This year’s men’s World Championship featured some strong performances from younger players looking to make their mark on the international stage.
After all, the World Championship is often the first time young players represent their countries at the senior level after playing at the U-18s or world juniors.
It’s also a great chance for young players to learn from wily vets attending the tournament. Heading to the Worlds after your NHL club misses the playoffs or falls out early is a chance to extend your season and get a few more games in.
This year was even more interesting as it featured more than a handful of highly touted veterans, such as Sidney Crosby, Nathan MacKinnon, David Pastrnak and Tage Thompson. Committing to the national team at the Worlds goes a long way when management considers who to choose for best-on-best events, such as the Olympics and World Cup of Hockey.
Let’s look at seven of the young guns at this event who built on solid seasons or put their name in the running for future senior-level international events.
Frank Nazar, C/W, USA, Chicago Blackhawks
After a solid rookie season with the Hawks, Nazar took full advantage of going to the men's Worlds. He tied Logan Cooley with the most points on the gold-medal-winning Americans with 12 points in 10 games.
Nazar’s game features speed and downhill attacking as he consistently looks to put pressure on defenders. He’s one of the most daring and creative young players in the game today, never seeing a unique play he isn’t willing to at least try.
The 21-year-old averaged almost half a point per game in Chicago, with 26 points in 53 games. If this tournament is a sign of things to come, the Blackhawks will be pretty pumped heading into next season.
Logan Cooley, C/W, USA, Utah Mammoth
Utah is expecting a mammoth season from Cooley heading into next year, pun intended. He followed up a 65-point campaign in Utah’s inaugural season by excelling as the No. 1 center on the American roster.
Cooley plays with speed. He dictates the pace of play and always elevates the players on his line. Playing alongside Utah teammate Clayton Keller gave the U.S. a couple of players with instant chemistry as well.
The youth movement on the American team was a very encouraging sign, with Cooley, Nazar, Will Smith, Zeev Buium, and so many others making their mark.
Marco Kasper, C, Austria, Detroit Red Wings
Kasper had an unexpectedly solid rookie season in Detroit, and tying for first in scoring for Austria was an excellent way to cap the year.
At 21 years old, Kasper has shown a maturity and 200-foot game that most teams have to drill into their young players. It’s been a seamless transition into pro hockey for Kasper since his draft year in 2022, and playing against some top-level players at the Worlds put his complete game on display.
Not only has he been a responsible presence down the middle, but he also helped Austria make the quarterfinals. Kasper will be a fixture in Austrian hockey for quite a while.
Macklin Celebrini, C/W, Canada, San Jose Sharks
Celebrini’s stats didn’t explode at the Worlds, with six points in eight games. That said, there may not be a player who benefited more in the long run from playing at this year’s Worlds than the Sharks' rookie center.
He played on a line with Sidney Crosby at times, and he watched the likes of Nathan MacKinnon and Ryan O’Reilly prepare and perform. That’s all a major benefit for Celebrini, who said it felt like a whirlwind. There have been videos showing Crosby and Celebrini working on faceoffs or small details of the game, which should help make the teenager a better player heading into his sophomore season and beyond.
Stian Solberg, D, Norway, Anaheim Ducks
Norway wasn’t really a great team this year, but it had a couple of bright spots, and both were young, up-and-coming players.
Michael Brandsegg-Nygard was very good up front, but the way Anaheim Ducks prospect Stian Solberg showed up at this event was impressive. He was physical, assertive with and without the puck, and he helped keep Norway from relegation.
Solberg’s four goals and six points led the team despite being a defenseman. He is very promising, and Ducks fans must be happy about the offensive chops he showed.
Oscar Fisker Molgaard, C, Denmark, Seattle Kraken
Stepping into the lineup as a top-six center is not an easy task for a 20-year-old. When other teams boasted elite duos down the middle, such as MacKinnon and Crosby or even Cooley and Beniers, it’s an even tougher task.
Despite that, Denmark reached the bronze medal game, and Oscar Fisker Molgaard’s play as a top-six center, often on the top line, was integral in getting them there.
Fisker Molgaard pays close attention to the details of the game at both ends of the ice. The Kraken prospect's playmaking was impressive at this tournament, and playing down the middle allowed him to play in space and distribute out of the middle of the ice.
USA Strikes Gold At The World Championship For First Time In 92 Years
The year 1933.
Leo Carlsson, C/W, Sweden, Anaheim Ducks
Playing a pivotal role for a strong Swedish squad, Leo Carlsson did everything asked of him and so much more.
The 20-year-old went into the bronze medal game with eight points in nine games and added a pair of assists to help Sweden go home with a medal.
Carlsson is a very adaptive player who can be a puck facilitator or finisher at a high level. His willingness to fight for the puck in battles and the skill he shows to slip out of trouble have been impressive. He could be poised for a massive season with the Ducks next year.
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