2024 WJC Blog: Sale, Czechia Win Bronze in Scoring Fest

Jan. 5: Sale, Czechia Win Bronze in Scoring Fest

In the gold medal game of the now completed 2024 World Juniors Championship, Team USA defeated host Sweden to the disappointment of locals but lots of cheering here in the States. Kraken 2023 sixth-rounder and Sweden fourth-line center Zeb Forsfjall earns a silver medal and finishes the tournament with an assist and lots of experience on faceoffs in elite competition.

The bronze medal game between Czechia and Finland featured lots of goals and a closer outcome than two late empty-net goals by Czechia might indicate with a final score of 8-5. Kraken 2023 first-round pick Eduard Sale contributed an assist for bronze-medal Czechia. Sale finished the tourney with three goals (a prelim hat trick) and four assists, generating lots of scoring chances and a bronze boost as he now returns to the Barrie Colts of the Ontario Hockey League.

Finland forward and Seattle 2022 second-round pick Jani Nyman scored early to stake the Finns to an early lead they ultimately couldn’t protect. In goal, fellow Finn and Kraken 2022 second-rounder Niklas Kokko made 27 saves in a game with lots of offensive risk-taking and some defensive lapses by both squads of skaters.

Nyman’s tying goal against Sweden in the waning seconds of the final prelim game and his ensuing decisive and slick-moves shootout was a highlight among Kraken prospects. Kokko played admirably and was pivotal in helping his team reach the semifinals against the USA and only a full screen on a late American goal separated him for more heroics.

For Team Canada, Kraken 2023 second-rounder Carson Rehkopf notched two goals and two assists in limited minutes. He’s already getting projected as a top-line forward on the 2025 Canada team to play in the Worlds at Minneapolis-St. Paul next winter. CAN teammate and 2022 third-rounder had three assists in limited minutes, while Jagger Firkus was recalled ahead of the medal round but didn’t get a chance to dress for a game.

Jan. 4: Finland Falls on Late American Goal

Even with losing the first two games in the preliminary round, Team Finland was dreaming gold medal scenarios after taking a 2-0 lead in Thursday’s semifinal versus the USA. Kraken goaltending prospect Niklas Kokko stopped all nine USA shots in the opening period with some good looks in the mix. By mid-second period, Kokko was up to 16 saves, highlighted by a close-in theft of USA forward Isaac Howard’s close-in rebound that looked like a sure goal on NHL Network.

But the Americans were relentless in the middle 20 minutes, peppering shots and pestering Kokko with screens not cleared often enough by Finland skaters. The Finns also took some unadvised penalties, the first one turning into a one-timer shot and score from USA forward Jimmy Snuggerud, a St. Louis Blues prospect who has now scored 10 goals in 10 World Junior Championship games over the last two seasons. The Americans struck again late second period on a back-door goal that a Finn defenseman deflected but not enough. Kokko had little chance to make the stop. All in all, he was stellar in the middle 20 minutes while Finland skaters didn’t look like the same squad that jumped out to a 2-0 lead

Team USA made a lot of fans happy but maybe not all Kraken personnel who would have loved seeing the 6-foot-4 Kokko play under gold-medal pressure along with power forward Jani Nyman, fellow Seattle 2022 second-rounder who scored a dramatic tying goal and decisive shootout goal in a prelim thriller over rival Sweden.

The USA game-winner crossed the goal line with less than four minutes left in regulation. Kokko was full-on screened and likely didn’t see the puck until too late. He finished with 27 saves, including more than a few Grade-A chances. Nyman led Finland with four shots on goal but couldn’t convert. He finished the tourney with that one goal, three assists, and that thrilling shootout winner. Team USA will face Sweden for the gold medal on Friday while Finland goes up against Kraken 2023 first-round draft choice Eduard Sale and Czechia with the bronze medal at stake.

Jan. 2: Nyman Earns OT Assist, Kokko 27 Saves in Big Win for Finland

After dropping their first two games of the 2024 IIHF World Junior Championship in Gothenburg, Sweden, Team Finland has rebounded with three straight wins, none bigger than Tuesday’s overtime 4-3 win against favored Slovakia in the quarterfinals. 

Finland now advances to the semifinals on Thursday, facing Team USA, which was undefeated in group play (three regulation wins and an overtime victory against Czechia). Sweden, which survived a quarterfinal showdown with Switzerland by winning 3-2 in overtime, now goes up against Czechia after Kraken first-rounder Eduard Sale and his Czechia teammates upset Canada Tuesday. 

