Learn more about the Rangers prospects competing at the IIHF World Junior Championships.
The Rangers and four other NHL teams are tied for second place in terms of prospects competing at the 2023 IIHF World Junior Championships. The two-week competition, which will take place in Moncton, New Brunswick, and Halifax, Nova Scotia, will get underway on Monday.
Five prospects for the Rangers are currently playing for various nations. Five prospects each belong to the Devils, Blackhawks, Wild, and Coyotes; the Canadiens are the only NHL team with six prospects who will compete internationally.
Since the Rangers' rebuilding process started, many of their top prospects have already made the transition to the professional game and are currently competing for either the NHL club or their AHL affiliate, the Hartford Wolf Pack. As a result, the World Junior Championship, which will be broadcast live on NHL Network, is the ideal opportunity to see the team's upcoming crop of stars.
Brennan Othmann, who was selected by the Rangers as the 16th overall player in the 2021 NHL Draft, will be the highest draught pick featured. The Canadian team will be represented by the 19-year-old wing from a nearby town to Toronto. After being passed over for the 2022 World Junior Championships, which were postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Othmann was chosen for the tournament that was rescheduled in August and contributed two goals and four assists to help Canada win the gold medal.
The Rangers organization took Brennan Othmann 16th overall in the 2021 NHL Draft.Bruce Bennett/Getty Images
Other Rangers prospects to watch out for include American forward Noah Laba, who was selected in the fourth round of the 2022 NHL Draft, Slovakian forward Adam Sykora, who was selected 63rd overall in 2022, Czech winger Jaroslav Chmelar, who was selected in the fifth round of 2021, and Finnish winger Kalle Vaisanen, who was selected 106th overall last year.