The 10 biggest World Junior Championship participant performances of the last decade

We will all agree that the vacation season is one of the best time of the yr, but it surely wouldn’t be remotely as enjoyable with out the World Junior Championship.
For 2 weeks, tens of millions world wide decide the on-ice capability of youngsters, placing immense stress on youngsters recent out of highschool. You recognize, a traditional factor most adults do. Nevertheless it’s additionally seen as a glimpse into the longer term for all 10 nations within the high match annually. It’s a pleasant distraction from the lengthy NHL season, permitting followers of crummier groups to get a take a look at what’s coming down the pike.
Since 2010, 5 nations – Canada, Finland, Russia, Sweden and the USA – have received gold, with USA and Finland doing so thrice every. The last decade was Canada’s least profitable period after a string of 5 consecutive titles within the 1990s and 2000s, as a substitute with Canada profitable simply twice in 2015 and 2018. The Finns, particularly, established themselves as one of many biggest hockey nations with three of the crew’s 5 titles coming up to now decade. The Individuals additionally benefited the USA Nationwide Staff Growth Program, which started to indicate it’s true energy through the 2010s with the likes of Auston Matthews, Jack Eichel and Jack Hughes tearing up their respective age teams.
The 2010s additionally produced among the most memorable performances in World Junior Championship historical past. We took a glance again at 10 particular person performances for the ages, starting from goaltending heroics to scoring masterpieces:
10. Teuvo Teravainen, LW (Finland, 2014)Name him the help machine. Of Teravainen’s 15 factors in seven video games throughout Finland’s run to gold, solely two of them had been objectives, along with his 13 assists topping the match. Teravainen’s manufacturing additionally put him 11 factors forward of Finland’s third-highest scorer, Artturi Lehkonen. What’s extra is the actual fact only a few forwards on that Finnish crew that received gold developed into a lot on the NHL stage. Surprisingly, Sweden’s Filip Forsberg received the match’s high ahead award with 12 factors, however Teravainen received what actually mattered: gold.
9. Jordan Eberle, RW (Canada, 2010)He’ll without end be remembered for the purpose that tied the semifinal sport towards Russia in 2009, however Eberle was simply nearly as good the next yr regardless of Canada’s loss to the USA within the ultimate. Eberle was named MVP and high ahead in 2010 and is tied with Brayden Schenn for second on Canada’s all-time main scoring listing with 26 factors. (Eric Lindros had 31 factors in 21 video games.) Within the championship sport, Eberle’s heroics kicked in once more when he netted two objectives in entrance of a sold-out crowd in Saskatoon to pressure additional time. It wasn’t sufficient, nonetheless: John Carlson handed the Individuals gold in additional time. Nonetheless, Eberle is sometimes called Canada’s biggest world junior participant of all-time. He scored in all 12 video games he performed on the match.
eight. Troy Terry, RW (USA, 2017)With seven factors in as many video games, Terry’s exploits go deeper than his stat line suggests. Very similar to Jonathan Toews 10 years earlier – towards the Individuals, no much less –  Terry scored three shootout objectives within the semifinal sport towards Russia to steer USA to the ultimate. There, Terry scored the shootout-winner for the Individuals to clinch gold, beating the Canadians on their house ice. Speak about clutch.
6. Thomas Chabot, D (Canada, 2017)Chabot performed practically 38 minutes in Ottawa’s additional time loss on Tuesday and the second-highest single-game ice time within the league’s recorded historical past. However nearly three years earlier, Chabot, taking part in in his second world juniors, completed fourth in match scoring with 10 factors in seven video games en path to match MVP honors and led all defensemen with a mean ice time of 26:14. He gave Canada every thing he had with a purpose and an help in a loss to the USA within the ultimate. Chabot has since change into the most effective younger defenders within the NHL, however his minute-munching methods had been evident early.
