for hockey fans, this is a nice showcase for many players eligible in the upcoming June draft.
Including projected #1 Jack Hughes.
USA schedule:
4/18 (today) vs Sweden 7:30 PM
4/19 vs Slovakia 3:30
4/21 vs Russia 3:30
4/23 vs Latvia 3:30
Then QF/SF/Finals (25, 27, 28)
Most games on NHL network.
USA had two exhibitions, lost 1 - 0 to the Fins and beat the Swiss 8 - 0. Jack Hughes had 6 pts and was player of the game vs the Swiss.
Other players to watch (from the major teams):
Spencer Knight, top rated goalie in the draft
Cam York
Cole Caufield (small, but puts the puck in the net - WISCO commit)
Alex Turcotte
Matthew Boldy
Canada:
Dylan Cozens
Ryan Suzuki
Thomas Harley
Peyton Krebs
Alex Newhook
Finland:
Anton Lundell
Ville Heinola
Mikko Kokkonen
Antti Tuomisto
Sweden
Philip Broberg
Victor Soderstrom
Tobias Bjornfot
Russia:
Vasili Podkolzin
Sleeper:
Solvakia: Maxim Cajkovic
Fins are never easy, even this year with a young team.
a lot of young talent, sometimes it's easy to forget these kids will be college freshmen (if they stay committed to school) and many just 18 years old and playing against players sometimes 22 or 23.
Now, a good sign for the US players from the USNDPT is they play a schedule that includes a lot of college teams and their better players thrive, but it's not a Big 10 schedule
US blanks the Fins 6 - 0
Hat trick for Hughes and so much individual talent displayed.
a total of 4 points for Hughes, as he assisted on a Caufield goals (of course he did).
So now, after 5 games:
Hughes has 16 points
Caufield has 15 points
Boldy has 11
Newhook (Canada) has 8
Turcotte has 8
Caufield needs two goals to tie Ovie's goal record of 14, 3 to break it.
Hughes with 28 points over two tourneys needs 3 to tie Ovi's career U18 mark of 31.
Kucherov has the single tourney points record of 21, Hughes needs 5 to tie that.
USA has a rematch with Russia in the semi-finals on Saturday. USA beat Russia 6 - 3 in the regulation round, but it was closer than the score.
I saw the highlights this morning and he was incredible. He's my pick for the Devils.
matching awful calls amounted to nothing, 0 - 0 5 min in.
Announcer with high praise for Russia goalie Askarov "he's the best goalie I've seen since Carey Price" - Askarov is an underage U18, he'll be in the 2020 draft.
Caufield ties Ovechkin for most goals ever in a U18 tournament.
This kids is going to shoot up draft boards.
Most natural goal scorer I've seen at this age in a while. Reminds me of a better scoring Martin St. Louis
2 - 2 12:30 left in the 3rd.
Could be the game
2:03 left in regulation.
Russia pressing, but Knight keeps it out.
3:30 left in OT
We're going to a shootout.
Shame, what a game.
Knight saves Russia first shooter.
Caufield lost the puck (poke check by Askarov)
Podkolzin goes wide. barely.
Hughes loses the puck
3 US shooters, no shots yet, WTF?
Russia shooter scores.
1 - 0 Russia after 3 rounds
4th US shooter looks lost as well.
Russia can win with a goal here.
Knight stones him.
US chances down to Boldy.
It's over, US upset.
US 1, Canada 0 in the first.
Hughes to York back to Hughes for the sweet top shelf goal.
US up 2 - 1.
Hughes ties Ovi, most points ever in a U18.
He's got a period and a half left to break the record.
didn't start the tourney with the team, but he's making up for lost time.
I like this kid.
So many quality US players.
One of the announcers who has been watching this tourney since inception said even though they won't win gold (or maybe not even bronze) this is the best US team he's seen. The US has 7 golds in the last 10 tourneys, and something like 13 straight medals, so that's high praise.
Jack Hughes is now the alltime leading point scorer in the U!8 tourney, breaking Ovechkin's record.
Caufield needs a goal to break Kucherov's goal record.
He broke Ovi's alltime record (that for both players was over two tourneys)
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I think Cam York gets best D, Hughes best F, and Askarov (russia 2020 draft eligible) gets best G.
There is another U18 tourney in August, called the Gretzky Hlinka cup that is U18 and Canada dominates that.
US has only won that once.
He had so many chances too, so he'll have no complaints.
It's funny, US scored 6 against Russia in regulation and 5 vs Canada and both times the Russia and Canada goalie got POTG.
I like Philip Broberg, D on Sweden.
Sweden has never won this tournament and they're playing at home, good crowd.
Setting up a great 3rd.
And then Raymond comes right back to tie it up.
3 - 3 now under 10 left.
still tied for now.
hope it's not decided in a shootout.
He's one of the top prospects for 2020 draft.
D: Broberg (SWE) (I thnk could have been York, but no argument)
G: Askarov (RUS) (16 year old)
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