Springfield Pics USPHL Elite Alum Vojtech Playing For Team Slovakia In Top Group
By Taylor Dean and Joshua Boyd / USPHL.com
The World Junior Under-20 Championships featuring the Top 10 countries – including the U.S. and Canada – kicked off on Thursday in Ottawa, Ont., and Team Slovakia features former Springfield Pics USPHL Elite player Matus Vojtech. He is just one of 23 total players officially named to World Junior Championship rosters, including Ivan Zelenov, who helped Austria to a Division 1 Group A Silver Medal.
Alum In Top Championship Group
Matus Vojtech (Springfield Pics / USPHL Elite 2021-22) | Slovakia U20
Forward Vojtech (‘05/Ilava, Slovakia) heads to the World Junior Championships for the first time after appearing on the Slovakia national team for several seasons. He played in the Elite Conference in 2021-22 with the Springfield Pics, registering 10 goals and 10 assists across 20 games, ending his season with an eight-game points streak.
WJC Divisions 1A Through 3A
Ivan Zelenov (P.A.L. Jr. Islanders / NCDC) | Austria U20
Defenseman Zelenov (‘06/Moscow, Russia) has six points across 19 games in his rookie NCDC season. While it’s his first season with the P.A.L. Jr. Islanders, it’s his second on the Austrian national team, as he played in five games for Austria, registering two assists and helping Austria earn a silver medal. Below are all of the players currently named to World Junior Championship rosters for the 2024-25 tournaments.
Balasz Heizl (Pueblo Bulls / NCDC) | Hungary U20
This year’s D1A tournament was Heizl’s (‘05/Budapest, Hungary) third appearance at the World Junior Championships and second at the U20 level. In his last appearance, the forward scored one goal and one assist over five games. Heizl is currently playing in his second NCDC season with the Pueblo Bulls. He has 21 points over 51 career games.
Algirdas Jaras (P.A.L. Jr. Islanders / NCDC) | Lithuania U20
Defenseman Jaras (‘07) is playing his fourth season on a Lithuanian national team, playing in his third World Junior Championships, first at U20. He ascended through the Springfield Pics pathway, playing a few games at Premier and Elite in 2023-24 before being called up to the NCDC for the P.A.L. Jr. Islanders. Now in his second season, he has played nine career games and registered four points in the NCDC.
Daniil Cepov (Seacoast Spartans / NCDC) | Lithuania U20
NCDC Seacoast Spartans goalie Cepov (‘06/Klaipeda, Lithuania) earned the invitation to play in his fifth World Junior Championships for Lithuania–second with the U20 team. In last season’s U20 tournament, he had a .931 save percentage and went 2-0-0 with a 1.92 goals against average. Cepov joined the Seacoast Spartans’ NCDC team after several years in the franchise’s U18 Performance Academy. He has a .904 save percentage in his rookie season.
Michal Nawrot (Jersey Hitmen / USPHL Premier) | Poland
Just prior to Christmas, Nawrot (‘05/Gdansk, Poland) was named to Poland’s U20 team to represent his country for the first time at an IIHF event. He has been a point-per-game player for the Hitmen with 22 points in 22 games this year. He will compete in the Division 1B tournament in January.
Adam Sawicki (Boston Jr. Rangers / NCDC & USPHL Premier) | Poland
Sawicki (‘06/Torun, Poland) was also recently named to Poland’s roster just before the holiday this week. He has played in 11 NCDC games and two Premier games with the Boston Jr. Rangers this season. He played with Poland’s Under-18 team last season, as well, giving his country a Gold Medal in the Division 2A tournament of that level.
Jake Hayward (Florida Jr. Blades / USPHL Premier) | Great Britain
Hayward (‘06/Daventry, U.K.) joined the Jr. Blades this year after previously playing with the Ontario Hockey Academy program. In 23 games with the Jr. Blades, he has four goals and one assist for five points. This will be Hayward’s second time representing Team GB, after he played in five games and registered three assists in the World Under-18 Championships Division 2A tournament last spring.
Ugnius Simbelis (Lake Tahoe Lakers / USPHL Premier) | Lithuania
Simbelis (‘05/Klaipeda, Lithuania) will play in his third World Under-20 tournament and will represent Lithuania for the fourth time when the Division 2A tournament begins, totaling 15 IIHF games. With Lake Tahoe, he had 13 points in 31 games this year and 22 points in 69 career games with Lake Tahoe.
Samuel Bartlett (Florida Jr. Blades / USPHL Premier) | Australia
Bartlett (‘05/Melbourne, Australia) will make his IIHF debut this winter with Australia’s U20 team. He has played in 23 games with the Jr. Blades as a solid stay-at-home defenseman for the Jr. Blades this year.
