The U.S.'s Will Smith (#2), Gabe Perreault (#4), and Ryan Leonard (#9) have teamed up to generate 46 points so far at the 2023 IIHF Ice Hockey U18 World Championship in Switzerland.
photo: © International Ice Hockey Federation / Matt Zambonin
Talk about lethal. Will Smith, Gabe Perreault, and Ryan Leonard rank 1-2-3 in scoring at the 2023 U18 Worlds. They’ve combined for a jaw-dropping 46 points through five games (18+28=46) for the unbeaten Americans.
One of these elite U.S. forwards will likely win the tournament scoring title. Especially with both Smith and Leonard sitting at 16 points, breaking Nikita Kucherov’s single-tournament points record (21, 2011) or Jack Hughes’ single-tournament U.S. points record (20, 2019) isn’t out of the question. They’d love to achieve such feats en route to the first American U18 Worlds gold since 2017.
We’ll have to wait and see what happens. What’s for certain, though, is that the top U.S. line has put on a puck possession and scoring clinic that’s as beautiful for fans to watch as it’s hard for opponents to stop. It’s a credit to the USA Hockey National Team Development Program.
“I live with Leonard and Smith,” said U.S. forward Will Vote. “We’re all going to BC [Boston College in 2023-24] and we’re all really good friends. They’re unbelievable on the ice. I swear every game, they’re doing something that makes me go ‘Wow!’ on the bench. It’s hard to describe them. They’re one of a kind.”
Let’s take a quick peek at the top 5 plays by the top U.S. line through the quarter-finals.
One of these elite U.S. forwards will likely win the tournament scoring title. Especially with both Smith and Leonard sitting at 16 points, breaking Nikita Kucherov’s single-tournament points record (21, 2011) or Jack Hughes’ single-tournament U.S. points record (20, 2019) isn’t out of the question. They’d love to achieve such feats en route to the first American U18 Worlds gold since 2017.
We’ll have to wait and see what happens. What’s for certain, though, is that the top U.S. line has put on a puck possession and scoring clinic that’s as beautiful for fans to watch as it’s hard for opponents to stop. It’s a credit to the USA Hockey National Team Development Program.
“I live with Leonard and Smith,” said U.S. forward Will Vote. “We’re all going to BC [Boston College in 2023-24] and we’re all really good friends. They’re unbelievable on the ice. I swear every game, they’re doing something that makes me go ‘Wow!’ on the bench. It’s hard to describe them. They’re one of a kind.”
Let’s take a quick peek at the top 5 plays by the top U.S. line through the quarter-finals.
1. Hats Off to Perreault (22 April)
Unless you’re the Norwegian defence, you’ve got to love Perreault’s stickhandling on this goal to complete his hat trick in a 12-1 U.S. romp.
The 17-year-old, whose single-season NTDP scoring record currently sits at 130 points, powers to the net and beats goalie Marius Bjornsgaard with a great move to the forehand.
2. A Little Extra Gas in the Tank (23 April)
Smith said his legs were “gassed” at the end of a long shift versus Finland. But that didn’t prevent him from scoring on a spectacular solo effort.
Watch in awe as he evades three Finnish defenders before snapping the puck past netminder Eemil Vinni in tight. It’s that kind of elusiveness that has Smith pegged as a top-10 prospect for June’s NHL Draft.
3. Finishing Off the Finns (23 April)
In the U.S.’s most important win of the group stage, the Finns trailed just 6-4 for more than 12 minutes in the third period. A Suomi comeback wasn’t out of the question – until the top U.S. line restored the three-goal lead at 15:14.
Perreault makes no mistake to finish off this sweet tic-tac-toe passing play.
4. Surprising the Swiss (25 April)
Everybody appreciates a great saucer pass, but it might be even more impressive when you dish the puck to yourself in traffic. That’s exactly what Leonard does after entering the Swiss zone and cutting cross-ice.
When Smith gets the puck and sends it back across to Perreault, it’s an easy tap-in. For fans of 1980’s hockey, the playmaking is reminiscent of the classic KLM Line with Vladimir Krutov, Igor Larionov, and Sergei Makarov.
5. You’ve Got to Czech This Out (27 April)
Speed kills, and Leonard proves that old saying again. Blazing through the neutral zone in the quarter-final, he cuts right around Czech blueliner Vojtech Vochvest and beats goalie Michael Hrabal with a lightning release.
The goal, just before the halfway mark, stood up as the winner as the U.S. advanced with a 4-1 victory.