Who will provide the offence? Who will be looked upon in the dying minutes of a tie game? Who will be counted upon to provide leadership on the long road to gold? International Scouting Services has selected three players from each of the six competing teams that it believes are U17 Players to Watch. Who made the list?

ATLANTIC

Oliver Cooper

power forward ... impressive collection of physical tools ... competes at high level ... dominates the boards ... good hands ... at best when physically involved ... skates well considering size

Nathan MacKinnon

offensively dynamic ... natural and smooth skating stride ... fantastic acceleration ... excellent hockey sense ... dynamic 1-on-1 ability ... scoring threat whenever on the ice ... 2011 returnee

Matt Murphy

two-way defenceman ... tough and physical ... calm and poised ... effective in all three zones ... high hockey IQ ... likes to finish checks ... confident puck handler ... solid frame ... 2011 returnee

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CZECH REPUBLIC

Jan Kostalek

very composed two-way defenceman ... good offensive instincts ... plays in all situations ... effective puck distributor ... good anticipation ... makes plays with poise ... makes crisp passes

Alex Pisarik

skilled offensive defenceman ... very mobile ... fluid skater ... excellent puck distribution skills ... ideal power play quarterback ... good hard shot ... reads the play well ... excellent instincts

Patrik Zdrahal 

productive two-way forward ... takes advantage of time and space ... reads play well ... displays good anticipation ... uses size well in puck battles ... plays hard each shift ... strong skating stride

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GERMANY

Leon Draisaitl

effective two-way forward ... very tough on the puck ... doesn’t hesitate to play in traffic ... very good hands ... drives the net hard ... good strength ... uses big body well ... good in tough areas

Markus Eisenschmid

highly skilled ... good hockey IQ ... best from top of circles in ... very mobile ... fluid skater ... makes good decisions with the puck ... quick hands ... good touch ... high level of hockey sense

Frederik Tiffels

offensively-skilled forward ... has NHL speed and acceleration ... dangerous on the power play ... very energetic player ... makes plays at top speed ... can play centre or wings ... natural play-maker 

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ONTARIO

Max Domi

dynamic offensive player ... highly skilled ... highly competitive ... tremendous vision ... fantastic play-making abilities ... tremendous patience with the puck ... quick feet ... excellent acceleration

Aaron Ekblad

complete package ... smooth and powerful stride ... great offensive skills ... tremendous poise with the puck ... makes crisp passes ... creative with the puck ... ideal power play quarterback

Nicholas Ritchie

skilled power forward ... soft hands ... good puck control ... very good puck protection ... competes at a high level ... goal scorer ... nose for the net ... strong stride ... nice touch around the net

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PACIFIC

Eric Comrie

poised and confident goaltender ... very good focus ... fills the net well ... moves well laterally ... very quick from post to post ... does not get affected by bad goals ... reads the play well

Curtis Lazar

dominating and exciting offensive talent ... possesses a ton of natural ability ... always a threat to score ... great speed and quickness ... can make plays and carry the puck at top speed

Sam Reinhart

explosive offensive skill set ... great hand/eye coordination ... quick hands ... agile with the puck ... fantastic play-making ability ... can make jaw-dropping plays ... talented offensive threat

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QUEBEC

Jonathan Drouin

dominating and exciting offensive talent ... excellent hands ... tremendous offensive abilities ... explosive and agile movements ... talented play-maker ... very intelligent ... good skater

Anthony Duclair

explosive skill set ... offensive-minded forward ... consistently produces offensively ... explosive speed and quickness ... tremendous potential ... not afraid to play physical ... returnee from 2011

Samuel Morin

stay-at-home defenceman ... plays safe and simple ... very effective on penalty kill ... good mobility ... covers a lot of territory ... intelligent gap and lane control ... has big shot ... strong skater           

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RUSSIA

Ivan Barbashev

complete two-way forward ... excellent work ethic ... provides leadership ... displays speed and quickness ... can make plays at top speed ... good hockey sense ... responsible defensively

Pavel Buchnevich

effective two-way forward ... excellent hockey sense ... good attitude ... gets into scoring position ... good skating ability ... makes crisp and accurate passes ... shows creativity with the puck

Sergey Tolchinskiy

highly skilled ... loves to have the puck on his stick ... excellent skater ... quick feet ... finesse player ... tricky stick ... creates scoring opportunities for teammates ... sees the ice well ... good touch

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SWEDEN

André Burakowsky

highly-skilled forward ... technically-sound skater ... extremely aware of his options with the puck ... quick strike ability ... finds open ice very well ... protects the puck well ... nice touch around net

Jacob de la Rose

smart and talented ... sniper ... does good job getting into scoring position ... solid collection of physical tools ... excellent stick ... displays speed and quickness ... great stick ... good hand-eye coordination

Robert Hagg

towering defenceman ... offensive-minded blue-liner ... likes to be involved in the play ... can be physically dominant in corners ... smart around the puck ... makes crisp passes ... good awareness

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UNITED STATES

Will Butcher

offensive defenceman ... exceptional hands ... tremendous vision ... ideal power play quarterback ... strong, powerful skater ... excellent hockey sense ... has active stick ... cuts off lanes well

Hunter Miska

very strong technically ... relies on positioning to take away net ... communicates well with defencemen ... very good focus ... challenges shooters well ... moves quick from post to post

Tyler Motte

very skilled ... displays high level of skill ... great hands ... plays in all situations ... makes something happen every shift ... at best when in possession of puck ... great stick ... consistent scorer

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WEST

Madison Bowey

offensive-minded defenceman ... great vision with the puck ... makes great first pass ... very quick feet ... excellent mobility ... takes away time and space efficiently ... good size ... ton of upside

Alex Forsberg

highly-skilled forward ... possesses play-maker’s touch ... at best when in possession of puck ... excellent hands ... tremendous vision ... strong, smooth strides ... very good anticipation

Carter Hansen

effective two-way forward ... good size ... excellent stick ... plays a finesse game ... uses speed to find open space ... nice touch around net ... protects puck well ... gets into scoring positions