Kraken goaltending prospect Niklas Kokko (2022 second-round, 58^th overall) notched the upset victory with a stellar game in net. Kokko made 27 saves against a Slovakia team that averaged just shy of five goals per game in last week’s preliminary round, including a 6-2 trouncing of Czechia, which stunned two-time defending gold medalist Canada in the second quarterfinal Tuesday. Kokko outdueled Slovakian goalie Adam Gajan, who starred in the 2023 World Juniors tourney during which Finland was knocked out in the quarterfinals by Sweden.

Fellow Finland teammate and Kraken prospect Jani Nyman (2022 second-rounder, nine picks ahead of Kokko at No. 49 overall) has mirrored his country’s rise on the World Juniors stage, stepping up as a pivotal and clutch forward over the three victories. He scored a game-tying goal and the decisive shootout goal against host Sweden (which finished first in group play) to set up a quarterfinal matchup with Slovakia. Tuesday, he earned an assist on the winning overtime goal when FIN captain Jere Lassila scored just 24 seconds into OT.

Nyman was a force in the first period Tuesday, recording four shots and setting the pace for his Finnish squad. The game took a suspenseful turn late with Finland scoring a goal to make it 3-2 with 94 seconds remaining in regulation only to see Slovakia score with 46 seconds left in the third period on a close-in rebound after a strong first save by Kokko.

Jan. 2: Sale, Czechia Takes Down Defending Gold Medalist Canada

Canada, winners of the last two World Juniors tourney, was stunned by a late goal from Czechia Tuesday. The 2-2 game appeared to be heading to the second overtime of the day when Czechia third-line forward Jakub Stancl scored his second goal of the day to break hearts all over Canada. It’s the first quarterfinal loss for Team Canada since 2019.

Kraken 2023 first-round draft choice (20^th overall)  Eduard Sale, one of five players dressed for last year’s loss to Canada in the gold-medal game, was impressive generating scoring chances during the win. He logged four of his five shots on goal in the second period and nearly converted on a two-on-one rush. There should be no surprise if he scores a pivotal goal for his nation in Thursday’s semifinal. 

For Canada, Kraken prospects, forward Carson Rehkopf (8:50 time on ice) and defenseman Ty Nelson (4:36) were afforded limited playing time Tuesday. Jagger Firkus, recalled to Team Canada and flying to Europe Saturday, did not dress. Rehkopf was impressive in his limited time on ice during the tourney, finishing with two goals and two assists. Nelson produced on the scoresheet, too, earning three assists. Both Rehkopf and Nelson were plus-5 goals when on the ice in Sweden.

Dec. 31: 2024 WJC Blog: Rehkopf Delivers in Canada Win

The final score of the Germany-Canada was 6-3 but the game proved nothing but challenging for the Canadians, who now advance to play Czechia and 2023 Kraken first-rounder Eduard Sale in the quarterfinals Tuesday in Gothenburg, Sweden.

With the game knotted at two goals apiece, Kraken 2023 second-round draft choice Carson Rehkopf raced into the Germany zone carrying the puck past two German defenders. Rehkopf kept the puck as long as possible before slipping a pass across the crease for Canada forward Owen Beck for a wide-open tap-in goal. German goalie Matthias Bittner, who had a strong preliminary round and led an upset of Finland, had to stay right post for a potential Rehkopf shot and then possibly assumed the speeding Rehkopf might be swinging with the puck behind the net. Neither happened, the pass to Beck put his countrymen ahead 3-2.

Germany responded with a goal to tie the game for the third time. Exactly one minute on the game clock later, Rehkopf was drifting backwards through the crease on Canada's power play positioning himself behind the goal line near the Germany goal. Taking a pass, Rehkopf quickly fed Matthew Poitras (who has played 27 NHL games with Boston this season at age 19). Poitras' shot was stopped by Bittner but CAN forward Jordan Dumais converted the rebound into what turned out to be the game-winning goal.

Sunday was the first game in which Rehkopf played double-digit minutes and got on the ice for a power play. He finished with those two monster assists, two shots on goal, 17:58 time on ice, and a top-five-among-Canada-forwards with 21 shifts.

Rehkopf now has two goals and two assists in the tourney while fellow Kraken prospect and defenseman Ty Nelson (2022 third-rounder) picked up a primary assist on star 17-year-old Macklin Celebrini’s first goal of the night for Canada. Nelson, who is playing seventh defenseman minutes to date, finished with three shots on goal during nine shifts. Kraken 2022 second-round pick Jagger Firkus was recalled by Team Canada Saturday (flying to Sweden after notching three assists in his WHL Moose Jaw game Friday) but did not dress for the win over Germany.

