Sweden’s dramatic home-ice gold medal victory in 2019 is one of our top 10 historical moments from the IIHF Ice Hockey U18 World Championships.
photo: © Steve KINGSMAN / HHOF-IIHF
The IIHF Ice Hockey U18 World Championship has come a long way since it was launched 24 years ago. The growth has been eye-popping and historic.
This tournament has become must-see viewing, not just for NHL scouts, but for fans worldwide who crave a sneak peek at the next generation of Olympic and IIHF World Championship stars. The list of highlights goes on and on.
For instance, we’ve witnessed the consistent dominance of the Americans. Thanks to USA Hockey’s National Team Development Program, they lead the way with 10 gold medals all-time.
Tickets have become an increasingly hot commodity. In 2018, fans packed rinks in Chelyabinsk and Magnitogorsk to establish a new single-tournament record attendance of 159,176.
Hockey’s biggest names from both sides of the Atlantic Ocean have turned in all-star U18 performances, from Connor McDavid and Auston Matthews to Nikita Kucherov and Miro Heiskanen.
So it’s no easy task to pick the top 10 historical U18 moments, but we’ve taken our best shot in any case.
1. Finns win first tourney in Germany (1999)
When the U18 Worlds debuted in Fussen and Kaufbeuren in 1999, the Finns took an unusual road to gold. After posting a perfect 4-0 record in Group B, coach Jouko Lukkarila’s squad endangered their championship hopes by falling 6-1 to underdog Switzerland in the medal round. However, a 2-2 tie with Sweden on the final day secured the title.
The inaugural tournament didn’t get much hype in North America, as Canada wouldn’t send a squad until 2002. However, the Finns – whose most famous skater ultimately proved to be four-time Olympian and Karpat legend Lasse Kukkonen – were happy to make history.
2. A silver slice of Swiss-tory (2001)
Even though Switzerland started producing more NHL draft picks in the early 2000’s, nobody expected the red-and-white team to make the 2001 final. But that’s what happened in a true Cinderella run.
A mediocre preliminary round didn’t hold the Swiss back. They earned a 7-1 quarter-final win over Germany, which had beaten both the Swedes (2-1) and Czechs (3-1) in group play. Then came the real shocker with a 4-2 semi-final upset versus host Finland, whose stars included Mikko Koivu up front and Kari Lehtonen in goal.
The Swiss, despite boasting future national team mainstays like Andres Ambuhl and Beat Forster, fell 6-2 to the stacked Russians in the gold medal game. Still, nabbing a silver medal – their only U18 medal to this day – was a huge achievement. For surprise value, perhaps only the Slovaks’ run to the 2003 final, where they lost 3-0 to Canada, can compare.
3. Ovechkin gets goals record (2002)
Back in 2002, Alexander Ovechkin was already seen as the top prospect for the 2004 NHL Draft. Yet nobody could foresee that the 16-year-old Moscow Dynamo forward would be chasing down Wayne Gretzky’s all-time NHL goals record (894) in the 2020’s.
With that said, at the U18 Worlds in Slovakia, Ovechkin easily overshadowed fellow Russian aces like Nikolai Zherdev and future Washington Capitals teammate Alexander Syomin. He tore up the tournament with a record-setting 14 goals, including the lone marker in the closing 3-1 medal round loss to the champion Americans. Russia settled for the silver medal.
4. Canada romps in gold medal game (2008)
The late Pat Quinn’s international coaching legacy was secure in 2008. The big Irishman had led Canada to gold at the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics and the 2004 World Cup of Hockey. But Quinn stepped up again when Hockey Canada came calling – and he got rewarded with the most lopsided gold medal game win in U18 history.
Facing host Russia in Kazan, soon-to-be World Junior legend Jordan Eberle scored twice in an 8-0 thrashing. Cody Hodgson added three assists to win the tournament scoring title. Goalie Jake Allen, named MVP, delivered a 29-save shutout.
5. Kucherov sets single-tourney points record (2011)
Three points per game is, shall we say, a pretty good pace. With a record-setting 21 points in seven games at the 2011 U18 Worlds in Germany, Nikita Kucherov put the hockey world on notice that – even at age 17 – he already had one of the game’s smartest minds
The CSKA Moscow product, a future two-time Stanley Cup winner with Tampa Bay, got started with a four-point outing in an 8-2 shellacking of Slovakia. He just never let up en route to a bronze-medal finish for Russia. Kucherov’s record still stands.
6. Four-peat for America (2012)
No NHL club has won four straight Stanley Cups since the New York Islanders (1980-84). Similarly, based on current trends, it’s a long shot that any nation will ever win four straight U18 Worlds again.
The Americans triumphed in Brno, Czechia by routing Sweden 7-0 in the final. They relied on a strong blue line with captain Seth Jones and assistant captain Jacob Trouba. Coach Danton Cole’s team set a record for gold medalists by allowing just four goals, all of them in the U.S.’s two games versus Canada.
7. Czechs find a silver lining (2014)
The Czechs entered the 2014 U18 Worlds with a long drought after totalling three bronze medals previously (2002, 2004, 2006). Expectations were necessarily modest, despite one of the deepest pool of Czech NHL draft prospects in years. But coach Jakub Petr’s group got on a roll.
