What to Watch For in 2021 IIHF World Junior Championship

The
2021 IIHF World Junior Championship
begins on Christmas Day and culminates with medal games on Tuesday, Jan. 5.
The timing couldn't be more ideal, too. With the news that the National Hockey League will
begin its 2020-21 season in mid-January
, the World Juniors will serve as an eye-catching hockey appetizer before the main course arrives.
The Carolina Hurricanes have four prospects competing in this year's tournament, which will be held at Rogers Place in Edmonton without fans in attendance in a secure bubble similar to the NHL's 2020 postseason. All games will be broadcast live on NHL Network in the United States and TSN In Canada.
"The World Juniors is best on best," said Canes Director of Player Personnel Darren Yorke. "This is a great experience and a great barometer of where these athletes are in comparison to their peers. It doesn't get too much better than these tournaments for these athletes."

Ryan Suzuki, Canada
Suzuki, the Canes' first-round selection (28th overall) from the
2019 NHL Draft
, competed internationally most recently for Team Canada at the Under-18 World Championship in 2019, where he tallied a point (1a) in five games. The 19-year-old forward recorded 58 points (18g, 40a) in 44 games with Barrie and Saginaw of the OHL in the 2019-20 season.
Team Canada boasts a stacked forward lineup, Suzuki included, for the World Juniors, which will make competition stiff.
"For Ryan, it's a great opportunity to learn regardless of the situation he's in," Yorke said. "Being able to learn how to play, whether it's on the fourth line, first line or not in the lineup, all those experiences help further his development."
Suzuki will be aiming to grab the gold medal that eluded his big brother, Nick, in 2019.
"Any time an athlete has the opportunity to play at a level that is higher than their current club is a learning experience," Yorke said. "For Ryan, just going through training camp to push his abilities up to the next level - everything is faster and harder to play against - he's going to learn from that."
Vasiliy Ponomarev, Russia
Ponomarev, selected by the Canes in the second round (53rd overall) of the
2020 NHL Draft
and
signed to his three-year, entry-level contract
a week later, has previous international experience and success with the Russian national team. He led the team with eight points (4g, 4a) in six games and helped Russia capture gold at the 2017 World U-17 Hockey Challenge and also earned gold with Team Russia at the 2019 Hlinka Gretzky Cup with six points (2g, 4a) in five games.
"In the past when he's played at the international level, he's been thrown into more of a scoring role on the top line," Yorke said.
In the World Juniors, though, he might play a role more similar to that with Shawinigan of the QMJHL, where he posted 49 points (18g, 31a) in 57 games in the 2019-20 season.
"Given some of the older players, he may be used more in a defensive role. That's not something that's new to him, and I think he can shine in those situations," Yorke said. "Because of his hockey sense, his coaches can throw him into any position and any situation, and they're comfortable and trust him to get the job done."
Noel Gunler, Sweden
Gunler, selected in the second round (41st overall) in the
2020 NHL Draft
, has already appeared in 18 games with Lulea and Brynas in the Swedish Hockey League and recorded six points (4g, 2a) this season.
Gunler, the third-ranked Canes prospect
according to Elite Prospects
, has the potential to be a breakout star in this tournament.
"They're going to need his offensive game to really shine through," Yorke said. "I think Noel is probably going to use the previous years when he might have thought he deserved to be there but couldn't make the team as motivation. I think this is going to be a coming out party for him."
Zion Nybeck, Sweden
Joining Gunler on Sweden's club is Nybeck, who was a fourth-round selection (115th overall) in the
2020 NHL Draft
. Nybeck, 18, helped Sweden claim gold at the 2019 U-18 World Championship with five points (2g, 3a) in seven games.
"Because of his Swiss army knife capabilities, he could play anywhere in the lineup," Yorke said. "If they need him to play more of an offensive role, they could count on him for offense, whether it's power play or 5-on-5. Because of his competitiveness and tenacity, he could play down in the lineup and be able to bring some energy. Having Zion in this short tournament really is an advantage for Sweden because of the utility they'll be able to get out of him."
Preliminary Round Game Schedule
Preliminary round games of interest to Canes fans, in addition to Team USA's preliminary round slate, can be found below. The schedule will be regularly updated with game results.

2021 IIHF World Junior Championship Preliminary Round

| Dec. 25 | Russia vs. United States | 5-3 | | Dec. 26 | Sweden vs. Czech Republic | 7-1 | | Dec. 26 | Germany vs. Canada | 2-16 | | Dec. 26 | United States vs. Austria | 11-0 | | Dec. 27 | Slovakia vs. Canada | 1-3 | | Dec. 27 | Czech Republic vs. Russia | 2-0 | | Dec. 28 | Austria vs. Sweden | 0-4 | | Dec. 29 | United States vs. Czech Republic | 7-0 | | Dec. 29 | Canada vs. Switzerland | 10-0 | | Dec. 29 | Austria vs. Russia | 1-7 | | Dec. 30 | Russia vs. Sweden | 4-3 (OT) | | Dec. 31 | Canada vs. Finland | 6 p.m. | | Dec. 31 | Sweden vs. United States | 9:30 p.m. | | Date | Match-Up | Result / Time | | --- | --- | --- |
All games on NHL Network in U.S. and TSN in Canada. All times listed in Eastern time.