tobias Abstreiter, one would think there’s nowhere to go but up. However, with relegation once again joining the party, Germany is staring at its toughest task in a while and doing so without the key components of its most recent success. Goaltender Florian Bugl is no longer on board after 2.5 tourneys in which he went a combined 5-2 with a .932 save percentage and 1.99 GAA. The team’s most viable stalwarts on the blueline have now aged out, having done so without anyone coming close to their international and domestic showings in recent years on this winter’s club. Up front, there are no more Bokks or Stützles or Peterkas or even Alexander Blanks. Not a single forward in the group is making much noise in the domestic leagues, much less in the junior ranks of Scandinavia or North America. To top things off, Abstreiter has only had four months to not only accept and remedy this reality, but somehow whip up a new recipe that will keep this nation in the group most experts feel it should be.

What he does have are two goalies in Nikita Quapp and Simon Wolf who could each promptly step into Bugl’s shoes. The drafted Quapp would seem like the heir apparent from the outside looking in, but he’s missed most of the season, having only gotten into three DEL2 games. Wolf may be the go-to guy in Germany’s most “winnable” contests, as he’s been on fire and nearly undefeatable in 10 outings for the Red Bull Juniors in the AlpsHL.

The forward group may lack star power, but it is returning six players from the summer event and four of them already played key roles there, including top scorer Bennet Rossmy and Washington Capitals draft pick Haakon Hänelt. Joining this possible top six are also Arizona 2022 2nd rounder Julian Lutz - widely seen as the top pure forward talent out of Germany since Tim Stützle - and a plethora of options who have spent this season primarily in the DEL or for the RB Juniors in the AlpsHL, so the overall level of pro experience is something to lean on. There’s enough depth there for Ryan Del Monte (10 points in 15 games for the London Knights) and Yannick Proske (30 points for the Spokane Chiefs last season) to enter this event as likely bottom sixers.

This leaves us with the blueline, which is a bag full of question marks. Except for Rayan Bettahar, who recently left the WHL to join the Eisbären Berlin, not a single nominee has notable North American experience. In fact, Bettahar’s recent seven games with Berlin also puts him at the head of the list for blueliners with DEL experience, with the exception of Nils Elten, one of the few returnees from the summer event who has gotten into a handful of DEL contests in each of the last three seasons. Also notable is that with the exception of Philip Sinn of the RB Juniors, who is sporting a +20 rating in the AlpsHL, not a single option is part of his team’s regular power play units. Viewers shouldn’t be surprised if Germany makes use of four forwards on each of its extra man groupings. Five wouldn’t be out of the question, especially in light of Hänelt’s past experience on the blueline. On the bright side, each of the defensive nominees is taking a regular shift playing pro hockey and as a group, only allowed five goals against in a 3-game tournament last month.

Germany enters into group play with what are essentially warm-up games against traditional U20 power Sweden and host Canada, the reigning champion. Then it clashes against an archrival in Austria followed by a neighborly meet-up with a Team Czechia that it has experienced some astounding success against in recent years. For the Germans, that Game 3 against the top relegation candidate is the key to the entire tournament. A victory against an age-old foe would not only likely steer the Germans away from relegation waters, but also thrust them into their third straight quarterfinal appearance. And that’s the only place this team should find itself by the end of the preliminary round. If not, the current team doesn’t match well on paper with any of Latvia, Slovakia or Switzerland, so there’s more on the line for Germany in the preliminary round than just about any other participant.

10 to Watch

Nikita Quapp - G

One of the few NHL draft picks on this team, NHL scouts would love to see a healthy and fit Quapp take the bull by the horns and put his stamp on this tournament. Alas, there’s no telling where he’s at just now as he missed most of the fall with an injury and wasn’t necessarily expected to be back in time for this tournament. His stats the past few years have been less than inspiring, but his size and raw tools are what entice the most. Judging by Abstreiter’s handling of goalies in recent years, there’s a good chance we’ll see Quapp in net against the big boys. But that may be more about saving his ace for the important games.

Simon Wolf - G

Enter, the ace. A veteran of two U18 Worlds, you won’t see any numbers there that speak for the promise of this young man, but he’s been excellent in phases internationally and more importantly, he’s been dominant this season. Playing for an RB Juniors team consisting strictly of players 23 and younger, the 18-year-old has amassed a solid 2.37 GAA and .907 save percentage while compiling a 9-1 record. Chances are that Wolf will be in net for games felt to be winnable, if not crucial.

