A look at Siberia's prospects in the 2020 World Junior Championship

Hello there sports fans. Today I am coming to you from frigid Siberia as we speak to the GM of the Siberia Icecats about the upcoming 2020 World Junior Championships. The Icecats are well represented, having 7 players representing 4 different countries. We spoke to GM Saouaf about this earlier today. "We are excited to see some of our young prospects play in this international event against the world's best talent. This will be a good test for them and a great way for our scouts to evaluate their abilities. While being selected is an honor in an of itself, we hope that some of our prospect stand out and show us that they are ready to take the next step in playing for Siberia. I can't wait for the tournament to start!". Obviously GM Saouaf is excited. Let's take a look at who is representing the Icecats in the tournament.

Team Canada

Raphael Lavoie - F - The big Canadian winger brings a lot of talent and has the tools to be a top 6 winger in the CCHL someday. He has an impressive set of tools and size. As always with bigger players, can he put it all together?

Bowen Byram - D - This talented young defenseman was the prize after losing out on Jack Hughes and Kappo Kakko. Time will tell if he will be able to translate his immense talent into success in the CCHL. Can he possibly supplant Jack and Kakko as the best player from last year's draft? That is a lofty expectation but not out of reach of the talented rearguard.

Joel Hofer - G - Joel came out of nowhere this year and has taken the WHL by storm with his numbers. His sparkling 1.81 GAA and .937 save percentage put him into great company in the top goaltending ranks in the WHL. A former 4th round pick of the Blues, he has a long way to go to be considered for a starting job, especially with Ville Husso and of course, Jordan Binnington, already in the St. Louis system. Still, Joel has put himself on the map in St. Louis and in Siberia.

Team Sweden
Albin Eriksson - This young power forward was a surprise to make the Swedish roster, but he gives team Sweden the size to compete with the other nations. Albin is in his second full season playing in the SHL, after succeeding in the Swedish SuperElit league as a youngster. While he won't be another Tomas Sandstrom, he could develop into a 2nd line winger who plays tough in front of the net.

Team Finland

Anttoni Honka - D - During the last draft, many said that Anttoni would be the biggest boom-or-bust player in the draft. Drafted in the 3rd round, Honka has stepped up his play and earned a defenseman roster spot on the National team. Anttoni is the brother of Stars prospect, Julius Honka. Anttoni will hopefully do a better job of living up to the talent and hype than his older brother.



Kim Nousiainen - D - Kim is a smaller, but very talented defenseman playing in Finland's top league. Kim's numbers don't dazzle you, but he is playing as a 19-year-old in a league traditionally dominated by older players. Kim is currently the second-youngest player on his team. Kim still needs work on his defensive game, but there is no denying his offensive abilities. Kim loves to join the rush and jump into the offense. Kim's offensive abilities remind me of another defenseman who played in Finland's top league, Brian Rafalski, although not an offensively gifted as Rafalski.

Team Russia

Alexander Khovanov - F - The uber-talented Khovanov has taken a huge step forward this year in the QMHJL, averaging over 2 points a game. Alexander is currently 3rd in the Q, behind Alexis Lafreniere, who will certainly be a top 5 pick in this upcoming NHL draft and 6th round pick for Boston, Cedric Pare. Alexander has great vision and puck skills. As with many young, offensively gifted players, he needs to work on this defensive play and play without the puck. If he can round out his skills, he could be a steal of a draft pick.

And there you have it sports fans. The Icecats are well represented in the upcoming World Junior Championship. Will Team Finland repeat? Will one of these prospects step up and make a name for themselves? Time will tell. That's all for now!