Linards Feldbergs has been a rock in goal for Latvia.
photo: Andre Ringuette/IIHF
Latvian goaltender Linards Feldbergs is a glutton for punishment. He has played every minute of the tournament for Latvia, and Latvia has played in two of the four games that went past regulation during the preliminary round. For Feldbergs, that translates to 248:23 of playing time, most of any goalie. More impressively, he has stopped a whopping 163 of 176 shots faced, an average of more than 40 a game, and as well the most rubber seen by any one puckstopper. And his save percentage of .926 is still third in the tournament.
Finland is 13 for 13 on the penalty kill. Say no more. If they take a penalty, the PK takes over and ensures no further harm is done.
Very bizarre. Canada won only two of four games in the preliminary round, and most fans would probably say the team has been a bit of a disappointment so far. Goal scoring has been a problem (ten goals in four games), and that killer instinct seems to be lacking. And yet they have given up only seven goals so far, the fewest of all teams.
Since 1996, Canada and the United States have been in the same preliminary-round group 17 times. Canada has finished ahead of their rivals 13 times, but of the last five such occurrences, the U.S. has finished in the higher position three times.
Czechia and Kazakhstan are the only teams to have incurred a 5+20 penalty, and both majors were against Slovakia.
Attendance this year has been fantastic. Not record-setting fantastic as it was in 2009, but very strong all the same. Through 20 games, the event has attracted 192,183 fans, an average of 9,609. The remaining game should attract at least another 100k, bringing the final tally to about 300,000. That would make it possibly the 5th-best attended World Juniors ever: Ottawa 2009—453,282; Calgary/Edmonton 2012—444,718; Toronto/Montreal 2015—366,370; Buffalo/Niagara 2011—331,297; Vancouver 2006—325,138; Vancouver/Victoria 2019—304,393.
Canadian coach Dave Cameron has been relying heavily on four defenders all tournament. Oliver Bonk, Andrew Gibson, Tanner Molendyk, and Sam Dickinson are all averaging 19 minutes a game.
The last time the World Juniors was in Ottawa was 2009. That means the tournament dates were 26 December 2008-5 January 2009. Switzerland’s Jonah Neuenschwander wasn’t even born then! He entered the world on March 10, 2009. He has played two games so far this year without a point and averaged a respectable 12:37 of ice time a game.
Swedish defender and top Detroit prospect Axel Sandin Pellikka is from a small town in Sweden called Gallivare. It is 100 miles north of the Arctic Circle and is situated at a latitude of 67 degrees. To put that into perspective, Iqaluit in Canada’s Far North is less than 64 degrees! Anyone who says Sandin Pellikka has ice in his veins is perhaps more correct than he knows.
The top two scorers in the tournament are both defenders. Sandin Pellikka and American Cole Hutson both have eight points. No defender has outright led the World Juniors in points and only twice have they tied for the top—Carlo Colaiacovo (CAN, 2003), Erik Johnson (USA, 2007).
Czechia quietly won three games in the preliminary round. This might not sound like much, and the nation is such a big hockey power we sometimes forget their success at the U20 has been limited—only five medal since 1994. But since the IIHF went to a two group/playoff format in 1996, the Czechs have had three preliminary-round wins only five times previously and advanced to a medal game four of those times. They won gold in 2001, bronze in 2005, silver in 2023, and lost the bronze game in 2018. Only in 2013 did a three-win preliminary round end in a QF loss.
Since 1999 Germany has had a tough go of it at the World Juniors. They have played up 13 times and down an equal number, but they have been in the top pool since 2020. However, they had to play in the relegation in 2020, successfully, and will do so again on Thursday.
Finland is 13 for 13 on the penalty kill. Say no more. If they take a penalty, the PK takes over and ensures no further harm is done.
Very bizarre. Canada won only two of four games in the preliminary round, and most fans would probably say the team has been a bit of a disappointment so far. Goal scoring has been a problem (ten goals in four games), and that killer instinct seems to be lacking. And yet they have given up only seven goals so far, the fewest of all teams.
Since 1996, Canada and the United States have been in the same preliminary-round group 17 times. Canada has finished ahead of their rivals 13 times, but of the last five such occurrences, the U.S. has finished in the higher position three times.
Czechia and Kazakhstan are the only teams to have incurred a 5+20 penalty, and both majors were against Slovakia.
Attendance this year has been fantastic. Not record-setting fantastic as it was in 2009, but very strong all the same. Through 20 games, the event has attracted 192,183 fans, an average of 9,609. The remaining game should attract at least another 100k, bringing the final tally to about 300,000. That would make it possibly the 5th-best attended World Juniors ever: Ottawa 2009—453,282; Calgary/Edmonton 2012—444,718; Toronto/Montreal 2015—366,370; Buffalo/Niagara 2011—331,297; Vancouver 2006—325,138; Vancouver/Victoria 2019—304,393.
Canadian coach Dave Cameron has been relying heavily on four defenders all tournament. Oliver Bonk, Andrew Gibson, Tanner Molendyk, and Sam Dickinson are all averaging 19 minutes a game.
The last time the World Juniors was in Ottawa was 2009. That means the tournament dates were 26 December 2008-5 January 2009. Switzerland’s Jonah Neuenschwander wasn’t even born then! He entered the world on March 10, 2009. He has played two games so far this year without a point and averaged a respectable 12:37 of ice time a game.
Swedish defender and top Detroit prospect Axel Sandin Pellikka is from a small town in Sweden called Gallivare. It is 100 miles north of the Arctic Circle and is situated at a latitude of 67 degrees. To put that into perspective, Iqaluit in Canada’s Far North is less than 64 degrees! Anyone who says Sandin Pellikka has ice in his veins is perhaps more correct than he knows.
The top two scorers in the tournament are both defenders. Sandin Pellikka and American Cole Hutson both have eight points. No defender has outright led the World Juniors in points and only twice have they tied for the top—Carlo Colaiacovo (CAN, 2003), Erik Johnson (USA, 2007).
Czechia quietly won three games in the preliminary round. This might not sound like much, and the nation is such a big hockey power we sometimes forget their success at the U20 has been limited—only five medal since 1994. But since the IIHF went to a two group/playoff format in 1996, the Czechs have had three preliminary-round wins only five times previously and advanced to a medal game four of those times. They won gold in 2001, bronze in 2005, silver in 2023, and lost the bronze game in 2018. Only in 2013 did a three-win preliminary round end in a QF loss.
Since 1999 Germany has had a tough go of it at the World Juniors. They have played up 13 times and down an equal number, but they have been in the top pool since 2020. However, they had to play in the relegation in 2020, successfully, and will do so again on Thursday.