• PROSPECT-UPDATE ARCHIVE
Monday saw only a couple of games at the World Under-18 Championship, so it was a pretty quiet day for draft prospects. Fortunately, the Czech Republic alone produced enough players to get three names onto this top-performances list.
The World Under-18 quarterfinals get under way on Thursday with Canada, Sweden, and the Finns looking particularly sharp. This tournament has been great for some of the players who spent most of the season in men's leagues.
Facing players their own age, rising stars like Finland's Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Rasmus Kupari, the Czechs Jakub Lauko (on the list below), and Sweden's Adam Ginning are getting the ice time that lets them show scouts how good they really are.
Other than the World Under-18's, the only hockey ileft s in the major-junior, USHL, and NAHL ranks. Russia's MHL will conclude this week, and after that Europe is done. And speaking of Europe, check out the Czech trio on the list below:
MICHAL KVASNICA -- Kvasnica, who spent most of his season in the Czech WSM Liga, scored two third-period goals on six shots in the Czechs' 9-2 World U-18 win over France. His first goal stretched the lead to 5-2 at 2:09 of the third, and his second made it 8-2 at 8:13. These were his first points of the tournament. (Note: Fourth appearance on this list in 2017-18)
JAKUB LAUKO -- The Czech Extraliga regular played a big role in his nation's 9-2 rout of France that the World Under-18's. Lauko had three assists, extending his point streak to three games. The first assist came at 19:35 of the second period for a 4-2 lead. He followed that with primary assists on the 5-2 goal at 2:09 of the third and the 8-2 goal at 8:13. Lauko also missed a penalty shot attempt at 11:06 of the third. he now has five points in three tournament games.
KAREL PLASEK -- Plasek, the son of a Czech league veteran, scored two goals and assisted on a third in the Czechs' 9-2 win over France at the World Under-18 tournament. After assisting on the opening goal at 7:26 of the first period, Plasek found the net twice in a second-period span of 19 seconds. His first goal came on a power play at 7:26 for a 2-2 tie, and his second stood up as the game-winner, making it 3-2 at 11:11 of the third. (Note: Sixth appearance on this list in 2017-18)