Rayan Bettahar - D

After a decent first full WHL season in Swift Current followed by a very active and physical showing at the U18 Worlds, it was felt Bettahar would take the next step this season. That didn’t happen in the WHL and instead, he’s brought his physical yeoman-style game to the DEL where he’s gotten off to a +2 start in 7 games. In light of his experience on North American ice, his warrior make-up, and his overall physical disposition, chances are that he’s going to be given every opportunity to establish himself as a top 4, go-to guy on this blueline, like he was for the U18 team last spring.

Nils Elten - D

Possibly the only righty shot on Germany’s blueline, Elten is a 6’2”, 196-pound two-way defender who already saw some action this summer and didn’t look out of place. Back home, he’s gotten into DEL games for Iserlohn each of the last three seasons, but plays primarily in Germany’s 3rd tier Oberliga, where he’s seen as a top 4 defender. We mention him here because if any of the blueliners can be expected to rise to the occasion and play “above his market value” in Halifax, it should be Elten. He has a bit of a cult following among prospect buffs in Germany, so it’s high time he shows the international community why.

EDMONTON, ALBERTA - DECEMBER 27: Germany vs Czech Republic preliminary round action at the 2022 IIHF World Junior Championship at Rogers Place on December 27, 2021 in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. (Photo by Andrea Cardin/HHOF-IIHF Images)

Adrian Klein - D

Solidly built at 6’3” and 212 pounds, Klein was a top 5 defender this past summer and the defenseman with the most experience returning for Germany. He’s a three-year DEL veteran, although he’s spent this and last season splitting with the DEL2 affiliate of his club, the Straubing Tigers. He’s shown himself to be able to make a safe first pass and has no qualms in applying his size and brawn to his duties of defending. A quarterfinal appearance will require Klein to be a top 3 quality defender who hopefully functioned as a sponge this summer in seeing what the Szubers, Glötzls, and Münzenbergers of the world were doing so well.

Bennet Rossmy - C/LW

It’s always good to have your top scorer from a previous WJC back on board. It was five points for Rossmy this past summer and now he may even be staring at a No. 1 center job to open this tournament. Alas, Rossmy isn’t exactly having a season to write home about back in Germany. Although he has been playing DEL hockey all year, it’s mostly been as a 4th line forward for a reigning champ that has spent the majority of the season at the bottom of the standings. Surrounded by established international talent, Rossmy has just one goal and four points in 26 games. Rest assured that the 6’4” undrafted hustler will be looking to use this tournament to turn around his whole season.

Luca Hauf - RW/C

Hauf was a cog for the U18 team last spring but saw very little ice time at the WJC this past summer, being used in a limited manner in games where little was on the line. He then headed over to join the Edmonton Oil Kings of the WHL, where he kicked things off with just two points in his first 14 games, both in his third contest. With things looking down for both Hauf and the Oil Kings, he proceeded to put up 13 points in his next 15 games. Thus, he’s heading to Western Canada on a bit of a hot streak and seems to understand what it takes to score on North American ice. The timing of this “click” couldn’t be better because that is exactly the shot in the arm this team is going to need. Expect him in a top six role and on the first power play unit.

Haakon Hänelt - C/LW

Hänelt has missed a lot of time in recent years. In addition to lost time in each of the past three seasons, he also missed the entire U18 Worlds in 2021, a tournament in which he was supposed to serve as the team’s captain. This past summer, he showed that he’s a top six forward for Team Germany. His intelligent and gutsy play, paired with some nifty mitts, allowed him to make a considerable impact in each of the team’s victories. He’ll be here to push the pace for Germany and help create a potent first line. Then again, his stats in the Q the past two seasons do not indicate that he’s going to be a threat in the goal-scoring department.

Julian Lutz - F

We continue to use the word “mercurial” when referring to Julian Lutz, who just hasn’t been able to explode in any sense of the word thus far. After missing most of last season and then jumping straight into DEL play, Lutz has gotten into 13 games of action this season and collected six assists. In a way, his slower pace in being broken into a role on this veteran-laden club is commemorative of how Munich and coach Don Jackson once went to work with JJ Peterka. But the lack of goals and a regular shift isn’t ideal. Now he’s going to bat for Germany internationally again and the last time we saw that, namely at the U18 Worlds in April, he spent most of the games placing too much pressure on himself and overcomplicating just about everything in trying to carry the team on his back. He doesn’t have to do that here, so hopefully he’ll find the space - and serenity - to be the high level impact player his tools say he can be.

