Devon Levi recorded one of his three shutouts against Russia in the semi-finals.
photo: Matt Zambonin/HHOF-IIHF Images
The numbers are in, the statistics recorded, the records broken. Here are some amazing, unusual, and noteworthy numbers from the just-completed 2021 World Junior Championships.
*Canada’s women’s team allowed only one goal at the 2005 Women’s World Championship, but that was to Angela Ruggiero in the shootout of the gold-medal game which it lost to the U.S. Similarly, in Edmonton, Canada tied its own record by allowing only six goals in the entire tournament—but it ended up on the wrong end of a 2-0 score in the gold-medal game.
*It was 15 years ago that Justin Pogge led Canada to gold when he registered a record three shutouts. Well, in 2021, two goalies equaled that mark. Both Devon Levi (CAN) and Spencer Knight (USA) had three each in Edmonton.
*As well, the Americans set a team record for longest shutout streak, not allowing a goal for 218:53 of game time.
*Speaking of shutouts, 2021 set a record with 12 in 28 games. The previous record was 11 in 2004.
*Trevor Zegras led the tournament with 18 points. The last player to record as many was Canada’s Brayden Schenn in 2011, and the last person to get more than 18 was Peter Forsberg way back in 1993 when he had a record 31.
*It has been three years and 96 games since there was last a shootout at the World Juniors. On 2 January 2018, Martin Necas gave the Czechs a 4-3 win over Finland in the quarter-finals with a shootout goal, and since then nada.
*Only two teams have won “perfect gold” at the World Juniors. The Soviets in 1977 and Canada in 2015 are the only teams to go through an entire WJC without trailing in any game and also without being in a tie after 0-0.
*The U.S. 2-0 win in the gold game was the lowest scoring championship game since 2012 when Sweden beat Russia, 1-0, in overtime.
*This year’s 28 games featured only 176 goals, an average of 6.3 goals per game. The lowest goals totals came in 1979, when teams scored only 171, but that was in only 22 games (average 7.8 per game). The lowest per-game average was in both 2015 and 2019 when there were only 176 goals in 30 games, a 5.87 average.
*Finland’s captain Anton Lundell not only took way more faceoffs than any other player in the tournament – 91 – he also won 70 per cent of those draws, tops among all players with at least 35 faceoffs to their credit.
*Not only did Thomas Hartley lead all players with a plus-minus of +14, he wasn’t on the ice for a single opponent’s goal. Not one. Not power play, short-handed, even strength.
*The Czechs and Austrians tied a record in their game on 31 December 2020. The Czechs didn’t incur a single penalty (to tie one record) and Austria had one, their total of two PIMs also tying a record. Sweden also had a penalty-free game on 28 December 2020, vs. Austria.
*There were three penalty shots awarded during the tournament, one successful. Rodion Amirov scored for Russia against Austria, while Victor Soderstrom (SWE) missed against the United States and Dylan Cozens (CAN) missed against Russia.
*Canada’s women’s team allowed only one goal at the 2005 Women’s World Championship, but that was to Angela Ruggiero in the shootout of the gold-medal game which it lost to the U.S. Similarly, in Edmonton, Canada tied its own record by allowing only six goals in the entire tournament—but it ended up on the wrong end of a 2-0 score in the gold-medal game.
*It was 15 years ago that Justin Pogge led Canada to gold when he registered a record three shutouts. Well, in 2021, two goalies equaled that mark. Both Devon Levi (CAN) and Spencer Knight (USA) had three each in Edmonton.
*As well, the Americans set a team record for longest shutout streak, not allowing a goal for 218:53 of game time.
*Speaking of shutouts, 2021 set a record with 12 in 28 games. The previous record was 11 in 2004.
*Trevor Zegras led the tournament with 18 points. The last player to record as many was Canada’s Brayden Schenn in 2011, and the last person to get more than 18 was Peter Forsberg way back in 1993 when he had a record 31.
*It has been three years and 96 games since there was last a shootout at the World Juniors. On 2 January 2018, Martin Necas gave the Czechs a 4-3 win over Finland in the quarter-finals with a shootout goal, and since then nada.
*Only two teams have won “perfect gold” at the World Juniors. The Soviets in 1977 and Canada in 2015 are the only teams to go through an entire WJC without trailing in any game and also without being in a tie after 0-0.
*The U.S. 2-0 win in the gold game was the lowest scoring championship game since 2012 when Sweden beat Russia, 1-0, in overtime.
*This year’s 28 games featured only 176 goals, an average of 6.3 goals per game. The lowest goals totals came in 1979, when teams scored only 171, but that was in only 22 games (average 7.8 per game). The lowest per-game average was in both 2015 and 2019 when there were only 176 goals in 30 games, a 5.87 average.
*Finland’s captain Anton Lundell not only took way more faceoffs than any other player in the tournament – 91 – he also won 70 per cent of those draws, tops among all players with at least 35 faceoffs to their credit.
*Not only did Thomas Hartley lead all players with a plus-minus of +14, he wasn’t on the ice for a single opponent’s goal. Not one. Not power play, short-handed, even strength.
*The Czechs and Austrians tied a record in their game on 31 December 2020. The Czechs didn’t incur a single penalty (to tie one record) and Austria had one, their total of two PIMs also tying a record. Sweden also had a penalty-free game on 28 December 2020, vs. Austria.
*There were three penalty shots awarded during the tournament, one successful. Rodion Amirov scored for Russia against Austria, while Victor Soderstrom (SWE) missed against the United States and Dylan Cozens (CAN) missed against Russia.