7 Coyotes Prospects to Represent Their Countries at 2024 World Juniors

It’s the most wonderful time of the year.

As Christmas winds down, the 2024 IIHF World Junior Championship is set to kick off in Gothenburg, Sweden on Tuesday, and the Arizona Coyotes have seven prospects that will represent their respective countries: Conor Geekie (Canada), Maveric Lamoureux (Canada), Michael Hrabal (Czechia), Samu Bau (Finland), Melker Thelin (Sweden), Julian Lutz (Germany), and Adam Žlnka (Slovakia).

Take into account that Coyotes forward Logan Cooley (USA) won't play considering he's an NHL regular, and prospects Daniil But, Dmitriy Simashev, and Artyom Duda would have likely made the cut if Russia had a team in the tournament, and the Coyotes could have had as many as 11 of their prospects participate – a massive number for the top junior tournament all of hockey. Still, with seven prospects actively participating in this year's tournament, there's plenty for the Coyotes' staff to keep an eye on.

World Juniors run from Dec. 26 - Jan. 5, and will be broadcast on NHL Network in the United States and TSN in Canada. The Canadian team has won back-to-back titles.

“You love the opportunity for these players to play in stressful situations, and it certainly helps them understand how to win games, how to lock down games, and how to play in big moments,” Coyotes Associate Director of Amateur Scouting Ryan Jankowski said. “It allows players to play under that duress that is similar to playoffs and NHL playoffs where the expectation is to win, and you want see your guys rise to that level, have great performances, and just get better as a result.”

Multiple Coyotes prospects made a splash in last year’s tournament, highlighted by Dylan Guenther’s golden goal that clinched the gold medal for Team Canada over Czechia. Cooley also excelled, registering seven goals and seven assists while helping Team USA earn a bronze medal.

Geekie and Lamoureux both appear primed to have big roles with Team Canada considering the seasons they are having with their respective organizations. Geekie, who was drafted 11th overall in 2022, has 20 goals and 29 assists in 26 games with the WHL’s Wenatchee Wild, while Lamoureux, who was selected 29th overall in the same draft, has 27 points in 25 games as an alternate captain with the QMJHL’s Drummondville Voltiguers.

He was also named an alternate for Team Canada.

The opportunity to play in the tournament and represent Canada is a dream come true for both of them.

“It's always been a big stepping stone for me,” Geekie said. “I'm super excited but going into it with a chip on my shoulder, trying to prove some things. Coming in here, I just want to win. I'm a pretty competitive guy regardless of what it is, so I'm just trying to win.”

Lamoureux echoed that sentiment.

“It's definitely another dream come true,” he said. “I've been watching the tournament for so many years now. Making the team is a huge moment for me.”

Five other players will have the opportunity to make their mark with their countries, in addition to Geekie and Lamoureux. Two goalies are set to make an appearance, as Thelin (2023, 134th overall) and Hrabal (2023, 38th overall) will appear for Sweden and Czechia, respectively.

Thelin is enjoying a good season overseas, posting a 3-2-0 record with a 2.77 goals-against average and .915 save percentage with IF Björklöven in HockeyAllsvenskan. He also played while on loan with Vännäs HC in the HockeyEttan league, where he was 1-4-0 with a 3.40 GAA and .913 SV%.

Jankowski said Thelin is likely to be Sweden’s starting goalie, an impressive milestone for a netminder that was selected late in the draft.

“He wasn’t even the starter in last year’s under-18 tournament,” he said. “A lot of pressure being on home ice in a tournament like this, and if he's not called upon to be the guy, then he needs to be the best backup possible, be a good teammate, and be ready in case his name is called and he has to go in the net.”

Hrabal is 7-3-1 with a 2.67 GAA and .905 SV% in 12 games with UMass this season as a true freshman in the NCAA.

“He's going to be counted on, especially on a Czech team that had a lot of success last year,” Jankowski said. “They're going to be looking to duplicate some of that success, and he's going to be a big part of it.

“You just want to see him lock it down and give his team a chance to win.”

For the Coyotes, having two goalies on such a grand stage is a big win.

“Both of these guys are in great situations,” Jankowski said. “They've had solid years. They've got some international experience, and they've got good opportunities here to certainly help their teams.”

Žlnka, who was selected 204th overall in the 2022 draft, has eight points in 18 games with the USHL’s Waterloo Blackhawks. He’ll represent Slovakia in the tournament, and is committed to Northeastern for the 2024-25 academic year.

The 19-year-old is playing in his second World Junior Championship after posting an assist in five games last year.

“The Slovak team can be sneaky good,” Jankowski said. “It should be a good tournament for him and a good opportunity for him to kind of gain some confidence and handle the puck and be a big part of that team success as well.”

Lutz, meanwhile, will experience a different type of pressure, as Team Germany is looking to avoid relegation. The 19-year-old was selected 43rd overall in 2022, and has 10 goals and 13 assists in 19 games with the USHL’s Green Bay Gamblers.

“He's going to have to have a good tournament for them to stay up in the top level,” Jankowski said. “Julian is going to have to be a go-to guy for them to bring offense to be a good player for them.”

Finally, Bau will represent Finland in what Jankowski described as a “depth role,” and the 19-year-old has one goal in 30 games with Ilves in Finland’s Liiga this season. He was selected 162nd overall in 2023, and will likely have an important role on the penalty kill.

The tournament is played on an international sheet of ice, which is slightly larger than the North American surface. Even with their vast experience, Geekie, Lamoureux, and any other players unfamiliar with the larger sheet will need to adapt quickly. 

“You could say there's more space for the forwards on the outside and [Geekie] can use his ability to protect the puck on the outside, but it's even that much further to get inside because the(faceoff) dots are in the same place,” Jankowski said. “A good defender like [Lamoureux] is just going to make it hard to get inside."

For Geekie, the 2024 World Juniors are an opportunity to show how much he has improved recently. He has been laser-focused on improving his skating as he looks to evolve into a more complete player, and has spent a lot of time with Coyotes skating coach Lars Hespo on what he needs to do to get to the next level.

Coyotes skating coach Lars Hespo has spent a lot of time with him on how to get to the next level, and now it has the potential to be noticed on the international level.

He said he's excited for the challenge and opportunity.

“I put in a lot of work over the last two summers in Arizona and at home,” Geekie said. "I don't really have a life outside the gym and the rink, and I'm just always trying to get better.

“I'm happy, but I'm not satisfied with where I'm at.”

A successful World Juniors tournament could be the next steppingstone in his eventual path to the NHL, and Jankowski likened the excitement in Canada around the tournament to how March Madness is viewed in the United States.

“There's an energy around the tournament that is second to none,” he said. “We want to see how our players adapt, we want to see how they do when the pressure is on. Do they rise to the occasion?”

Lamoureux said he’s ready to do just that.

“It's going to be my first time representing my country,” he said. “My first time wearing the leaf is going to be so special. I've been watching the tournament for so long, it's such an honor to play for your country, especially in this tournament, because everyone wants to be in it.”

Geekie didn’t mince words when describing what a successful tournament would look like for him, and his sentiment is likely echoed by the majority of participants.

“I want to win,” he said.

Let the games begin.