Nikolaus Heigl - C/RW

Just an average 5’10” and 175 pounds, “Klausy” and his twin brother Thomas have been part of the German program for years now, constantly making teams ahead of names people thought would leave these guys in their dust. Such was the case at the WJC this past summer as well. Now Heigl enters this tournament as one of the most unrecognizable key players on any of the teams. He’s simply a jack of all trades and cherished by the coaching staff. In addition, he and brother join fellow forward Quirin Bader as a “fix” line, as the trio is currently the RB Juniors top unit in the AlpsHL where Heigl has missed some time to injury but has 26 points in 14 games. He’s also suited up eight times for Austrian champion Salzburg in the ICEHL this season and will surely have a vested interest in defeating the Austrians in Game 3.

Sleeper:

Philip Krening - C

After a nice 21-22 season with the RB Juniors in which an injury kept him sidelined longer than he’d have liked, the creative Krening was one of Germany’s better producers (three assists) at last spring’s U18 Worlds. Fully unexpected was his start in this season in which he suited up for Munich of the DEL for six games while several players were injured, collecting two points in the process. He has since been filling middle line duties for the RB Juniors again for whom he’s chipped in 10 points in 12 games. Krening is a smart and resourceful player who can complement more talented offensive options. We wouldn’t be surprised to see him alongside a few at this tournament.

2022 IIHF U18 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP: Notes and Quotes – Sweden versus Germany – interviews with Swedish coach Magnus Havelid and German coach Alexander Duck

Chapin Landvogt — Fri, 29 Apr 2022 14:07:30 +0000

KAUFBEUREN, GERMANY - APRIL 24: Sweden's Jonathan Lekkerimaki #23 celebrates with teammates at the players’ bench after scoring against Switzerland during Preliminary Round Group B action at the 2022 IIHF Ice Hockey U18 World Championship at Erdgas Schwaben Arena on April 24, 2022 in Kaufbeuren, Germany. (Photo by Matt Zambonin/HHOF-IIHF Images)

SWE vs GER

Setting the tone: If he’s made anything clear in this tournament, Swift Current Broncos defenseman Rayan Bettahar (2022) backs down from no-one and loves knocking opponents every which way. He opened the game on the first shift with a booming hit on 6’4” Filip Bystedt (2022). In fact, he came all the way over from his right-side position to give the hurt to Bystedt on left side boards, which led to the game’s first penalty.

How to get into a coach’s doghouse: With Germany already a man down within the first two minutes of the game, defenseman Philip Sinn (2022) chipped the puck out of his zone and over the glass with a backhander, giving Sweden the 2-man advantage right off the bat.

Like reading a book: Officially, German goaltender Simon Wolf (2022) faced 46 shots, 18 of which were in the first period. For long stretches of the game, he was able to capably read the play and thwart whatever Sweden threw his way. He is big and his big body liked to gobble up pucks. If it weren’t for the seven goals he ultimately allowed in, one could say he was in the zone. Granted, five of those goals against were on the power play.

Power play practice sessions: Speaking of which, the Germans took 10 minor penalties in the game. The Swedes had their number one power play unit on the ice for just about every single one of them. After all, you always want that power play unit firing on all cylinders and there are two more games to play. In case you’re wondering that unit featured Jonathan Lekkerimaki (2022), Liam Ohgren (2022), Noah Ostlund (2022), Tim Almgren (2022), and Matthias Havelid (2022). These are all names you’ll be hearing at this summer’s draft.

Separation: What stood out loud and clear again today was that Germany’s lack of precision with respect to passes and seeing opportunities develop compared very poorly with Sweden’s ability to do so. The game appeared to be too fast for them. You always want to root for the effort, but Germany’s was often all for naught and ultimately whatever was gained was unfortunately often tossed away with a number of misguided passes or overhandling of the puck. It seemed they were damned if they do and damned if they didn’t, but many possibilities opportunities met their death in anonymity.

Do your assignment: Blatantly obvious for large stretches of the game was that Germany’s players often had terrible difficulty picking up on assignments, something that was regularly made use of by Sweden to create opportunities in prime shooting positions. In this sense, things could have become very embarrassing had it not been for Wolf.

Potpourri of NHL jackets: The arena was fairly well visited, but the number of well-built former athletes now working as NHL scouts was, as always, impressive. If someone looks recognizable as a former player, you could often pinpoint what they were doing by the NHL jacket they were wearing.

Quietly showing the hockey world why they shouldn’t wait too long to draft him: M. Havelid was guilty of the odd mishap here and there, but for those watching closely, he was quietly about the smartest, safest, and most adept player on the ice. He made things look easy, with and without the puck. In addition, his above average wristers from the point were always dangerous and almost always created a rebound, if they didn’t go straight end. He finished the day with 2-2-4.

