It is the final day of the World Junior A Challenge (WJAC), and that means that it is time to award medals to three of the four remaining teams. TSN does provide coverage of the semifinals and medal games, which provides some exposure to a great event. Some casual fans may be wondering why this tournament matters. It’s simple, beyond the pride of competing for your nation at any level, it is an important milestone for NHL scouts. Every NHL club has scouts watching every moment of this tournament, and several high-quality NHL players have been discovered or proven themselves in the WJAC.
If you look back at some of the tournament alumni, you’ll find names like Cale Makar, Kyle Turris, and Nikolaj Ehlers. All three were top 10 picks in their respective NHL Entry Draft classes and may not have had the opportunity to go that high had it not been for their play in this tournament.
Related: 2023 World Junior A Challenge Semifinals Preview
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The matchups are set, and the bronze medal game featured Team USA versus Sweden. A game that saw the USA come out victorious with an 8-5 win in a barn burner of a match.
Team USA vs. Sweden
Team Sweden was looking to win their second consecutive bronze medal; Team USA was looking to salvage a medal after dominating the round-robin. When these two teams met in the round-robin, Team USA won 7-4 in a game that saw Sweden play tentatively as they were still adjusting to the North American ice surface and playing style. If you enjoy watching hockey when played at a fast pace, and with lots of goals, this game was for you. The biggest challenge for either side was to refocus on the game after losing their semifinal matchups.
“My message going into today was to respond that we got to fight. It wasn’t details; it wasn’t systems, it’s about a mentality.”
– Team USA head coach Matt Smaby
Both teams looked ready to put on an offensive display as they tore out of the gate with six goals between them in the opening frame. Sweden needed a fast start and was relying on their defensive structure and goaltending to allow them to get settled into this game. Unfortunately, Swedish starting goaltender, Carl Axelsson, had a shaky start, allowing a goal on the first shot against. Worse yet, it was his giveaway that gave the Americans control, and his inability to get set in his net that allowed the shot from below the goal…
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