QMJHLers make an impact at 2023 World Juniors

 

It was a tournament that truly featured everything. With a seemingly endless amount of drama, heroics and enthusiastic support from the stands, the 2023 IIHF World Junior Championship, held in Halifax and Moncton, will be remembered for years as one of the greatest tournaments of all time.

Not only was the event a testament to the fantastic support and organization acumen within two QMJHL cities, it was yet another occasion for 19 of the league’s players to grab well-deserved accolades for several national clubs.

Any talk about the tournament has to start with, of course, the victorious home nation. For the second straight tournament, Sherbrooke Phœnix star Joshua Roy worked his way up in the lineup and made the most of the opportunity with Team Canada, for whom he was named one of the top three players. Of his 11 points, tying him for fourth in tournament scoring, none were more memorable than his assist on the gold medal clinching overtime goal.

Joshua Roy sets up the golden goal!! ????????????#WorldJuniors | @PhoenixSherbroo pic.twitter.com/pcfD981lTA

— QMJHL (@QMJHL) January 6, 2023

Roy’s teammate, Tyson Hinds, started the tournament penciled in as the team’s seventh defensemen. That was quickly erased as the Anaheim Ducks prospect was relied upon at several key times throughout the tournament. Though he would score twice, his most memorable moment was a glove save in what would become a thrilling quarter-final overtime triumph over Slovakia.

Quebec Remparts center Nathan Gaucher also joined Roy as a back-to-back gold medalist. Named an Assistant Captain for Canada, Gaucher centered the team’s checking line and finished the tournament with one goal and three assists.

Gatineau Olympiques forward Zach Dean was Gaucher’s wingman throughout the event. He guaranteed yet another champion for the province of Newfoundland when the Vegas Golden Knights prospect scored once and added a pair of helpers, including a key assist in the semis against Team USA.

Helping to lead the charge was Phœnix Head Coach Stéphane Julien, who delivered a winning performance as one of the club’s Assistant Coaches.

Can we talk about Tyson Hinds’ game-changing glove save last night? ????#WorldJuniors | @PhoenixSherbroo pic.twitter.com/rllC5a6TYU

— QMJHL (@QMJHL) January 3, 2023

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Team Canada’s final victory came over a talented Czech team that earned its first medal in 18 years and featured five QMJHLers. One of the leaders on the backend was yet another Phœnix blueliner, David Spacek. Competing in his second straight tournament, Spacek finished tied for third among all defensemen with eight points in seven games, en route to being named one of his squad’s top three players.

Immediately after the tournament, Spacek gained a new junior teammate as his countryman, winger Jakub Brabenec, was dealt from Charlottetown to Sherbrooke. Brabenec also produced eight points and was named Czechia’s Player of the Game during the Final.

The crowd in Halifax won’t soon forget the name Marcel Marcel. Outside the unique moniker, the Gatineau forward’s six-point tournament included a game-winning tally against Team Switzerland in the quarter-finals.

And, of course, there was the player with the deepest connection to the host city, defenseman David Moravec. The Halifax Mooseheads rearguard posted two points and was a +5 for the tournament, his lone goal coming against Team Canada on Boxing Day.

Finally, Cape Breton Eagles’ netminder Oliver Satny was named to the club as its third goaltender.

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Team Slovakia rode a solid showing in Group B action to a sixth-place finish. The Q was represented by Charlottetown Islanders forward Peter Repcik, who impressed throughout the event, finishing tied for the team lead with six points. Two of his three goals came on the man advantage.

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The entry from Switzerland, seventh place finishers at the tournament, was arguably the most popular club other than the host country, in large part thanks to seven QMJHL players dotting its roster. Leading the way was Attilio Biasca, captain of both the national squad and the Mooseheads. He would top the squad with four points, including an overtime winner in Switzerland’s opener versus Team Finland.

A pair of Moncton Wildcats also had home crowds cheering them on as forwards Jonas Taibel and Miles Mueller combined for four assists. Val-d’Or’s Louis Robin and Shawinigan’s Lorenzo Canonica each registered three points at the event. The former was named Player of the Game in a quarter-final loss to Czechia, while the latter – along with Biasca – was named a top three player for Switzerland. Blainville-Boisbriand blueliner Maximillian Streule posted an assist, while Saint John rearguard Vincent Despont rounded out the large Q contingent on the Swiss roster.

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Finally, Team Latvia put together a competitive showing in Group B action before heading to Halifax and defeating Austria in two straight relegation games to assure its presence at next year’s event in Gothenburg, Sweden. Blainville-Boisbriand forward Anri Ravinskis finished tied for third in team scoring with three points in six games while Baie-Comeau defenseman Niks Fenenko was a work horse, posting a pair of points and leading the club in total ice-time.