Playoff overtime heroes stepped up. Jakub Vrana scored in sudden-death in a 3-2 quarter-final win over Russia. David Kase did the same in a 4-3 semi-final over Canada, which had rallied from a 3-0 second-period deficit. Czechia’s good fortune ran out when the U.S. won the gold medal game 5-2, but the result was a much-needed confidence booster for the Central European nation.
8. Sweden breaks title drought at home (2019)
Out of the “Big Five” junior hockey nations, Sweden was the only one never to capture a U18 Worlds title prior to hosting the 2019 tournament in Ornskoldsvik and Umea. That changed in dramatic fashion under head coach Magnus Havelid.
The Swedes opened poorly with a 6-1 loss to the powerful Americans, but improved steadily as the tournament progressed. In the gold medal game, Lucas Raymond completed his hat trick at 5:44 of overtime with a laser that beat Russian goalie Yaroslav Askarov. The 5,602 fans at Ornskoldsvik’s Fjallraven Arena went ballistic.
Sweden won its second U18 Worlds title last year in Landshut, Germany.
9. Hughes, Caufield attack record book (2019)
U.S. coach John Wroblewski brought an ultra-dynamic offensive team to the 2019 tournament. Captain Jack Hughes and linemate Cole Caufield put on a real show together.
While Hughes, the soon-to-be #1 overall pick of the New Jersey Devils, fell one point short of Nikita Kucherov’s 2011 single-tournament points record, his 20 points did make him the all-time U18 Worlds scoring leader (32 points). Caufield, meanwhile, sniped beautifully from all angles, tying Alexander Ovechkin’s single-tournament goals record (14). The Americans only got the bronze medal, but left a legacy nonetheless.
10. Canada dominates at both ends (2021)
At the World Juniors. Canada’s golden 2005 squad with Sidney Crosby, Ryan Getzlaf, and Corey Perry is generally considered the best of all time. We don’t know yet if Canada’s 2021 U18 Worlds-winning team will spawn multiple Olympic and Stanley Cup champs. But we do know that it was the best of all time by at least one metric.
In Frisco, Texas, coach Dave Barr’s Canadians posted a 51-12 goal difference, the best ever for a U18 Worlds gold medal team. (The 2016 U.S. team in Grand Forks, North Dakota had a 50-11 goal difference, but only won bronze.)
MVP Matvei Michkov won the scoring race with 12 goals and 16 points, but Canada got the last laugh with a perfect 7-0 record. Linemates Connor Bedard and Shane Wright (14 points apiece) shone in the 5-3 gold medal win over Michkov’s Russians.
This tournament has become must-see viewing, not just for NHL scouts, but for fans worldwide who crave a sneak peek at the next generation of Olympic and IIHF World Championship stars. The list of highlights goes on and on.
For instance, we’ve witnessed the consistent dominance of the Americans. Thanks to USA Hockey’s National Team Development Program, they lead the way with 10 gold medals all-time.
Tickets have become an increasingly hot commodity. In 2018, fans packed rinks in Chelyabinsk and Magnitogorsk to establish a new single-tournament record attendance of 159,176.
Hockey’s biggest names from both sides of the Atlantic Ocean have turned in all-star U18 performances, from Connor McDavid and Auston Matthews to Nikita Kucherov and Miro Heiskanen.
So it’s no easy task to pick the top 10 historical U18 moments, but we’ve taken our best shot in any case.
1. Finns win first tourney in Germany (1999)
When the U18 Worlds debuted in Fussen and Kaufbeuren in 1999, the Finns took an unusual road to gold. After posting a perfect 4-0 record in Group B, coach Jouko Lukkarila’s squad endangered their championship hopes by falling 6-1 to underdog Switzerland in the medal round. However, a 2-2 tie with Sweden on the final day secured the title.
The inaugural tournament didn’t get much hype in North America, as Canada wouldn’t send a squad until 2002. However, the Finns – whose most famous skater ultimately proved to be four-time Olympian and Karpat legend Lasse Kukkonen – were happy to make history.
2. A silver slice of Swiss-tory (2001)
Even though Switzerland started producing more NHL draft picks in the early 2000’s, nobody expected the red-and-white team to make the 2001 final. But that’s what happened in a true Cinderella run.
A mediocre preliminary round didn’t hold the Swiss back. They earned a 7-1 quarter-final win over Germany, which had beaten both the Swedes (2-1) and Czechs (3-1) in group play. Then came the real shocker with a 4-2 semi-final upset versus host Finland, whose stars included Mikko Koivu up front and Kari Lehtonen in goal.
The Swiss, despite boasting future national team mainstays like Andres Ambuhl and Beat Forster, fell 6-2 to the stacked Russians in the gold medal game. Still, nabbing a silver medal – their only U18 medal to this day – was a huge achievement. For surprise value, perhaps only the Slovaks’ run to the 2003 final, where they lost 3-0 to Canada, can compare.
