2017 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge

3 Stars of the Day

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 11

1. Jack Hughes – F (United States)
Wow. Hughes capped a dominant tournament with a dominant performance, scoring once and adding three assists – all in the first 22 minutes – to help the U.S. to gold in Dawson Creek. The American captain led the tournament in scoring, earning more assists (10) than all but one other player had points.

2. Nick Malik – G (Czech Republic)
The Czechs are back on the podium for the first time in 11 years thanks in large part to their goaltender, who turned in his second star-earning performance in three days. Malik finished with 29 saves, 14 in the third period, to help the European side finish an unlikely medal-round run to bronze. 

3. Alexis Lafrenière – F (Canada Red)
The first-overall pick in the 2017 QMJHL Entry Draft – and a tournament all-star in northern B.C. – Lafrenière was the best Red forward on the ice in the gold medal game, swarming on the forecheck, forcing turnovers and adding a goal, getting the Canadians to within two late in the second period.


FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 10

1. Xavier Parent – F (Canada Red)
You have to be good to be lucky, and lucky to be good. Parent has been one of the best forwards for Red all week, and the hockey gods smiled on him late in the Canadians’ semifinal. With OT looming, Parent banked in the game-winner with his back to the net, sending Red to the gold medal game.

2. Matthew Boldy (United States)
Let’s be honest, almost any American could have filled this spot without much argument. The U.S. got goals from eight different players and points from 16 of 20 skaters, but Boldy led the way with two goals and an assist to lead the Stars and Stripes back into the U17 final for the 12th time.

3. Sasha Mutala – F (Canada Black)
The captain played like a man possessed in the playoff round; after posting two goals and an assist in the quarter-final loss to Red, Mutala had a goal and two helpers to help his team finish with a win. The Vancouver native will finish among the tournament’s top scorers with eight points (5-3—8).


THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 9

1. Peyton Krebs – F (Canada Red) / Sasha Mutala (Canada Black)
Oh captain, my captain. All seven goals in the Canada Red quarter-final win over Canada Black included the No. 17 somewhere in the scoreline as the boys wearing the ‘C’ took over – Krebs played set-up man, earning assists on all four Red goals, while Mutala scored twice for Black and added a helper.

2. Nick Malik – G (Czech Republic)
The goaltender backstopped his team to an upset win over a previously-perfect Russian side that led the preliminary round in goals with 15 in three games. Malik made 15 saves in the first period, nine in the second and 12 in the third, sending the Czechs to their first semifinal since 2006.

3. Cole Caufield – F (United States)
The leading scorer in the tournament (4-5—9) added a pair of points to his total in a quarter-final win over Sweden. He set up Jack Hughes for the winner late in the second period before adding an insurance goal midway through the third, and has multiple points in every game for the unbeaten Americans.


TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 7

1. Graeme Clarke – F (Canada White)
Clarke played the role of provider to perfection as White finally got into the win column in Dawson Creek, helping set up the first four goals in a victory over the Czechs. The line of Clarke, Jakob Pelletier and Ethan Keppen was lethal, combining for three goals and nine points to pace the offence.

2. Cole Caufield – F (United States)
It seems to be a different player stepping up every games for the Americans, and it was Caufield who took the lead Tuesday. He got the U.S. on the board in the second period, finally breaking through against Canada Black, and had an assist in the third before recording the eventual game-winner.

3. Nolan Maier – G (Canada Black)
Black missed out on a chance to win Group A, but that won’t fall on the shoulders of Maier, who was lights-out again. He pushed his personal shutout streak to more than 96 minutes and had period save totals of 17, 13 and 13, keeping a very good American offence at bay for long stretches.


MONDAY, NOVEMBER 6

1. Jack Hughes – F (United States)
The American captain jumps one spot from Sunday on the strength of another terrific performance. Hughes almost single-handedly led his team back against Canada White, setting up the first U.S. goal late in the second period and scoring the game-tying goal in the third before dishing to Trevor Zegras for the OT winner.

2. Danil Gushchin – F (Russia)
The only 2002-born skater in the tournament was Mr. Everything for Russians in a win over Finland, and he did it just about every way you can. Gushchin scored on the power play and shorthanded in the first period before finishing his hat trick into an empty net in the third – and he added an assist for good measure.

3. Canada Red forwards
How do you pick just one? The Canadians broke out in a major way against Sweden, and got contributions from just about everyone. Eleven of the 12 forwards recorded at least a point, six had at least a pair and two – Xavier Parent and Ryan Suzuki – had three each as Red flexed its offensive muscle.


SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 5

1. Nolan Maier – G (Canada Black)
The puck-stopper was perfect, turning aside all 28 shots he faced to lead Black to an all-Canadian win over White. Just the third Canadian goaltender to record a shutout since the start of the eight-team format in 2014, Maier has been unbeatable in northern B.C. – he was perfect on 21 chance in pre-tournament play.

2. Jack Hughes – F (United States)
A highly-touted prospect for the 2019 NHL Entry Draft, Hughes put his skills on display early against the Czechs, scoring a pair of first-period goals to get the Americans on the road to victory. The 5-foot-10 forward showed he isn’t afraid to play in the dirty areas, getting both his goals from inside five feet.

3. Veeti Miettinen – F (Finland)
The Finn showed what he can do offensively, finding the back of the net twice in the second period to keep the game close before Finland pulled away in the third. Miettinen showcased a quick release on both of his goals, giving the Scandinavians an opening-day win over Canada Red for the second year in a row.

Videos
Photos
2017 U17: CZE 2 – CAN-W 1 (Bronze)
Toman and Teply scored the goals to give the Czechs the bronze medal.
2017 U17: USA 6 – CAN-R 4 (Gold Medal)
Hughes had four points to lead the U.S. to its fifth U17 gold medal.
2017 U17: RUS 5 – FIN 4 (5th Place)
Ilya Safonov and Egor Afansyev had a goal and an assist each, and the Russians earned fifth place.
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