The world junior is supposed to be a tournament reserved for the veterans, the players who have been there, done that.
Not this time around, as evidenced by the several WJC rookie success stories we’ve witnessed through the tournament’s first four days.
Without further ado, here’s a handful of first-timers we’ve identified as breakout players in Finland:
Mathew Barzal, F, Canada
3 GP, 2 G, 1 A, 3 PTS, 7 SOG, 0 PIM
A two-time under-18 national team player, Barzal has been a big hit at the world junior, has not been timid in the U-20 spotlight.