As the 2024 World Juniors kicks off, Flyers players share their fondest memories from past tournaments

The 2024 World Juniors kicks off on Boxing Day from Gothenburg, Sweden. Three players will represent the Flyers organization — Oliver Bonk (Canada), Cutter Gauthier (USA), and Alex Čiernik (Slovakia) — in the tournament that sees the best under-20 men’s hockey players skate for their country.

It’s a special moment that 17 current Flyers have experienced.

Bobby Brink, Cam York, Joel Farabee, Noah Cates, and Ryan Poehling have suited up for the United States; Tyson Foerster, Owen Tippett, Sean Couturier, Scott Laughton, Morgan Frost, Travis Sanheim, Travis Konecny, Marc Staal, and Carter Hart wore the Maple Leaf; Rasmus Ristolainen played twice for Finland; Sam Ersson tended the twine for Sweden; and Egor Zamula manned the blue line for Russia.

» READ MORE: Flyers top prospect Cutter Gauthier named to USA Hockey’s roster for World Juniors

“I would say it’s a very special moment,” Ersson said. “For me, that was one of the goals I had set on, kinda like a dream and something that I wanted to be a part of from a very young age. Very special tournament.”

It was a defining moment for the Swede, who got to start the 2019 tournament after Olle Eriksson Ek was suspended for removing his silver medal the year prior. Ersson ended up being the No. 1 starter for the fifth-place Tre Kronor, going 3-1 with a 2.23 goals against average and .922 save percentage.

That 2019 tournament was the same year that Cates, Poehling, and Farabee suited up for USA Hockey.

It’s no surprise that Poehling and Farabee have found chemistry for the Flyers today. The World Junior roommates sometimes played together for U.S. coach Mike Hastings, and it was a pairing that worked for the Americans. Poehling was named the best forward and MVP of the tournament after collecting eight points (five goals, three assists) in seven games for the silver medal-winning squad.

“I can’t say I was big into watching World Juniors ... but representing USA is always something that’s important to me,” said Poehling, who also played in 2018 and won bronze. “I love the country and I think that having that opportunity to [play], that’s the only way you really can in hockey is to play in World Juniors [and World] Championships. So, it’s definitely an honor and you’ve got to wear it proud.”

For his part, Farabee finished with five points (three goals, two assists) in seven games. Although he left British Columbia with a silver medal after the U.S. “scored the first goal and it got taken back on a really bad call” against Finland, he wouldn’t change a thing. He considers the tournament the last hurrah before turning pro, and fondly remembers standing arm-in-arm on the blue line with his teammates after a win.

“In the NHL, obviously guys are from all over, [and] you hear the anthems and it’s just kind of the before-the-game stuff,” said Farabee, whose mom has the medal in Syracuse while he has all his NHL moments in Philly. “But in that tournament, specifically, you hear your anthem, and it kind of gives you chills in that moment just because you know what you’re playing for, you know there’s a bunch of people back home rooting for you. So those moments are really cool when, after a win, you get to hear your anthem.”

Unfortunately, there was no USA-Canada matchup in 2019. If there was, Poehling, Farabee, and Cates would have faced off against Frost and Tippett. Despite losing in overtime to Finland, the eventual gold-medal winner, in the quarterfinals, Frost said he would put the experience of suiting up for Hockey Canada in the top three of his hockey career. The forward led Canada with eight points (four goals, four assists) in five games.

“Yeah, it’s awesome,” said Tippett, who notched four points in five games. “Anytime you get a chance to represent your country, it’s a big moment and I’m super proud to have played for Team Canada before and any time down the line if I’m able to play it would be an honor.”

The 2021 tournament showcased one of the best matchups between the U.S. and Canada in a gold-medal meeting. Entering the game, Canada dominated the other countries it faced and had only allowed four goals through six games, including back-to-back shutouts in the quarters and semis. But when the final buzzer sounded it was the Americans at the top of the podium with a 2-0 win.

“It was really special for me,” said Brink, who also played with York in 2020. “I was so into hockey and you get excited to see the guys that were drafted high and representing their countries. And it’s a best-on-best tournament for everyone under 20. I grew up idolizing those guys playing in it and wanting to be in their shoes, and just seeing how much fun they were having in the games was cool for me too. And so it was definitely made it extra special.”

Added York, who was the team’s captain and has his medal in a closet back home in California: “I still have World Championships, but my opportunity to put on the jersey is less now. I’m definitely thankful for my time that I was able to wear it and it’s always special. I love that program, I put in a lot of blood, sweat, and tears there.”

Connections are created at World Juniors. All the Flyers mentioned the biggest takeaway, regardless of finish, from the tournament is the friendships and bonds created by being together for a month.

Sanheim and Konecny played together in 2016 for Canada, but weren’t friends back then. According to Sanheim, the Canadians would stick with the guys who played in their junior league; Sanheim was with the WHL guys, and Konecny was with his OHL crew. And they didn’t find out until right before the tournament whether or not they would even play together.

“We played an exhibition game, [and] we were traveling to the host city [in Finland], and once you get off the bus you kind of found out,” Sanheim recalled. “Guys were either getting grabbed to get cut or you were told to go the other way to get your hotel room key and that you made the team. ... And super excited. You call your family and friends and tell everyone the good news.”

» READ MORE: Flyers prospect Oliver Bonk makes Canada’s World Juniors team; Denver Barkey misses out

The World Juniors always stirs up memories from childhood, even for the guys who played in it years later. In a Christmas tradition across Canada, Konecny remembers watching Jordan Eberle’s iconic goal to tie things up against Russia with 5.4 seconds to play in the 2009 tournament semifinals. For Brink, it was John Carlson’s golden goal in 2010 against the Canadians, giving the U.S. its second-ever gold. And for Ersson, it was Mika Zibanejad’s overtime winner in the gold medal game for Sweden in 2012.

“You’ve got to enjoy the moment. I mean, you get a chance to play with some of the best players in the world and play against some of the best in the world,” Konecny said when asked about his message to this year’s crop. “It’s a high-pressure situation for a lot of the younger guys, because, especially with Canada we expect to go in and try to win every single year and there’s other countries that do the same thing. ... It’s just you gotta go in and enjoy it the best you can, even though there’s a lot of expectation.”