There are Minnesota connections to most of the 10 national teams as the state becomes more and more a crossroads of youth hockey development in the world.  The USA team has three Minnesota players on its roster and is coached by a Minnesotan.  Canada has all sorts of connections to Minnesota Hockey as players migrate across the Minnesota/Canada border to play hockey, Germany has players who played for the Minnesota Magicians and they have players who have played against the Magicians in the Richfield Arena, Minnesota colleges have players on their roster who are on the Sweden’s and Finland’s roster.

But the real question is who will win the tourney.  Read the team previews and the following predictions to find out.   

Team Previews

Group A-United States-With 24 hours to go before playing their first game, the USA roster of 20 skaters and three goalie was still not settled.  One more cut had to be made from the 21 skaters still vying to vying to play in the tourney.  Defenseman Steve Santini/Mahopac NY was cleared medically the past week, was being evaluated, the decision was made to cut Santini.

There was good reason for the USA to take care in determining their final seven defenders.  The way the tourney is shaping up, a strong defense is needed.  The favorites in the tourney (Russia, Finland, and Canada) are all strong defensive teams first; offensive second.

The USA will have the youngest roster in the tourney.  Only 10 of the 23 players are 1995 born.  The rest are 1996/1997.  The journey to the World Junior Tourney started for USA players in earnest two weeks ago.  Approximately thirty players left their current teams (mostly college teams) and attended a Boston Camp.  Last Friday, they ended their 4 day Boston camp beating Boston University 5-2.

Defenseman Noah Hanafin/Philadelphia PA and Jack Eichel/North Chelmsford MA each scored shorthanded first period goals in the 5-2 victory over the Terriers.  Eichel played last season for USA Hockey teams and posted 147 points/64 goals in 89 games.  He switched uniforms for the Boston University game.  Eichel is playing for the Terriers this season.  Earlier this week, Eichel was named the team captain for this year’s World Junior team along with Will Butcher/Sun Prairie WI and John Hayden/Greenwich CT.

In the 5-2 win over Boston University, Chase De Leo/La Mirada CA and Cole Cassels/Dublin OH assisted on the first goal, Butcher and Jack Dougherty/Cottage Grove MN assisted on Eichel’s score.  De Leo, JT Compher/Northbrook IL, and Anthony DeAngelo/Sewell NJ also scored for the USA Juniors.

In pre-tourney exhibition games played in Canada over the weekend, the USA beat Germany 5-2 and in a wild game, beat Sweden 10-5.  Both games were played in Kingston ON.  The USA juniors out shot Germany 49-22 in the game in their 5-2 win.  Comptor, Tyler Motte/St. Clair MI, Miles Wood/Buffalo NY, Zach Werenski/Grosse Pointe Woods MI, and Anthony Louis/Winfield IL scored for USA.  In beating Sweden, USA’s Alex Tuch/Baldwinsville NY scored the hat trick.  Tuch was drafted by the Minnesota Wild in the 2014 NHL entry draft.  Motte scored twice, and Auston Matthews/Scottsdale AZ scored twice.

The first sign of how well the USA team will do this tournament can be seen when the USA plays Finland in the opening game.  It won’t be the defense that will matter as much as how their offense does against tough Finnish defense.  The USA is a heavy favorite to advance out of the preliminary round (only one team from each group will play relegation games).  But a second sign will be seen in their final preliminary game against Canada.  The Canadian defense is tougher than the Finnish defense.  Both Finland and Canada are defensive minded teams.  The USA offense should do well against Slovakia and Germany.

This year’s roster is well represented by players with Minnesota backgrounds.  Two defensemen (Ian McCoshen/Hudson WI and Ryan Collins/Bloomington MN) and forward Hudson Fasching skated youth hockey in the state.  Defenseman Jack Dougherty/Cottage Grove MN was one of the last players cut and is not on the final roster.  The USA team is coached this year by Mark Osiecki/Burnsville MN.  The team opens Pool A against Finland in Montreal the day after Christmas.  Cole Cassels and Jeremy Bracco along with Santini and Dougherty were the cut in the last few days before the tourney.  

