The 2023-24 IIHF Under-20 World Championship, more popularly dubbed the World Junior Championships, will be held in Göteborg (Gothenburg), Sweden, from December 26, 2023, to January 5, 2024. In the round-robin preliminary round, Group A will consist of defending gold medalist Canada, tournament host Sweden, Finland, Germany and Austria. Group B features last year's silver medalist Czechia (Czech Republic), 2022-23 bronze medalist USA, Slovakia, Switzerland and Norway.
Four Flyers-affiliated prospects have been named to the preliminary rosters for their respective national teams. Before official rosters are announced, there will be a round of roster cuts at the end of teams' selection camps.
Two Flyers prospects, Devin Kaplan (Boston University) and Cole Knuble (Notre Dame) participated this summer in USA Hockey's World Junior Summer Showcase. Unfortunately, in a highly competitive pool of young players, neither t19-year-old power winger collegiate sophomore Kaplan (3g, 7a, 10 points, 16 PIM in 16 games for BU this season) nor freshman center Knuble (1g, 3a, 4 points in a fourth-line role for the Fighting Irish) were chosen for Team USA's selection camp in December.
Here are the four Flyers draftees who are part of their national teams' preliminary WJC rosters:
Cutter Gauthier (C/LW, Boston College, Team USA): The 19-year-old Gauthier is a lock to be selected once again to Team USA. At last year's Under-20 Worlds, he skated on the Americans' top line and compiled 10 points (4g, 6a) in seven games played. The US National Team Development Program alum was also selected for the men's national team for the 2023 IIHF World Championship (7g, nine points in 10 games played).
Throughout his international career to date, Gauthier has been deployed at left wing. However, at Boston College, he's a center. The Flyers have often stated that they see Gauthier as a center when he turns professional.
One of the NHL's best pure shooting prospects, Gauthier has racked up 13 goals and 23 points for BC this year. He centers their second line at 5-on-5 and is a fixture on the top power play unit. A constant threat to score from distance, either from the middle of the ice or the flank, Gauthier is very much a shoot-first forward. However, while not known as a distributor, he's also a capable passer when he sees an open lane.
Gauthier likes to play with an aggressive, attack-oriented style. His defensive game as a center is still a work in progress, but he's progressing and he has all the tools to develop into a complete player. Apart from his world-class shot, Gauthier's combination of size, strength, athleticism and strong self-confidence to take charge on the ice. He also has a heavy stick, so it's hard for defenders to take the puck away from him.
The 2023-24 WJC, isn't quite a "homecoming" for Gauthier. He was raised in Arizona and is an American citizen. However, he was born in the northern Swedish city of Skellefteå while his dad, Sean, was playing pro hockey overseas for Skellefteå AIK.
Alex Ciernik (LW/RW, Västerviks IK, Slovakia): Ciernik, who turned 19 on October 8, is another second-generation player. His dad is former NHL forward Ivan Ciernik. The multi-lingual younger Ciernik has lived in Slovakia, Germany and, since he was 15, in Sweden.
Although still a teenager, Ciernik is a regular starter for Västervik, a club in Sweden's highest minor league (Allsvenskan) below the SHL. In 19 games played this season, he had 12 points (4g, 8a). Internationally, he's a top-six forward and power play regular for the Slovakian under-20 national team (two goals, seven points in eight WJC preparatory international games this season).
Ciernik is one of the fastest-skating prospects in the Flyers' farm system, and a highly skilled puckhandler. With permission from the Västervik club, he attended Rookie Camp with the Flyers in September. Cienik impressed with his speed and hands, scoring a goal in the first of two Rookie Series games against the New York Rangers' prospects. Off the ice, his proficiency in speaking English made communications much easier than with some other European prospects the same age.
Ciernik still has work to do in rounding out his overall game. He's small and slightly built but seems to be a quick learner. He is also an experienced international player, having played for Team Slovakia at last year's WJC and previously having played for the national team in younger age brackets.
Oliver Bonk (D. London Knights, Team Canada) : Along with London teammate Denver Barkey, Bonk is one of two 18-year-old, draft-plus-one Flyers prospects in Team Canada's selection camp.
The right-shot blueliner, the Canadian-born and raised son of longtime NHL center Radek Bonk, has emerged as one of the better all-around blueliners in major junior hockey. Already a reliable defender, Bonk's puck-moving and passing games have improved significantly over the last season-plus.
In recent weeks, London has started to add a new facet to Bonk's role with the junior club. Apart from his heavy five-on-five and penalty killing minutes on the blueline, he's now being deployed in the bumper role as a forward during power plays. It's been working well, as he tallied six goals to date on the man advantage.
In the late summer of 2022, Bonk was a member of Canada’s gold medal-winning team at Hlinka-Gretzky Cup tournament. It's his most significant international experience to date.
Denver Barkey (W,/C London Knights, Team Canada): A speedy, undersized forward with a nonstop motor. Barkey's stock rose in the second half of his Draft-eligible year and has continued to increase in 2023-24. The 18-year-old Barkey has had a breakout year in the Ontario Hockey League for London.
A regular in all game situations, Barkey is one of the Ontario League's top shorthanded scoring threats in addition to his production at even strength and the power play. He's also a clever passer who can make plays while attacking at top speed. Through 28 games this season, Barkey has 41 points (17g. 21a). He's formed a dynamic duo with Toronto Maple Leafs prospect Easton Cowan, who is also taking part in Team Canada's WJC Selection Camp.
As with Bonk, Barkey played on Team Canada's gold medalist squad at the 2022 Hlinka-Gretzky Cup. Part of what makes him an intriguing WJC candidate for Team Canada, even as an 18-year-old, is that Barkey doesn't need to play near the top of the lineup to be an effective player.
WJC-Aged Russian Prospects
Due to IIHF regulations, the Russian Ice Hockey Federation will not be participating in IIHF-sanctioned tournaments, including the Under-20 Worlds. Otherwise, there would be two additional Flyers prospects who would almost certainly be taking part in the 2023-24 WJC.
Matvei Michkov, of course, would be a WJC shoo-in. Currently recovering from an illness (reportedly a bout with pneumonia) that forced him to miss the KHL All-Star Game, Michkov remains an all-world talent. He's averaging close to a point per game in the generally lower-scoring KHL despite his HC Sochi club lacking in the way of high-skill linemate candidates for Mickov. His hands, ice vision and creativity with the puck, as advertised, are of elite caliber. In 29 games with Sochi, Michkov has 26 points (11g, 15a). Michkov celebrated his 19th birhday on Dec. 9.
Drafted by the Flyers in the third round of the 2023 Entry Draft, goalie Yegor Zavragin has been sensational this season at two different levels. Playing in the Russian junior league (MHL), he has a 1.63 goals against average, .945 save percentage and two shutouts in nine games for Mamonty Yugra In fact, he's shown himself to be advanced enough to be called up to to Yugra parent club, Yugra Khanty-Mansiysk, which plays at the minor league (VHL) pro level. In seven VHL games, he's posted a perfect 7-0-0 record, 1.27 GAA, .952 save percentage, and two shutouts. The 6-foot-2 Zavragin turned 18 back on August 23.
