Carolina Hurricanes Prospects to Watch in the World Juniors

The Carolina Hurricanes have five prospects going to the 2020 World Junior Championships starting today. Who are they and what teams do they play for?

The 2020 World Junior Championships are upon us! Starting today the championship will run though the New Years and on to January 5th. Played in the home nation of both Petr Mrazek and Martin Necas in the Ostrava and Trinec of the Czech Republic, the WJC features 10 teams with prospects from all 31 teams in the NHL. Five, in fact, from the Carolina Hurricanes.

The 10 teams are split into two groups. Group A consists of defending champion Finland which hosts three Hurricanes prospects, along with Sweden, Switzerland, Slovakia and Kazakhstan and will play its preliminary-round games at Werk Arena in Trinec.

Group B features the United States, Canada, Russia, Czech Republic and Germany and will play its round-robin games at Ostravar Arena in Ostrava. US and Germany each have a single Carolina Hurricanes Prospect. NHL Network will broadcast live 20 games, including every U.S. game, as well as all games in the medal round. You can check the full schedule here.

The logo above for the event features a familiar sight. That’s right, its Petr Mrazek and his signature celebration! So this event will be near and dear to Caniacs all over. Here are the players to keep your eyes peeled out for this year as the World Juniors kick off:

Jack Drury– Team USA

Drafted in the second round by the Carolina Hurricanes in the 2018 NHL entry Draft, Drury has been going through his Harvard Journey now in his second year with the Ivy League team. In the ten games played there he has amassed four goals and six assists, keeping him at exactly a point per game.

He will serve as one of the a veteran presence with the team after playing for the silver medalist team last year. Drury has a big chance to make up for last year and give team USA a chance to win it all after coming so close last year. With all USA games being shown on NHLN this year this is the one player to keep your eye on if not anyone else.

Dominik Bokk– Team Germany

Bokk has had a rough 19-20 season so far. Drafted by the St.Louis Blues 25th overall in the 2018 NHL entry draft and traded to the Carolina Hurricanes in the Justin Faulk trade, he is a man who is desperately looking for a change of pace. Playing on loan to the Rögle BK of the SHL in Sweden Bokk only has a single goal and four assists in 23 games played.

If anyone desperately needs a good game here at the WJC its Dominik Bokk. Team Germany has a few decent players this season compared to previous ones. Bokk will be looking to elevate his game and try to win back some of the confidence that got him to become a first round pick. Failure to do so may result in his NHL dreams crashing around his ears.

Patrik Puistola– Team Finland

Speaking of players that need to find themselves some sense of guidance, Puistola, the first of three Finns that also happen to be Hurricanes prospects, needs to find some himself. He has played for three different teams across two separate leagues in Finland this year. The third round pick from this last draft has yet to find the ice under his feet.

Not to say he has played terribly this year, but he has only scored four goals in 26 games so far. Now that is nothing to be ashamed of, and chances are he will improve his play. He found the back of the net five times in five games while competing in the U18 WJC last year. Can he keep this pace up this year in the biggest WJC stage?

Lenni Killinen– Team Finland

Killinen was drafted by the Carolina Hurricanes in the fourth round of the 2018 NHL entry draft. So I can forgive you if you have no idea who he is, or if this is the very first time you have heard his name. Since getting drafted he has played for Ässät in the Liiga league in Finland. Unfortunately even as he gets older, he has struggled to find a scoring rhythm.

In two years and 70 games played across both club and international play he has only nine goals to show for it. That said, he has an incredible defensive instinct and has continued to play well on both ends of the ice. Perhaps luck has a part to do with it. Now he get the opportunity to show that he should be considered for a chance to play in bigger games. Especially as he gets older.

Anttoni Honka– Team Finland

Honka is the only defender on this list, and surprise, surprise, he might be the biggest name on this list identifiable to Canes fans. Also drafted in the third round last draft, he has managed to play surprisingly well for JYP in the Liiga league in Finland. Considering he was part of the gold medal winning team last year, there is no surprise he got another invite to help lead Finland back to gold.

The only remaining question is, can he actually get on the scoreboard this time? In the six games played with team Finland last year in the WJC he scored no goals, no assists, and thus, no points. yet he finished only a -1 in the ratings when it was all set and finished. Cannot ask for more from a defender to be honest.

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Honka will get a second chance that very few players get. A second chance to feel like you earned the medal sitting in your cabinet. Don’t get me wrong, he absolutely earned the gold medal with team Finland last year, but he deserves to get a goal or two this year and set the record straight. The Carolina Hurricane prospect has come a very long way in his career and looks to continue building it. A second try at the WJC goes a long way.

So there you have it folks, five exciting prospects that might give you a glimpse into the future and see what might lie for the Carolina Hurricanes. These guys each have about the same chance of making the NHL. Now they get to prove their worth.

Question for CC Readers: Which prospect are you most excited about watching play this year at the WJC?