The three Winnipeg Jets’ prospects participating at the 2024 World Junior Championship in Gothenburg, Sweden all took home a medal.
Related: 3 Jets Prospects to Watch at 2024 World Juniors
Here, we’ll take a look at how the trio did at the always-entertaining and highly-anticipated tournament.
McGroarty Captains U.S. To Gold
Rutger McGroarty’s story over the past few months has been nothing short of remarkable.
Less than two months ago on Nov. 17, while playing for the University of Michigan Wolverines, the Jets’ 2022 14th-overall pick was taken off the ice on a stretcher during a game against Penn State after taking a massive hit into the end boards from Reese Laubach.
Understandably, there was fear he had suffered a serious long-term injury. However, he not only medically cleared to play, but named captain as a 19 year old. Tasked in helping the U.S. improve over their silver-medal finish at the 2023 World Juniors, he did not disappoint.
McGroarty was a force as top-line right-winger for the club filled with returnees and considered heavy favourites for gold. He recorded five goals and four assists for nine points in seven-straight wins as the U.S. captured their first gold since 2019 and sixth in tournament history. His best game was the New Year’s Eve matchup against Slovakia, where he recorded a hat trick to help the U.S. clinch Group B.
In the 6-2 gold-medal victory over Sweden, he had an assist on the game’s opening marker and scored an empty netter to ice it, after which he blew kisses to the crowd. “Who doesn’t love being the villain?” McGroarty asked after receiving the medal — talk about a brashness Jets fans can get excited about, a brashness he also showed by dishing out a massive open-ice hit that same game that got a lot of attention.
Related: U.S. Wins 2024 WJC Gold Medal in Throttling of Sweden
McGroarty now has two medals, as as previously mentioned, he won silver last year. His personal numbers were a two-point improvement over his performance at that tournament, when he had one goal and six assists.
Swedes Salomonsson and Wagner Settle For Silver
The Jets’ pair of Swedish prospects both captured silver in their home country.
Defenceman Elias Salomonsson had an inauspicious start to his first World Juniors, as he was ejected just 25 seconds into Sweden’s opening game against Latvia for hitting Emils Veckaktins from behind. The Jets’ 2022 second-round (55th overall pick) was issued a one-game suspension as a result.
Nonetheless, after serving his suspension — which made him the most-penalized defender in the tournament — he played a key role on a stingy and stifling Swedish blue line that allowed just 15 goals in seven games (and only nine through the first six games prior to the gold-medal game.) He showed great jump and skating ability while recording one assist (he was not expected to carry the offensive mail on a blue line stacked with top-end talent and high draft picks, including his defensive partner Axel Sandin Pellikka, Matthias Havelid, and Tom Willander.)
Salomonsson recently garnered praise from the head coach of his Swedish Hockey League (SHL) team, Skelleftea AIK, who said he’s developed nicely since being drafted.
“He took not one step that summer, I would say he took two to three steps that summer. He was always talented, but something happened with him,” Skelleftea head coach Robert Ohlsson told The Athletic. “When he got on the ice he was super, super fast, super mobile and really good at joining the rush. That’s his significant thing is that he can out-skate opponents, he can really wheel them off and join the rush. But he also showed that he really played with great determination both out to the wall and also in front of the net, as well. He was really, really good in the one-on-one part.”
(From ‘Jets prospect Elias Salomonsson has taken off with Skelleftea, Team Sweden at world juniors, The Athletic, Dec. 30, 2023.
Fabian Wagner, meanwhile, had a quiet World Juniors. The left-shot centre, chosen in the sixth round (175th overall) was held pointless and had a minus-one in seven games. He was a playmaking threat at last year’s World Juniors, posting two goals and four assists for six points in seven games, but couldn’t replicate that production this time around.
What’s Next for the Prospects?
McGroarty will return to the University of Michigan, where he has six goals and 12 assists for 18 points in just 13 games this season. The Wolverines are 8-7-3-0 thus far and play their next game on Friday, Jan. 12.
Salomonsson will return to his hometown’s Skelleftea AIK, where he has recorded four assists and a plus-one rating in 15 games. Their next game in Tuesday, Jan. 9.
Wagner, who signed a three-year entry-level contract with the Jets in June, will return to Linkoping HC — also of the SHL — where he has one goal and three assists for four points in 26 games this season. Their next game is Thursday, Jan. 11.