2022 Youth World Cup predictions

According to three NHL.com writers, the winner of the 2022 IIHF Youth World Championships comes from North America.

NHL.com Deputy Editor-in-Chief Adam Kimelman and LNH.com staff writer Guillaume Lepage predict Canada will win the tournament, while NHL.com staff writer Mike G. Morreale believes the United States will repeat the championship.

No team has won the youth world champions in a row since Canada won five in a row in 2005-2009. The United States has never won a consecutive championship.

Kimelman believes Canada will win the Russian championship, while Lepage believes Canada will win Sweden. Morreale predicts the United States will win Canada’s 2021 WJC championship rematch.

Each author also selected the best goalkeeper, best striker, best defender and best possible award in the 2022 NHL draft.

The 2022 tournament will be held December 26-January 5 in Edmonton and Red Deer, Alberta. 10 teams play in two blocks. The A-block consists of Canada, Finland, Germany, the Czech Republic and Austria and plays its starting block at Rogers Place in Edmonton. The United States, Russia, Sweden, Slovakia and Switzerland will play in Group B, and its qualifiers will be played at the WP Centrium in Red Deer.

[RELATED: 2022 WJC schedule]

The top four in each group will play in the semi-finals on January 2nd. The semi-finals are on January 4th and the championship and third-place games on January 5th in Edmonton.

All matches will be broadcast live on the NHL Network in the United States and on TSN and RDS in Canada.

Kimelman’s predictions

Block A Winner: Canada

Block B Winner: United States

Master: Canada

Second: Russia

Third: United States

Surprise star: Roby Jarventie, F, Finland

Best goalkeeper: Jaroslav Askarov, Russia

Best defender: Owen Power, Canada

Best striker: Mason McTavish, Canada

Best Player of the 2022 NHL Draft: Shane Wright, F, Canada

Lepage forecasts

Block A Winner: Canada

Block B Winner: Swedish

Master: Canada

Second: Swedish

Third: United States

Surprise star: Xavier Bourgault, F, Canada

Best goalkeeper: Jaroslav Askarov, Russia

Best defender: Owen Power, Canada

Best striker: Alexander Holtz, Sweden

Best Player of the 2022 NHL Draft: Shane Wright, F, Canada

Morreal forecasts

Block A Winner: Canada

Block B Winner: United States

Master: United States

Second: Canada

Third: Swedish

Surprise star: Samuel Helenius, F, Finland

Best goalkeeper: Jesper Wallstedt, Sweden

Best defender: Jake Sanderson, United States

Best striker: Perfect Cole, Canada

Best Player of the 2022 NHL Draft: Simon Nemec, D, Slovakia

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