With the holiday season upon us, a favorite winter tradition for hockey fans returns in the World Junior Championship. This year's tournament begins this weekend in Alberta and includes four Ducks prospects: Team USA's Ian Moore and Sasha Pastujov and Team Canada's Mason McTavish and Owen Zellweger.
A Ducks Fan's Guide to the 2022 World Junior Championship
Tournament Format
The World Junior Championship features a 10-team field split in two groups. Each country plays a four-game round robin schedule leading to an eight-team playoff.
The United States looks to defend its 2020 gold medal and repeat as champions for the first time in its history. No country has won back-to-back titles since Canada capped its run of five straight victories in 2009.
The Americans face a difficult schedule in Group B, taking on Russia, Sweden, Slovakia and Switzerland at WP Centrium in Red Deer. Canada headlines Group A, facing Finland, Czech Republic, Germany and Austria in Edmonton.
The top four teams in each group advance to the quarterfinals on Jan. 2. The semifinals are scheduled for Jan. 4 with the championship and third-place contests the following day at Rogers Place, home of the Edmonton Oilers.
In past years, the tournament has offered Ducks fans a glimpse into the future, watching as then-prospects like Trevor Zegras and Jamie Drysdale led their countries to the championship podium.
Zegras stole the show last year with a tournament-leading 18 points and 11 assists, becoming the fifth American to win tournament MVP and tying the all-time Team USA World Junior Championship record for both points and assists (7-20=27).
Past Ducks to win gold at the tournament also include Ryan Getzlaf, Cam Fowler and John Gibson.
2022 World Junior Championship
| Canada | United States |
| Finland | Russia |
| Germany | Sweden |
| Czechia | Slovakia |
| Austria | Switzerland |
| Group A | Group B |
| --- | --- |
Team USA
Ian Moore
Moore (drafted in the third round of the NHL Draft by Anaheim in 2020) projects to play an important role for Team USA as a steady, reliable defender to match up against other countries' top players. Standing 6'3" with the skating ability to play a factor in the transition game, Moore could see the ice in a variety of situations for the U.S. and has recently practiced on a pair with projected top blueliner and 2020 fifth-overall pick Jake Sanderson.
A freshman at Harvard, Moore has three assists and a +7 rating in his first 11 career NCAA games. Last season, Moore helped guide the Chicago Steel (USHL) to a Clark Cup championship, scoring 10-14=24 points with a +22 rating in 45 regular season games. The Salt Lake City native finished fourth among USHL defensemen in goals.
Moore's head coach at Harvard, Ted Donato, will again serve as an assistant coach on Nate Leaman's Team USA staff.
Follow along with Moore's experiences on and off the ice on his blog.
Sasha Pastujov
Anaheim's initial third-round selection in 2021, Pastujov immediately asserted himself as one of the most lethal scorers in the OHL this fall, currently tied for third among league leaders in goals (20). He was named the OHL Player of the Month for October after posting 10-7=17 points in 10 games to begin the season.
Pastujov will compete for minutes as a scoring winger on a talented Team USA roster full of NHL Draft picks but lacking on WJC experience. He could factor in on the power play, where he's scored six of his 20 goals for the Guelph Storm.
The Brandenton, Florida native is no stranger to international play, having led Team USA in scoring (5-3=8) and goals at the 2021 U-18 World Championship and also winning a silver medal at the 2019 U-17 World Hockey Challenge. Pastujov combined for 44-71=115 points with the NTDP U-18 and U-17 teams from 2019-21, with his 1.59 points per game ranking eighth all-time in NTDP single-season history, behind only Jack Hughes (twice), Auston Matthews, Phil Kessel, Clayton Keller, Alex Turcotte and Jack Eichel.
Team Canada
Mason McTavish
A familiar face to Ducks fans, McTavish began his season in Anaheim and enjoyed a storybook NHL debut, becoming the youngest goal scorer in Ducks history when he beat former Vezina Trophy winner Connor Hellebuyck at Honda Center.
WPG@ANA: McTavish sweeps up rebound down low
Drafted third overall by the Ducks in 2021, McTavish was assigned to the OHL's Peterborough Petes last month to develop as a center. A Canadian national born in Zurich, Switzerland, McTavish scored five goals in games with the Petes, including a hat trick in his season debut.
McTavish also helped Canada to a gold medal at the 2021 U-18 World Championship, scoring 5-6=11 points with a +10 rating in seven games. This year, he will likely fill a critical all-situations role for Canada, slotted in to play both on the power play and penalty kill.
"He's big, strong and energetic. He can play a 200-foot game," said Team Canada head coach Dave Cameron.
Olen Zellweger
An undersized but explosive defenseman, Zellweger will be one of the most unique players in the tournament with a rare combination of international experience and offensive flair.
Anaheim's second-round pick last summer, Zellweger has registered 7-20=27 points with a +24 ranking in 22 games with the Everett Silvertips (WHL) this season. The Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta native leads all WHL defensemen in points per game (1.23), and sits fourth in scoring (27), tied for fifth in assists and tied for sixth in goals.
Alongside his new teammate McTavish, Zellweger also helped Canada to gold at the 2021 U-18 World Championship, co-leading Canadian defensemen with eight points in seven tournament games.
Zellweger will likely play heavy minutes for Team Canada, recently practicing alongside the top pick in the 2021 Draft, Buffalo's Owen Power.
"In the drills we did [last week], I felt it was really easy," Zellweger
Asked Olen Zellweger (ANA) for his impressions skating with Owen Power (BUF): “He’s really mobile. He’s got the size and skating. In the drills we did today, I felt it was really easy. If we work together well and play hard in the D-zone, it’ll offer opportunities offensively."
— Scott Wheeler (@scottcwheeler) December 14, 2021
. "If we work together well and play hard in the D-zone, it'll offer opportunities offensively."
Schedules and Where to Watch
All games will be broadcast on NHL Network in the United States and TSN and RDS in Canada.
Sunday, Dec. 26
Czechia vs. Canada (Edmonton), 4 p.m. PT
United States vs. Slovakia (Red Deer), 6:30 p.m. PT
Tuesday, Dec. 28
Switzerland vs. United States (Red Deer), 1:30 p.m. PT
Austria vs. Canada (Edmonton), 4 p.m. PT
Wednesday, Dec. 29
Canada vs. Germany (Edmonton), 4 p.m. PT
Sweden vs. United States (Red Deer), 6:30 p.m. PT
Friday, Dec. 31
Canada vs. Finland (Edmonton), 4 p.m. PT
United States vs. Russia (Red Deer), 6:30 p.m. PT
Sunday, Jan. 2
Quarterfinal 1 (Edmonton), 11:30 a.m. PT
Quarterfinal 2 (Red Deer), 2 p.m. PT
Quarterfinal 3 (Edmonton), 4:30 p.m. PT
Quarterfinal 4 (Red Deer), 7 p.m. PT
Tuesday, Jan. 4 (Edmonton)
Semifinal 1, 12 p.m. PT
Semifinal 2, 4 p.m. PT
Wednesday, Jan. 5 (Edmonton)
Third-place game, 1 p.m. PT
Championship game, 5 p.m. PT
