For the third time in four years, Canada won the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) U20 World Championships in 2023, defeating Czechia 3-2 in overtime in the gold medal game. Canada, which also won in 2022, repeated as champions for the first time since winning their fifth consecutive title in 2009, while Czechia claimed its first-ever silver medal and first medal since winning bronze in 2005. The United States, champions in 2021, defeated Sweden in the bronze medal game.
The 10-team tournament featured two groups of five teams participating in round robin competition with the top four countries in each group advancing to the quarter-finals. The other six countries involved were Germany, Austria, Finland, Latvia, Slovakia, and Switzerland. Austria finished in last place and will be relegated to the IIHF U20 Division I, Group A tournament. Norway, which won this year’s Division I, Group A title, will replace Austria in the 2024 IIHF U20 World Championships.
Below is a look at the top scorers from the 2023 tournament.
Connor Bedard
Projected to be the top selection in the 2023 National Hockey League (NHL) Entry Draft, Connor Bedard solidified himself as the best undrafted player in the world at the 2023 IIHF U20 World Championships. The 17-year-old native of North Vancouver, British Columbia paced Canada to a gold medal victory with 23 points (nine goals, 14 assists) in seven games. Logan Cooley, the second-highest scorer in the tournament, had just 14 points. Bedard was named the Top Forward and Most Valuable Player of the tournament.
Bedard also set four Canadian records during the World Juniors. His 36 career points in competition is five more than the prior record, held by Eric Lindros. He also now has a Canadian record 17 career goals at the World Juniors, while his 23 points in 2023 is five more than the previous record for most points at a single tournament. The talented forward went into the tournament with plenty of hype and exceeded all expectations.
Canada’s head coach, Dennis Williams, told NHL.com that Bedard has elite skills and playmaking ability, but he is also humble and “cerebral.” His talent is attracting considerable attention, and with that comes expectations and pressure—but Bedard is mature beyond his 17 years, according to Williams. “He’s shown that he’s a proven winner, tournament in and tournament out,” Williams said. His teammates seem to agree; goalie Thomas Milic told NHL.com that he believed the ceiling for Bedard is “infinitely high.”
Logan Cooley
A 5-foot-10, 181-pound center from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Logan Cooley led the Americans and finished second in tournament scoring with 14 points (7 goals, 7 assists) in seven games. He scored three goals and added an assist during the US’ 11-1 quarterfinal victory over Germany and added a pair of goals and another assist in the final two games of the tournament.
Selected third overall by the Arizona Coyotes in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft, Cooley is a freshman at the University of Minnesota. Competing in his second World Juniors, he had six points in five games in 2022 and was a standout at the IIHF U18 World Championships, registering 10 points in six games.
Jimmy Snuggerud
Cooley’s linemate and University of Minnesota teammate Jimmy Snuggerud finished third in tournament scoring with 13 points (five goals, eight assists). He had two power play goals and a pair of game-winning goals.
An 18-year-old forward from Chaska, Minnesota, Snuggerud didn’t play in the 2022 IIHF U20 World Championships, but recorded seven points in six games at the U18 competition. He was selected 23rd overall by the St. Louis Blues in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft.
Joshua Roy
A fifth-round pick of the Montreal Canadiens in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft, Joshua Roy was once again a standout player for Canada in his second World Juniors. He finished second on the team in scoring with 11 points (five goals, six assists) and now has 19 points in 14 career games at the World Juniors. Roy is in his third season with the Sherbrooke Phoenix of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.
Logan Stankoven
A 19-year-old right winger from Kamploops, British Columbia, Logan Stankoven played on a line with Roy and Bedard and finished third on the Canadian team in scoring with 11 points (three goals, eight assists). The diminutive 5-foot-8 forward is a 2021 second-round pick of the Dallas Stars.
Dylan Guenther
One of three players on the Canadian team with NHL experience, Dylan Guenther scored the game-winning goal in the gold medal game against Czechia and finished the tournament with 10 points (seven goals, three assists). He was selected ninth overall by the Coyotes in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft and had 11 points in 22 games for Arizona before being loaned to Canada for the World Juniors.