Tyrone Oxlade (West Chester Wolves / USPHL Premier) | Australia
Oxlade (‘06/Sydney, Australia) will suit up for Team Australia in the Division 2B championship, after playing eight games this season for the Wolves. This will mark Oxlade’s fourth time representing Australia since 2022, twice at the Under-18 level and also at last year’s Under-20 Championships.
Henry York (Palm Beach Typhoon / USPHL Elite) | Australia
York (‘05/Canberra, Australia) has been tapped for a second straight year to represent Australia at the World Juniors. He has been a strong contributor for the Typhoon’s Elite squad, putting up 19 points in 21 games, enjoying a very strong first North American season.
Morgan Blair (Fort Wayne Spacemen / USPHL Elite) | New Zealand
Blair (‘05/Dunedin, New Zealand) has been one of the leading lights for a strong Spacemen Elite squad this year, putting up 18 points in 24 games, while also adding two points in three games up with the Premier Spacemen. He has 24 points in 43 games for the Elite Spacemen and 10 points in 28 career Premier games. He will represent New Zealand for the first time at the Division 2B tournament in January.
Jacob Carey (Springfield Pics / USPHL Premier) | New Zealand
Carey (‘05/Christchurch, New Zealand) has the double distinction already of having been named to New Zealand’s Under-20 and Men’s World Championship teams for both this winter and spring. He is in his second Premier season, and has posted 38 points in 27 games with the Pics. He has 69 points in 53 career Premier games.
Axel Ruski-Jones (Florida Jr. Blades / USPHL Premier) | New Zealand
Ruski-Jones (‘05/Queenstown, New Zealand) is in his second season with the Jr. Blades, and will represent New Zealand for the first time. He has 22 points in 66 Premier games with the Jr. Blades, and he’s spent much of his career since 2021 in North America.
Samson Jansen-Middleton (Somang L-L Hockey / USPHL Premier) | New Zealand
Middleton (‘06/Wellington, New Zealand) is in his first North American season and will represent New Zealand for the third time, but first as an Under-20 player. He has four points with Somang’s inaugural USPHL Premier team.
Logan Campbell (Ventura Vikings / USPHL Premier) | New Zealand
Campbell (‘05/Queenstown, New Zealand) is playing for the first-year Vikings, posting three points over 26 games in his first North American season. This will be his second time representing New Zealand, both at the Under-20 level.
Joel Gerard (Isanti Outlaws / USPHL Premier) | New Zealand
Gerard (‘05/Auckland, New Zealand) is in his first North American season with the Outlaws, and will wear the National jersey of New Zealand for the third time in his career. He’s been with Team New Zealand once at the Under-18 level and once at the Under-20 level.
Alumni in WJC D1A through D3A
Martin Crepinsek (Alumni/NCDC) | Slovenia U20
Crepinsek (‘05/Celje, Slovenia) has played with Slovenia over several seasons, and he played in his fourth World Junior Championships, second at the U20 division and first at the Division 1A level. The forward spent the 2023-24 season in the United States, where he played 27 NCDC games between the Rock Springs Grizzlies and Idaho Falls Spud Kings. During that year, he registered 11 points (five goals; six assists).
Cebald Debiak (Lake Tahoe Lakers / USPHL Premier) | France U20
Goalie Debiak (‘05/Levaur, France) has been on several French national teams since the 2020-21 season. In 2023-23, he spent time in the US playing in the Premier Conference for the Lake Tahoe Lakers. While there, he captured a .910 save percentage across 30 games.
Jelle Noblesse (Springfield Pics / USPHL Premier) | Netherlands
Noblesse put up 11 points in 36 games last year with Springfield, and he will represent Holland for the fourth time in his career. He is playing in the CEHL in his home country.
Lachlan Sucher (Crystal Beach Academy – USPHL Elite/North American Prep Hockey League) | Australia
Sucher was the Captain of last spring’s Australia Under-18 team, for whom he scored eight points in five games. He will represent Australia a third time in his career. He played in eight USPHL Elite games in 2023-24 as part of the Crystal Beach Academy NAPrep Hockey League affiliate team.
Diego Rodriguez (Simcoe County Academy – USPHL Elite / North American Prep Hockey League) | Mexico
Rodriguez, who played one Elite game last year with Simcoe County Academy, will represent Team Mexico for the fifth time in his career.
Please Note: Nations in the World Junior Championship tournaments taking place are, in some cases, still determining their rosters. This article will be updated as we receive updates on those rosters.
