2024 World Junior Championship: 10 things learned

The United States won the 2024 IIHF World Junior Championship with a 6-2 win against Sweden in the gold medal game at Scandinavium in Gothenburg, Sweden, on Friday.

It was the sixth time the U.S. has won the tournament, and second in the past four years.

Sweden forward Jonathan Lekkerimaki, selected in the first round (No. 15) by the Vancouver Canucks in the 2022 NHL Draft, was named the tournament's most valuable player. He had 10 points (seven goals, three assists) in seven games.

The WJC Media All-Star Team included Sweden goalie Hugo Havelid (2024 NHL Draft eligible), U.S. defenseman Lane Hutson (Montreal Canadiens), Sweden defenseman Theo Lindstein (St. Louis Blues), U.S. forward Cutter Gauthier (Philadelphia Flyers), Czechia forward Jiri Kulich (Buffalo Sabres), and Lekkerimaki.

Here are 10 things learned at the tournament:

American made

The U.S. won the gold by reeling off seven straight wins and outscoring the opposition 45-15. It became only the third U.S. team to finish the tournament without a loss (2004, 2017). It was the 15th time the Americans took home a medal from the World Juniors.

Gauthier, who was named the tournament's top forward, led the U.S. with 12 points (two goals, 10 assists). Forwards Gavin Brindley (Columbus Blue Jackets; 10 points, six goals), Gabe Perreault (New York Rangers; 10 points, seven assists), Rutger McGroarty (Winnipeg Jets; nine points, five goals), Isaac Howard (Tampa Bay Lightning; nine points, seven goals), and Will Smith (San Jose Sharks; nine points, four goals), each finished with at least nine points.

Defensively, Hutson averaged 23:58 of ice time and had six assists. Ryan Chesley (Washington Capitals) had four points (three assists) and averaged 21:01.

"I can't really put it into words; I'm really proud of this group," Hutson said. "For 25 days or whatever it is, everyone came to work and I'm just really happy for our guys. I think what I'll remember most is just being able to come to the rink and be myself. It felt like we've been playing together for five years -- that's how tight this group got being in those tight situations and always finding a way."

U.S. goalie goodness

Goalies Trey Augustine (Detroit Red Wings) and Jacob Fowler (Montreal Canadiens) deserve much credit for their contributions to the gold-medal winning performance by the U.S.

The tandem combined for a tournament-best .917 save percentage and ranked third with a 2.12 goals-against average. The Americans allowed 26 shots per game.

Augustine, who is eligible to return for the U.S. at the 2025 WJC, won four starts with a 1.75 GAA and .936 save percentage. He made 19 saves, including several in the final minutes of a 3-2 win against Finland in the semifinal round, and 24 saves in the gold medal victory against Sweden.

Fowler had a 2.59 GAA and .888 save percentage in three games. His shining moment came in a 20-save, 4-3 shootout victory against Czechia in his second straight start during the preliminary round. He allowed one goal (to Kulich) in the seven-round tiebreaker.

Celebrini shines for Canada

Macklin Celebrini, an A rated skater on NHL Central Scouting's preliminary players to watch list and projected No. 1 pick in the 2024 NHL Draft, led Canada with eight points (four goals, four assists) in five games.

The 17-year-old forward, Canada's youngest player, began the tournament in a fourth-line role but was ultimately promoted to the top line in a 3-2 overtime loss against Czechia in the semifinal round. He also ranked second on Canada in face-off winning percentage (51.4; 35-for-68) among players with at least 25 face-offs taken.

"He's an engine and he drove the line," Canada coach Alan Letang said. "He's got poise beyond his years. He was moving his feet, getting into those areas, and it's no shock when he gets a puck inside the dots, he creates. Any line he's with, he kind of sparks it because they have to keep up to him, so he was impressive."

How Swede it is for Vancouver

The Canucks got a glimpse of what the future holds with defensemen prospects Tom Willander and Elias Pettersson, and forward prospect Jonathan Lekkerimaki. Each played a significant role in Sweden's second-place finish.

Willander, chosen No. 11 in the 2023 NHL Draft and who plays for Boston University in Hockey East, had three points and averaged 19:36 in ice time. Lekkerimaki, the tournament's most valuable player, had at least one point in every game and finished with a four-game goal streak. Pettersson, picked in the third round (No. 80) of the 2022 draft, averaged 20:18 of ice time.

"Our scouts obviously did their homework," Vancouver general manager Patrik Allvin told TSN.ca. "I'm very pleased how they performed in the tournament. It's great to see Lekkerimaki in his third tournament taking a big step, taking shots, and being a leader of the team. It was a great opportunity for Willander to come back home after a year in Boston, and Pettersson has been a steady presence on the back end.

"For Lekkerimaki, we're excited to see him in training camp. Once the season is over, we hope it's on to Abbotsford (in the American Hockey League) and we take it from there."

Blues bonanza

The St. Louis Blues can take pride in the fact they had three prospects participating in the gold medal game and two more in the bronze medal game.

Snuggerud, chosen No. 23 in the 2022 draft, missed a game due to an illness but still had five goals and averaged 17:33 in ice time for the U.S.

