CHL Stars Shine Early at World Juniors
57 Canadian Hockey League players have been representing 10 different countries throughout the 2011 World Junior Championship in Buffalo, New York.
Here is a look at how some CHL players from all 10 competing countries have performed after the first three days and 10 games of the tournament heading into action on Wednesday.
For Team Canada, Brayden Schenn of the Brandon Wheat Kings leads the tournament in scoring with two goals and five assists for seven points and is followed closely by Ryan Ellis of the Windsor Spitfires who has two goals and three assists for five points in two games. Ellis was named Player of the Game in the 6-3 win over Team Russia to open the tournament for Canada on Boxing Day, while Schenn had five points as Player of the Game for Canada Tuesday afternoon in the 7-2 win over the Czech Republic.
Anton Honejsek of the Czech Republic and the Moose Jaw Warriors leads his club with three points after two games and scored a goal and an assist as Player of the Game to lead the Czechs past Norway 2-0 on Monday. PEI Rocket forward Andrej Nestrasil and former Lewiston MAINEiac Michal Hlinka are alternate captains on the team.
Finland has performed well in their opening two games with a 4-0 win over Switzerland and a 3-2 overtime loss to the United States. Former Brandon Wheat King Toni Rajala is tied for the team-lead with two points.
For Germany, Marcel Noebels of the Seattle Thunderbirds scored a goal and an assist as Player of the Game despite a 4-3 loss to Switzerland on Boxing Day, while Philipp Grubauer of the Kingston Frontenacs was named Player of the Game in goal with 37 saves despite a 2-1 overtime loss to Slovakia on Monday. Konrad Abeltshauser of the Halifax Mooseheads is an alternate captain on Team Germany.
Andreas Stene of the Kelowna Rockets was named captain for Team Norway and earned Player of the Game honours despite a 7-1 loss to Sweden on Boxing Day.
Igor Bobkov of the London Knights has played one game in goal for Russia and made 36 saves despite a 6-3 loss to Canada on Boxing Day.
Richard Panik of the Guelph Storm is captain of Team Slovakia and leads the team in scoring with two points in two games. Their one win came on Monday with a 2-1 overtime win over Germany where Andrej Kudrna of the Red Deer Rebels was named Player of the Game with an assist. Former Sarnia Sting Miroslav Preisinger is an alternate captain on the team.
Former Sault Ste. Marie Greyhound Robin Lehner was named Player of the Game in goal for Sweden Tuesday night making 30 saves in a 2-0 win over Russia.
Nino Niederreiter of the Portland Winterhawks is captain of Team Switzerland and is tied for the club lead with two points following a 4-3 win over Germany to open the tournament and a 4-0 loss to Finland.
Jack Campbell of the Windsor Spitfires has backstopped Team USA to two wins and was named Player of the Game in the 3-2 overtime win to open the tournament on Boxing Day against Finland with 32 saves. Emerson Etem of the Medicine Hat Tigers and Ryan Bourque of the Quebec Remparts each have a point in two games.