The World Junior Championship tournament begins Dec. 26, with Penguins prospects Calle Clang, Joel Blomqvist and Kirill Tankov representing their respective countries.
This weekend, though, the second-tier Division I A World Junior Championship wrapped up, and another Penguins prospect was among the standouts.
Raivis Ansons finished No. 2 in the tournament in scoring with four goals and five assists in five games. Ansons' Latvian team took home the silver in the tournament, falling short of a promotion to the main World Junior Championship for next year. Belarus posted a perfect 5-0 record to earn gold and the promotion to the higher level.
Ansons, 19, was the Penguins' fifth-round pick in the 2020 draft.
Latvia went 4-1 in the tournament, losing its game to Belarus on Wednesday, 2-1. Ansons scored the game's only goal on a penalty shot. The Belarusian goaltender Alexei Kolosov was the Flyers' 2021 third-round pick:
Ansons plays for the QMJHL's Baie-Comeau Drakkar, where he ranks No. 3 in team scoring with six goals and 18 assists in 19 games. An injury forced him to miss the Drakkar's first eight games of the season, as well as the Penguins' development camp and training camp.
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Here's how the Penguins' prospects in junior, college, and Europe did this week.
FORWARDS
Raivis Ansons
Position: Right wing/left wing
Size: 6-1/190
Shoots: Left
Drafted: 2021, fifth round
Team: Baie-Comeau Drakkar (QMJHL)
Season totals: 19 games, 6 goals, 18 assists
Ansons is away from the Drakkar to play in the World Junior Championship Division I A tournament.
Tristan Broz
Position: Center/wing
Size: 6-0/179
Shoots: Left
Drafted: 2021, second round
Team: University of Minnesota (NCAA)
Season totals: 15 games, 2 assists
The Gophers are on holiday break.
Judd Caulfield
Position: Right wing
Size: 6-3/207
Shoots: Right
Drafted: 2019, fifth round
Team: University of North Dakota (NCAA)
Season totals: 19 games, 3 goal, 5 assists
North Dakota is on holiday break.
Liam Gorman
Position: Center
Size: 6-3/199
Shoots: Left
Drafted: 2018, sixth round
Team: Princeton University (NCAA)
Season totals: 13 games, 1 goal, 2 assist
Princeton is on holiday break.
Lukas Svejkovsky
Position: Center/right wing
Size: 5-9/170
Shoots: Right
Drafted: 2020, fourth round
Team: Medicine Hat Tigers (WHL)
Season totals: 24 games, 13 goals, 17 assists
Svejkovsky played two games this week, scoring two goals.
Kirill Tankov
Position: Center/wing
Size: 6-2/190
Shoots: Left
Drafted: 2021, seventh round
Team: SKA-Neva (VHL)
Season totals: 25 games, 6 goals, 6 assists
Tankov didn't play this week, as he's attending Russia's World Junior camp.
Chase Yoder
Position: Center
Size: 5-11/185
Shoots: Left
Drafted: 2020, sixth round
Team: Providence College (NCAA)
Season totals: 21 games, 3 goal, 4 assists
Providence is on holiday break.
DEFENSEMEN
Santeri Airola
Size: 5-9/163
Shoots: Right
Drafted: 2019, seventh round
Team: Ilves (Liiga), KOOVEE (Mestis)
Season totals: 2 games (Mestis)
Airola missed the start of the Liiga season with a lower-body injury. His team announced on Oct. 14 that Airola underwent surgery and is expected to be sidelined for 6-8 months.
Isaac Belliveau
Size: 6-2/185
Shoots: Left
Drafted: 2021, fifth round
Team: Gatineau Olympiques (QMJHL)
Season totals: 27 games, 1 goal, 9 assists
Belliveau was scoreless in two games on the left side of Gatineau's top defense pairing.
Daniel Laatsch
Size: 6-5/190
Shoots: Left
Drafted: 2021, seventh round
Team: University of Wisconsin (NCAA)
Season totals: 18 games, 1 assist
Wisconsin is on holiday break.
Ryan McCleary
Size: 6-2/180
Shoots: Right
Drafted: 2021, seventh round
Team: Portland Winterhawks (WHL)
Season totals: 23 games, 1 goal, 7 assists
McCleary recorded one assist in three games.
Clayton Phillips
Size: 6-0/195
Shoots: Left
Drafted: 2017, third round
Team: Penn State University (NCAA)
Season totals: 17 games, 4 goal, 5 assists
Penn State is on holiday break.
GOALTENDERS
Joel Blomqvist
Size: 6-1/183
Catches: Left
Drafted: 2020, second round
Team: Karpat (Liiga), Hermes (Mestis)
Season totals: 8 games, 0.73 GAA, .964 SV% (Liiga), 3 games, 2.07 GAA, .902 SV% (Mestis)
Blomqvist was away from the team this week for Finland's World Junior Camp.
Calle Clang
Size: 6-2/176
Catches: Left
Drafted: 2020, third round
Team: Rogle (SHL)
Season totals: 8 games, 2.73 GAA, .892 SV%
Clang was away from the team this week for Sweden's World Junior camp.