Dec 31: Nyman Clutch in Win over Sweden

Kraken 2022 second-round draft pick Jani Nyman and Finland saved their best for last in the preliminary round of the 2024 IIHF World Junior Championship Sunday with a dramatic shootout win over archrival Sweden. Nyman tied the game late and then was the hero of the shootout after a scoreless overtime.

The win moved Finland into third place in Group A behind Sweden and Canada, pending Sunday’s matchup between Canada and Germany (10:30 a.m. puck drop on NHL Network). The Germans need a win of any kind to move past the Finns, but Nyman and his teammates will advance to the quarterfinals in any case.

With Finnish goalie Noa Vali pulled for an extra attacker, Nyman maneuvered into scoring position net-front to convert a loose puck in a huge goal to quiet the host Sweden crowd. Nyman was then mobbed by his teammates when he showed stellar moves in the shootout, closing out Group A winner Sweden, which was coming off an impressive 2-0 win over Canada.

On the shootout goal, Nyman deked with detail to get Swedish goalie Melker Thelin to commit low, then lifted the puck into the net to break a 1-1 shootout on the fifth and final shot for his country. Nyman displayed his potential for NHL play with a solid game Sunday, in and around the puck all game, then scoring clutch goals not once but twice when Finland needed it most.

His tournament has trended spectacularly up in the last two games of prelims with a power play assist in a 4-0 win over Latvia (a must-win after the Finns were upset by Germany and then lost to Canada). Nyman appeared to have scored a goal against Latvia, snagging his own rebound only to see it called back for a teammate’s goalie interference infraction.

Dec. 30: Team Canada Adds Firkus to Roster

In the shadow of a 2-0 shutout at the hands of host Sweden in the qualifying round of Group A, Team Canada officials announced Saturday that Kraken prospect Jagger Firkus was added to the 25-player roster.

There is no countering move revealed as of yet, but a Canada player will have to be removed from the roster and that player will not be eligible to play. Forward Matthew Savoie was missing from practice Saturday but coach Alan Letang called it a maintenance day and that the team would see how the Buffalo Sabres 2022 first-round draft choice (No. 9 overall) feels Sunday.

Firkus, who attended Canada’s World Junior camp but didn’t make the cut, played Friday for his Western Hockey League Moose Jaw squad, notching three assists in a 5-2 win over rival Regina. Firkus now has 27 goals and 32 assists in 32 games for Moose Jaw. His career numbers for the WHL Warriors are 110 goals and 133 assists for 243 points in 199 games.

Team Canada faces Germany on Sunday in the final game of group play and can finish no higher than second in the group after the loss to Sweden. Firkus will join Moose Jaw teammates defenseman Denton Mateychuk and frequent linemate, forward Brayden Yager.

Dec 29: Kraken First-Rounder Sale, Czechia Push USA to Shootout

Friday’s matchup between Czechia and USA was about as even as it gets. The Americans took an early lead but Czechia tied matters before the end of the first period. Czechia scored twice in the second frame to take a pair of one-goal leads. But Team USA squared the score both times in response.

The third Czechia goal, which essentially earned a standings point for the squad, was engineered by the Kraken’s 2023 first-round draft choice, forward Eduard Sale. The Kraken prospect showed his two-way skills (defense and offense) by leveraging a turnover and loose puck at the USA blue line to skate the puck net-front, then slip a pass on the far side of the net to teammate Robin Sapousek.

Neither team scored in the third period or overtime, sending the game into a five-round shootout requiring five different shooters. Sale couldn’t get his attempt past USA goalie Jacob Fowler but the two squads were tied and went seven rounds before American Isaac Howard won it for Team USA. Sale couldn’t convert his second attempt (rules allow repeats after the first five tries), but Sale and his linemates played with pace and tenacity all game.

The victory set up a USA-Slovakia showdown on New Year’s Eve to determine who is the first seed in Group B. Czechia’s standings point earned means the squad will make it through to the quarterfinals.

Dec 29: Canada Shut Out by Host Swedes

Big day for Sweden’s star goaltender, Hugo Havelid, who was the difference in a 2-0 Group A victory meaning Team Canada can fare no better than second place in group play. Kraken 2023 second-rounder Carson Rehkopf threatened on a first-period breakaway created by a neutral-zone turnover, but his attempted five-hole shot between Havelid’s leg pads didn’t make it through. It’s entirely possible Havelid was inspired by Swedish legend and long-time New York Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist attending the game.

Rehkopf (who scored twice against Latvia) and Seattle 2023 third-rounder and defenseman Ty Nelson (two assists against Latvia) both played limited minutes. It will be interesting to see if either SEA prospect gets more time on ice against Germany on Sunday.

