Welcome to the official roster announcement for team Young Guns!  As is tradition since S59, team young guns will be bringing together the S63 and S64 players that did not get selected for their national rosters, or do not have a national roster they belong to, to compete against the best junior players in the world! 

Team Young Guns began in S59 and has had a disappointing record of 5-26-5 throughout the team’s history.  They’re hoping to grab a new team high in wins this WJC (2 is the current team record) and make some noise in the round robin.  The GM of team Young Guns, Vik, gave us this quote when asked about the outlook for team Young Guns in the World Junior Championship this season:

”Yeah as a team we’re just gonna try and go out there and have as much fun as we can.  No one expects anything out of us, there is no pressure.  We are skating on air with no weights on our shoulders, and no disappointment if nothing goes our way.  We’re just gonna try and go out there steal some wins and maybe upset a few better teams with our squad this season.  I’m really excited for each and every single one of these players to get a shot at playing, they’re young and they deserve to see some ice time too.  I hope we can set them up with some success and experience to take to their future WJC and IIHF National teams when they’re ready.  It’s my goal to just make this team a team and get them on their way with a little bit of playing time and experience under their belts, this is a game and it’s meant to be fun.”

With that said, we also received a memo from Vik with the official roster announcement for Team Young Guns.  Below is each player and a little mock up about where they might fit in on the roster in this World Junior Championship!

Goalies


Name: Evert Jansson Username: @Sargeantens
TPE: 214 Draftee in: S63
Height: 6ft 6in Weight: 205 lbs Handedness: Right
Home Nation: Sweden SMJHL Team: Detroit Falcons

Jansson is a promising rookie goaltender who held down the fort for a struggling Detroit Falcons all season long.  Early in the season he split time with Falcons veteran Podan Podanovic but shortly took over the starting gig.  Despite being on a horrendous team with no offensive support and a downright terrible record, Jansson managed to post a very respectable .908 save percentage last season and looks to build on his strong season with the starting role for team Young Guns going into the WJC.


Name: Inda Bagg Username: @Esso2264
TPE: 155 Draftee in: S64
Height: 6ft 0in Weight: 194 lbs Handedness: Left
Home Nation: Czech Republic SMJHL Team: N/A

Inda Bagg is a freshly declared new draftee getting ready to be drafted in the SMJHL in S63.  This will be the first playing time he sees in a league related fashion and it will tell us a lot about where the baseline for Bagg is.  He will be the backup but will likely see a few more games than other backups, just because the projections are for there to be some blowouts against team Young Guns.  The player agent for this player is well known throughout the league and has been known to represent some very consistent SMJHL players that have done well at the lower levels.  Esso2264 has yet to make a player that turns into a successful SHL player and he is hoping to break that ceiling with a goalie in this go round.

Defensemen


Name: San-Sam Emerson Username: @thelastrealtheraclid
TPE: 296 Draftee in: S63
Height: 6ft 2in Weight: 200 lbs Handedness: Left
Home Nation: South Korea SMJHL Team: Regina Elk

Emerson is another rookie who came from a struggling team this season but managed to perform well regardless.  The S63 class leader in TPE currently according to Player Analyze 2.0 had an outstanding rookie campaign with a very balanced stat line showing he may be Regina’s two-way defenseman of the future.  Emerson finished the season with 15 goals 15 assists 64 blocked shots and 59 hits which was good for 3rd among rookie defensemen in points and 5th in shots blocked.  Emerson will likely find himself on the first pairing on a team that selected 9 defensemen however, it is anyone’s guess which defensemen will have to play forward.  I am guessing Emerson will stay in position though, unless he wants to try his hand at forward.


Name: Drakocarr Sunazzo Username: @Vik
TPE: 280 Draftee in: S63
Height: 6ft 5in Weight: 215 lbs Handedness: Right
Home Nation: Toril SMJHL Team: Anaheim Outlaws

