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TipToasty · 12-05-2024, 05:27 PM

Ratvia’s offense will be bountiful
Ratvia has a sneakily good offensive lineup, headlined by Baron Samedi. Samedi scored 93 points on 48 goals in Season 79 during the regular season, ranking him 8th in the league in points and 4th in the league in goals. In the playoffs this season, he turned in 28 points in 21 games. Samedi lead the league with 20 post-season assists, and was fourth in the league in points. Samedi has been on top of his game over the past two seasons and is looking to make one more big impact before moving up to the big leagues next season.
Winger Hughes Incorporated took a big step forward in their sophomore year in the SMJHL, putting up 74 points including 46 assists in Season 79 with Anchorage Armada. Incorporated had a stand-out rookie year in S78, and looks to build on the momentum and add to their argument that they are one of the top offensive players to look out for over the next two seasons.
Thunder Bay Center Teddy Bloos stands to serve as a significant playmaker when paired with some of the team’s offensive wizards. On the second line with Incorporated and winger Aurora Borealis, Bloos could be an x-factor in this year’s tournament. Bloos had 40 assists in the SMJHL regular season centering a line with two 30-goal scorers.

USA Blue and USA White will come out level
One of the civil wars of the WJC could come out close after the 12 regular season games. Okay, it might not be fair to call it a civil war since the two teams never meet during group play, but of course the two teams will be eager to see who comes out on top in the standings. USA White has immense offensive firepower, including May O’Nayse. O’Nayse had 50 goals (third best) , 62 assists (fourth best), and 112 points (second best) in the SMJHL S79 regular season. O’Nayse is joined by teammate and fellow top-5 scorer Doug Weight, as well as accomplished playmakers Duke Howard and Hotdog Lunch. On the blue line, White features some powerhouse defenders in Deven Rappleyea, Hummus God, and Thomas Harley who all command a presence in front of the net. In net, goalie Jeff Kirkstone III had an incredibly promising preseason performance with 6 wins in 7 games and a .909 SV%.
In the USA Blue camp, Armada winger and rookie Elaina Beneski stands to lead a push from the team. Beneski had 44 goals on the season and showed up to WJC preseason hot, with 6 points on 4 goals in 7 games. Blue also features Thunder Bay linemates Puddles O’Duckling and Tip Toasty, who have a developed chemistry from two seasons playing on the same lines with the Walleye. If these two can find ice time together, they could provide an advantage in the offensive zone. Second-year Armada defender Javelin Bodine had a slightly less stand-out sophomore year after putting up solid numbers in their rookie campaign. Bodine is obviously a quality defender, and looks to provide a significant boost at the blue line this tournament. Second-year defender AJ Diaz was a big part of the Kraken’s improvement this season, jumping from a plus/minus rating of -9 to a +33 this season.
The Blue roster is less flashy than the White, but the two teams have a lot to prove, and with several of the top scorers in the SMJHL on the team, White have a much bigger target on their back. Blue will have to rely on defense, grind, and solid performances, but there is a possibility that the two will be vying for success in the elimination round.

Sweeden come away on top
Sweeden is loaded with talent at all positions, including league leading scorer and points-getter Cristoforo Roccamontepiano. Roccamontepiano is as dangerous when passing the puck as he is shooting it, putting the defense at a huge disadvantage when teamed up with other high powered scorers. In his third year with Quebec City, he finished the regular season second in goals and assists, and top of the league in points. Paired with high powered offensive players like Theo Kane, Swedish Chef, and Pohler Beargeron, opposition defenses may be praying to whatever deity they commune with before each game.
On the defensive end, Sweeden ices a top line of Kenneth Lind and Kiwi Soderberg-Snooks. Lind had a promising season in Carolina and Soderberg-Snooks has shown flashes of brilliance in their two years with Nevada. Abbe Waas bring strong defensive talent from Anchorage and Jeremy Snugglemuffin provides a great two-way game.
In preseason, goaltender Jakub Alexa put on a strong performance with a 2.15 GAA and a .918 SV% in five wins and two losses. Alexa, along with a strong D presence are a big part of assisting Sweeden’s high powered offense in their chase for the finals this season.

Team World could be a strong sleeper pick
The World delegation could be a strong sleeper pick if players play to show out at the tournament. The young team features a lot of promising players on both ends of the ice.. Bolstered by a strong blue line, including the four, five, and six picks in this year’s SHL Entry Draft: Tiny Princess, Chungledown Bim, and Pavel Mintyukov, World has a strong defensive core that could help contain some of the high-octane offenses in the tournament. If goalie Zsigmond Popovics can put together some strong performances in net, World could have a chance to net some game winners and battle through the elimination round. The preseason scoring for Team World included significant contributions from defenders Peter and Pavel Mintyukov.
The team’s success in this tournament relies heavily on players getting hot each night, and they must mitigate underperforming in consecutive games, such as River Yekaterina Volkova’s World preseason low -6 in just 12-minutes average time on ice. The team must also desperately take better care of the puck than they did in the preseason and cut down on the giveaways.

Hotdog Lunch will lead the tournament in points

Being on USA White’s high powered offense will give Ottowa Right Winger Hotdown Lunch plenty of opportunity to score and set-up goals. Teamed with O’Nayse and Howeard, Lunch will have plenty of space on the ice and plenty of firepower to help finish passes and pick up rebounds. Lunch could also stand to sit atop the plus/minus rankings for the tournament.

Anything could happen

Let's be honest here - anything can happen in the WJC and predictions are based on personal perceptions. This is my first season following the WJC tournament and I'm looking forward to the action. When it all comes down to it, you live by the motto; FHM gonna FHM.

1125 words 2x WJC media

***luke*** · 12-05-2024, 05:33 PM

I agree... Hotdog lunch will be balling out

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