With the 2024 IIHF World Junior Championship (WJC) just days away, most rosters will be either close to or officially finalized. The quest for gold is in Gothenburg, Sweden this year. The WJC is an annual tradition for many hockey fans around the world. The week-and-a-half-long tournament begins on Dec. 26, and Norway will look to avoid relegation this year, but they could surprise some fans.
Norway was promoted from the second tier division 1A, the tournament they hosted in the 2023 WJC. They have not competed in the top division since 2014. Unlike most other teams in this year’s tournament, Norway’s last NHL-drafted player was Emil Martinsen Lilleberg. He was drafted in the fourth round of the 2021 NHL Entry Draft by the Arizona Coyotes. Players like Michael Brandsegg-Nygard, Stian Solberg, Gabriel Koch, Petter Versterheim, and Markus Rohnebaek Stensrud will be Team Norway’s players to watch. The goal of this team will be to avoid relegation, any finish above that is above expectations. They will struggle at both ends of the ice but will give an honest effort. Team Norway will play Team USA on the opening day of the tournament.
Brandsegg-Nygard Will Do Heavy Lifting in the Scoring Department
Brandsegg-Nygard will certainly be at the top of the list for Norway’s scoring core. A projected first-round pick in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft, he will be looking to prove himself with Team Norway at this year’s tournament to help his draft stock. He scored five points in 11 games of pro experience in the second-tier Swedish league last season, a stat worth taking note for a country that doesn’t produce many NHL-calibre players. He’s back playing with Mora in the Allsvenskan this season, and his numbers aren’t anything special, but he’s had some great looks and proven he can handle the pro game at a young age.
Having one of the top 2024 NHL Draft-eligible players on your roster for the tournament is certainly a nice boost. If the Norwegians can work with Brandsegg-Nygard’s talents, they can catch some teams off guard this year. Norway’s biggest story of the tournament will be avoiding relegation after they worked to be promoted up to this year’s tournament. While they aren’t expecting to medal, anything above the relegation games will be gravy for this group.
Versterheim Will Lead Norway’s Forwards
Versterheim will be a key component for leadership and experience. He played with Team Norway in the Men’s World Championship where he played in all seven of Norway’s games last year. While he didn’t score any points, his work ethic was a contributing factor to his getting noticed more by Norway’s coaches. Currently, he’s having a great season with Mora in the Allsvenskan and was Norway’s top scorer in last year’s WJC D-1A tournament. He’ll be one of Norway’s top scorers and counted on in a big way in this year’s tournament.
Related: 2024 Guide to the World Junior Championship
Versterheim will be a significant asset if Norway can string together a couple of upset wins. He can help Brandsegg-Nygard lead the scoring charge and shock many fans if they can string together some multi-point games in the tournament. If these two can find chemistry either together or with other players in the lineup, Norway could potentially win some games to help them avoid the relegation game.
Stensrud Will Be A Busy Goaltender
For Team Norway’s goaltenders, Stensrud is expected to be their starter this year. He was the face of Team Norway in the 2023 WJC D-1A tournament, and he’s entering his third tournament with the team. Last year, he posted a perfect 5-0-0 record and posted a .928 save percentage to complement his record. The top goaltender of the D-1A tournament will be called upon to help Norway in the top-tier tournament this year, and he will face his fair share of challenges. While facing three powerhouse teams in Slovakia, the USA, and Czechia in the round-robin games, being a 5-foot-9 goalie could be seen as a disadvantage while shots are being pelted on the Norwegian net.
While he is playing great with Storhamar’s senior men’s team, this tournament will truly show Stensrud’s abilities as a smaller goaltender. The most important position on Norway’s team will also be their busiest. Norway has a strong team and a great core of players they can use to secure a win or two at this year’s tournament.
Solberg and Koch Will Help Minimize Goals Against
Norway’s position of weakness is its defense, the one advantage they do have in this position is their defensemen being more physically imposing. Solberg, a new addition to Team Norway this year, will be relied upon heavily to log big minutes. The reliable defender will be looking to minimize the amount of goals against that the Norwegians face this year. If he can find a linemate that he clicks with, Norway could take a position of weakness and make it work considering the limited talent pool. While he won’t be as highly touted as teammate Brandsegg-Nygard, Solberg could hear his name being called sometime on the second day of the 2024 NHL Entry Draft.
As for Koch, he is one of the oldest players in the tournament and one of Norway’s most experienced players. The mobile two-way defenseman can provide some breathing room for younger teammates heading into this tournament. While his numbers look good in all three zones, this is something that Norway cannot rely on. Norway needs their defensemen to help clear pucks, and Koch might find his game being tweaked slightly to help minimize the number of goals against they face. While Team Norway isn’t expected to finish anywhere close to a medal, they could potentially give some teams trouble. The Norwegians have brought a stronger team this year, and that could be the key to some success in the 2024 WJC tournament.
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