Lots of Lutzing around: Forward Julian Lutz (2022) has already had a maddening season where teams just didn’t get to see a lot of him. Today was his opportunity to show what he really has in as big a game as he’s ever played. Instead, he kept pounding shots right into the shinpads of the nearest opponent and mishandling simple passes and over-deking his way into no-man’s land on occasion. Most typical for the performance he delivered today was, while Germany was on the power play, Lutz was sent a direct and perfect pass. Looking as if he was too busy deciding what to do next, the puck slipped away from him unexplainably and was there for the next Swedish player to break out with. Lutz then slashed his opponent’s stick with a two-hander and rid his team of a crucial power play opportunity. In general, it was his worst game in a tournament where he had already flipped around from light to shadow and back again. Since the scouting community has seen precious little of him this winter, one has to wonder how his drafting possibilities look now while crumbling under the pressure.

A face-off win for a penny: Ostlund didn’t have many problems in the face-off circle. Some were won so cleanly that his own defensemen seemed surprised. Those pucks headed right out of the opposition zone.

Decision making conundrums: Defenseman Elias Salomonsson (2022) entered this season looking like a possible first round pick. Then his decision making came into question at the 2021 Hlinka Gretzky Cup. His winter has been sheltered and was just so-so in the grand scheme of things, even if his offensive numbers at the U20 level were decent. His unnecessary hit from behind today that got him a 5-minute penalty and game misconduct at a time where Sweden was handedly ahead of Germany 4-0 without a worry in the third period once again raised eyebrows. It makes you wonder what notes the NHL scouts were jotting down for this incident.

Those who fire pucks: The Lekkerimaki goal for 7-1 felt like his 10^th shot of the game but proved to be just the type of shot that has us at McKeen’s feeling that teams looking who are prioritizing the need for a sniper will have to think long and hard about whether he can be their guy. This is his go-to commodity.

The players of the game for each team were the 2022 draft eligibles F Luca Hauf (GER) and G Hugo Havelid (SWE).

With Germany’s tournament over, the following players were named Germany’s top 3 players of the tourney: G Wolf (2022), Roman Kechter (2022), Edwin Tropmann (2023)

Quotes:

For Swedish coach Magnus Havelid:

On the key to today’s victory…

Havelid: Well, the stats show that the key was the power play. It was the special teams. There was one 5-on-3 penalty we killed off. That was huge. The five goals in the power play wrote the story. Of course, our strong start with two quick goals put us on the right path.

Ongoing from facing Finland to facing Germany…

Havelid: Well, tonight’s game was a challenge. We were the clear favorite and you never know with these types of games. We were happy to be steady, score those power play goals, and kill off some timely penalties. We’ll enjoy this good feeling now, but we’ll leave it here and prepare for our next opponent on Saturday, with a new task.

On his nephew Matthias Havelid’s solid play…

Havelid: He is one of the assistant captains. He is one of the leaders in the group. His power play success was wonderful and important, but it’s his calming presence in 5-on-5 situations, where he creates space with quick, short passes and gets things moving into the other direction. All this while being steady defensively. Like our first line, he too profited today from the confidence the boys gained on the power play.

On the next opponent, whether Finland or Czech Republic…

Havelid: We know a lot about Finland, I can tell you that. We haven’t played Czechia since November. We watched them against Canada, and we know they’re a hockey country, and their goalie has been playing really well, so if we play them, we’ll have to prepare as well as we can with our scouting crew.

On heading over to Landshut after spending the whole tournament in Kaufbeuren…

Havelid: I hope this won’t be too much of an adjustment. Our emotions and feelings for this game today has been what’s busied us recently. Now we’ll head over to Landshut tomorrow and get a feeling for the rink and stuff like that. It’s like an away game. We’ll prepare accordingly.

On the challenge of working with a bunch of young men who will likely be drafted this summer…

Havelid: As I coach, I really saw that at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup. All the scouts are there. And you see stuff in the dressing room and players are talking, but right now, these boys are focused on the tasks at hand. Ok, maybe not everybody, but they’re way more confident now with this topic in comparison to last August. They’ve done a lot of interviews over the season and have become more comfortable with the topic and dealing with scouts and whatnot. They naturally want to be as good as they can be on the ice, but this stuff was all so new and touchy last August. Just so much has happened over the season and many of these guys were up in the SHL and dealing with everything involved with playing in that league and the attention it draws from North America. And as a coach, you see how the men have matured. How they approach the games, their communication, all the stuff that has rubbed off on them. I’m impressed. They work on handling everything the right way.

