Fantilli, top 2023 Draft prospect, to get NHL education at Worlds

RIGA, Latvia -- Adam Fantilli is hoping to experience more than just top-end international hockey when he plays for Canada at the 2023 IIHF World Championship in Finland and Latvia.

A projected top-three pick in the 2023 Upper Deck NHL Draft, the 18-year-old forward is hoping to start learning about life in the NHL from his new teammates.

"What I'm trying to take from it is just a lot of education on how NHL locker rooms work, how they practice, how they are away from the rink, take as much as I can away from the pro game," he said.

"All the guys in there have a lot of experience. Guys have been through it deep in the playoffs, guys that have been through it for 10 years now. Anybody in there is really going to have knowledge for you. I'm just trying to mingle with guys and get their perspective on things."

Canada plays its first game of the tournament against Latvia at Arena Riga on Friday (1 p.m. ET; NHLN, TSN). It is in Group B for the preliminary round, along with Czechia, Kazakhstan, Norway, Slovakia, Slovenia and Switzerland.

Group A consists of Austria, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Sweden and the United States. The tournament runs through May 28.

Fantilli led NCAA players this season with 65 points (30 goals, 35 assists) in 36 games as a freshman at the University of Michigan and won the Hobey Baker Award as the top men's Division I hockey player. He is No. 2 on NHL Central Scouting's final ranking of North American skaters presented by BioSteel, behind forward Connor Bedard of Regina in the Western Hockey League.

"I like it because right from Day One we met him and we asked him -- we ask all our players -- 'What do you want to get out of the tournament, what are you looking for?'" said Canada coach Andre Tourigny, who has coached the Arizona Coyotes the past two seasons. "One of the first things he said was being around the pros, being around those guys and knowing how to behave on a daily basis, how they work and how they think, how they interact in the room.

"He's a young kid. For him, all of that will be new. It'll be an unbelievable experience for him. He will go through adversity; he will have to react to it. He will have success; he will need to stay humble with it. Every day will be a great day for him I believe.

"He's a great kid. He works hard. He came here for the right reasons. He wants to learn from those veterans, those pros, and play with men. He's doing the right thing."

Though he's only been with Canada for a short time, Fantilli has jumped right into his self-imposed homework assignment.

"I talked to him a little bit the first night ... we had a good chat," said Calgary Flames forward Tyler Toffoli, Canada's captain. Toffoli has played 733 regular-season NHL games and won the Stanley Cup with the Los Angeles Kings in 2014. "He's excited for the opportunity. He wants to see where he matches up. There's no better opportunity than now.

"It's hard to believe he's so young and not even drafted yet. He loves the game. He's a quick learner. I'm excited for him. It's going to be fun. I want him to do well here."

A strong showing could help Fantilli (6-foot-2, 195 pounds) be selected as early as the No. 2 pick of the draft, after Bedard, the consensus No. 1 prospect.

The Chicago Blackhawks have the No. 1 pick of 2023 draft, which will be held at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville on June 28-29. The Anaheim Ducks have the No. 2 selection, followed by the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Fantilli isn't ready to turn his attention to the draft quite yet, though.

He is more focused on studying what comes after.

"I came here for a learning experience and I'm going to take a lot of experience away," said Fantilli, who had five points (two goals, three assists) in seven games to help Canada win the gold medal at the 2023 IIHF World Junior Championship in January.

"I think I can take a lot from this tournament and learn a lot a lot. I'm really looking forward to it."

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