Just 17 years old, Slovak forward Juraj Slafkovsky has already impressed with his goals in the preliminary round of the Olympic Winter Games.
photo: Andrea Cardin / HHOF-IIHF Images
The hockey world continues to adjust to life during the pandemic, and the Olympics is no exception. NHL players aren’t here, and attendance to events is strictly limited. Quarantines and testing are carefully monitored. And the World Juniors were cancelled six weeks ago after only 11 games, two of which number were forfeits because of outbreaks.
Still, there are eleven players in Beijing who also travelled to Calgary and Red Deer, Alberta for the U20 over Christmas, all of whom are trying to make a little—or a lot—of history.
Owen Power of Canada is a most unique player. He helped Canada win gold at the 2021 World Championship in Riga and was then selected 1st overall by Buffalo at last year’s Entry Draft. He decided to return to school for one more year, in part because he wanted to play at the World Juniors. He realized that dream, and became the first Canadian defender to score a hat trick, which he did against Czechia. He was trying to join Patrice Bergeron as the only player to win WM gold before winning World Junior gold. And now, at 19, he is trying to win Olympic gold before playing in the NHL.
Kent Johnson, Power’s teammate at the University of Michigan, is also here in Beijing after being teammates in Calgary. He scored one goal at the U20, opening the scoring against Austria in what was an 11-2 romp. The 19-year-old was then drafted 5th overall by Columbus, four spots down from Power. A skilled centreman, he is being counted on to give Canada some speed and creativity up front. He had two assists in the opening-round, 5-1, win against the Germans.
Mason McTavish is the third of the “trio young” to migrate from the World Juniors to Olympics. While Power was winning gold at the senior Worlds last year, McTavish was helping Canada take gold two levels down, in the men’s U18. He was a dominant force, scoring five goals and 11 points in seven games. At the Juniors last month, McTavish had three goals and five points in just two games, and was again a force. In between, he was selected 3rd overall in last year’s draft by Anaheim, perfectly slotted between Power and Johnson. But unlike those NCAA stars, McTavish also got into his first NHL game last October 13, scoring a goal and assist against Winnipeg to make the occasion all the more memorable. He has also played in the AHL and OHL this season. His combined Hockey Canada experience, poise, and skill made him a solid choice for the Olympic team.
Samuel Knazko of Slovakia brings a wealth of IIHF play to Beijing. Although he is only 19, he has played in two U18s, three World Juniors, and last year’s World Championship. He captained the U20 team in both 2021 and last month and has been playing in the WHL this season with Seattle. The defender was drafted 78th overall by Montreal in 2020 because of his superior skating and calm puck movement. For a young defenceman, he can create offence, work the power play, and be creative inside the other team’s blue line. He averaged more than 22 minutes a game at the Juniors and played 13 minutes in Slovakia’s 6-2 loss to Finland a few days ago.
Simon Nemec is only 17 and will turn 18 on Valentine’s Day. He did the double last year as well, playing in the World Juniors in 2021 and then the senior Worlds. This year it’s juniors and Olympics, and perhaps WM again in Helsinki in May. The defender is draft eligible this summer and has been playing in the top Slovak league with Nitra this season, holding his own against players much older than him. He had proved an ability to play in any situation and is seen as part of a new core of young talent coming out of Slovakia.
Juraj Slafkovsky is also only 17, and won’t be 18 until March. He has been teammates with Nemec in the last four events. Interestingly, he failed to register a point in the U20 or senior WM in 2021 or last month’s World Juniors, a total of 13 games, but he scored the team’s only two goals against Finland the other night in his Olympic debut, which consisted of less than 13 minutes of ice time. A day later, he scored his team's only goal against Sweden. If this is a sign of things to come, he is developing very nicely, and his top-10 status for the upcoming NHL draft is more solid than ever. He has been playing in Finland this season with Turku. He has soft hands for a big man, and can score in every way imaginable.
Matty Beniers is a name that seems to be mentioned an awful lot, even though he is only 19 years old. Drafted 2nd overall by the expansion Seattle Kraken last summer, he already has three IIHF medals to his credit—bronze from the 2019 U18, gold from the 2021 World Juniors, and bronze from the 2021 Worlds. After two years with the USNTDP, Beniers went to U of Michigan, playing alongside Power and Johnson. At last month’s U20, he had an assist in the one game the team played before the tournament was cancelled.
Drew Commesso is the only goalie on this list. He was the third goalie at the 2021 Worlds in Riga (didn't play), and last month he started the only game of the World Juniors, winning 3-2 over Slovakia. Just 19, he had the honour of playing in the team’s first game in Beijing, stopping 29 shots in an easy 8-0 shutout win over the hosts. The lanky goalie has been at Boston University the past two seasons after being drafted 46th overall by Chicago in the summer of 2020.
Brock Faber is a product of the USNTDP and went on to the University of Minnesota before doing the double this year. He led all players in ice time in the team's key 3-2 win over Germany in Beijing, logging an impressive 25:48 for coach David Quinn. Faber was also on the blue line in Calgary for the U20 and was drafted by Los Angeles in 2020.
Matt Knies was selected 57th overall by Toronto in 2021, and he couldn't have been happier. A native of Arizona, he hopes to play alongside the state's most famous star, Auston Matthews. At the World Juniors he scored the opening goal in that 3-2 win over Slovakia, and he scored again in the team's 3-2 win over Germany in the final game of the preliminary round at the Olympics.
