Sons of guns make their mark on IIHF World Juniors

With 20 days left to the opening game of the 27th IIHF World U20 Championship (Halifax & Sydney, Canada, December 26, 2002 - January 5, 2003), several teams have announced their final rosters for the tournament, which for many fans is one of the highlights of the hockey season.

Never before have so many sons of former hockey greats been selected for the IIHF "World Juniors".

SWEDEN:

Center Alexander Steen is the son of Thomas Steen, the former Swedish national team player and Winnipeg Jet great. Alexander, who is born in Winnipeg, was Toronto's first round selection in the 2002 NHL Entry Draft. As of early December he has 2 goals and 9 assists in 25 games and taking a regular shift for Vastra Frolunda, the top team of the Swedish Elite League. Thomas Steen was an All Star in the 1979 IIHF World Juniors in Sweden and still the only Swede to have his number retired by an NHL franchise.

Also selected for Sweden is Calgary-born Robert Nilsson of Leksand of the Swedish Elite League. Robert, one of the few 2002 World Junior players born in 1985, is the son of former "Tre Kronor" hero and Stanley Cup winner Kent Nilsson.

Robert has 5 goals and 6 assists in 23 games for Leksand entering December.

Theoretically, Team Sweden could have introduced an entire forward line of Canadian-born sons-of-former-greats but Liam Lindstrom, the Edmonton-born son of Stanley Cup winner Willy Lindstrom did not make the final selection. Liam, also born in 1985, is still eligible for the IIHF World U18 Championship in April 2003.

USA:

University of North Dakota forward Zach Parise is the son of Jean-Paul Parise, the veteran of 13 NHL seasons and one of Canada's 1972 Summit Series heroes. Zach, who is profiled in the December/January issue of the IIHF News Release, scored the dramatic gold winning goal in the final game of the 2002 IIHF World U18 Championship in Slovakia, thus giving the US its first IIHF gold medal in 69 years.

Zach, still a freshman, leads UND with an amazing 11 goals and 18 assists for 29 points in just 14 games.

Defenseman Ryan Suter is the son of 1980 US gold medal Olympian Bob Suter and nephew of ex-NHLer and US National team player Gary Suter, who played in the IIHF World Juniors in 1984 and also represented USA Hockey in two IIHF World Championships, two Canada Cups (1987, 1991), the 1996 World Cup and the 1998 Olympics in Nagano. Ryan Suter belongs to the super talented group of players born in 1985, which thus have two years left on their World Juniors eligibility.

Forward and Calgary Flames 2002 draft selection Eric Nystrom (Univ. of Michigan) is the son of four-time Stanley Cup winner (N.Y. Islanders 1980-1983) Bob Nystrom. The father, who was born in Stockholm, Sweden and carried a Swedish passport throughout his career, never played international hockey.

CANADA:

The host country could have scored a great three-generations triple by selecting Jeff Tambellini of the Univ. of Michigan but the son of Steve and grandson of Addie was not included in Team Canada's roster. Addie represented Canada's legendary Trail Smoke Eaters, the 1961 IIHF World Championship gold winners while Steve was a member of the 1988 Team Canada at the Calgary Olympics. Jeff, who has represented Canada on the U18 level, is enjoying a very good season with Michigan having scored 7 goals and added 3 assists for 10 points in 14 games, the same numbers as team mate Eric Nystrom.

RUSSIA:

No ex-hockey greats behind this Russian class but 17-year old super forward Alexander Ovechkin can still be an answer to a great trivia question. His mother Tatiana captained the Soviet basketball team to Olympic gold medals in 1976 and 1980. Many scouts believe that Ovechkin, who plays for Dynamo Moscow, could be the best player in Halifax & Sydney despite being two years younger than most of the players. Being born on September 17, 1985, he is not draft eligible until 2004.

FINLAND:

The Finnish juniors cannot boast having great hockey fathers, but brothers. Forward Mikko Koivu is the brother of Montreal Canadiens' forward Saku, defenseman Jussi Timonen is the brother of Nashville's Kimmo, also a defender, while forward Tuomo Ruutu is the brother of Vancouver's left winger Jarkko. There is also a third Ruutu, 24-year old forward Mikko of Finnish champions Jokerit Helsinki.

CZECH REPUBLIC:

Team coach and former IIHF World Champion Jaroslav Holik is the father of N.Y. Rangers Robert (Bobby) Holik, who played in the IIHF World Juniors in 1989 and 1990.