From streaks to seats: What to watch for at the World Junior Championship

VANCOUVER — Some of the world’s best young hockey talents will go head-to-head in Victoria and Vancouver next week.

The 2019 world junior championship starts on Wednesday, featuring dozens of athletes likely to carve out careers in the NHL.

Here are four storylines you’ll want to watch at this year’s tournament:

THE BROTHERS HUGHES

Hockey fans will get a peek at the teen who’s expected to go No. 1 at next year’s NHL draft — and he’ll be playing with his older brother.

Both Quinn and Jack Hughes will be key pieces for the U.S. team.

Jack, 17, has already earned a reputation as a speedy, highly-skilled and high-scoring centre. Currently playing with the U.S. development team, he’s an early favourite to be the first overall draft pick in June.

Quinn, 19, was selected seventh overall by the Vancouver Canucks last year. He’ll be one of three returning defencemen for the U.S. junior team, and has spent this season as a sophomore at the University of Michigan. Quinn already has three goals and 17 assists for the Wolverines this year, closing in on the 29 points he tallied in his rookie campaign.

The Hughes brothers shared the ice at the world junior showcase in Kamloops in August, connecting on some highlight-reel worthy goals.

U.S. junior team coach Mike Hastings said the pair have obvious chemistry, talent and passion for the game.

SWEDEN’S STREAK

It’s been a long time since last year’s silver medallists lost in the group stage — 11 tournaments (or 44 games) to be precise.

Though Sweden has dominated in roundrobin play, they have captured just one gold medal over the same stretch — taking the championship title in 2012.

Keeping the streak alive may be difficult this year. The Swedes are in a group with the United States, Finland, Slovakia and Kazakhstan.

They’ll also be without 18-year-old defenceman Rasmus Dahlin, who is busy tearing up the NHL with the Buffalo Sabres. Timothy Liljegren of the AHL’s Toronto Marlies will also be unavailable after he suffered a high ankle sprain earlier this month.

But the Swedes will still get some solid defensive play from Liljegren’s Marlies teammate Rasmus Sandin, Adam Boqvist, who’s with the OHL’s London Knights, and Erik Brannstrom, a Vegas first-rounder on loan from the AHL’s Chicago Wolves.

CANUCKS IN THE CREASE

Mike DiPietro used the disappointment of being cut from last year’s junior squad as fuel as he evolved into one of the best goalies in the Canadian Hockey League.

After last year’s selection camp, he set an alarm on his phone that would periodically blast a stark message onto the screen: “Got cut from world juniors.”

The message motivated the Vancouver Canucks prospect to push a little harder when he returned to the Windsor Spitfires.

It worked. DiPietro’s performance in net earned him goaltender of the year honours from the OHL last season.

His success has continued this year, first with the Spitfires and now the Ottawa 67’s. He’s posted a 12-8-0 record with a 2.26 goalsagainst average and a .922 save percentage.

Now the 19-year-old Amherstburg, Ont., native will be one of Canada’s two goalies in this year’s tournament.

The other is Calgary’s Ian Scott, who has been a brick wall for the WHL’s Prince Albert Raiders. He boasts a 23-2-0 record this season with a 1.61 goals-against average and a stunning .943 save percentage.

Earlier this month, the 19-year-old signed a three-year entry-level contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

CROWDED HOUSE?

Attendance at world junior hockey games has dwindled in recent years and thousands of seats sat empty at many matches in Buffalo, N.Y., last December.

Officials have said the geographic market may have been over-saturated with the tournament being held in Buffalo and Toronto/Montreal three times in four years.

Will moving to the West Coast bring in crowds? According to tournament director Riley Wiwchar, demand for tickets to this year’s games has “exceeded expectations.”

Tickets have been purchased from France, Germany, Russia, Finland, Sweden, the United States and every Canadian province, he said.

Vancouver’s Rogers Arena has a capacity of 18,910, while Victoria’s Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre has room for 7,400 fans.