Sunazzo, a top pairing defensive defensemen for the Anaheim Outlaws, is represented by the player agent Vik, who is also GMing the team.  However, it’s not just some favoritism that has gotten Sunazzo on the roster.  Sunazzo had 6 goals and 13 assists for 19 points this season and led all rookies in hits with 139 and also found himself 5th in hits from a defensemen.  He was also 3rd in blocked shots from a rookie defensemen with 88 and 3rd in takeaways by a rookie defensemen with 26.  Sunazzo immediately found himself on the top pairing out of the gates with Anaheim this season and was able to thrive under an immense amount of pressure.  The Outlaws were able to squeak into the playoffs this season after not making them last season and currently sit tied in their first round series 2-2 against the Maine Timber.  This is largely in part to a big game 3 and 4 from Sunazzo and company, while only having a very small sample size of games Sunazzo currently finds himself tied 3rd in the league in points from a defensemen with 3, he also is 9th in shots from a defensemen with 10, and 6th in hits from a defenseman with 8.  He also adds 5 blocked shots and a defensive game rating of 75, which is tied for the lead on his team.  With the impressive play from Sunazzo in the playoffs one has to wonder if he can see that same level of production transfer to the ice.  With Sunazzo’s strong focus on physicality and defensive play, I am highly doubtful he will be one of the defensemen on the forwards corps.  My guess is since Sunazzo typically plays Left Defense but on his off hand side (right handed) which is usually more common for forwards (the reverse is usually true for defensemen) he will likely play right side in this tournament, likely on the top pairing to start along side Emerson who will be playing in his natural left position.


Name: Ergo Nomic Username: @BadWolf
TPE: 267 Draftee in: S63
Height: 6ft 0in Weight: 200 lbs Handedness: Right
Home Nation: Unassigned SMJHL Team: Carolina Kraken

Nomic was the first overall pick in the SMJHL entry draft this past offseason after a shocking trade that saw the Detroit Falcons trade away the highly coveted pick just seconds before the draft was set to begin.  The trade saw 1st overall and a conditional 3rd round pick go to the Carolina Kraken for 10 overall, Carolina’s 1st round pick in S63, and the earliest third the Kraken have in S63.  With such a large price all eyes in Carolina will be on Nomic to see how she performs in the future.  Fortunately for Nomic and the Kraken, Carolina is a significantly better team than the Detroit Falcons were and they were able to slow walk Nomic in her first season.  Nomic saw about 18 minutes of ice time per game and spent most of the season on the second pairing but still managed to post 9 goals and 12 assists for 21 points as well as 33 blocked shots and 72 hits.  Nomic and the Carolina Kraken currently have a bye for the first round of the playoffs having finished 4th in the league.  After analyzing the skills of the defensemen on this team I have targeted Nomic as a likely candidate to be one of the defensemen who plays forward in the WJC.  Seeing as there is only one natural left wing on the roster and he does not have any practice hours under his belt, it would be a safe bet to assume she will likely play there.


Name: Dexter Kirk Username: @Neadex
TPE: 256 Draftee in: S63
Height: 5ft 9in Weight: 200 lbs Handedness: Right
Home Nation: Jamaica SMJHL Team: Vancouver Whalers

Kirk quietly had an amazing rookie campaign on the star studded league leading Vancouver Whalers.  Kirk was the last pick of the first round and filled an immediate need for the Whalers and quickly found his way on to the 2nd pairing, where he would stay for the rest of the season.  Kirk had 12 goals and 18 assists for 30 points which was enough to tie him for 3rd in the league in rookie defensemen scoring with San-Sam Emerson.  He also added 44 shot blocks and his 88 hits were good for 3rd among rookie defensemen.  Kirk is a long shot to win rookie of the year, but he has impressively put himself in the equation on a stacked Whalers team.  He will look to see his success carry over onto the world stage where I expect him to slot in on the second pairing to start the WJC.


Name: Bilbo Baggins Username: @Jester John
TPE: 241 Draftee in: S63
Height: 5ft 1in Weight: 151 lbs Handedness: Left
Home Nation: The Shire SMJHL Team: Great Falls Grizzlies

Baggins was on first glance my early pick to take one of the forward spots on the roster being covered by defensemen, due to the fact that he is known for his hammer of a shot and I thought maybe put him a little closer, that accuracy could improve even more.  Unfortunately due to the fact that there are some limitations about your shooting abilities when you play as a forward instead of a defenseman and we absolutely could not afford to lose any TPE by having to subtract from a skill/attribute so according to our sources it is likely Baggins will find himself on that second pairing with Kirk to start the WJC. Baggins found himself on the second pairing in Great Falls this season and had a very respectable rookie campaign.  He scored 5 goals and added 17 assists for 22 points and also added 69 blocked shots and 67 hits. 


Player Name: Devin Williams-II Username: @MrRuihu
TPE: 228 Draftee in: S63
Height: 6ft 3in Weight: 220 lbs Handedness: Right
Home Nation: Latvia SMJHL Team: Newfoundland Berserkers

Williams comes from a team known for their team defense in Newfoundland, and because of that did not receive a lot of opportunity to shine this season as a rookie, particularly with the breakout play of team mate and fellow rookie Rand al’Thor. Williams was selected early in the second round and has found a home on the third pairing of Newfoundland’s defense.  In just over 18 and a half minutes a night Williams scored 10 goals and added 9 assists for a total of 19 points on the season.  He also added 82 hits and 44 blocked shots.  Williams particularly excels at the defensive side of the game and will be an important piece for the 3rd pairing of team Young Guns.


