By: Neil Simmons | Follow me on Twitter / X: @NSimmz
The halfway point of the preliminary round at the IIHF World Championship in Switzerland is fast approaching, with all eight participating Bruins having played three of their seven group-stage matches. The collective performance of the group has been a mixed bag thus far, with Finland and Canada’s unbeaten starts balancing out a lackluster effort from Team USA, but there’s one Bruin in particular who has looked right at home on the international stage:
Fraser Minten – Canada – Minten has three points through Canada’s first three games of the tournament, including a Player of the Game performance against Sweden. He recorded a pair of assists, including the eventual game-winner, and a team-high seven faceoff wins in the 5-3 win. He later tacked on a goal in the 6-0 rout of Italy, putting Canada atop Group B with nine points.
Team USA – Alex Steeves has started two of three games for Team USA on the top line wing and scored their only goal in a 3-1 loss to hosts Switzerland in the opener on Friday. Mason Lohrei has yet to record a point in his second stint at the World Championship, but is skating at a +2 rating on the top defense pair with team captain Justin Faulk. James Hagens has not recorded a point and has started on the fourth line in each game, alongside Max Plante and Danny Nelson, two forwards who also spent the past season in the NCAA. The Americans currently sit fifth in Group A with a 1-2-0 record.
Team Finland – Henri Jokiharju skated on the Finns’ top defense pair with Mikko Lehtonen in their tournament-opening 3-1 win over Germany, and the duo has been deployed as the second pair in the two games since. His lone contribution to the offense came in their second game, when he recorded an assist against Hungary. Joonas Korpisalo started and won his lone start so far, turning aside nine of ten shots against Hungary in the 4-1 win. The Finns are tied atop Group A with Switzerland, deadlocked on goal difference with identical 10-4 outputs.
Matej Blumel – Czechia – Blumel has been one of the Czechs’ most prolific forwards so far, leading the team with two goals, an assist, and a +3 rating through their first three games. He recorded a goal and an assist against Denmark, then later opened the scoring in a 4-3 win over Sweden. Czechia currently stands two points behind Canada in Group B.
Lukas Reichel – Germany – Reichel recorded an assist in a 6-1 loss against Switzerland, one of just two goals the Germans have scored in the tournament so far. He did not dress for their tournament opener against Finland, but has skated on the second line in both games since. Germany stands at the bottom of Group A as one of just two teams to be winless through their first three games.
Looking Ahead: Steeves, Lohrei, and Hagens have a somewhat favorable schedule for the rest of their group to qualify for the knockout stage, facing Germany (and Reichel) on Wednesday, and then Latvia, Hungary, and Austria. Conversely, Reichel will face Hungary, Austria, and Great Britain with a chance to avoid relegation.
Minten and the Canadians will take on Norway, Slovenia, and Slovakia before what should be a pivotal final group match against Blumel and Czechia. The Czechs will face Italy, Slovakia, and Norway ahead of their game against Canada. Jokiharju and Korpisalo will face Latvia, Great Britain, and Austria before closing group play against Switzerland. As it stands, both Finland and the Swiss are unbeaten and have a very strong chance to maintain their perfect records into Zurich on the 26th.
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