During the first week of the U18 World Junior Championship, several players have announced their presence with authority. Perhaps the two who have been loudest in this regard are Canada forward Dima Zhilkin (2027 draft-eligible, OHL Saginaw) and Denmark goaltender Anton Wilde (2026 draft-eligible, Denmark Frederikshavn).
Zhilkin is tied for the tournament lead with 6 points (4G 2A) through 3 games, together with a +3 rating. Although a bit on the smaller side (5’10” 185 LBS.), Zhilkin completely neutralizes this disadvantage with an in-your-face style of play that matches his intensity with his skill set. To that end, he not only registered 75 points (36G 39A) in 59 games this season for the Spirit, he also totaled 100 penalty minutes for good measure. Scouts describe Zhilkin’s playing style as that of a “rat” or a “dog,” both huge compliments in the hockey world signifying an insatiable will to win.
Although eligible for this year’s NHL selection process, Wilde has been off the radar until this point. He is not ranked among the top 23 international goaltenders. However, he is forcing teams to take notice of his talent between the pipes. Possessing size teams covet in a goaltender (6’4″ 203 LBS.), he has stopped 83 of the 86 shots he has faced in the tournament, good for a .965 save percentage. This includes a 52-save effort versus the United States, many of the high-danger variety in a contest dominated by the Americans. He also stopped 31 of 32 shots en route to Denmark’s 4-1 upset victory over Germany, in which he clearly was Denmark’s best player.