Player Name: Hardcastle Username:Hardcastle
TPE: 211 Draftee in: S63
Height: 6ft 1in Weight: 200 lbs Handedness: Left
Home Nation: Unassigned SMJHL Team: Anchorage Armada

Hardcastle was picked up by the Anchorage Armada in the 2nd round of the SMJHL Entry draft.  He has since become a mainstay on the 3rd pairing for the Armada picking up 7 goals and 15 assists for 22 points this season.  He also added 55 blocked shots and 81 hits in just under 17 minutes per game this season.  I would expect Hardcastle to be the last defensemen to play defense and will likely play third pairing with Williams in the WJC this season.

Name:Archer Hayden Username: @NickSuzuki142231
TPE: 155 Draftee in: S64
Height: 6ft 7in Weight: 260 lbs Handedness: Right
Home Nation: Canada SMJHL Team: N/A

Hayden will be seeing his first games played in relation to the league this WJC and is one of several S64 players who made Team Young Guns this season.  Hayden’s build is more offensively focused for a defenseman than his peers and for that reason I expect him to play forward during this WJC likely on the 3rd line as a winger.


Name: Dragomir Fedorov Username: @MoreliaSpilota
TPE: 155 Draftee in: S64
Height: 6ft 4in Weight: 250 lbs Handedness: Right
Home Nation: Russia SMJHL Team: N/A

Fedorov is another defenseman that will be seeing his first games as a forward in the WJC most likely.  He is a Russian S64 prospect that has a more offensive focus than a defensive one and he will also likely be playing wing on the third line.  He was signed by the Nevada Battleborn for the last 12 games of the regular season and managed to post an impressive 6 assists during that time.

Forwards


Name: Thunder Cena Username: @Saran Singh
TPE: 155 Draftee in: S63
Height: 5ft 11in Weight: 200 lbs Handedness: Left
Home Nation: Canada SMJHL Team: N/A

Cena is an S63 draftee who has not been seen since he declared for the draft and was not picked up on SMJHL free agency this season.  However, since he only declared on November 19th he is still considered active and will make team Young Guns roster, slotting in on the 3rd line.


Name: Valters Denisova Username: @vic03
TPE: 281 Draftee in: S63
Height: 6ft 0in Weight: 185 lbs Handedness: Right
Home Nation: Latvia SMJHL Team: Newfoundland Bersekers

Denisova had a huge breakout rookie campaign this season tying for the lead in rookie points with 37, 12 goals and 25 assists.  He had a +20 rating this season and added 29 blocked shots and 42 hits.  He was also one of only a handful of rookies this season to have a positive giveaway to takeaway ratio finishing +4 in takeaways.  It is without a doubt that Denisova will be on the short list for rookie of the year this season.  However, in Newfoundland Denisova played in a very sheltered and protected role as the 3rd line center with two wings who have already reached the TPE cap for the SMJHL.  It is likely that Denisova will see a much larger role here at the WJC and will likely be Team Young Guns top line center.  Will Denisova be able to take on more minutes against more difficult competition and weaker linemates and still be able to produce at the same level?  Regardless Denisova is hands down the best offensive talent team Young Guns has right now, and if they want any shot at snagging a few wins he will have to be on his game.


Name: Dave Heinrich Username: @Tesla
TPE: 261 Draftee in: S63
Height: 5ft 8in Weight: 160 lbs Handedness: Left
Home Nation: Undisclosed SMJHL Team: Nevada Battleborn

Heinrich quietly put up a solid rookie campaign on the Nevada Battleborn this season scoring 3 goals and adding 23 assists for 26 points good enough to rank him 12th among rookies in point scoring and tie him for 4th amongst rookies in assists.  It’s also super important to note that Heinrich was relegated to 4th line duties all season long in Nevada and skated under 14 minutes a game on average, so that makes his statistics significantly more impressive.  His peripheral stats leave much to be desired but with such a small sample of ice time, and such impressive offensive stats, it seems like Heinrich spent more of his time on ice in the offensive zone.  It is unclear whether Heinrich will slot in as the team’s second line center or make the move to wing, but Heinrich will certainly slot into Team Young Guns top 6 forwards this WJC.