Dec. 29: Nyman Earns Assist, Finland Stays Alive

Kraken prospect Jani Nyman and his Finland teammates didn’t want their tournament to come down to this: Needing a must-win against Latvia on Friday, then hoping for some help to advance to the quarterfinals of this 2024 World Juniors championship in Gothenburg, Sweden.

But that was the scenario for the Finns after an upset loss at the hands of Germany (which hadn’t defeated Finland in 26 previous tries at the World Juniors) earlier this week. Team Finland, which also lost to Canada this week, took care of business Friday with an efficient 4-0 win over Latvia, fueled by a pair of power play goals.

Nyman, a 6-foot-3, 212-pound forward who has 14 goals and eight assists in 28 games for his Ilves Tampere team in Finland’s top pro league, executed his power play role perfectly in the second period. He started the scoring sequence by holding the puck an extra beat or two to find the time and space to pass to a teammate down low at the Latvian goal, who then served up a cross-ice feed to goal scorer and San Jose prospect Kasper Halttunen. The goal was the first of two for Finland to build a 4-0 lead by early third period.

Now Finland needs Germany to beat Latvia, regulation or overtime, in the final qualifying game for both teams. But if Latvia defeats Germany in regulation, Finland will be bounced from the quarterfinals. If the Latvia-Germany game goes to overtime – doesn’t matter who wins – then Finland will advance.

Dec. 28: Rehkopf Scores Twice, Nelson Earns Two Assists

Latvia was no match for Team Canada Thursday at the World Juniors tourney in Sweden. Carson Rehkopf, 2023 Kraken second-rounder (50^th overall) and leading scorer in the Ontario Hockey League, notched his first two goals in international play. The 6-foot-1, 195-pound forward continues to make a case for shifts and time on ice.

The Latvia match provided reason for more Rehkopf minutes going beyond the two scores, which came fourth and ninth in the scoring order. Both of Rehkopf’s goals were assisted by Canada’s newest 17-year-old phenom, Macklin Celebrini, considered a virtual lock to be selected first overall at this summer’s 2024 NHL Draft. On the first goal, with both Canada forwards in high gear, Celebrini slipped a quick, short pass to Rehkopf entering the middle of the offensive zone.

The Kraken prospect did the rest, taking a right-side route while protecting the puck from a defender, showing a potential backhand shot with Celebrini in the slot as a decoy, and always a threat to score (he finished the game with a goal and four assists). Instead of shooting, Rehkopf showed patience cutting in front of the net to get both the Latvia defender and goaltender to commit, then tucked the puck in with a forehand shot.

On the second Rehkopf goal, the same two skaters zoomed into the offensive with Celebrini carrying the puck. They worked a perfect will-the-shoot-or-pass sequence with Rehkopf converting the pass with a one-time shot.

Also making a case for more time on ice is Kraken 2022 third-rounder and defenseman, Ty Nelson, who picked up two assists Thursday. He, too, showed patience and offensive skills, by jumping up into the play and holding the puck long enough for Canada forward Fraser Minten to take a pass and thread a longer-range shot through traffic and into the back of the net.

Dec. 27: Sale Notches Hat Trick in Czechia Win

After losing its first game to rival Slovakia, Team Czechia rebounded Wednesday in resounding fashion with an 8-1 win over Norway at the IIHF Junior World Championship in Gothenburg, Sweden. Czechia doubled the score of Team USA, which defeated Norway, 4-1, on Tuesday.

Kraken 2023 first-rounder Eduard Sale logged a hat trick, scoring two goals within six minutes during the second period and adding a third-period score. His first goal came on a deft takeaway from a Norway defenseman in a two-player chase for the puck from the Czechia zone to the Norwegian goal line. Sale intercepted with what scouts and coaches would call “a good stick” and then smoothly moved the puck to his backhand to beat a surprised Norway goaltender. Late in the middle period, Sale scored in a net-front scramble showing his willingness to get inside. He completed the hat trick in the third period on a snap-shot power play goal.

Sale, who was impressive in two seasons as a teen playing in the staunch top Czechia pro league, is competing for the Ontario Hockey League Barrie Colts this year with 21 points (seven goals, 14 assists) in 25 games.

Dec. 26: Sale, Nyman, Forsfjall Earn Assists

Day 1 is in the books at the 2024 World Juniors tournament in Gothenburg, Sweden, and the host team breezed by Latvia in the nightcap game. The Swedes dominated with balanced scoring in a 6-0 win, including an assist on the fourth goal by Kraken prospect Zeb Forsfjall (6^th round, 2023). Forsfjall is among the smaller players at this gathering of elite players under 20 years old, with his 5-foot-8, 154-pound frame.

