By: Seth Ditchfield
The U17 Five Nations have come and gone, and it was competitive from start to finish. Finland and Sweden were at the top with a 3-1 record; USA and Czechia were not too far behind with a 2-2 record. Switzerland, however, stood alone at the bottom, with an 0-4 record.
Finland put on a show by committee, as one of the toughest teams to score on, and winning an impressive 8-1 game over the Czechs to claim the top seed by goal differential.
Each team had their shining moments and their challenging shortcomings; however, let’s break down some of the players who stood out the most.
FINLAND
JULIUS SUOMINEN | LHD | 5’8” 157 lbs | Lukko U20
With 5A and averaging 19:26 per game, Julius Suominen was consistently relied upon to shut down the tournament’s best players, and he did so exceptionally. Suominen has a consistent drive. He constantly has that pace and first step and doesn’t give the opposition one second to breathe. His puck-handling in motion is above-average, and he has some great reads in transition, allowing him to be a catalyst in moving the play up. Did I mention he’s done all of this on the right side? The versatility is off the charts. However, standing at 5’8” 157 lbs, he really needs to embrace the high-energy, transition style that he’s been developing thus far, as it’s unlikely defense will ever be a highlight of his game professionally.
VILJO KAHKONEN | C | 5’10” 179 lbs | HIFK U20
Viljo Kahkonen was one of the leading scorers on this Finnish roster, with 3G and 5P in 4GP, and it’s not booming talent that helps him produce; it’s intelligence. Kahkonen opens himself up to the play very well and can sneak behind the opposition better than anyone. His stick is always in a ready position, and he capitalizes on any opportunity thrown his way. Kahkonen consistently backchecked, consistently covered the open man effectively, and managed a consistent 71.5% Faceoff % through 4 games. Kahkonen immediately looks like a player you can project into your bottom 6, not only as a reliable 200ft player, but also as an intelligent forward who can add scoring depth to your roster. His focus should be put towards improving his playmaking vision under pressure, as this will only diversify his offensive portfolio.
SWEDEN
MARCUS NORDMARK | LW | 6’1” 183 lbs | Djurgårdens J20
Marcus Nordmark has been exceptional whenever he’s repping the Swedish National Jersey. 10 points in 4 games at the U17 Five Nations, 8 points in 4 games at the WHC-17, and overall, 28 points in 16 friendly matches for Sweden U17. All he does is produce, and when you watch him play, you can see why. Nordmark uses his 6’1 frame and an incredible burst of speed to make the opponents pay with a strong drive to the high-danger areas and with a multitude of offensive weapons in his arsenal. In motion, his shot is wicked; when he has time and space, he creates plays you could only dream of. His strength in transition is notable, as he makes the smart read entering and exiting the zone and is not often caught cheating, though work could be done in regards to his defensive positioning. It’s easy to see what Nordmark can be at the next level, and he was nothing short of spectacular for Sweden.
MALTE GUSTAFSSON | LD | 6’4” 190 lbs | HV71 J20
Malte Gustafsson was, without question, the best shutdown defenseman in this tournament and looked out of place in the best way. Gustafsson isn’t afraid to use his size, often finishes his checks, and is incredibly intimidating in the slot, making life difficult for any forward trying to get into those danger areas. His mobility is another area that makes him dangerous, as he can cover so much ground in so little time, and his lateral movement paired with his stick strength makes it nearly impossible to enter the zone unless you dump it around him, giving up possession. All these factors led to him being near the top in xGA every game, while averaging 19:57 for Sweden. It’s easy to see what makes Malte Gustafsson an NHL-level prospect. He’s strong, he’s powerful on his feet, he’s smart with the puck on his stick, and he knows what he is; he’s not going to take too many risks. He plays an incredibly smart and suffocating game that makes the play quiet whenever he’s on the ice, and all of those tools are going to make for an impactful NHLer.
AXEL ELOFSSON | RD | 5’10” 161 lbs | Örebro HK J20
A Swedish defenseman on the opposite end of the spectrum from Gustafsson, Axel Elofsson is a mobile, high-end offensive defenseman who seemed to enjoy jumping into the play at this tournament. With 8 points in 4 games, coming off an incredible DY-1 campaign thus far with Örebro HK J20, Elofsson is beaming with confidence and isn’t afraid to show it. He has the speed, he has the edgework, he plays strong on his stick, and when he gets going, he’s hard to knock off the puck. He has flash and creativity in the offensive zone, and that can create plenty of hilarious offensive chances. His shot is strong, he knows where to place it, he has a good head on his shoulders and knows what choices to make at what times, and he’s incredibly poised under pressure. Defensively, he leaves much to be desired, and you see a bit of a winger at times. He gets pushed off the puck far too easily along the boards, he’s not much of a presence in the slot, and he can get lost in position. While his play style will be incredibly risky, and upside, at this time, may be limited, we would be lying if we said he wasn’t a major standout and arguably the top defenseman at the U17 Five Nations.