Name: KK Newman Username: @Sportskk11
TPE: 155 Draftee in: S64
Height: 6ft 0in Weight: 200 lbs Handedness: Left
Home Nation: United States SMJHL Team: N/A

Newman is a freshly declared S64 draftee who has yet to play any games this season.  The WJC will be his first showing.  He has a wicked shot and incredible range so look for him to score a lot of goals if he gets the opportunity.  However, he is a massive defensive liability and needs to mature greatly in his own zone before he can expect to be a fully serviceable player in the SMJHL.


Name: Johnny Jackson Username: @Johnny B Good
TPE: 155 Draftee in: S63
Height: 6ft 3in Weight: 195 lbs Handedness: Right
Home Nation: United States SMJHL Team: N/A

Jackson is an S63 draftee who did not get picked up in free agency this season.  He will make his debut at the WJC with Team Young Guns.  Unfortunately Jackson has not been seen around the league much since he declared for the draft, but he does have a very balanced build and he will look to contribute in a two way style game likely on the 3rd or 4th line this WJC.


Name: Bodhi Utah Username: @Leoben
TPE: 267 Draftee in: S63
Height: 6ft 3in Weight: 226 lbs Handedness: Right
Home Nation: Australia SMJHL Team: Quebec City Citadelles

Utah had 15 goals and 16 assists for 31 points with Quebec City in the SMJHL this season.  He also added 128 shots, 87 hits, and 70 shots blocks making him top 10 in rookie goals, points, shots, hits, and shot blocks.  Utah is turning himself into the premier power forward from this draft and will likely slot into the top line right wing slot for the Young Guns at the WJC.  Look for him to be all over the stat sheet, if Utah is on the ice he is involved and will hopefully make an immediate and significant impact for this Team Young Guns roster.  Utah played in a sheltered role this season in the sense of ice time centering the 3rd line in Quebec, however, he did play on a line with line mates who we’re significantly worse than him, and playing on the top line with Team Young Guns will actually improve the quality of his linemates.  The only questions that remains is can Utah handle the increased ice time?


Name: Konstantin Strelka Username: @bbp
TPE: 224 Draftee in: S63
Height: 6ft 3in Weight: 200 lbs Handedness: Right
Home Nation: Russia SMJHL Team: St. Louis Scarecrows

Strelka found himself on a struggling St. Louis Scarecrows in his first season, but despite the team struggles Strelka managed to put up 8 goals and added 13 assists for 21 points on the third line right wing.  He also added 47 shot blocks in just over 14 minutes of ice time.  Strelka should find himself in the top 6 with Team Young Guns this WJC which will give him more opportunity to shine than he had with St. Louis.  He has a wicked accurate shot and is otherwise a very balanced player.


Name: Nathan McMatthews Username: @nethxnn
TPE: 155 Draftee in: S64
Height: 6ft 0in Weight: 200 lbs Handedness: Left
Home Nation: Undisclosed SMJHL Team: N/A

McMatthews is an S64 draftee who has a very balanced build with some offensive flair.  His biggest strength is his puck handling.  While McMatthews has yet to play any games in the SMJHL this season his skills seem to be decent currently for his TPE but, he has not been seen much around the league since he declared for the draft.  He will likely slot in on the 3rd or 4th line for Team Young Guns.


Name: Linden Nuyens Username: @zeroash
TPE: 155 Draftee in: S63
Height: 6ft 1in Weight: 200 lbs Handedness: Left
Home Nation: Canada SMJHL Team: N/A

Nuyens is a draftee from S63 who did not get picked up in free agency this season.  He has an incredibly balanced build including some TPE in fighting, which is rare at this TPE level.  Team Young Guns will likely slot him on the 4th line and try to utilize his peskiness to get under the skin of some better teams and make them make mistakes.

And this concludes your S62 Team Young Guns World Junior Championship Official Roster Announcement.  If you’re not in the WJC discord you can find it here and if you were announced on this roster don’t forget to request role Team Young Guns to join the locker room.

Roster
Goaltenders
Evert Jansson
Inda Bagg S64

Defensemen
San-Sam Emerson (South Korea)
Drakocarr Sunazzo (Toril)
Ergo Nomic (Unassigned)
Dexter Kirk (Jamaica)
Bilbo Baggins (The Shire)
Devin Williams
Hardcastle (Unassigned)
Archer Hayden S64
Dragomir Fedorov S64

Forwards
Thunder Cena S63
Valters Denisova
Dave Heinrich (Undisclosed)
KK Newman S64
Johnny Jackson S63
Bodhi Utah (Australia)
Konstantin Strelka
Nathan McMatthews S64 (Unassigned)
Linden Nuyens S63