For German coach Alexander Duck:

On what was missing in today’s game and how that contributed to the loss…

Duck: A couple of guys didn’t show up today. The rest tried playing really hard, gave it all they could. You can’t really play to win when a maximum of, say, 10 players are showing up with their best effort.

On the team’s difficulty being successful on the power play and most particularly in killing penalties…

Duck: Moving forward, we have to learn how to be more of a team in such situations and the players can’t be taking too much personal. With respect to our penalty killing unit, I’d like to say that it didn’t need to be out there that much. The game was a bit too fast for us and we took unnecessary penalties that resulted from that.

On what this experience has been for him, his first U18 tournament behind the bench…

Duck: We’ve got to see to it that we better prepare our players for such challenges. We try to talk to the players a lot and show them how they have to practice in order to be able to play with the best at the international level. Many simply aren’t used to play a full sixty minutes in four games over a 6-day span. We have to learn to play with heart and do better than at any other time in the season. We have to learn how to place ourselves in the service of the team. Our guys have to learn to take the focus away from just what they, as individuals, are doing.

On the desire to start making use of everything learned here in preparation for next year’s tournament…

Duck: I’m very much looking forward to the next wave of players. We in the staff have also learned about what we can do better. We’re going to have to do some things differently. I’m also already looking forward to all of the feedback meetings with the players individually. We need to communicate to them that they can do better. It’s time to let them know what they’re going to need to do to prepare better in the future. We want to assist them with what they’re going to need in order to one day be successful playing pro hockey and perhaps even to continue being a part of the national team program.

On what the coach will take away from this tournament…

Duck: One of the key things is that my players saw what it means to play a whole 60 minutes. And to do that in every game of the tournament. It’s not enough to just come here and think how great it is to be on the national team. It means working every. It means never taking your foot off the pedal. It means never being satisfied with what you’re doing.

On what it is he’s looking forward to with next year’s wave of players…

Duck: Well, just look at the player of the tournament for us, Edwin Tropmann (2023 NHL Draft eligible). He performed wonderfully. As a very young player, he found a way to be consistent. Sure, he naturally made his share of mistakes, but he’s a player who listens, who’s capable of learning, who’s got strong hockey sense, who knows how to play with the puck, and who knew how to take on the role we gave him and run with it. We brought him along as an extra defenseman. He moved up the line-up and just got better with every game. At no point did he show us that we can’t entrust him with responsibility.

GERMANY: PROSPECT MUSINGS III

Chapin Landvogt — Fri, 09 Jul 2021 13:59:20 +0000

GERMAN FRONT PROSPECT MUSINGS III

With the IIHF Men’s World Championships long since concluded, the German ice hockey scene can look back at what was a resoundingly positive season, having finished 4th overall at the WC tournament after conducting a DEL season that saw only one game be cancelled due to implications of the Coronavirus. Despite the national team’s disappointing quarterfinal and bronze medal game losses to Finland and the USA respectively, Germany is now ranked 5th overall in the IIHF’s world rankings. This puts them ahead of Sweden and the Czech Republic - for the time being.

The team that suited up in Riga, Latvia, didn’t feature any draft-eligible prospects, but it did feature the country’s top three drafted prospects outside of the NHL in Moritz Seider, Lukas Reichel, and JJ Peterka, with Florida’s Justin Schütz having been one of the last cuts before the tournament. Aside from Reichel’s five points in the first two games, all three got onto the scoring sheet at the tournament and Seider was even named the WC’s top overall defenseman, an honor previously unknown to German players, much less those strutting their stuff as 20-year-olds. It would seem that after having already been named the SHL’s Defenseman of the Year, the physical all-rounder is on the fast path to a fixed spot on the Red Wings’ blueline.

For Reichel, who mixed in a few costly turnovers among his many highly creative and effective plays, he put pen to paper on his ELC with the Chicago Blackhawks several weeks ago, coming off a regular season in which he centered the top line for the DEL’s champion Eisbären Berlin. Put simply, he may be coming off one of the best seasons any drafted prospect outside of the NHL had in a hockey world that has very much been scarred by the worldwide pandemic. Of course, the same could be said about Seider too.

