Sweden names three Canucks prospects to World Juniors team
Vancouver Canucks fans will have an easy choice to support at this year’s IIHF World Junior Championships.
Team Sweden revealed its roster this morning and three Canucks prospects made the team. Tom Willander, Elias Pettersson, and Jonathan Lekkerimaki will all represent their country at this year’s edition of the popular tournament.
Här är JVM-truppen 🇸🇪🏒
Magnus Hävelid, förbundskapten för Juniorkronorna, presenterar följande 23 spelare till JVM i Göteborg.
Det här blir en höjdare i mellandagarna. Nedsläpp 26 december.
Läs mer 👉 https://t.co/oE05OZ2ujS pic.twitter.com/43cIFzfsb5— Tre Kronor (@Trekronorse) December 6, 2023
Pettersson was a third-round pick in the 2022 NHL Draft, selected 80th overall by the Canucks. The 6-foot-4 blueliner has played mostly in the second division HockeyAllsvenskan so far this season, recording eight points in 14 games.
The 19-year-old played for Sweden at this tournament last year and finished with three points in seven games. He’s a strong skater for his size and could make the jump to North America as soon as next season.
Willander was the Canucks’ most recent first-round draft pick. The defenceman is currently playing his first season on the smaller North American ice with Boston University and recently scored his third goal of the year.
A huge insurance goal from Tom gives us a two-goal lead late in the third!
Watch on ESPN+: https://t.co/VagqeUJsKo@hockey_east | @espn pic.twitter.com/Z9hfKzBpyN
— BU Men's Hockey (@TerrierHockey) December 3, 2023
Willander’s eight points are good for second-best among Boston University defencemen, only behind highly touted prospect Lane Hutson. He’s also +12, the best number on the entire team.
The right-handed defenceman is perhaps the most important prospect in the Canucks organization. This tournament will be the first time that a lot of fans get to watch him play as he hits the big stage for the first time since he was drafted.
Finally, Jonathan Lekkerimaki is another first-round draft pick who will be representing Sweden. After a rough season last year, the 19-year-old has turned things around to start this season.
This will be the third time that Lekkerimaki has participated in this tournament. He has one goal and six assists in 14 games over his past appearances at the World Juniors. The winger is tied for 10th in SHL goal scoring and will hopefully continue to build on his strong season with a dominant performance against competitors his own age.
Tournament play kicks off on December 26. Sweden plays its first game of the competition that day against Latvia at 10:30 am PT.
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