Jake Sanderson logged a team best 22:24 in their one game at the World Juniors and suffered an injury in the team's 4-2 win over Canada in Beijing. His status for the playoffs is unknown. He is another alum of the USNTDP and plays for the University of North Dakota this year. At some point he will join a young and exciting Ottawa Senators team that drafted him a lofty 5th overall two years ago.
Still, there are eleven players in Beijing who also travelled to Calgary and Red Deer, Alberta for the U20 over Christmas, all of whom are trying to make a little—or a lot—of history.
Owen Power of Canada is a most unique player. He helped Canada win gold at the 2021 World Championship in Riga and was then selected 1st overall by Buffalo at last year’s Entry Draft. He decided to return to school for one more year, in part because he wanted to play at the World Juniors. He realized that dream, and became the first Canadian defender to score a hat trick, which he did against Czechia. He was trying to join Patrice Bergeron as the only player to win WM gold before winning World Junior gold. And now, at 19, he is trying to win Olympic gold before playing in the NHL.
Kent Johnson, Power’s teammate at the University of Michigan, is also here in Beijing after being teammates in Calgary. He scored one goal at the U20, opening the scoring against Austria in what was an 11-2 romp. The 19-year-old was then drafted 5th overall by Columbus, four spots down from Power. A skilled centreman, he is being counted on to give Canada some speed and creativity up front. He had two assists in the opening-round, 5-1, win against the Germans.
Mason McTavish is the third of the “trio young” to migrate from the World Juniors to Olympics. While Power was winning gold at the senior Worlds last year, McTavish was helping Canada take gold two levels down, in the men’s U18. He was a dominant force, scoring five goals and 11 points in seven games. At the Juniors last month, McTavish had three goals and five points in just two games, and was again a force. In between, he was selected 3rd overall in last year’s draft by Anaheim, perfectly slotted between Power and Johnson. But unlike those NCAA stars, McTavish also got into his first NHL game last October 13, scoring a goal and assist against Winnipeg to make the occasion all the more memorable. He has also played in the AHL and OHL this season. His combined Hockey Canada experience, poise, and skill made him a solid choice for the Olympic team.
Samuel Knazko of Slovakia brings a wealth of IIHF play to Beijing. Although he is only 19, he has played in two U18s, three World Juniors, and last year’s World Championship. He captained the U20 team in both 2021 and last month and has been playing in the WHL this season with Seattle. The defender was drafted 78th overall by Montreal in 2020 because of his superior skating and calm puck movement. For a young defenceman, he can create offence, work the power play, and be creative inside the other team’s blue line. He averaged more than 22 minutes a game at the Juniors and played 13 minutes in Slovakia’s 6-2 loss to Finland a few days ago.
Simon Nemec is only 17 and will turn 18 on Valentine’s Day. He did the double last year as well, playing in the World Juniors in 2021 and then the senior Worlds. This year it’s juniors and Olympics, and perhaps WM again in Helsinki in May. The defender is draft eligible this summer and has been playing in the top Slovak league with Nitra this season, holding his own against players much older than him. He had proved an ability to play in any situation and is seen as part of a new core of young talent coming out of Slovakia.
Juraj Slafkovsky is also only 17, and won’t be 18 until March. He has been teammates with Nemec in the last four events. Interestingly, he failed to register a point in the U20 or senior WM in 2021 or last month’s World Juniors, a total of 13 games, but he scored the team’s only two goals against Finland the other night in his Olympic debut, which consisted of less than 13 minutes of ice time. A day later, he scored his team's only goal against Sweden. If this is a sign of things to come, he is developing very nicely, and his top-10 status for the upcoming NHL draft is more solid than ever. He has been playing in Finland this season with Turku. He has soft hands for a big man, and can score in every way imaginable.
Matty Beniers is a name that seems to be mentioned an awful lot, even though he is only 19 years old. Drafted 2nd overall by the expansion Seattle Kraken last summer, he already has three IIHF medals to his credit—bronze from the 2019 U18, gold from the 2021 World Juniors, and bronze from the 2021 Worlds. After two years with the USNTDP, Beniers went to U of Michigan, playing alongside Power and Johnson. At last month’s U20, he had an assist in the one game the team played before the tournament was cancelled.
Drew Commesso is the only goalie on this list. He was the third goalie at the 2021 Worlds in Riga (didn't play), and last month he started the only game of the World Juniors, winning 3-2 over Slovakia. Just 19, he had the honour of playing in the team’s first game in Beijing, stopping 29 shots in an easy 8-0 shutout win over the hosts. The lanky goalie has been at Boston University the past two seasons after being drafted 46th overall by Chicago in the summer of 2020.
Brock Faber is a product of the USNTDP and went on to the University of Minnesota before doing the double this year. He led all players in ice time in the team's key 3-2 win over Germany in Beijing, logging an impressive 25:48 for coach David Quinn. Faber was also on the blue line in Calgary for the U20 and was drafted by Los Angeles in 2020.
Matt Knies was selected 57th overall by Toronto in 2021, and he couldn't have been happier. A native of Arizona, he hopes to play alongside the state's most famous star, Auston Matthews. At the World Juniors he scored the opening goal in that 3-2 win over Slovakia, and he scored again in the team's 3-2 win over Germany in the final game of the preliminary round at the Olympics.
Jake Sanderson logged a team best 22:24 in their one game at the World Juniors and suffered an injury in the team's 4-2 win over Canada in Beijing. His status for the playoffs is unknown. He is another alum of the USNTDP and plays for the University of North Dakota this year. At some point he will join a young and exciting Ottawa Senators team that drafted him a lofty 5th overall two years ago.