Peterka and Schutz enjoyed nothing close to the same success, but each took steps in their development and clearly had their best pro seasons to date. Starting things out for Salzburg in the Austrian-based ICEHL, Peterka managed to chip in 16 points and a +4 rating in just 12 games while Schütz collected 15 and a -1 in 25 games. The tide flipped a bit once both were finally brought in to play with their mother club, the Munich Red Bulls. Schütz tallied 11 goals, 21 points, and a +11 rating over 34 games while Peterka did pretty much the same with 10 goals, 21 points, and a +8 rating over 32 games, having had his outstanding WJC (10 points in 5 games) in between the two pro stints. Alas, both experienced a very disappointing playoffs when their team was swept right in the first round by Ingolstadt, but both will be in very promising positions should they end up in Munich for a third season.

All things considered, the teams owning the rights to all four of these players can be happy with the steps taken this past season.

Bennet Rossmy. Photo by Dan Hickling, Hickling Images

U18 experience very telling

It was a very good thing that the first U18 WC tournament in two years was one in which no team was relegated, as Team Germany faced a number of challenges that ultimately heavily influenced the team’s performance at the tournament and would, in a normal year, have seen Germany playing against Latvia in a relegation round. The team was looking like it could have been quite interesting, and there were plenty of candidates who had spent this past winter playing pro hockey at some level. But the ideal situation crumbled very quickly.

As things were, the extended roster headed to camp filled with players who had only played 8-12 games of DNL hockey before their seasons were cancelled at the beginning of November 2020. Then a number of candidates had to step out due to injury or Covid, and this unfortunately included the nation’s top 1st year eligible prospect for this summer’s draft, DELer Haakon Hänelt, as well as three of the four most promising prospects for the 2022 NHL Draft, DEL winger Roman Kechter, DEL center Moritz Elias, and defenseman Leo Hafenrichter, each of whom was scheduled for a spot on the top two lines. In fact, the 16-year-old Hafenrichter was even expected to be on the top defensive pairing.

This led to a situation where Coach Steffen Ziesche had to put together a team where regular shifts would be taken by young men who hadn’t played competitive hockey since November. A few others had seen a few shifts here or there for a 3rd tier pro team. To make matters worse, the team’s test game weekend in Switzerland right before the flight to the States had to be cancelled due to a Covid outbreak, leaving it with no attempt to truly test its lines and systems until one single test game was set up in Texas, ironically against Latvia, to whom it lost.

Sadly, for Germany, the team also found itself in the tournament’s Group of Death, facing off against four of the world’s traditional top six nations in the Czech Republic, Finland, Russia, and the host USA. The schedule didn’t help either. The Czech Republic was expected to be the most beatable opponent in the group, but Germany faced them right off the bat in its first game, having only played that one test game beforehand. A 3-1 loss in which goaltender Nikita Quapp made a number of very noticeable saves and was considered quite solid, but it never really felt like Germany was much of a threat and, as should have been expected, there were plenty of unforced, self-caused turnovers and errors that a more routine and practiced team likely wouldn’t have been guilty of.

Germany got a bit better over the next two games against Russia and the USA, with a 5-3 loss to the USA serving as a moral victory of sorts, but with the team out of playoff contention after three games, Coach Ziesche decided to start the team’s third string goaltender, Luca Ganz. This was surely a nice gesture, but the young man had only played two games this year and they were each last fall. The Finns proceeded to lead the game 2-0 after their first few shots and 5-0 after 13 minutes of play. The end result was 10-0, but the game felt like it was over after the first two goals against, for all intents and purposes. Ganz was left in net the entire time and the team played as if it was ready to head to the airport.

Considering Quapp was fighting to be a draft selection this summer and Simon Wolf (2022 eligible), who was quite solid for the majority of the game against the USA, is the likely starter for Germany next spring, one has to wonder what good this decision was for any of Germany's three goaltenders? It didn't help a guy playing for his draft position nor did it have an eye on the future when relegation will likely be part of the story again. In addition, what act of charity was it to keep a clearly overwhelmed netminder in goal for 10 goals against at a level of play he just wasn't ready for?

Whether related or not, Ziesche has since been replaced by former DEL defenseman Alexander Dück, who took over at the beginning of June.

FRISCO, TX USA - APRIL 26: Germany's Julian Lutz #16 skates with the puck while the Czech Republic's Jakub Altrichter #18 chases him down during preliminary round action at the 2021 IIHF Ice Hockey U18 World Championship at Comerica Center on April 26, 2021 in Frisco, TX USA. (Photo by Chris Tanouye/HHOF-IIHF Images)

What we did learn from the U18

With Hänelt sidelined, left wing Bennet Rossmy took over as the team’s captain and really tried doing all he could to make this a Cinderella tournament for Germany. He collected a few points, he threw some hits, he tried to be a playmaker - it was all for naught in the standings, but there’s a chance that he raised his draft prospects in the process. He’s coming off a year in which he spent the entire season playing for a DEL2 club in Germany’s second-best pro circuit, so he is one of the few German players to get in a full season of play.

