The World Junior Championship gets the lion’s share of the attention of hockey fans post-Christmas and rightfully so, considering it brings together the best under-20 players from around the world and has become an important cultural touchpoint in Canada especially.
Related: 10 Things to Watch For at the 2024 World Junior Championship
However, the more-eclectic Spengler Cup also deserves some attention. The annual six-team tournament held in Davos, Switzerland brings together various squads from around Europe — invitees change every year — and also features a Team Canada made up of Canadian ex-pats playing on European teams.
Winnipeg Jets fans should, of course, watch the World Juniors and keep an eye on the three Jets’ prospects who will take to the ice in Gothenburg for their countries. However, if they also want to watch some more players who are or were connected to the Jets’ organization, they should certainly tune into the Spengler.
Moose Lend Milic To Canada’s Spengler Roster
Thomas Milic is the only current member of the Jets’ organization heading to Davos. The 20-year-old goaltender, drafted in the 5th round of the 2023 NHL Entry Draft, is one of three backstops on Canada’s roster alongside Aaron Dell and Tyler Beskorowany.
Milic has spent most of his first professional season with the ECHL’s Norfolk Admirals, but will get a chance to face much stiffer competition in host club HC Davos and Frolunda HC, who are in “Group Cattini” with Canada.
Milic is 9-2-2 with the Admirals and sports a 2.44 goals against average, .910 save percentage, and two shutouts in 14 appearances. He also had a stint with the Manitoba Moose in November, posting a 1-1-0 record, 3.74 GAA, and .877 SV% in four appearances.
Canada Has Two Past Jets’ D-Men in Benn and Beaulieu; Host Davos Features Morrow
Canada’s roster also features two former Jets defenders.
Nathan Beaulieu — now 31 and playing in Switzerland for Kloten HC — played 105 games for the Jets between 2018-19 and 2021-22, recording one goal and 17 assists along with 147 hits, 81 penalty minutes, and a plus-eight rating. The Jets originally acquired the rugged blue liner from the Buffalo Sabres at the 2019 Trade Deadline and traded him to the Pittsburgh Penguins in March, 2022.
Jordie Benn is another former Jets’ blue liner, although an obscure one. The Jets acquired Jamie Benn’s older brother at the 2021 Trade Deadline from the Vancouver Canucks and he played eight regular season games for the Jets, recording one assist, and also appeared in three playoff games. The now 36-year-old currently plays for Brynäs IF of HockeyAllsvenskan, the second tier of Swedish Hockey.
Former Jets’ Farmhands On Ambri-Piotta, HC Dynamo Pardubice
Two of the three teams in the “Group Torriani” feature former Jets draft picks and farmhands.
Michael Spacek, who was drafted by the Jets in the fourth round of the 2015 NHL Entry Draft (108th overall), plays for HC Ambri-Piotta of the Switzerland National League. He has become a major offensive threat in that league — he leads his team with seven goals and 19 assists for 26 points in 29 games — so he will certainly be someone to watch throughout round-robin play as Ambri-Piotta competes with HC Dynamo Pardubice and KalPa Kuopio.
The Czechian-born Spacek is in his second season with Ambri-Piotta and put up 50 points for them last season. The now-26-year-old played 193 games for the Manitoba Moose over four seasons between 2016-17 and 2019-20 — recording as many as 41 points in a campaign — and received a call-up to the Jets in November, 2019, but never appeared in an NHL game. He went overseas after the 2019-20 season.
Jan Kostalek, who plays for HC Dynamo Pardubice of the Czech Extraliga, was also a Jets draft pick, being selected in the fourth round of the 2013 NHL Entry Draft (114th overall.) The Czechian defenseman played 149 games over three seasons for the Moose between 2015-16 and 2017-18 before heading overseas.
The now 28-year-old is in his third season with HC Dynamo Pardubice and has three goals and eight assists for 11 points in 21 games. Although he wasn’t a big producer in North America points-wise (his best AHL campaign saw him record nine points) he has shown offensive ability in the Czech National League, recording as many as 41 points in a campaign from the back end.