U18 Worlds: Evaluating The Standouts Thus Far
It’s hard to believe we’re already discussing another potential generational talent at the NHL level, let alone seeing what Gavin McKenna has already accomplished playing junior hockey in the WHL and playing at the prestigious U18 Worlds tournament. Each and every year, we see the best U18 players from many nations compete in the IIHF Group A and B stages, and obviously the best continue to battle it out in the medal rounds en route to a gold medal victory.
Connor Bedard still is only 18, and still hasn’t hit his NHL ceiling yet, the most recent generational name at the forefront of hockey fan discussions. Now, ironically, Bedard’s cousin, 16-year-old Gavin McKenna of the WHL’s Medicine Hat Tigers, is of that next discussion. He was able to get some games in the league as a 14 and 15-year-old in the WHL, where in his first career WHL game at 14, he notched 4 points. This season, McKenna wrapped up with 34 goals, 63 assists, and 97 points in just 61 games. Keep in mind, McKenna turned 16 in December recently, so he is still closer to 16 than he is to 17.
As for the rest of the tournament, it’s unsurprising seeing James Hagens and Cole Eiserman dominating the way it was expected of them to, and we’ve seen some standout European names that have contributed as well. Konsta Helenius and Emil Hemming have both been standouts for Finland, and for Sweden, Alexander Zetterberg, Linus Eriksson, and Victor Eklund have all been key contributors. We’ve seen a lot more North American standouts compared to anywhere else this U18 Worlds for sure. I haven’t seen too much of the European games compared to North American ones, so I’ll stick to mostly North American names on this list that I evaluate.
Let’s take a look at how some of the players have looked in this tournament thus far:
James Hagens, C/W, USA (2025 Draft)
The dynamic hands and feet of Hagens still standout remarkably, as he currently leads the tournament in scoring with 10 points in 3 games as this is being written. Then again, this is already Hagens’ second and final year at this tournament, and he is playing on a larger ice surface in Finland which has helped showcase his dynamic skill further. There’s lot much else to say about him. He is well-rounded in his offensive scoring touch, his ability to elude checks and manage the puck without losing speed is elite, and his scoring touch is effortless in his development with the NTDP program.
Cole Eiserman, LW, USA (2024 Draft)
Eiserman’s ability to go all out every shift is not what you’d typically expect in terms of work habits of a top-line level player. He competes as if he is a 4th liner, wanting to will to every puck and discipline himself to consistently go out and provide that spark every shift. The finishing ability separates him from most in this 2024 class, where we see him pick tight corners of the net, he can beat goalies clean up high and down low, and he is a major driving factor at generating shots inside the offensive zone. His first instinct is to shoot and he’s showcased that this tournament, as he is looking to chase Cole Caufield’s U18 goal record in this tournament.
Gavin McKenna, F, Canada (2026 Draft)
Dynamic hands, dynamic shot, and dynamic footwork for cutback usage and ability to separate from contact of defenders. He plays like Nikita Kucherov based on deception and ability to manipulate with the puck, as he brings an advanced degree of puck skills that allow him to think of the next play before he’s even executed it. He is already a staple on Canada’s first power play unit at this tournament, working the flanks really well and being able to come off the wall to retrieve pucks on his strong side. His feet, hands, and hockey sense all link together on his rush sequences when maneuvering through traffic, cutting through the offensive zone laterally, and looking to get around checks using a nifty play.
Alexander Zetterberg, F, Sweden (2024 Draft)
He is like a little waterbug in terms of his maneuvering and ability to get around defenders with the puck. He is so effective beating that first layer of forecheck pressure with a simple puck maneuver from his forehand. He is slippery and highly elusive on the walls, is underrated using puck protection and handling the puck in uncomfortable body positions, and his adaptability makes him a threat when he has the puck on his stick. His future NHL offensive potential is questionable, because he hasn’t lit up every level for scoring, but the playmaking upside in his game as a pass-first player is a great foundation.
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Tij Iginla, F, Canada (2024 Draft)
As a volume scorer and ability to be a threat inside scoring areas, he plays similar to his dad Jarome in that sense. He scored 47 times with the Kelowna Rockets in the WHL this season after being acquired from the Seattle Thunderbirds. His one-timer is developed for his age, he can shoot off the pass, he can release quickly off his catch, he can shoot from uncomfortable body stances, and his release overall is very quick. His shot-threat ability makes him an attractive first-round pick candidate for a club looking for scoring. Less to be concerned about with his skating, because given his hockey sense, his innate scoring touch, and natural competitiveness to will to get to these areas, his skating isn’t much of a concern at all.
Cole Hutson, LD, USA (2024 Draft)
Similar report on what I had on him from the Chipotle All-American game, as his standout performance was what I expected from him. He is an absolute wizard at beating forecheck pressure. Rarely do you see a defenseman at this age that brings the translatability of beating the forecheck off many breakout styles. He can be a one man breakout, doesn’t force unnecessary rimmed pucks by himself, can skate away from waves of F1 and F2 pressure, he can wheel out from behind the net from a corner scrum and carry the puck up the middle, and he can get off the wall with ease on breakout situations. He is a breakout machine and uses his instincts in defensive situations to read open ice with poise. Skating, puck-handling, first pass out of the zone, ability to play a shutdown role and shutdown rush play against, and he can quarterback the power play. A lot of key, translatable elements in his game for sure.
LJ Mooney, C/W, USA (2025 Draft) There’s a lot of Logan Cooley in his game based on pure style. He also played with the Pittsburgh Pens Elite like Cooley did. He brings an endless motor and a fiery element to his presence every shift that his teammates seem to adapt to, he plays much bigger than he actually is, his fierce top-end speed and manipulative decision-making with the puck allows him to be a rush threat offensively at top speed. His rush patterns are diversified in his game too. He is a player that has experience playing wing and center, so he can attack up the walls as efficient as he does up the middle of the ice as a center. His ability to hunt pucks can be devilish too, and extremely aggressive. He annoys opposing players with his relentless backchecking pressure with both his stick and body positioning, as he wants to make you uncomfortable as an opposing player. Lots of potential, one name that should surely be watched come the 2025 draft.
Aron Kiviharju, LD, Finland (2024 Draft)
It has been a tough year for Kiviharju, as he’s tried to adapt after dealing with injury issues for a lot of the season. He’s brought two-way stability and an offensive touch to Finland from the back end, as he’s done a great job using his hands and feet on breakouts, attacking the rush, and looking to enter the offensive zone with plenty of poise as well. His ability to slow the play down and change the pace to his pace allows him to be a threat when he wants to with the puck. He brings a calm approach to his angular details defensively, shutting down plays seamlessly when defending stick-on-puck as well.
Other General Standouts:
Malcolm Spence, Porter Malone, Luka Radivojevic, Ryder Ritchie, Charlie Elick, Trevor Connelly, Teddy Stiga
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