Tiny tot defenseman Sandro Mayr showed some very good wheels and overall skating prowess, even though his proficiency dropped as the tournament wore on. It will be interesting if the rest of his game catches up to his feet over time. Defenseman Maxim Rausch might have been a bigger story too if pro rules had been called here instead of international junior league rules, as he can really use the body and knows how to box players out. Adrian Klein really is this year's top 17-year-old defenseman in Germany, and one could see why at this tournament. However, he was painstakingly careful in all he did, making it obvious that he's been playing pro hockey at a level so high (the DEL) that he's used to being on an extremely short leash.

Although all three of Germany's goaltenders got a start, Quapp got into two and put on a performance that only confirmed the progress he made this past winter in making it to the DEL. The Russian-speaker had several real nice moments against Russia and there was a definite difference in composure to that of his two teammates. With size and quickness from post to post on display, the results were less important than the analysis of his tools, as Germany's team defense was simply overwhelmed for large stretches of play.

We nonetheless saw one of this winter’s top German prospects leave us very disappointed, namely forward Sebastian Cimmermann. Yes, he had a nice counterattack goal against the US (one the goalie should have had), but he seemed to have very little overall puck contact and was always chasing the play. He was physically overmatched in most instances. In addition, he was on a line with Thomas and Nikolaus Heigl, both teammates of his at the Red Bull Academy, and both having had far less experience than him this past winter, yet both were far more visible and positively active than Cimmermann. In essence, it was hard to say that he showed the scouting community anything that would lead an NHL team to use one of its seven standard picks on him.

Julian Lutz is Germany's top prospect for the 2022 draft, and some would surely say we saw that here at this tournament, but those having seen him play in the AlpsHL this season will tell you that he didn't even begin to show what he’s capable of in Texas. He seemed hemmed up and just not ready to unleash the lion inside him. Alas, we'll have to wait for him to arrive internationally next year when he'll likely be on the WJC and U18 teams.

Forwards Connor Korte and Robin van Calster got better with each of the first three games and whereas we didn’t really see why exactly Korte put up 20 goals in Switzerland’s top U20 league, we did see that it's a crying shame that van Calster missed just about the entire season when the junior league was cancelled. He definitely showed that he possesses the kind of skill that usually entices NHL talent seekers. A surprise addition to the team, winger Roman Zap was all over the place in a skating capacity and would have been the team's top scorer had he made good on a penalty shot along the way, but for all his spirited forechecking and successful pokechecking, too many plays died when the puck was actually on his stick. That was likely a result of not having played a real game since November.

OTTAWA, ON - MARCH 22: Ottawa Senators Left Wing Tim Stutzle (18) skates during the first period of the NHL game between the Ottawa Senators and the Calgary Flames on March 22, 2021 at the Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Steven Kingsman/Icon Sportswire)

Draft now in sight

The euphoria in hockey circles caused by the combination of a WJC playoff performance, the successful rookie season by Tim Stützle, and a DEL league that played some of its most attractive hockey ever despite almost not having taken place whatsoever has been extremely positive this year. This is especially true in light of the plethora of U21 players who saw time in the DEL, much less the DEL2 and Oberliga, many of whom having taken a regular shift.

That all led to more attention for the sport at the nationwide level with a 4th place finish at the Men’s WC. Indeed, a bronze medal would have taken things all that much further as the sport was seen on news channels, in magazines, and online at a level last seen with its silver medal at the 2018 Olympics, giving it a seldom seen rate of exposure two times within a 3-year period.

What will this mean for the upcoming draft?

As we detailed all winter, there is no Seider and there is certainly no triumvirate of forwards such as Stützle, Reichel, and Peterka to select from. Instead, we have a group topped by overage prospect Florian Elias who capped off his wonderful WJC performance and strong DEL season with the DEL’s Rookie of the Year award, although truth be told, there were a few first-year players who either had considerably better stats or meant a good bit more to their respective clubs. He didn’t have a lot of points for Mannheim, but each of his three goals were a thing of beauty, leading many to believe that he’s in store for a much bigger role next season.

After Elias, our list already ventures into a diaspora of young talents who are surely in the scouts’ notebooks, but there’s simply no telling if any team will be willing to take a shot on them in a draft that will feature a boatload of no less than Canadian players who played condensed seasons in the QMJHL and WHL as well as those who had no season whatsoever as part of the OHL. Will weight be placed on players who the scouting community actually got to see play? Will the handful of talents on our list be seen more favorably because they spent this year playing pro hockey? Were other prospects already scouted at such a rate in previous seasons that they’ll still be at the top of the lists for a number of teams?