Sweden forward Otto Stenberg (No. 25, 2023 draft) finished tied for ninth at the tournament with nine points (five goals, four assists), including a hat trick against Germany. Defenseman Theo Lindstein (No. 29, 2023), who turned 19 on Friday, was a late addition to the roster and averaged 19:32 of ice time. He led all WJC defensemen with eight points (two goals, six assists) in seven games.

Finland forward Aleksanteri Kaskimaki (No. 73, 2023) had four points (two goals) in seven games, and Czechia defenseman (No. 106, 2023) Jakub Stancl had six points (four goals) in seven games.

Additionally, Slovakia forwards Dalibor Dvorsky (No. 10, 2023) and Juraj Pekarcik (No. 76, 2023) had six and three points, respectively.

Czechia stuns Finland for bronze

Czechia won 8-5 against Finland in the bronze medal game despite spotting its opponent a 5-2 lead late in the second period on the way to its second straight top-3 finish at World Juniors.

Czechia, which lost 3-2 in overtime to Canada in the gold medal game at the 2023 WJC, scored five goals on 17 shots in the third period and established two records in the process.

It scored four goals in a span of 50 seconds, besting the previous mark of 1:08 set by Canada in 1983. The country also scored two empty-net goals in two seconds at 18:52 and 18:54 to best the previous record of two goals in six seconds, which was done three other times.

Czechia forward Jiri Kulich (Buffalo Sabres) had two goals and two assists in the win and finished tied with Gauthier for the tournament lead with 12 points (six goals) in seven games. The 19-year-old captain had 29 points (15 goals, 14 assists) in 21 WJC games (1.38 points-per game) over three years.

Top undrafted players

Several players were impactful and may have earned consideration for the 2024 draft after being passed over last year:

Owen Allard, LW, Canada -- The 19-year-old had three points (two goals, one assist) for Canada, which finished fifth. He has 30 points (14 goals, 16 assists) in 29 games with Sault Ste. Marie in the Ontario Hockey League.

Hugo Havelid, G, Sweden -- Havelid, who turned 20 on Jan. 1, won four of five starts with a 1.77 GAA, .917 save percentage and two shutouts. He was named the tournament's top goalie.

Jere Lassila, C, Finland -- Finland's captain had eight points (three goals, five assists) in seven games in a fourth-place finish. The 19-year-old has 11 points (10 assists) in 27 games with JYP in Liiga.

Peter Repcik, C, Slovakia -- The 19-year-old, who has 38 points (18 goals, 20 assists) in 29 games with Drummondville of the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League, had six points (three goals) in five games for sixth place Slovakia.

Mathis Rousseau, G, Canada -- The 19-year-old won three of five starts with a 2.00 GAA, .912 save percentage and one shutout. He is 16-3-2 with a 2.07 GAA and .934 save percentage in 21 games with Halifax (QMJHL).

NHL Draft evaluations

Celebrini wasn't the only A rated skater on NHL Central Scouting's preliminary players to watch list for the 2024 NHL Draft gaining experience and making an impact.

U.S. defenseman Zeev Buium, a freshman at the University of Denver, finished with five points (three goals) and was a tournament-best plus-11 in seven games. Norway forward Michael Brandsegg-Nygard had five points (three goals, two assists), nine shots on goal and averaged 17:22 of ice time in five games.

Finland forward Konsta Helenius finished with two points (one goal) on 13 shots and averaged 19:12 of ice time in seven games. Finland forward Emil Hemming had two assists, eight shots and averaged 8:45 in seven games.

Slovakia defenseman Luka Radivojevic, a right-handed shot, was the youngest player in the tournament and not eligible until the 2025 NHL Draft, but chipped in with two points (one goal) and averaged 15:30 of ice time.

Jiricek status after injury

Adam Jiricek, an A rated skater on NHL Central Scouting's preliminary players to watch list and a projected first-round pick in the 2024 draft, sustained a right knee injury while playing for Czechia against Slovakia on Dec. 26 and will miss the remainder of the season.

Jiricek's club team, Plzen, which plays in Czechia's top professional men's league, announced the news Jan. 3. The 17-year-old will have surgery to repair the injury. Jiricek, the brother of Columbus Blue Jackets rookie defenseman David Jiricek, had one assist in 19 games with Plzen this season.

"This injury does not affect our opinion of Adam," NHL director of European scouting Jukka-Pekka Vuorinen said. "Everybody is aware of his talent."

2025 WJC setup

The 2025 IIHF WJC will be held at Canadian Tire Centre, home of the Ottawa Senators, and TD Place Arena in Ottawa from Dec. 26-Jan. 5, 2025.

It will be the 19th World Juniors in Canada and first time in Ottawa since the 2009 WJC, when Canada defeated Sweden 5-1 in the gold medal game.

Germany won 5-4 in overtime against Norway in the relegation round and will return to the 2025 WJC. Norway will play in the 2025 WJC Division I, Group A tournament. Kazakhstan, which won the Division IA in December, will replace Norway in the top tournament.

Here are the groupings:

Group A (Canadian Tire Centre): United States, Finland, Canada, Latvia, Germany.

Group B (TD Place Arena): Sweden, Czechia, Slovakia, Switzerland, Kazakhstan