Andrei Vasilevski during his last World Junior Championship in 2013.
photo: Andre Ringuette / HHOF-IIHF Images
Men’s hockey makes a pretty clear distinction between junior and senior play. Once a player reaches 20 years of age, he is no longer a junior. He can’t play in IIHF junior events (U18, U20), and he has likely been drafted (or not) and on his way to a pro career in the NHL, the minors in North America, or one of the many great pro leagues across Europe.
Of the thousands of players who have appeared at the World Junior Championship (since 1977) and the Men’s U18 (since 1998) over the decades, there are but a few special achievements which can be used to determine who are the “kings of the juniors.”
First, there is the record for most medals won at the junior level, and that distinction is shared by only two men – Sweden’s Filip Forsberg and Russia’s Vyacheslav Voinov. Both won five medals in combined U20 and U18 play.
Forsberg played the 2011 U18, then both U18 and U20 in 2012, and then the U20 in 2013 and ’14. He won an incomparable four silver medals in that time, and at the 2012 World Juniors he helped the team win gold in Edmonton.
Voinov did things a little differently. He played the two events concurrently in both 2007 and 2008, then finished his junior career at the U20 alone in 2009. He started with gold at the ’07 U18, then two silver in 2007 U20 and 2008 U18, and finally two bronze.
And then there is the record for most events played. That is a list only four names long. Michael Frolik (CZE), Nico Gross (SUI), Andrei Kostitsyn (BLR), and Konstantin Zakharov (BLR) have appeared in a combined seven events, which is pretty much the most possible, having played in three U18 tournaments (the record) and four World Juniors (also the record).
Frolik played his seven events between 2004 and 2008, playing both in ’05 and ’06. He won three bronze medals in that time and then went on to have an excellent career in the NHL.
Switzerland’s Gross played his seven events in the 2016-20 period. Although he never won a medal during that time, he played for the Oshawa Generals in the OHL and then moved back to Switzerland to start his pro career.
Andrei Kostitsyn and Zakharov had exactly the same – and the longest – junior careers of these special players. They both played their first U18 in 2000 at age 15 and their final U20 in 2005. Belarus didn’t win a medal during this time.
Not surprisingly, the “super junior” all-time scoring leader is Russia’s Alexander Ovechkin. He played in five U20/U18 events between 2002 and ’05, winning four medals (gold, two silver, bronze), thus keeping him off the lists of the aforementioned two records. But he also recorded 31 points in U18 play and 25 more at the World Juniors. His 56 total points is well ahead of countryman Yevgeni Kuznetsov (25+24=49), and two Finns, Teemu Pulkkinen and Michael Granlund (combined 47 points each).
Among goalies, no one can touch these two men. Russia’s Andrei Vasilevski played in three U18’s and three more U20’s, his six combined events in a class of his own. During that time he won a silver medal (2012 U20) and three bronze (2011 U18, 2013 U20, 2014 U20). But those four medals aren’t the record. That distinction goes to Finland’s Kari Lehtonen.
Incredibly, Lehtonen played in five junior events, and won a medal in each one. He won gold at the 2000 U18, bronze at the 2001 U18, and silver at the 2001 U20, and then bronze at the 2002 and 2003 U20.
Yes, Jason Botterill (CAN) won an amazing three gold medals in U20 play, but he never appeared in a U18 tournament. Sure, Jack Hughes is the all-time leading scorer at the U18, but he earned “only” three medals in as many junior events (silver and bronze at the U18, silver at U20). Many of the greatest names in modern hockey have played both the U18 and 20, but none of those many players can match the incredible junior achievements of Forsberg, Voinov, Frolik, Gross, Kostitsyn, Zakharov, Ovechkin, Vasilevski, and Lehtonen.
If the IIHF ever introduced a Hall of Fame for juniors, these men would form the inaugural class. They truly are the Kings of the Juniors.
Of the thousands of players who have appeared at the World Junior Championship (since 1977) and the Men’s U18 (since 1998) over the decades, there are but a few special achievements which can be used to determine who are the “kings of the juniors.”
First, there is the record for most medals won at the junior level, and that distinction is shared by only two men – Sweden’s Filip Forsberg and Russia’s Vyacheslav Voinov. Both won five medals in combined U20 and U18 play.
Forsberg played the 2011 U18, then both U18 and U20 in 2012, and then the U20 in 2013 and ’14. He won an incomparable four silver medals in that time, and at the 2012 World Juniors he helped the team win gold in Edmonton.
Voinov did things a little differently. He played the two events concurrently in both 2007 and 2008, then finished his junior career at the U20 alone in 2009. He started with gold at the ’07 U18, then two silver in 2007 U20 and 2008 U18, and finally two bronze.
And then there is the record for most events played. That is a list only four names long. Michael Frolik (CZE), Nico Gross (SUI), Andrei Kostitsyn (BLR), and Konstantin Zakharov (BLR) have appeared in a combined seven events, which is pretty much the most possible, having played in three U18 tournaments (the record) and four World Juniors (also the record).
Frolik played his seven events between 2004 and 2008, playing both in ’05 and ’06. He won three bronze medals in that time and then went on to have an excellent career in the NHL.
Switzerland’s Gross played his seven events in the 2016-20 period. Although he never won a medal during that time, he played for the Oshawa Generals in the OHL and then moved back to Switzerland to start his pro career.
Andrei Kostitsyn and Zakharov had exactly the same – and the longest – junior careers of these special players. They both played their first U18 in 2000 at age 15 and their final U20 in 2005. Belarus didn’t win a medal during this time.
Not surprisingly, the “super junior” all-time scoring leader is Russia’s Alexander Ovechkin. He played in five U20/U18 events between 2002 and ’05, winning four medals (gold, two silver, bronze), thus keeping him off the lists of the aforementioned two records. But he also recorded 31 points in U18 play and 25 more at the World Juniors. His 56 total points is well ahead of countryman Yevgeni Kuznetsov (25+24=49), and two Finns, Teemu Pulkkinen and Michael Granlund (combined 47 points each).
Among goalies, no one can touch these two men. Russia’s Andrei Vasilevski played in three U18’s and three more U20’s, his six combined events in a class of his own. During that time he won a silver medal (2012 U20) and three bronze (2011 U18, 2013 U20, 2014 U20). But those four medals aren’t the record. That distinction goes to Finland’s Kari Lehtonen.
Incredibly, Lehtonen played in five junior events, and won a medal in each one. He won gold at the 2000 U18, bronze at the 2001 U18, and silver at the 2001 U20, and then bronze at the 2002 and 2003 U20.
Yes, Jason Botterill (CAN) won an amazing three gold medals in U20 play, but he never appeared in a U18 tournament. Sure, Jack Hughes is the all-time leading scorer at the U18, but he earned “only” three medals in as many junior events (silver and bronze at the U18, silver at U20). Many of the greatest names in modern hockey have played both the U18 and 20, but none of those many players can match the incredible junior achievements of Forsberg, Voinov, Frolik, Gross, Kostitsyn, Zakharov, Ovechkin, Vasilevski, and Lehtonen.
If the IIHF ever introduced a Hall of Fame for juniors, these men would form the inaugural class. They truly are the Kings of the Juniors.