Canucks prospects Lekkerimäki and Jurmo win medals at World Juniors

The summer World Juniors have concluded. Out of all the three Vancouver Canucks prospects that participated, two of them won medals.

Canucks 2022 first-rounder Jonathan Lekkerimäki won bronze with Sweden. 2020 third-rounder Joni Jurmo was very close to a gold medal but had to settle for silver in a thrilling gold medal game against Canada.

Bronze for Lekkerimäki

Lekkerimäki finished the tournament with three assists in seven games. He and Sweden took down Czechia to win the bronze medal by a score of 3-1.

Lekkerimäki did register a point in the bronze medal game. In fact, he only played 6:11 in total ice time. He also did not play at all in the third period. It’s not like the Canucks first-rounder has been bad in the tournament but it is OK to have expected more.

However, you have to keep in mind that Lekkerimäki is the youngest player on Sweden’s roster at just 18. (He turned 18 on June 24.) He is still eligible to play in two more World Junior tournaments, that includes the upcoming one in Halifax this winter.

A bronze medal at the World Juniors at the age of 18 is a good thing to have on Lekkerimäki’s resume.

While he didn’t do a whole lot offensively, Lekkerimäki showed good instincts in the defensive zone throughout the tournament.

Silver for Jurmo

Jurmo has steadily improved throughout the tournament. In fact, he had a strong one.

While there were some turnovers and defensive mistakes, Jurmo displayed excellent skating, especially on the breakout. He also was solid defensively.

Jurmo was held without a point in the gold medal game and he finishes the World Juniors with one assist in six games.

In the gold medal game, he was on the ice for William Dufour’s 2-0 goal for Canada. Jurmo probably should have been more aggressive on Dufour.

https://twitter.com/IIHFHockey/status/1561156544284213255

Jurmo made some good rushes and breakout passes in the game. He was on the ice for Joakim Kemell’s tying goal. Jurmo didn’t get an assist but the goal would not have happened without his zone exit.

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The game went to overtime and Mason McTavish’s goal line save will go down as one of the best plays in World Juniors history.

Port Moody’s Kent Johnson would soon score the winner for Canada and the tournament ended in heartbreak for Jurmo. However, the Canucks prospect played well at this year’s World Juniors and surely has impressed Canucks fans.

A Canucks prospect didn’t win gold but it was nice to Jurmo win silver and Lekkerimäki win bronze.