3. Ovechkin gets goals record (2002)
Back in 2002, Alexander Ovechkin was already seen as the top prospect for the 2004 NHL Draft. Yet nobody could foresee that the 16-year-old Moscow Dynamo forward would be chasing down Wayne Gretzky’s all-time NHL goals record (894) in the 2020’s.
With that said, at the U18 Worlds in Slovakia, Ovechkin easily overshadowed fellow Russian aces like Nikolai Zherdev and future Washington Capitals teammate Alexander Syomin. He tore up the tournament with a record-setting 14 goals, including the lone marker in the closing 3-1 medal round loss to the champion Americans. Russia settled for the silver medal.
4. Canada romps in gold medal game (2008)
The late Pat Quinn’s international coaching legacy was secure in 2008. The big Irishman had led Canada to gold at the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics and the 2004 World Cup of Hockey. But Quinn stepped up again when Hockey Canada came calling – and he got rewarded with the most lopsided gold medal game win in U18 history.
Facing host Russia in Kazan, soon-to-be World Junior legend Jordan Eberle scored twice in an 8-0 thrashing. Cody Hodgson added three assists to win the tournament scoring title. Goalie Jake Allen, named MVP, delivered a 29-save shutout.
5. Kucherov sets single-tourney points record (2011)
Three points per game is, shall we say, a pretty good pace. With a record-setting 21 points in seven games at the 2011 U18 Worlds in Germany, Nikita Kucherov put the hockey world on notice that – even at age 17 – he already had one of the game’s smartest minds
The CSKA Moscow product, a future two-time Stanley Cup winner with Tampa Bay, got started with a four-point outing in an 8-2 shellacking of Slovakia. He just never let up en route to a bronze-medal finish for Russia. Kucherov’s record still stands.
6. Four-peat for America (2012)
No NHL club has won four straight Stanley Cups since the New York Islanders (1980-84). Similarly, based on current trends, it’s a long shot that any nation will ever win four straight U18 Worlds again.
The Americans triumphed in Brno, Czechia by routing Sweden 7-0 in the final. They relied on a strong blue line with captain Seth Jones and assistant captain Jacob Trouba. Coach Danton Cole’s team set a record for gold medalists by allowing just four goals, all of them in the U.S.’s two games versus Canada.
7. Czechs find a silver lining (2014)
The Czechs entered the 2014 U18 Worlds with a long drought after totalling three bronze medals previously (2002, 2004, 2006). Expectations were necessarily modest, despite one of the deepest pool of Czech NHL draft prospects in years. But coach Jakub Petr’s group got on a roll.
Playoff overtime heroes stepped up. Jakub Vrana scored in sudden-death in a 3-2 quarter-final win over Russia. David Kase did the same in a 4-3 semi-final over Canada, which had rallied from a 3-0 second-period deficit. Czechia’s good fortune ran out when the U.S. won the gold medal game 5-2, but the result was a much-needed confidence booster for the Central European nation.
8. Sweden breaks title drought at home (2019)
Out of the “Big Five” junior hockey nations, Sweden was the only one never to capture a U18 Worlds title prior to hosting the 2019 tournament in Ornskoldsvik and Umea. That changed in dramatic fashion under head coach Magnus Havelid.
The Swedes opened poorly with a 6-1 loss to the powerful Americans, but improved steadily as the tournament progressed. In the gold medal game, Lucas Raymond completed his hat trick at 5:44 of overtime with a laser that beat Russian goalie Yaroslav Askarov. The 5,602 fans at Ornskoldsvik’s Fjallraven Arena went ballistic.
Sweden won its second U18 Worlds title last year in Landshut, Germany.
9. Hughes, Caufield attack record book (2019)
U.S. coach John Wroblewski brought an ultra-dynamic offensive team to the 2019 tournament. Captain Jack Hughes and linemate Cole Caufield put on a real show together.
While Hughes, the soon-to-be #1 overall pick of the New Jersey Devils, fell one point short of Nikita Kucherov’s 2011 single-tournament points record, his 20 points did make him the all-time U18 Worlds scoring leader (32 points). Caufield, meanwhile, sniped beautifully from all angles, tying Alexander Ovechkin’s single-tournament goals record (14). The Americans only got the bronze medal, but left a legacy nonetheless.
10. Canada dominates at both ends (2021)
At the World Juniors. Canada’s golden 2005 squad with Sidney Crosby, Ryan Getzlaf, and Corey Perry is generally considered the best of all time. We don’t know yet if Canada’s 2021 U18 Worlds-winning team will spawn multiple Olympic and Stanley Cup champs. But we do know that it was the best of all time by at least one metric.
In Frisco, Texas, coach Dave Barr’s Canadians posted a 51-12 goal difference, the best ever for a U18 Worlds gold medal team. (The 2016 U.S. team in Grand Forks, North Dakota had a 50-11 goal difference, but only won bronze.)
MVP Matvei Michkov won the scoring race with 12 goals and 16 points, but Canada got the last laugh with a perfect 7-0 record. Linemates Connor Bedard and Shane Wright (14 points apiece) shone in the 5-3 gold medal win over Michkov’s Russians.