Looking Back at Isles in the World Juniors

With the 2022 World Junior Hockey Championship getting underway in Edmonton and Red Deer on Dec. 26, NewYorkIslanders.com looks back at current Islanders who have represented their respective countries at the World Juniors through the years.

Sebastian Aho - 2015 U20 WJC - Team Sweden

Sebastian Aho represented Team Sweden at the 2015 World Juniors, where Team Sweden dropped a 4-2 result to Team Slovakia in the Bronze medal game. Aho tallied four points (1G, 3A) through seven games.

Mathew Barzal 2016 U20 WJC | 2017 U20 WJC (Silver) - Team Canada

Barzal represented Team Canada at two separate World Juniors and was teammates with fellow Islanders teammate Beauvillier in 2016
At the 2015-16 U20 WJC in Finland, Barzal and Team Canada lost in the Quarterfinals. Barzal posted three points (2G, 1A) through five games.
In his final appearance at the 2016-17 U20 WJC hosted in Montreal, Team Canada suffered a devastating 5-4 shootout loss in the final to Team USA, which Kieffer Bellows was on. Barzal had an assist in the final game, but Barzal's shot wide in the shootout. Throughout seven games of that silver-medal run, Barzal put up eight points (3G, 5A).

Anthony Beauvillier - 2016 U20 WJC - Team Canada

Anthony Beauvillier donned the Maple Leaf for Team Canada in one trip to the World Juniors, where Team Canada lost in the Quarterfinals. Beauvillier posted one goal through five games. Beauvillier cracked the Islanders roster in a full-time role the next season.

Kieffer Bellows - 2017 (Gold) & 2018 (Bronze) U20 WJC - Team USA

Bellows donned the Red, White and Blue twice at the World Juniors (2017, 18) and earned hardware at both tournaments.
In 2017, Bellows and Team USA became World Junior champions as Team USA edged a dramatic 5-4 shootout win over the host country of Canada to claim gold. Bellows scored twice in the Gold Medal Game. Bellows finished the tournament with three points (2G, 1A) in seven games.

In 2018, Bellows embraced a leadership position in his final World Juniors as an alternate captain. Bellows and Team USA took home a bronze medal on home soil in Buffalo, New York with a 9-3 victory over the Czech Republic.
Bellows scored twice in the second period of the Bronze Medal Game; the first coming off of a penalty shot, while the second was an even-strength goal. Bellows finished his final tournament third in overall scoring with 10 points and was the leading goal scorer of the tournament with nine goals. Bellows' nine goals are still the single-tournament record for Team USA. He was also named to the 2018 WJC All-Star Team.

Casey Cizikas - 2011 U20 WJC (Silver) - Team Canada

Casey Cizikas represented his country at the 2011 World Juniors hosted by the United States. Cizikas and Team Canada took home silver after dropping a 5-3 loss to Team Russia in the finals. Cizikas compiled three points (2G, 1A) through seven games.

Noah Dobson - 2019 U20 WJC - Team Canada

Noah Dobson represented Team Canada at the 2018-19 World Juniors held in Vancouver. Dobson and Team Canada lost in the Quarterfinals. Through five games, Dobson scored one goal.

Brock Nelson - 2011 U20 WJC (Bronze)

Brock Nelson (the 30th-overall pick at the 2010 NHL Draft) represented Team USA at the 2011 World Junior Hockey Championship hosted in Buffalo. Nelson, who was 19 at the time, helped the U.S. to a 4-1-1 record and a bronze medal which was its first-ever WJC medal on home ice.
Through five games in the tournament, Nelson registered one assist.

Kyle Palmieri - 2010 U20 WJC (Gold) | 2010-11 U20 (Bronze) - Team USA

Palmieri donned the Red, White and Blue in back-to-back WJC appearances, taking home medals both times - a first for Team USA at the World Juniors.
At the 2010 U20 WJC in Canada, Palmieri and Team USA claimed gold with a 6-5 overtime victory over Team Canada. Palmieri totaled nine points (1G, 8A) during that gold-winning run.
During the 2011 tournament, hosted on home soil, Palmieri and his current Islanders teammate Brock Nelson picked up a bronze medal with a 4-2 win over Team Sweden. Palmieri registered six points (2G, 4A) through six games.

Zach Parise - 2003 U20 WJC | 2003-04 U20 WJC (Gold) - Team USA

Zach Parise has represented Team United States on the international stage on a number of occasions throughout his impressive career, including a pair of appearances at the World Juniors.
Parise represented Team United States at the 2003 World Juniors hosted in Halifax, where they dropped a 3-2 loss to Team Finland in the Bronze Medal Game. Parise posted eight points (4G, 4A) through seven games to lead Team USA in scoring.
In his final World Juniors appearance at the 2004 U20 WJC in Finland, Parise and Team United States got back to their winning ways as they took home gold with a 4-3 defeat over Team Canada.
Parise tied Team Canada's Nigel Dawes for the tournament scoring lead with his 11 points (5G, 6A) through six games.

Adam Pelech - 2014 U20 WJC - Team Canada

At the 2014 World Juniors in Sweden, Pelech and Team Canada lost 5-1 to Team Finland in the semifinals. Pelech posted one assist through seven games.

Ilya Sorokin - 2015 U20 WJC (Silver) - Team Russia

Ilya Sorokin represented Team Russia at the 2015 World Juniors in Canada where he earned a silver medal. Sorokin and Team Russia dropped a 5-4 result in the finals to Team Canada. Sorokin replaced current New York Rangers netminder Igor Shesterkin in net after Shesterkin let in two goals on three shots through 2:32. Sorokin made 15 saves on 18 shots through 55:58.
Through three games, Sorokin posted a 0-2-0 record, a 2.66 GAA and a .886 SV%.

Semyon Varlamov - 2006 U20 WJC (Silver) | 2007 U20 WJC (Silver) | Team Russia

Semyon Varlamov played in two World Junior tournaments for Team Russia, picking up a pair of silver medals.
In 2005-06, Varlamov and Team Russia also lost in the Quarterfinals. Varlamov earned a 3-2-0 record, with a 2.82 GAA and a .921 SV% through five games.
After representing Russia in the 2005 U-18s, Varlamov also played one game with the U20 squad, which were the runner-ups in the tournament hosted by Canada. Varlamov and Team Russia were blanked 5-0 to Team Canada in the finals, where Varlamov was the backup netminder for Anton Khudobin. Varlamov was 1-0-0 in his only game of that run and registered a 1.00 GAA and a .950 SV%.
In his final appearance with Team Russia at the U20 2007 WJC held in Sweden, Varlamov took home a silver medal after falling 4-2 to Team Canada in the finals. Through six games in that run, Varlamov earned a 5-1-0 record, a 1.51 GAA, a .934 SV% and two shutouts.

Oliver Wahlstrom - 2019 U20 WJC (Silver), 2020 U20 WJC | Team United States

Like Bellows, Oliver Wahlstrom represented Team USA on a number of occasions on the international stage, including twice in the World Juniors.
In his first World Juniors in 2019, Wahlstrom was named an alternate captain and helped lead the US to a silver medal with a 3-2 loss to Team Finland in the finals. Throughout five games, Wahlstrom had four points (2G, 2A).
In his final WJC appearance, hosted in the Czech Republic, Wahlstrom and Team USA lost in the Quarterfinals to Team Finland 1-0. Wahlstrom finished the tournament with four points (1G, 4A) in five games.