Isaac Howard is the kind of player who embraces the big moments.
That's why the Tampa Bay Lightning forward prospect had no issues being looked at as the villain along with his United States teammates against host Sweden in the gold-medal game of the 2024 IIHF World Junior Championship on Friday.
"We embraced it," Howard said after he scored two second-period goals for the U.S. in its 6-2 victory. "We loved it. It was an electric barn [Scandinavium, in Gothenburg]. Loved the boos. We were able to feed off that energy and keep going."
Howard tied for the tournament lead with seven goals and was part of arguably the top line in the tournament, along with Gavin Brindley (Columbus Blue Jackets) and Frank Nazar (Chicago Blackhawks).
"These are the moments every hockey player dreams of," Howard said. "I just want to step up to the plate every time I get this opportunity."
He scored in five of seven games, including a pair of two-goal games, and had a point in six. Against Czechia in the preliminary round, he scored the game's first goal, then won it with the game-deciding goal in the seventh round of the shootout.
Then came his heroics in the gold-medal game. He showcased his blazing speed to blow past Sweden defenseman Tom Willander (Vancouver Canucks) to score from in close to give the U.S. a 2-1 lead at 9:24 of the second period, and then scored what became the game-winner at 14:19 when he banked a shot from a sharp angle off the right skate of goalie Hugo Havelid.
He capped the celebration by pretending to slick back his hair, then saying afterward, "I think it will catch on. Just remember I'm the one that started it."
That skill and playfulness is what endeared Howard to his teammates.
"He took over that game out there today," U.S. captain Rutger McGroarty (Winnipeg Jets) said. "We absolutely love him for it. He scores goals, he makes plays, he has fun. And he can [celebrate]."
Howard was one of several players to have memorable tournaments. Here are four others (listed in alphabetical order):
Hugo Havelid, G, Sweden (2024 draft eligible): Havelid was voted the best goalie of the tournament after he had a 1.77 goals-against average, .917 save percentage and two shutouts in five games. The 19-year-old, who has been passed over twice in the NHL draft, had shutouts in his first two games, including 21 saves in a 2-0 win against Canada in the preliminary round. He ran his shutout streak to 157:26 before he allowed a goal in the second period of the quarterfinals against Switzerland.
Havelid opted to move this season to Djurgarden in Allsvenskan, the second-highest pro league in Sweden, to get more playing time and hopefully make a bigger impression on NHL scouts. The World Juniors likely helped in that regard as well.
Lane Hutson, D, United States (Montreal Canadiens): Hutson played a game-high 27:20 in the gold-medal game after playing 25:12, one second less than defense partner Ryan Chesley (Washington Capitals), against Finland in the semifinals Thursday. He was a combined plus-5.
Hutson finished the tournament with six assists, a plus-8 rating in 23:58 of ice time in seven games, and was voted by the media to the tournament All-Star team. Beyond the numbers, his poise made the 19-year-old a standout.
"He controls the tempo of the game so much because he's out there so much," U.S. coach David Carle said. "His decision making with and without the puck impacts the game at a really high level. I thought he controlled it exceptionally well tonight and was very impactful for us throughout the whole tournament."
Jiri Kulich, F, Czechia (Buffalo Sabres): Kulich, Czechia's captain, was a standout again in his third WJC. The 19-year-old tied U.S. forward Cutter Gauthier for the tournament lead with 12 points (six goals, six assists) and he played major role in helping Czechia win 8-5 against Finland in the bronze-medal game Friday.
Kulich had four points (two goals, two assists) in the win, including the primary assists on Ondrej Becher's game-tying goal and on Tomas Hamara's game-winning goal in the third period.
At the 2023 WJC he tied for second with seven goals to help Czechia win the silver medal. But this year he had an even more important role as captain, which meant sharing the experience he's gained from international hockey, as well as making his NHL debut Nov. 25.
"He had a great game," Hamara said Friday. "He scored some really important goals. Just a true captain and a true leader."
Jonathan Lekkerimaki, F, Sweden (Vancouver Canucks): Lekkerimaki was voted tournament most valuable player after he tied Howard for the WJC lead with seven goals and tied for fourth with 10 points. He led all players with five power-play goals and tied Kulich for the lead with 34 shots on goal.
Lekkerimaki had five points (four goals, one assist) in three games in the medal round, including an assist on the overtime goal by Axel Sandin Pellikka (Detroit Red Wings) against Switzerland in the quarterfinals, and scoring game-winning goal against Czechia in the semifinals.
He scored one goal in seven games for Sweden at the 2023 WJC, part of a disappointing 2022-23 season. But there remained high expectations for the 19-year-old, and he certainly delivered.
"He had a tough last season because of a lot of injuries, and he was sick, stuff like that," Sweden coach Magnus Havelid said before the tournament. "We look at how he played with Orebro [Swedish Hockey League], they're very successful. For us it's an important player and not just on power play and the offensive side, he works really hard right now. I'm looking forward to seeing him as well."
