Pair Of Kraken Prospects Named Alternate Captains Of World Junior Team

Seattle Kraken prospects Jakub Fibigr and Julius Miettinen have been named alternate captains of their World Junior Championship teams. 

Fibigr is returning to play for Team Czechia this season, looking to improve on his five-assist performance in the tournament, where Czechia won a bronze medal. He's been outstanding in the first half of the OHL season, notching eight goals and 24 points in 27 games with the Brampton Steelheads. 

He quickly gained the trust of the coaching staff last season and appears to be a big part of their blueline once again. 

Czechia's captain at this year's tournament is Washington Capitals prospect Petra Sikora, and their second alternate captain is St. Louis Blues prospect Adam Jiricek. 

Team Finland is bringing Miettinen back to his second World Juniors event, and this season he'll be an alternate captain alongside four other Finns. Minnesota Wild prospect Aron Kiviharju will captain the team, with Philadelphia Flyers' Heikki Ruohonen, Dallas Stars' Emil Hemming and Tampa Bay Lightning's Joona Saarelainen as alternates. 

Miettinen won't be playing in Finland's first game, according to Lassi Alanen, which opens up Finland's first line center role. The 19-year-old has been dominant in the WHL this season, scoring 18 goals and 42 points in 27 games, on pace to obliterate his previous career highs like Fibigr is. 

When he does return, he'll be depended on to score and provide two-way stability. 

Czechia and Finland begin their tournaments today, with Finland taking on Denmark at 3:30 p.m. EST and Czechia taking on Canada at 8:30 p.m. EST. 

For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.