Goalie, 2025 sixth-round pick makes 23 saves in win over Slovakia; defenseman gets big minutes for Czechs
The St. Louis Blues were heavy participants in the IIHF World Junior Championships the past two years.
It's slim picking this year with just two (Adam Jecho had to bow out for Czechia with a hand injury) in defenseman Adam Jiricek (2024 first round, No. 16) for Czechia and goalie Love Harenstam (2025 sixth round, No. 179) for Sweden, and Harenstam is off to a strong start.
He made 23 saves in the opening game on Friday when the tournament opened at Grand Casino Arena, home of the Minnesota Wild, in St. Paul, Minn. when Sweden opened with a 3-2 win over Slokavia.
The Swedes won the game when Ivar Stenberg, younger brother of 2023 Blues first-round pick Otto Stenberg, scored the eventual game-winner with 3:57 remaining in regulation.
Harenstam, 18, entered the tournament after playing in 19 games for Sodertalje SK in Sweden's HockeyAllsvenskan with a 1.90 goals-against average and .918 save percentage.
Sweden will look to improve to 2-0 in group play when it faces Switzerland on Sunday at Grand Casino Arena at 1 p.m. in Group A play.
As for Jiricek and the Czechs, it wasn't as good of an opener when they fell to Canada, 7-5, in the final game of the night at 3M Arena at Mariucci, the home of the Minnesota Golden Gophers.
The 19-year-old who has been tearing it up with 29 points (10 goals, 19 assists) for Brantford of the Ontario Hockey League, did not factor in the scoring for Czechia and was a minus-2 with four shots on goal and a game-high 23:04 time on ice.
The Czech's have no time to fret and will look to rebound in group play when they face Denmark on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. at 3M Arena at Mariucci in Group B play.
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