Group A-Canada-There are 17 1995 born players on Canada’s 22 player roster.  Three 1996 born and two 1997 borne players complete the roster.  The Canadians played their first exhibition game last Friday losing to Russia in overtime 2-1.  Josh Morrissey scored the lone Canadian goal.  Canada could not beat Russia’s goalie Ilya Sorokin.  Sorokin stopped 52 of 53 Canadian shots.  Goalie Zach Fucale stopped 18 of 20 Russian shots in the game.  Canada went on to beat Sweden 5-2 and Switzerland 6-0 in their last two exhibition games.  In beating Sweden, the Canadian’s got scoring from five different players (Max Domi, Josh Morrissey, Anthony Duclair, Shea Theodore, and Sam Reinhart).  The game was a defensive battle with both teams putting only 38 shots on net in the 60 minute game.

The final score may not show, but the 6-0 win over Switzerland was another defensive battle.  The Canadians outshot the Swiss 20-2 for the game and broke the game open with a three goal scoring spree in a two minute period late in the second period to take a 4-0 lead into the third period.  Max Domi scored the hat trick and has emerged at the Canadian’s point getter.  Brayden Point, Jake Virtanen, and Nick Ritchie also scored for Canada.  Goalie Zach Fucale got the two save shutout.   

Twenty of the twenty two Canadians have been drafted by NHL teams.  Only the two 1997 born players, Connor McDavid and Lawson Crouse, are draft eligible.  McDavid and USA's Jack Eichel are being touted as the players to watch, but Max Domi and Anthony Duclair are playing well for the Canadians.  Most of the Canadian players are playing this season for teams either in the Western Hockey League or the Ontario Hockey League.  Two players, Anthony Duclair and Curtis Lazar are playing for NHL teams.  Duclair is playing for the New York Rangers and Lazar is playing for the Ottawa Senators.

There is a lot of firepower on the Canadian team and it is surprising they seemed to have locked up in defensive battles against Russia, Sweden and Switzerland.  Another surprise for Minnesota hockey fans is that Matt Dumba who started the season for the Minnesota Wild and was sent down to the Wild’s AHL franchise three weeks ago and who was on the Canadian’s roster this summer, is not playing.  But then Dumba is an astounding +8 in nine games (posting 8 points) since being sent down.

Group B-Russia-The majority of the players on a Russian team are always older.  This year is no different.  Of the 23 Russian players on the roster, 20 are 1995 born.  So it is surprising to find a 1997 born player on this year's team, defenseman Ivan Provorov.  Provorov is one of the potential stars of the team.  Even more surprising is Provorov played hockey during his development years in the USA.  The 1997 born Provorov played hockey as a bantam and a midget for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Knights and jumped from midgets to the USHL’s Ceder Rapids RoughRiders for the 2013-2014 season (19 points/6 goals in 56 gams).  Provorov joined the Russian U18 team that season and returned this year to play for the Brandon Wheat Kings in the Western Hockey League (37 points/10 goals in 35 games).  But Provorov is not the only Russian player on the roster who has played a significant part of his youth in the USA and Canada.  Russian defenseman, Rinat Valiev, has played the last three seasons in North America.  Valiev played in the USHL for the Indiana Ice in 2012-2013 and has played the last two seasons for the Kootenay Ice in the WHL.  He has posted 66 points/16 goals in 114 games with USHL and WHL teams.

Russia's offense is led by Ivan Barbashyov, Sergei Tolchinsky, and Alexander Dergachyov.  Barbashyov has played the last two seasons in North America playing for the Moncton Wildcats in the QMJHL.  He has posted 117 points/47 goals in 77 games for the Wildcats. Tolchinsky has played his last three seasons for the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds in the Ontario Hockey League posting 191 points/74 goals in 160 games.  Dergachov has posted 43 points/20 goals playing for SKA-1946 St. Petersburg in 70 games.     

