Part II - 2003 U-18 Junior World Cup Report

The second part of our review of the standout players from each country at the World Junior Cup tournament in the Czech Republic.

5th place – Slovakia

After winning silver medals at the 2003 Under-18 WJC the Slovaks were hoping to pull off another pleasant surprise at the World Junior Cup with the new edition of the Under-18 team. Their tournament started off poorly, but rebounded in their last two contests, resulting in a fifth-place finish.

Diminutive center Peter Sojcik made use of his wheels to emerge as one of the Slovakian offensive leaders. Sojcik is an above-average skater who is able to beat the opposition using his speed and agility. He has a good head on his shoulders; playing with a good portion of vision and making solid passes. He possesses an adequate wrist shot, but still needs to work on his slap shot more. Thanks to his size Sojcik isn't much of a factor physically, but he isn't reluctant to go into traffic areas.

Defenseman Andrej Sekera was among the best from an average looking Slovak defensive corps. Although he isn’t blessed with excellent size, Sekera does stay with his man and is positionally sound. A solid skater, he uses his decent mobility to cover the defensive zone. He displays a decent offensive upside, but is still prone to making the occasional mistake when moving the puck. Another thing to work on, is the accuracy of his shots, which is only about average.

Hulking right winger Juraj Gracik was amongst the top Slovakian players at forward. A combative player with good shooting skills, Gracik makes full use of his size to fight for the pucks. He works hard in traffic and isn't a total liability defensively. He still needs to improve his skating skills, which are fairly solid for a big man, but more speed would make Gracik more effective. He also lacks some hockey sense.

Slick, late 1986 born center Marek Zagrapan, the only player who plays abroad in the Czech Republic senior Extraleague, was counted on to lead the team. But Zagrapan didn't live up to expectations, as he tended to not get involved and stayed on the periphery. He is an exceptionally smart player and a strong passer who can control the play of the whole line. An agile skater, Zagrapan is good in the faceoff circle and ossesses very smooth puckhandling skills to go along with his vision. He is blossoming into a coveted 2005 eligible prospect, but this tournament wasn't

among his best.

6th place – Sweden

The Swedes brought a more talented squad to the World Junior Cup in comparison with the previous year, they played well as a team, but just couldn't manage anything more than sixth place. There is a light at the end of the tunnel as some of their players proved that the Swedes have some talent amongst those with an '86 birthyear.

Two-way defenseman Oscar Hedman turned heads with his smart play and offensive upside. Hedman was regularly making safe outlet decisions and supporting the offense. Positionally sound, Hedman relies more on his strong vision and skill to cover the defensive zone. Blessed with a stocky frame, Hedman doesn't play afraid, but isn't much of a physical menace. He is a solid skater and a crafty puckhandler who is very useful on the powerplay.

Mattias Hellstrom spent most of the time centering the top line, putting on display for all to see what a playmaking talent he is. A good skater with solid acceleration, Hellstrom sees the ice very well and is capable of making great plays. He won't hurt you defensively, as Hellstrom is always returning back to help out the defense and limits the opponent's options. His biggest drawback is that he isn't very effective in traffic areas and could show more persistence around the goal area.

Fred Wikner, playing without his twin John at the World Junior Cup, recorded a solid showing and proved that he is well suited to play a North American style of hockey. Wikner thrives in the physical battles, times his hits well and and effectively. An adequate skater, Wikner sees the ice quite well and is a good playmaker. He handles the puck smoothly, maneuvering also in traffic. From the things to work on there are his finishing skills, Wikner excels with his slap shot but his wrister still needs some polishing.

Left winger Bjorn Svensson didn't have an overly successful tournament. He did impress with his fluid skating skills and fast acceleration, but couldn't fully use his speed to his advantage. He possesses soft hands and plays with a nice portion of vision. Svensson is a smart passer, but wasn't very effective in traffic and needs to further develop the defensive aspect of the game.

7th place – Finland

The Finnish team was the youngest one from all the squads taking part in the World Junior Cup. Even if not one of the players was really outstanding, some bright spots on the team proved that the Finns are able to produce top talent.

The late 1986 born blueliner Risto Korhonen anchored the defense with sound positional play and a strong ability to foresee the plays. He is a good skater for a player of his size and possesses solid mobility. Korhonen isn't afraid of the rough stuff, but is no crash-banger. He throws solid hits and is able to unleash a booming slap shot, which only needs more accuracy. He keeps his game simple and mistake-free, but could still show more creativity with the puck instead of dishing it off when there is a chance to make a play.

Diminutive right winger Mikko Alikoski turned out to be a very pleasant surprise for the Finns. Even if he’s undersized, he played with lots of grit and determination, often sticking his nose into traffic and thriving on the penalty killing units. Alikoski isn't afraid of going in front of the net and is a good passer, making use of his solid vision and hockey sense. Still, size is an issue here, Alikoski gets knocked off the puck because of his smallish frame and could use better finishing skills.

Another mighty-mite, center Jarmo Jokila, carried much of the Finnish offensive output on his shoulders. A very smart playmaker, Jokila sets up great plays and is exceptional with the stick. A fast, agile skater, Jokila impresses with his vision and a strong passing ability. Size and toughness may hold him back from being a top end player in the NHL, but his talent is indisputable.

Highly coveted forward Lauri Tukonen didn't live up to the hype, which followed him in the previous season and labeled him as a potential top 5 pick in 2004. Tukonen looked pretty ordinary in the games against the stronger opponents, showing that he has to take his skating to another level before he can think of being such a high pick. Tukonen possesses very solid smarts, vision and puckhandling skills, but doesn't use his size fully to his advantage and could display more of a mean streak. He has to put the intangibles together.

8th place – Switzerland

The Swiss team didn't have many if any players that will play in the NHL on the roster. The last-placed squad was hurt with poor goaltending and an inability to show up offensively. Only three players from this team could lift their play above the team's par.

Defenseman Simon Bachmann, captain of the Swiss team, displayed solid positional play and good skating skills. He has decent offensive flair, joining the rush once the defensive duties are done. Bachmann has adequate puckhandling skills and is capable of good outlet passes. Even then, Bachmann is still raw and needs to work on his toughness and shooting.

Arguably the best Swiss forward was sized winger Julien Sprunger. He drove the net hard, making use of his size and strength to cover the puck and fend off the opposing defensemen. He put on display a hard slap shot, which was quite accurate, and a powerful stride to go along with fearless play. Sprunger didn't have trouble with the physical style and showed the biggest upside to succeed in North America from all the other Swiss players.

The last player who didn't fade in the obscurity of the Swiss team was smallish speedster Joel Sassi. He made use of his speed to create offense and slip through defenses, but still needs to be aware that the ice has two ends and contribute more defensively. Sassi sees the ice quite well and is a solid puckhandler, but upgrading the accuracy of his shots is necessary in his progress.