WJC update: 5 Rangers prospects likely to play

Rosters are being finalized for the World Junior Championships scheduled for later this month in Edmonton and Red Deer, Alberta.  A number of New York Rangers prospects will be participating.

We’ve already  reported about Team USA with Bett Berard a returning member of the team. Berard was one of the sparkplugs for the gold medal-winning team earlier this year and will be a key veteran member of the team.

Team Canada invited forward Will Cuyle and  goalie Dylan Garand, but surprisingly left Brennan Othmann off the roster despite sparkling numbers with Flint of the OHL.  It’s Garand’s second trip to the WJC.

18-year old Kalle Väisänen is on the roster for Team Finland.  He’s a left winger picked in the fourth round of the  2021 NYL Entry Draft, number 106 overall.  He is currently playing for TPS Turku continuing a Rangers tradition.  Both Kaapo Kakko and Lauri Pajuniemi played for TPS when they were in Liiga.   In 25 games he has one goal and four points.  He has played 11 games for the Finnish U20 team and has two assists.

Jaroslav Chmelar was picked by the Rangers in the fifth round of the 2021 NHL Entry Draft (144th overall).  The right winger is 18 years old and is expected to be on the U20 team for the Czech Republic. He’s been playing in Finland for the junior team sponsored by Jokerit of Liiga with five goals and 10 points in 22 games.

Team Sweden will have no Rangers prospects.  Goalie Hugo Ollas (2020 7th Round, #197) was considered for the team, but didn’t make the cut.  He is currently playing for Merrimack in Hockey East.  The 19-year old has a 2-3 record in five games with a .883 save percentage and 3.14 goals against average.  He’s a big goalie at 6’8″, 238 pounds.

The Rangers have to be disappointed that Oliver Tärnström didn’t make the team.  The center was a third round pick in 2020 (#92 overall) and has been progressing nicely.  The 19-year old tore up Rögle’s junior team this season with 11 goals and 26 points in 24 games.  He was promoted to Rögle in the SHL in late November, but has yet to get into a game.

The 2022 World Junior Championships will be start on December 26 with the gold medal game scheduled for January 5. The games will be played in Edmonton and Red Deer, Alberta.  Most games will be televised on the NHL Network.