Group A-Finland-Finland’s roster has a different split as far as age goes.  The Finnish defense is exclusively older players 1995 born, the offense is mostly 1996/1997/1998 borne players.  In exhibition games, Finland beat the Czech Republic 2-1 and beat Russia 3-2.  Sebastian Aho scored for the Finnish team in the overtime game with the Czech Republic.  Goalie Ville Husso was in the nets for the win.  Against Russia, the Finnish team eked out a 3-2 win in a shootout.  It was another defensive battle.    The Finnish have one 1998 born player on their roster, Jesse Puljujarvi (6’2”, 180lb).  Puljujarvi will be playing in his third international tourney for Finland.  He played for Finland in the Hlinka tourney (U18) last August scoring 5 points/3 goals in four games and he played for Finland’s U20 team posting 8 points/3 goals in 6 games.  He will be eligible for the 2016 NHL entry draft.  Some Minnesota hockey fans may recognize Finnish defenseman Mika Ilvonen on the ice.  Ilvonen is playing Division 1 hockey for St. Cloud State this year.

Group A-Germany-Germany’s roster is split fairly evenly between 1995 born and 1996 players.  They opened their camp two weeks ago in Kingston Canada with 27 players invited.  They lost their two exhibition games; to Denmark 3-2 last Tuesday after losing to the United States 5-2 Sunday.  Their roster has a Minnesota connection.  Former Magician Marc Michaelis and current Magician Denis Shevyrin will be playing for Germany.  Michaelis posted 31 points/9 goals for the Magic Men before being traded to the USHL’s Green Bay Gamblers in early December.  He played only two games for the Ramblers before joining Germany’s World Junior Team.  He will be back.  Michaelis has committed to play for Minnesota State (Mankato) for the 2015-2016 season.  At Minnesota State, Michaelis will be joined by Parker Toumie.  A former NAHL player (Wenatchee Wild) who played against the Magicians last season at the Richfield Arena, Toumie is currently playing for the Sioux Falls Stampede in the USHL with Kieffer Bellows/Edina MN and Clint Lewis/Burnsville MN.  Lewis, who played for Cornell University in 2013-2014, will join Michaelis and Toumie at Minnesota State for the 2015-2016 season.

Offensively, Toumie set up the two goals that Germany got against the USA.  Fabio Pfohl and Markus Eisenschmid scored the goals.  Frederik Tiffels (currently playing for Western Michigan and who played for the Cedar Rapids Roughriders in the USHL last season) and Nico Sturm are on the team.  Sturm plays for the Austin Bruins in the NAHL and was on the ice when Austin beat the Minnesota Magicians 2-1 December 12th.  Defenseman Janik Moser who plays for Ohio State University is on the roster.         

Group A-Slovakia-The Slovakia team plays as Team Slovakia U20 in the Slovak Extraliga League, one of the top hockey leagues in Europe.  That move was made to strength the team to avoid relegation, something that almost happened two years ago.  This year, Team Slovakia is struggling in the Slovak Extraliga winning only one of their first twelve league games.  For the World Junior Tourney, ten players that have been playing for other teams have returned to play for Slovakia in the World Junior Tourney.  Two years ago, Slovakia barely escaped relegation.  Last year they lost in in the quarterfinals and placed fourth.  This year, Slovakia won both exhibition games beating Switzerland 3-2 and the Czech Republic 3-1 and look to be on an upward path.  

Four of the Slovakia players (goalie Denis Godla, defenseman Erik Cernak, and forwards Peter Cehlarik and Martin Reway played for the Slovakia juniors in the 2014 World Tourney.  Reway was the leading scorer for the team in last year’s World Junior tourney posting 10 points/4 goals in five games and is one of HC Sparta Praha leading scorers this season.  Cehlarik plays for Lulea in the Swedish Hockey League this year.  Cernak has been playing for the HC Kosice team this season and should be one of the keys to the Slovakia defense along with Matus Holenda.  Both can score if given the chance.  

Group B-Sweden-Sweden’s team has 11 players on its roster born in 1995.  Four of their defensemen are born in 1996 including William Lagesson who plays for the USHL Dubuque Fighting Saints.  Sweden lost their two exhibition games 5-2 to Canada and 10-5 to the USA.  What is troubling about the Sweden this year is they seem to have fallen after being successful in this tourney in the past years.  The 10 goals given up to the USA came as a result of 38 shots on goal.  That yields a save percentage of 74%.  Last year, they lost 3-2 to Finland in overtime.

The Swedish team has a Minnesota “hot dish”.  Gopher freshman Leon Bristedt is on the Sweden’s roster for the tourney.  Bristedt has a great season in 2013-2014 for the Linkoping J20 A team posting 60 points/32 goals in 43 games.  He also had a great plus/minus of +22 for the season, but sat 91 minutes in the penalty box.  