6. Alexander Nylander, RW (Sweden, 2016/2017/2018)This one is dishonest as a result of Nylander didn’t have one standout match, however you’ll be able to’t go away off the last decade’s high scorer on a listing taking a look at greatest performances. NHL profession apart, Nylander was unbelievable on the World Junior Championship, with totals of 9, 12 and 7 factors over the three years giving him 28 factors. His run in 2017 was significantly spectacular, along with his 12 factors main the best way for Sweden forward of the likes of Joel Eriksson Ek, Carl Grundstrom and a younger Elias Pettersson. Nylander solely escaped with a silver medal in 2018, with the dreaded medal-round curse stopping Sweden from residing as much as their potential.
5. John Gibson, G (USA, 2013)As we speak, Gibson is among the greatest goaltenders within the sport. However in 2013, he was one of the best junior goalie on this planet and a deserving recipient of the MVP award, making him the fifth goaltender to win the award within the 2000s. With a 1.36 GAA, .955 SP and solely 9 objectives allowed, Gibson out-duelled Andrei Vasilevskiy through the match in Russia. Gibson performed in all seven video games however actually showcased his game-changing capability within the medal spherical. He allowed two objectives, complete, in three video games towards the Czech Republic, Canada and Sweden for the gold medal-winning Individuals.
four. Jesse Puljujarvi, RW (Finland, 2016)The 2016 World Junior Championship noticed Patrik Laine emerge as a real star within the making, however Puljujarvi – drafted fourth total by Edmonton months later – was the recipient of the match MVP award with 17 factors in seven video games. The harm executed by the Puljujarvi, Aho and Laine line was second to none as Finland secured gold on house ice. Pulujarvi completed effectively forward within the scoring race. On the time, Puljujarvi established himself as the most effective draft prospects on this planet. In fact, issues haven’t gone to plan.
Three. Denis Godla, G (Slovakia, 2015)Overlook the World Junior Championships. Godla’s heroics on the 2015 version will go down as probably the most memorable worldwide performances of the last decade, interval. Slovakia had simply seven objectives in 4 round-robin contests, counting on Godla to do the heavy lifting en path to a bronze medal. He was unbelievable for Slovakia, taking part in in all seven video games and ending with a 2.76 GAA and .926 SP. He was topped one of the best goaltender by each the media and the IIHF awards committee. Godla was the one goalie to face greater than 200 pictures (242). No goalie has matched his 224-save complete ever since.
2. Brayden Schenn, C (Canada, 2011)Schenn’s efficiency in 2011 was really particular. No participant within the 2000s has managed to match Schenn’s 18-point complete within the 2000s. Heck, Wayne Gretzky, Jeremy Roenick and Pavel Bure, amongst others up to now, didn’t even attain that complete. Named the match MVP with a seven-point lead over Evgeny Kuznetsov and Vladimir Tarasenko, Schenn paced Canada with a four-goal evening towards Norway and had at the least one level in each sport. Canada fell quick to Russia within the gold-medal sport, however Schenn’s second-period purpose gave his nation a Three-Zero lead halfway by means of the ultimate.
1. Benjamin Conz, G (Switzerland, 2010)It took 10 video games for Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury to face 300 pictures this season. He was first NHL goalie to take action. By comparability, Conz wanted simply seven video games to see 300 pucks through the 2010 match. Certain, Conz’s .893 save share and four.76 goals-against common look ugly on the floor, however he confronted a mean of 45 pictures towards per sport and he stood on his head every outing. Conz’s 50-save effort towards Russia in a Three-2 additional time win within the quarterfinals in Saskatchewan will without end go down as probably the most memorable single-game performances in world junior historical past. It helped Switzerland end fourth after simply receiving promotion to the highest match.
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Tags: world junior championship, better of the decadeConnect: Concerning the AuthorSteven EllisSteven Ellis is a Digital Content material Producer for The Hockey Information. He spends his free time listening to music you would not like and watches obnoxiously-long motor races.