More specifically, will a guy like Luca Münzenberger, who truly opened some eyes at the WJC, become a forgotten commodity, because his commitment to the University of Vermont prevented him from playing pro hockey this winter? Will the aforementioned Rossmy be a surefire, late round pick because he had a full season of pro hockey and showed his wares at the U18 while his 6’3”, 195 lbs. frame surely makes him enticing for a number of teams one way or the other?

Will an NHL team look at a big kid like 6’3”, 205 lbs. defenseman Klein, consider his full Oberliga season with 16 and full DEL season with 17, throw aside his rather measly offensive stats, and place extra weight on him first turning 18 on September 19th?

Does someone favor Hänelt so much from what they saw of him at Red Bull Academy that they’ll look past his injury woes that caused him to miss both the WJC and U18 as well as his one point in 22 DEL outings?

It’ll be an interesting draft for many reasons, but it would be most realistic to feel that there will be very few German names called. The lack of star power combined with incomplete bodies of work topped by some young kids having played against much older and more mature competition leaves for a difficult take on just what NHL potential lies in this year’s class.

On the other hand, hope springs eternal in a year in which many of the hockey community’s most scouted junior regions were hit hard by our Corona realities, perhaps opening a few draft weekend doors that might not otherwise be opened!

We’re thinking there may just be a surprise or two for the German scene come the end of July.

WJC und U18 teams already preparing for next winter’s challenges

Both Germany’s U20 and U18 teams held summer camps over the past few weeks, giving the program and players a solid opportunity to start forming the teams and pay some very careful attention to the details and gameplans that coaches Tobias Abstreiter (U20) and the aforementioned Dück (U18) wish to implement. In light of last year’s challenges, these measures are very positive and give the scouting community the opportunity to see what’s possibly in store this winter in Edmonton and then next spring right in Germany, where the nation will host the U18 worlds.

That U18 team will feature a number of names that will be of interest for the 2022 NHL Draft, most notably Lutz, Wolf, Luca Hauf, and Rayan Bettahar, who has the option of spending this next winter playing for Swift Current in the WHL. All four return from this spring’s tourney in Texas. The team will also feature a number of young men whose names have played a big role in German ice hockey history including Veit Oswald, Philip Ziesche, Eric Hördler, and Mason Sturm, who is – you guessed it – son of former NHLer Marco Sturm. In Hördler’s case, his father Frank currently plays for the Eisbären Berlin, with whom he has won eight DEL titles. In addition, Jesse Kauhanen’s father is Ilpo is a Finnish national who spent the bulk of his career in the DEL and still works and resides in Germany. Lastly, Moritz Elias is the younger brother of draft-eligible Florian and spent 16 games in the DEL last season, collecting two points along the way. Also, in attendance is Hafenrichter, who should be seen as Germany’s top draft-eligible defenseman for the 2022 draft.

For the WJC squad, 10 returnees from last year’s team will also be part of a special event this month in which the team will meet together in Füssen, Germany, before hosting the U20 Summer Challenge, which will pit the team against the Czech Republic, Denmark, and Slovakia. In total, 28 players have been nominated from the event, but not all of them were part of the camp earlier this summer, including DELers Elias and Simon Stowasser as well as part-time DEL2 defenseman Paul Reiner. A noticeable absentee for this notable mid-summer event will be defenseman Münzenberger, who was on the ice for over 22 minutes a game at the last WJC.

For scouts in attendance, it’ll not only be an excellent opportunity to gauge the progress of overagers whose tourney was cut short due to Covid in Jakub Borzecki, Josh Samanski, and Maks Szuber, but also see current draft-eligible players against older competition in namely Rossmy, Hänelt, Heigl, Blank, Glötzl, Klein, Quapp, and Danjo Leonhardt. A special treat will be viewing Kechter, who’ll be part of the fun as Germany’s youngest players. All in all, 12 of the players nominated spent at least part of last season playing DEL hockey.

In summary, the DEB appears to be very concentrated on repeating its WJC achievement even without the likes of Stützle and Peterka while fielding a U18 team that’ll be able to make some noise in a tournament Germany will be hosting. That was the case by in 2011 when Dresden and Crimmitschau were the venues of importance and Tobias Rieder and his band of relative no-names managed to gain its way into the playoffs. Lutz and co. will surely be happy to have history repeat itself next spring and if it does, he’ll have to be the right in the middle of it.