IIHF – The generation game

Team Gen Z (born 2002-2005)

Stian Solberg (19, Norway)
Norway’s flirtations with relegation have coincided with a change of generations. Solberg, back for his second year, looks like the kind of defender who can become the foundation of the next strong Norwegian team. The only thing about this kid that says “teenager” is his birth certificate: he’ll mix it up in a physical battle, he’ll contribute to the offence, and he’ll be a name we hear a lot more for years to come.

Macklin Celebrini (18, Canada)

Wherever he plays, he scores. Celebrini has been described as the most talented college prospect ever scouted. He went #1 in the 2024 draft, then jumped straight into a 63-point rookie season with the Sharks in the NHL. So, even if Canada’s roster is dominated by the likes of Crosby and MacKinnon, it’s no surprise that the youngster is holding his own with 6 (3+3) points from his games in Stockholm. This is another name you’ll hear many, many times in years to come.

Oscar Moelgaard (20, Denmark)

The last 20-year-old Dane to score six points at an IIHF World Championship was some chap called Nikolaj Ehlers. He turned out pretty well. Moelgaard’s assist on Ehlers’ vital goal in the shoot-out win over Germany takes him to 7 (1+6) for this tournament. The Kraken have a real prospect here – super-smart, according to Ehlers – and he can help ensure that this year’s run is a beginning for Denmark, not an end.

Doman Szongoth (16, Hungary)

The youngest player at this year’s tournament, and the first 16-year-old to play here in decades, Szongoth proved that he earned his place on merit. Right after promotion, Hungary’s roster did not have the luxury of bringing anyone along for the ride, and Szongoth was involved on the ice throughout his team’s successful survival bid. A collection of minor penalties suggests he wasn’t afraid to rattle his elders’ cages from time to time.