Forsfjall is one of three Kraken prospects who earned points on opening games Tuesday, but his came in a team win. Eduard Sale, the Kraken’s first-round pick (20^th overall) assisted on a late goal for Czechia in a 6-2 loss to Slovakia. Jani Nyman (pronounced “Nu-men”) notched an assist in a 5-2 loss at the hands of defending champion Team Canada.

Kraken goaltender prospect Niklas Kokko was in goal for the Finns and made 26 stops, giving up three goals in a tight 3-1 game before Kokko went to the bench for an extra attacker, resulting in a pair of empty-net goals for the winners. Kokko made some big saves to keep his nation within reach of the defending champions with two of goals involving Kokko working through a Team Finland defenseman and an opponent overcrowding his crease. The third Canada goal was scored by near-consensus No. 1 pick, Macklin Celebrina in this summer’s 2024 NHL Draft, but the score required close review to determine if the puck cleared the entire goal line on a rebound attempt after Kokko made a stellar in-close save on the original scoring attempt.

On the day, Canada, Sweden, the U.S., and Slovakia all rolled in their openers with the Americans beating Norway, 4-1. Gavin Brinkley, selected 34^th overall by Columbus in last summer’s NHL Draft and a point-per-game scorer at NCAA Michigan this season, led the way with two goals.

Dec. 24: World Junior tournament starts New Year early

As the NHL takes a three-day pause on games, player transactions, and overall news, the 2024 International Ice Hockey Federation World Junior Hockey Championship can get hockey fans on a fast start to the New Year with an elite tournament among the top Under-20 players in the world. Kraken fans can follow Team Canada forward and 2023 second-round draft choice Carson Rehkopf, who leads the Ontario Hockey League in goals (31) and points (55), plus 2023 first-rounder Eduard Sale as a leader for Team Czechia. Forward Jani Nyman figures to be a force for Finland with fellow countryman and Kraken goalie prospect Niklas Kokko (both Finns were picked in the 2022 second round). Zeb Forsfjall (2023 sixth-rounder, forward, Team Sweden) and Ty Nelson (2023 third-rounder, defenseman, Team Canada) are two more Kraken prospects fans can follow during the next two weeks of elite play.

All games will be on NHL Network and you can follow the Seattle prospects and tournament developments on our WJC Live Blog. Fans will have to be awake early (or even stay up late on the West Coast to see some of the action, with early games starting as early as 3 a.m. Pacific time and the next group on the ice at 5:30 a.m. Time to make sure your recording methods are in place.

Dec. 24: Kraken 2022 second-rounders Nyman, Kokko face 2023 second-rounder Carson Rehkopf

Finland opens World Junior play in a matchup with Canada (Tuesday, 5:30 a.m. NHL Network). That means 2022 second-rounders Jani Nyman and Niklas Kokko will face 2023 second-rounder Carson Rehkopf. Just this week, two-time defending champion Canada added Kraken defenseman prospect Ty Nelson to the roster due to injuries. Kokko will start in goal against Canada on Tuesday. The Kraken’s first-round draft choice this past summer, Eduard Sale, will be the first Seattle prospect to play at this World Juniors tourney when Sale and his Czechia take on Slovakia (3 a.m.)

Dec. 24: Full Schedule for 2024 World Junior Championship

(All games Pacific time on NHL Network)

The 2024 version of this compelling tournament will be played in Gothenburg, Sweden, from Tuesday to Jan. 5. Ten teams will compete in World Juniors. The United States will be in Group B for the preliminary round at Frolundaborg arena in Gothenburg, along with Czechia, Slovakia, Switzerland, and Norway. Group A consists of Canada, Sweden, Finland, Germany, and Latvia at Scandinavium arena in Gothenburg. Russia remains banned from international play because of its invasion of Ukraine.

The top four teams in each group advance to the quarterfinals, which are on Jan. 2. The semifinals and relegation game are on Jan. 4, and the championship and third-place games will be at Scandinavium on Jan. 5. Here’s the full schedule:

Thursday, Jan. 4 (Scandinavium)

Germany vs. Norway, 2 a.m. (NHLN) (relegation game)

Sweden vs. Czechia, 6 a.m. ET (NHLN)

United States vs. Finland, 10:30 a.m. ET (NHLN)

Friday, Jan. 5 (Scandinavium)

Third-place game, 6 a.m. ET (NHLN)

Championship game, 10:30 a.m. ET (NHLN)