Brabenec and Szturc finding chemistry in Halifax
The hottest line at the 2023 World Juniors has without a doubt been Canada’s trio of Connor Bedard, Joshua Roy and Logan Stankoven.
But it’s fair to say that two other CHL players are driving the next best line at the tournament.
Charlottetown’s Jakub Brabenec and Kelowna’s Gabriel Szturc, alongside Jaroslav Chmelar, have combined for 15 points through four games and helped guide Czechia to first place in Group A.
“We have very good chemistry on the line,” Szturc said Saturday after an 8-1 win over Germany. “It’s fun to play together. When we’re in the offensive zone I feel we see each other.”
Brabenec has a goal and four assists at the World Juniors while Szturc’s three goals are tied for the team lead.
“I think we are doing the right things, doing the simple things and it’s working,” Brabenec said.
Their offensive output shouldn’t come as a surprise; Brabenec leads the Islanders in assists (17) and points (25) while Szturc has recorded 37 points (10 goals) in only 26 games.
“We are the same kind of player,” Brabenec said of Sztruc. “It’s fun to play with him. We’ve done a lot of [assists] and scored a couple of goals. It’s good to play with him. He’s a good player too.”
“He’s a skilled guy,” Szturc countered. “I don’t know what to say; he’s a good player, a great player, and I really like playing with him … I think the chemistry is very good.”
That chemistry was on full display on New Year’s Eve. The duo combined on Czechia’s second goal as Brabenec took advantage of a German turnover to gather the puck and feed Szturc down-low who showed off his quick hands to score his third of the tournament.
Gabriel Szturc shows off his quick hands! 🇨🇿 #WorldJuniors pic.twitter.com/UGnMHvXncj
— Canadian Hockey League (@CHLHockey) December 31, 2022
“We’re trying to play the same way,” said Brabenec, who had three assists Saturday. “We’re really happy that we won today and we want to focus on ourselves. We’re really happy right now.
“We just want to win every game. We don’t care [about anything else].”
Czechia’s only blemish in the round-robin was an overtime defeat to Sweden. Their first-place finish has setup a quarterfinal tilt with Switzerland in Halifax in a game that will be filled with CHL representation.
With 12 CHL players on its roster, Czechia is the second most represented team after Canada at the tournament. In fact, seven members of this year’s squad played in the 2022 competition, including Szturc.
And it’s Brabenec and Szturc’s play in the CHL that has provided their momentum in this tournament.
“It’s given me confidence to play here, my play with the puck, to take shots, make hockey plays,” Szturc said of how his season in Kelowna so far has impacted his World Juniors performance. “I would say more confidence and a different role. I’ve had more ice time to make a difference.”