Group B-Czech Republic, Switzerland, and Denmark-The Czech Republic team has a 21 player roster with twelve 1995 born players and four 1997 players (Pavel Zacha, David Kase, Michal Spacek, and goalie Daniel Vladar).  Zacha has played for the Czechs in international competition for the past four seasons.  Kase has played for the past three seasons.  Both Zacha and Kase are goal scorers.  Vladar is also a veteran on the Czech team.  He has played in the past three seasons for the Czech Republic consistently posting goals against average of under three while stopping over 90% of the shots on goal.

Switzerland has only eight forwards on their roster and they will feature a tough defense led by Mirco Muller.  Muller rejoins the Swiss team to play in his third World Junior Tourney.  Muller has played every game this season in the NHL for the San Jose Sharks and is one of the reasons why the Swiss will frighten every Group B team.  They are noted for a stingy defense; unfortunately the Swiss are noted for an even stingier offense.  Denmark has a 23 player roster, 16 are 1995 borne.  One player, forward Alexander True is 1997 born and plays for the Seattle Thunderbirds in the WHL.  Six of Denmark’s thirteen forwards are playing hockey in North America.      

Preliminary Round Play (December 26th to December 31st)

The USA and Finland game is the first game played in Group A for both teams Friday.  The Finnish defense proves to tough for the USA forwards, USA loses a game that sets them on a path to play Finland again in the semifinals of the tournament.  The Americans go on to beat Germany and Slovakia in their next two preliminary games, but are beaten by a Canadian team that has lost to Finland the day before.  The Canadian defense stops the USA forwards to take second place in the final preliminary round game and put the Canadians on a path to play Russia in the semifinals.  USA drops to third, draws the second place Group B finisher in the quarterfinal round and end up bracketed with Finland for the semifinal game.  Slovakia beats Germany to avoid relegation play.

In Group B, Russia wins all four games but gets terrified by the Czech team in their last preliminary round game.  The Czech team wins three games to take second and Sweden beats Switzerland and Denmark to take third place.  Switzerland beats Denmark to avoid relegation.  Germany beats Denmark twice in relegation play.

Bracket play (Quarterfinal, Semifinal, and Championship games)

The top four teams in each group are seeded 1-4 and based on those seeds, the quarterfinal round of bracket play is set.  For these predictions, the quarterfinals would match in one bracket 1A (Finland) playing 4B (Sweden) and 3A (USA) playing 2B (Czech).  The second quarterfinal bracket would match 1B (Russia) playing 4A (Switzerland) and 2A (Canada) playing 3B (Sweden).

The #1 teams in both groups should advance to the semifinals.  Russia will be a heavy favorite to beat the Slovakia, but may find it a difficult win if Slovakia’s offense is on.  As part of Czechoslovakia during the Cold War, a hockey rivalry built up between these two countries.  Russia essentially occupied Slovakia and hockey was one of the few public venues, the Slovakians could speak out by beating the Russian Bear.

Finland should beat the Swiss easily providing Switzerland has not found its’ defensive stride.  If they have, it will be a close scoring game with the Swiss noted for scoring on quick strikes.  This week, Finland wins.  By winning, the Finland team would play the winner of the USA/Czech game.  The USA and Czech teams will match defensively; but the USA has the offensive edge.  USA wins a “squeeker”.  Russia, by winning, plays the winner of Canada/Sweden.  The Canadians have the defense to stop the Swedish team and the offense to score.  Canada rolls.

The semifinals will then match Finland/USA and Russia/Canada.  Both should be great games.  The USA should have better understanding of Finland’s game playing them a second time in a week after losing to the Finnish.  One could argue Finland has the same advantage, but the USA should have more ways of adapting their skaters to the play in the second game.  The USA wins.  Russia and Canada get into a hard, physical game that could end with each team getting less than a dozen shots on net.  But the Russian goal tending proves the difference.  Russia wins.

That sets up a Russia/USA final.  This would be the first time in the 37 year history of the World Junior Championship that the two nations have played each other for the championship and the game will start out as a battle and end in a Russian victory.  The Russian players will not want to return home losing.  It feels like the 1970's all over again.