Americans win World Juniors | After Lane Hutson, Cole…

Lane isn’t the only Hutson to impress. The young Canadian defender traveled to Ottawa on Sunday evening, with the other members of the clan, to encourage his brother Cole in the final of the World Junior Championship with the Americans.


Posted at 10:54 p.m.

A year after his brother Lane, Cole, also a small defender, obtained a gold medal, but he did even better than his elder, by scoring the equalizing goal against the surprising Finland at the end of the second period, thus shattering the record for the greatest number of points by an American defender in a single tournament, with eleven points. It was his second point of the match.

Ted Stiga, a second-round pick of the Nashville Predators, played hero in a three-on-three overtime game to help the Americans beat Finland 4-3 and win the gold medal for a second straight year.

PHOTO SEAN KILPATRICK, THE CANADIAN PRESS

Arttu Tuhkala (35) and Teddy Stiga (2)

Like his brother, Cole had to wait until the second round of the draft last summer before being chosen. The Washington Capitals, who selected him at 43e rank, are undoubtedly rubbing their hands with satisfaction today. They also count among their hopes the American captain, Ryan Leonard, chosen the tournament’s MVP.

Cole is not producing at the same rate in his first season at Boston University. He has 14 points in 16 games and doesn’t have his brother’s feints. On the other hand, he is a slightly stronger defender, at 5 feet 10 inches and 172 pounds, and presents a slightly more classic style.

Lane has been less productive on the international stage. He got four in seven matches in his first tournament, in 2023, and six in seven matches in 2024. And yes, Lane was in Cole’s place on the same date last year… what great moves since!

Hagens or Schaefer?

For some, American center James Hagens will succeed Macklin Celebrini as the first overall pick in the NHL.

Hagens already had eight points in six games before the World Junior Championship final, played Sunday evening. Celebrini, first pick by the San Jose Sharks in 2024, 28 points in 30 games so far this season, had eight in five games for Canada at the world juniors last year.

Hagens’ production was a bit deceptive, however, as he had his eight points against Germany, Latvia and Switzerland, and was shut out against Canada, Finland and the Czech Republic.

PHOTO SEAN KILPATRICK, THE CANADIAN PRESS

James Hagens (12) and Ryan Leonard (9)

Hagens, 18 years old since November 3, therefore a late according to industry jargon, has nevertheless not been unworthy since the start of the tournament at the center of the first trio of the United States, between Ryan Leonard and Gabriel Perreault.

This task was not easy to accomplish since he replaced Will Smith, faithful center of Perreault and Leonard within the American development program, at Boston College and at last year’s world juniors. Smith was drafted fourth overall by San Jose in 2023 and is playing his first season in the National League with Celebrini, as it happens.

Hagens scored his club’s first goal against Finland on Sunday on a rebound from the edge of the opponent’s net. He showed some flashes during the rest of the match, without being transcendent. He had his best moments in overtime.

Despite his great skills, Hagens remains a small center, 5 feet 11 inches and 179 pounds, far from Celebrini’s level. Only four months separate the two young men, since Celebrini was one of the youngest in the 2024 vintage having been born in June 2006, while Hagens will be one of the oldest in the 2025 vintage having been born in November 2006.

Hagens has 20 points in 16 games this season at Boston College, along with Perreault and Leonard. Celebrini had 64 in just 38 games as a 17-year-old last year at Boston University.

The American will undoubtedly become a good offensive center in the NHL. But the honor of being the first choice could escape him by a defender who fell in battle in the second match of the tournament, Matthew Schaefer, from Canada.

Schaefer, born September 7, 2007, almost a year younger than Hagens, had time to amass two points in more than 20 minutes of play at the opening of the tournament in an unequivocal 4-0 victory against Finland, before getting injured at the start of the following match against Latvia. Canada never recovered from its loss, team officials lamented. Schaefer has 22 points in just 17 games in Erie in the Ontario Junior League.

The other candidate for the top three, the colossus Porter Martone, 6 feet 3 inches and 207 pounds, dominant in the Ontario Junior League, with 55 points in 27 games in Brampton, played little for Canada, although he is now 18 years old, having been born on October 26. Does he dominate his Ontario peers because of his advantageous physique? Maybe, some recruiters will now say.

The Canadian obviously monitored this trio of young people closely, but by dint of winning games, he should perhaps console himself with choices between tenth and twentieth place, also counting that of the Calgary Flames obtained in the transaction for Sean Monahan.

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