The Blue Jackets have three prospects playing in the 2024 IIHF World Junior Championship, which kicks off its preliminary play on Dec. 26 and ends with the gold medal game on Jan. 5.
Several current Jackets have starred at the World Juniors, highlighted by Kent Johnson scoring the golden goal for Team Canada in 2022.
The goal that made Kent Johnson a Canadian legend forever. #CBJ #WorldJuniors pic.twitter.com/qj94yvRoqn
— Coby Maeir (@CobyMaeir) August 21, 2022
This year, the club has four prospects playing in the tournament, with Jordan Dumais (2022 Draft, 96th overall) and Denton Mateychuk (2022 Draft, 12th overall) playing for Team Canada, Gavin Brindley (2023 Draft, 34th overall) representing Team USA, and Oiva Keskinen (2023 Draft, 194th overall) playing for Finland. Brindley is the only one of the four making a return to the World Juniors, as he collected a bronze medal with the USA last year.
Here are their stats from their respective seasons this year.
| Player | Country | League | Team | Games | Goals | Assists | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jordan Dumais (F) | Canada | QMJHL | Halifax Mooseheads | 21 | 16 | 31 | 47 |
| Denton Mateychuk (D) | Canada | WHL | Moose Jaw Warriors | 24 | 6 | 29 | 35 |
| Gavin Brindley (F) | USA | NCAA | Univ. of Michigan | 18 | 10 | 8 | 18 |
| Oiva Keskinen (F) | Finland | Liiga | Tappara | 29 | 3 | 12 | 15 |
Here are the schedules for Canada, USA, and Finland at this year's tournament, which takes place in Gothenburg, Sweden:
| Date | Time (ET) | Team | Opponent | Game Type | Network |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec. 22 | 9 a.m. | Canada | Switzerland | Pre-Tournament | NHL Network |
| Dec. 23 | Noon | USA | Canada | Pre-Tournament | ESPN+ |
| Dec. 26 | 8:30 a.m. | Canada | Finland | Group A Play | NHL Network/ESPN+ |
| Dec. 26 | 11 a.m. | USA | Norway | Group B Play | NHL Network |
| Dec. 27 | 8:30 a.m. | Finland | Germany | Group A Play | NHL Network |
| Dec. 27 | 1:30 p.m. | Canada | Latvia | Group A Play | NHL Network |
| Dec. 28 | 11 a.m. | USA | Switzerland | Group A Play | NHL Network |
| Dec. 29 | 8:30 a.m. | Finland | Latvia | Group A Play | NHL Network/ESPN+ |
| Dec. 29 | 11 a.m. | USA | Czechia | Group B Play | NHL Network |
| Dec. 29 | 1:30 p.m. | Canada | Sweden | Group A Play | NHL Network |
| Dec. 31 | 6 a.m. | USA | Slovakia | Group B Play | NHL Network |
| Dec. 31 | 8:30 a.m. | Finland | Sweden | Group A Play | NHL Network/ESPN+ |
| Dec. 31 | 1:30 p.m. | Canada | Germany | Group A Play | NHL Network |
Notable Dates: Jan. 2: Quarterfinals, Jan. 4: Semi-Finals, Jan. 5: Gold and Bronze Medal Games
With the top four teams in each group advancing to the quarterfinals on Jan. 2, it's likely that all four Blue Jackets prospects are still alive when the calendar turns to 2024.
Will Team Canada three-peat or will there be a new champion this year?
