The 2015 IIHF World Junior Championship began on Dec. 26 in Toronto and Montreal. Four Rangers prospects who represent three different countries are participating in this year’s tournament. Here is a look at how they have fared so far:
- Anthony Duclair, RW, Team Canada – In Team Canada’s first game of the tournament, Duclair tallied two points (one goal, one assist), including an assist on the game-winning goal, to help the Canadians defeat Slovakia, 8-0, on Dec. 26. The 19-year-old is tied for fifth on the team in plus/minus rating (plus-three) through two games in the tournament.
2015 IIHF WORLD JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIP TOTALS: 2 GP, 1-1-2, +3 RATING, 12 PIM
Click the link below to see Duclair’s goal in Team Canada’s 8-0 victory over Slovakia: https://vine.co/v/OHF0LU7gh97
- Pavel Buchnevich, LW, Team Russia – Buchnevich led all players on Team Russia with three points (one goal, two assists), recorded two shots on goal, and posted a plus-two rating in the Russians’ 7-0 victory over Team Switzerland on Dec. 28. After the first two games (one regulation win and one shootout win for Team Russia), the 19-year-old is tied for fourth among all skaters in the tournament in assists (two) and points (three). Buchnevich also leads Team Russia in points, is tied for the team lead in assists, is tied for second on the team in shots on goal (six), and is tied for third on the team in plus/minus rating (plus-two).
Buchnevich, who is serving as one of Team Russia’s alternate captains in the tournament, has recorded 10 points (three goals, seven assists) in nine World Junior Championship games between last year’s tournament and the first two games of this year’s tournament.
2015 IIHF WORLD JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIP TOTALS: 2 GP, 1-2-3, +2 RATING, 2 PIM
- Brandon Halverson, G, Team USA – Halverson made his international hockey debut in Team USA’s second game of the tournament on Dec. 28 against Germany. The 18-year-old stopped all 14 shots he faced to record the win and shutout in Team USA’s 6-0 victory.
2015 IIHF WORLD JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIP TOTALS: 1 GP, 1-0-0, 0.00 GAA, 1.000 SV%, 1 SO
- Igor Shesterkin, G, Team Russia – Shesterkin stopped all 32 shots he faced, including 24 shots through the first two periods, to record the win and shutout in Team Russia’s 7-0 victory over Team Switzerland on Dec. 28. Shesterkin, who turns 19 years old tomorrow (Dec. 30), earned Player of the Game honors for Russia in recognition of his performance.
Shesterkin and Halverson have combined to post two of the four shutouts in the tournament thus far.
2015 IIHF WORLD JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIP TOTALS: 1 GP, 1-0-0, 0.00 GAA, 1.000 SV%, 1 SO
- Mackenzie Skapski, G, Hartford Wolf Pack (AHL) – Skapski posted a 1-0-1 record, along with a 0.60 GAA and a .980 SV% (50 saves on 51 shots) in two appearances over the past week. He stopped all 24 shots he faced in relief during a 2-1 shootout loss against Springfield on Dec. 26 and made 26 saves in a 3-1 Wolf Pack victory over Portland on Dec. 27.
Skapski, who was selected by the Rangers in the sixth round (170th overall) in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft, ranks third among AHL rookie goaltenders in GAA (2.25) and is tied for fourth among AHL rookie goaltenders in SV% (.923) this season. He has posted a 4-2-1 record, along with a 2.04 GAA and a .934 SV% in his last eight appearances, including a 2-1-1 record with a 1.38 GAA and a .959 SV% in his last four appearances.
The 20-year-old has allowed two goals or fewer in five of his last seven starts.
2014-15 AHL TOTALS: 16 GP, 7-5-2, 2.25 GAA, .923 SV%, 1 SO
Click on the link below to see Skapski’s Save of the Game on Dec. 26 vs. Springfield: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eWklZpscI0U
- Adam Tambellini, C, Calgary Hitmen (WHL) – Tambellini recorded two goals, including his first career WHL shorthanded goal, in Calgary’s 4-3 loss to Kootenay on Dec. 28.
The Rangers’ third round pick (65th overall) in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft has registered a goal/point in six of his last eight games, tallying 10 points (seven goals, three assists) over the span. Tambellini is tied for sixth in the WHL in goals (21) and is tied for 11th in the WHL in plus/minus rating (plus-19) this season.
Since joining the Hitmen on Jan. 8, 2014, Tambellini has notched a point in 44 of 66 WHL regular season games, and has tallied a goal in 33 of those games. He has registered 77 points (38 goals, 39 assists) in 66 WHL regular season games.
2014-15 WHL TOTALS: 35 GP, 21-17-38, +19 RATING, 8 PIM
- Richard Nejezchleb, RW, Tri-City Americans (WHL) – Nejezchleb recorded a point in each of Tri-City’s two games following the WHL’s holiday break (one goal, one assist over the span). The Rangers’ fifth round pick (122nd overall) in the 2014 NHL Entry Draft has registered a point in three consecutive games (one goal, two assists) and in six of his last seven contests (four goals, five assists over the span).
Nejezchleb has notched at least one point in 15 of 19 WHL games this season and in 13 of 17 games since joining Tri-City (nine goals, 13 assists in 17 contests since joining the Americans).
2014-15 WHL TOTALS: 19 GP, 10-14-24, -2 RATING, 16 PIM
Notes from the Wolf Pack’s two contests over the past week:
- Oscar Lindberg recorded an assist in both of Hartford’s games this past week, extending his assist/point streak to three games (three assists over the span). Lindberg has tallied a point in five of the last six games (one goal, four assists), including an assist in four of the last five contests. He ranks second on the Wolf Pack in goals (nine), points (20), and shots on goal (82), and ranks third on the team in assists (11) this season.
- Mat Bodie tallied a point in each of the Wolf Pack’s two contests this past week (one goal, one assist), extending his point streak to three games (one goal, two assists, plus-three rating over the span). He has registered three goals this season, all of which have been game-winning goals. Bodie is tied for sixth in the AHL – and tied for second among AHL rookies – in game-winning goals this season. He is also tied for third among AHL rookie defensemen in assists (12) and points (15) in 2014-15.
- Keegan Iverson, RW, Portland Winterhawks (WHL) – Iverson recorded at least one point in each of Portland’s two games following the holiday break (one goal, two assists in the two contests). The 18-year-old has notched a point in four of his last six games, tallying five points (two goals, three assists) over the span. Iverson ranks third on the Winterhawks in power play goals (four) this season.
- Tyler Nanne, D, Madison Capitals (USHL) – Nanne recorded an assist, registered three shots on goal, and posted a plus-one rating in Madison’s 2-0 victory on Dec. 27. Since joining the Capitals, the Rangers’ fifth round pick (142nd overall) in the 2014 NHL Entry Draft has tallied at least one point in five of 10 games, recording seven points (four goals, three assists) and posting a plus-eight rating over the span.
“It’s amazing. Growing up here in Montreal, it’s incredible and every time I watched the Habs it was a special feeling. For myself, playing in my hometown it’s a special feeling and to score in my hometown is incredible.” – Anthony Duclair on playing at the Bell Centre in Montreal during the 2015 IIHF World Junior Championship (Source: Yahoo Sports)
“He’s calm and confident in goal, and he does an excellent job at tracking the puck. He has the potential to be a No. 1 goaltender in the NHL.” – Rangers Amateur Scout Rich Brown on Igor Shesterkin