USA
DAYNE BEUKER | C | 5’10” 161 lbs | USNTDP U17
Dayne Beuker was extremely reliable as the USA’s top C, as a do-it-all threat who can control the play better than most and create effortlessly at the other end. Beuker has a very fluid stride, he plays low to the ground, his stick is always ready, and he’s incredibly light on his feet, allowing for some quick pivots and a strong in-tight play style. His pace is strong; you always saw him working as hard as possible on the backcheck, and you always saw him fighting hard along the boards. As an overall high-pace player, it would’ve been nice to see more of that intensity on the forecheck as well, as he was quite passive in trying to shepherd the play rather than shut it down. With his foundation as a smart, hard-working player with some above-average puck skills, as a player who knows where to be and knows how to create, it’s easy to see, at minimum, 3C upside with this player.
LUKE SCHAIRER | RD | 6’2” 187 lbs | USNTDP U17
Luke Schairer is all that you would like to see in a modern-day 200ft defenseman. His mobility is high-end, he has a strong and long stride, and he has a powerful reach; standing at 6’2, not often are you going to beat him in a puck race. With this strong stride and high-end mobility, it would be great to see more urgency from Schairer and a higher pace all over the ice, as this would only make him more impactful. Schairer is also incredibly poised, almost to a fault. He’s very calm in transition, he’s a smart play reader in the defensive end, and he makes the smart and effective play in the offensive zone as well, but this poise almost limits his upside as a powerplay quarterback, as he’ll often drop out of the zone and play it safe rather than take those chances to keep the play moving, though his playmaking vision counteracts that and gives Schairer plenty of paths to take as an NHL impact defender. The likely option in my eyes is Schairer being a reliable, quiet, middle-pairing defender that can shut down the play and defend the rush better than most.
CZECHIA
FRANTISEK POLETIN | G | 6’2” 183 lbs | Pelicans U18
With an astounding .964% SV% through 2 games against Sweden and Czechia, and an overall .915% and a 4.2 GSAx through 7 games with Czechia U17, Frantisek Poletin has been nothing short of spectacular for Czechia and is a major reason Czechia has been in the game against any opponent they’re up against. Standing tall at 6’2, he plays taller in the net than he looks and has a very efficient positional switch from a tall stance to the butterfly to the RVH. His overall speed burst from side to side is average, but his ability to push off one leg and cover a lot of ground with high-end positional awareness makes up for this. His glove hand is strong, his blocker is effective; it’s hard to find a true weakness in his game. The poise under pressure, the confidence, the reliability—he was a true backbone for the Czechs, and he showed enormous potential in these few games, just as he has all season long.
DOMINICK BYRTUS | LD | 5’10” 181 lbs | HC Oceláři Třinec U20
Dominick Byrtus, a 2027 NHL Draft Eligible, was heavily relied on, averaging 17:58 per game, even seeing 19:25 in a game against the Swedes. This tournament was the story of pros and cons, as in some games, especially against the Swiss and Swedes, you saw a rock-solid defensive defenseman who controlled entries better than most, played some exceptional positioning, and had a very effective puck-battling result rate. At other times, especially in the game against the USA, he could be hemmed in a bit. Offensively, there is a noticeable lack of tools showing themselves in these games; he didn’t create much in the offensive zone, but he did shoot as much as he could, averaging 2.8 shots per game, and has a pretty effective one-timer on the right side. Ultimately, Byrtus has shown a lot of potential. His ability to read the game is far above his age, his ability to defend the rush against some of the best U17 players in the world is high-end, and his overall stride is effective. If he continues to develop his speed and some overall play-creation upside, his ceiling will be high.
SWITZERLAND
THIERRY BERGER | RW | 6’2” 176 lbs | SC Bern Future U20
Though the Swiss were heavily outclassed in this tournament, Thierry Berger stood out in a positive way more times than not. Of course, there are areas needing improvement; Berger will need to develop a softer touch with the puck and with retrievals, as well as trust his teammates more defensively and hold his position—often he would get caught chasing, trying to shut down the play himself. When he’s in position, he’s very positive in the defensive zone. He has a long reach, he isn’t afraid to hit, and he’s an extremely high-pace player who doesn’t take shifts off. He’ll need to bulk up and get much stronger on his skates, but the work ethic and the ideas are all there. Berger showed in this tournament that there can be an NHL player here. He plays the right way, he works harder than anyone on the ice, and he has the frame to build off of.
JANIS GROSSNIKLAUS | C | 5’11” 161 lbs | SC Bern Future U20
Janis Grossniklaus was, by a fair margin, the best and most impactful player for the Swiss at this tournament. Despite his smaller stature, he plays much larger than his size suggests. He maintains a low and powerful stance, defends the slot effectively, outworks everyone along the boards, and isn’t afraid to impose himself beyond his physical frame. With age and continued physical development, this aspect of his game could become a genuine strength. It’s consistently impressive how well he skates and how well he positions his stick and his body. He’s fantastic at clogging those passing lanes, and his situational and positional awareness is far above his age group. If Grossniklaus can continue to refine his offensive impact, taking more risks with play creation, improving the strength of his shot in close, and ultimately developing that standout skill, he can make for an impactful NHL player.