Theodore And Karlsson Look Back On World Juniors

As the Vegas Golden Knights keep a watchful eye on their six prospects competing at the 2019 IIHF World Junior Championship, current Golden Knights who played in that tournament in the past have been following the action.
World Juniors is an opportunity for players under 20 to display their talents on the world stage and earn glory for their home nation. Earning a roster spot for the tournament takes talent, determination and a dash of luck. Memories of suiting up for the World Juniors stick with 11 members of the Golden Knights, and two of them have gold medals to show for it.
When Sweden captured its second-ever gold at the 36th World Junior Championship, current Golden Knights forward William Karlsson was part of the celebration. Karlsson, who went on to win a silver medal the following year, totaled one goal and three assists in 12 games in his World Juniors career.
Not many players have the fortune of winning two medals in the tournament and Karlsson said that he looks back on his success at the World Juniors with pride.
"First of all, it was really fun," Karlsson said. "It's one of my best hockey memories. I made a lot of friends and we have something that we can look back on together."

Karlsson reached the gold medal game both times he represented Sweden at the World Junior Championship. Though he would've preferred to come away with two golds, he still recognizes what got him and his teammates to the biggest stage.
"You've got to be mentally strong," Karlsson said. "If you lose one game, you can be out. You have to have a bit of luck and you just have to try to be the better team each game."
He added that the two WJC medals he won are "safely stored" at his home in Sweden.
In 2015, Canada took a 5-1 lead against Russia in the second period and clung to that lead as they claimed the gold medal with a 5-4 win. Defenseman Shea Theodore helped the Canadians hold the Russians scoreless in the third period as they preserved the 16th title for Canada in tournament history.
Theodore said his role was as a shut-down defender on a pair with Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse. They teamed up and won the gold on Canadian soil in front of one of the rowdiest crowds Theodore could remember.
"At that age, other than playing in the NHL, that's the biggest stage you can play on," Theodore said. "It was one of the best times of my life."
Celebrating the victory with teammates is something that Theodore said he cherishes because his teammates came from all over Canada to form a winning squad. It didn't matter which junior or college program they played for during the regular season - all they cared about was winning gold.
"When you get drafted, you take note of other guys in different leagues. It's cool to see everyone come together and be part of one team. In my year, we had a lot of good core players that played their roles and that propelled us as a team."
Theodore and Karlsson are the only two Golden Knights with gold medals from the World Junior Championship on their respective resumes, but below are all of the current players who have competed in the tournament.
Cody Eakin, Canada
2011: 7 GP, 1-2-3
Result: Silver

Erik Haula, Finland
2011: 6GP, 4-3-7
Result: 6th

William Karlsson, Sweden
2012: 6GP, 1-1-2
Result: Gold
2013: 6GP, 0-2-2
Result: Silver

Oscar Lindberg, Sweden
2011: 6GP, 2-2-4
Result: 4th

Tomas Nosek, Czech Republic
2012: 6GP, 0-1-1
Result: 5th

Max Pacioretty, United States
2008: 6GP, 0-0-0
Result: 4th

Alex Tuch, United States
2015: 5GP, 1-1-2
Result: 5th

Jon Merrill, United States
2012: 6GP, 0-4-4
Result: 7th

Shea Theodore, Canada
2015: 7GP, 1-1-2
Result: Gold

Marc-Andre Fleury, Canada
2003: 5GP
Result: Silver
2004: 5GP
Result: Silver

Malcolm Subban, Canada
2013: 6GP
Result: 4th