When I spoke with Penguins goaltending prospect Calle Clang for the first time last season, one of his biggest goals for the year was to represent Sweden at the World Junior Championship.
To even be named to the U20 roster as an 18-year-old would be a great accomplishment.
"I hope to make the team and be an important player for Sweden," he told me at the time. "For sure, it's big. I'm an underage goalie, so it would mean a lot to me if I make the team. To make the team this year would be unbelievable, I would be so proud and honored."
Clang did make the roster as an 18-year-old, and was Sweden's third goaltender on the depth chart, not playing in any games.
Now 19 years old, Clang is looking to represent Sweden again at the World Junior tournament, which will take place in Alberta -- Edmonton and Red Deer -- between Dec. 26 and Jan. 5.
This time, he'll be looking to actually play and make an impact.
Team Sweden on Monday announced that Clang was named to the roster for a preliminary tournament, the Four Nations tournament between Sweden, Finland, Russia, and the Czech Republic that will be held in Angelholm, Sweden from November 12-14.
The tournament is part of the evaluation process for the World Junior tournament rosters.
"We are young players who want to advance in our careers," Clang said in a Swedish-language release from his SHL team, Rogle. "It's just the beginning for many. There are many incredibly skilled players who come, not just in our team."
While Clang didn't play in last year's tournament, he said that being on the roster was still a valuable learning experience for him, just seeing what a game day is like, especially with the level of media interest in the World Junior Championship.
Clang is expected to compete for the starting job with Jesper Wallstedt, a 2021 first-round pick of the Wild who plays for Lulea in the SHL. Clang and Wallstedt went head-to-head this week when their teams played in the SHL, and Clang came out on top, making 21 saves in a 3-1 win:
"It will be a tough fight, there is only one who can stand there," Clang said in Rogle's release. "It is important to show your best self every day, not only during the tournament here but also here with Rogle. It's a tough competition, but it's fun at the same time."
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FORWARDS
Raivis Ansons
Position: Right wing/left wing
Size: 6-1/190
Shoots: Left
Drafted: 2021, fifth round
Team: Baie-Comeau Drakkar (QMJHL)
Season totals: 5 games, 2 goals, 5 assists
Ansons played in three games this week, and scored two goals and two assists. His first goal was this shot from the top of the left circle:
His second goal was a shorthanded tally, capitalizing on a turnover and going nearly end-to-end:
Judd Caulfield
Position: Right wing
Size: 6-3/207
Shoots: Right
Drafted: 2019, fifth round
Team: University of North Dakota (NCAA)
Season totals: 6 games, 2 goal, 3 assists
Caulfield scored one goal in two games this week. The goal came off of a scramble in front of the net on the power play and proved to be the game-winner:
Tristan Broz
Position: Center/wing
Size: 6-0/179
Shoots: Left
Drafted: 2021, second round
Team: University of Minnesota (NCAA)
Season totals: 6 games, 2 assists
Broz was scoreless in two games.
Liam Gorman
Position: Center
Size: 6-3/199
Shoots: Left
Drafted: 2018, sixth round
Team: Princeton University (NCAA)
Season totals: 0 games
Princeton's season doesn't open until Oct. 30.
Lukas Svejkovsky
Position: Center/right wing
Size: 5-9/170
Shoots: Right
Drafted: 2020, fourth round
Team: Medicine Hat Tigers (WHL)
Season totals: 8 games, 8 goals, 7 assists
Svejkovsky played in three games, scoring two goals and six assists. He's tied for the league-lead in the WHL in both goals and points.
Kirill Tankov
Position: Center/wing
Size: 6-2/190
Shoots: Left
Drafted: 2021, seventh round
Team: SKA-Neva (VHL)
Season totals: 16 games, 6 goals, 5 assists
Tankov recorded one assist in two games this week.
Chase Yoder
Position: Center
Size: 5-11/185
Shoots: Left
Drafted: 2020, sixth round
Team: Providence College (NCAA)
Season totals: 7 games, 2 goal, 2 assists
Yoder played in two games and scored one goal, the game-winner in a shutout of New Hampshire:
DEFENSEMEN
Santeri Airola
Size: 5-9/163
Shoots: Right
Drafted: 2019, seventh round
Team: Ilves (Liiga), KOOVEE (Mestis)
Season totals: 2 games (Mestis)
Airola missed the start of the Liiga season with a lower-body injury. His team announced on Oct. 14 that Airola underwent surgery and is expected to be sidelined for 6-8 months.
Isaac Belliveau
Size: 6-2/185
Shoots: Left
Drafted: 2021, fifth round
Team: Gatineau Olympiques (QMJHL)
Season totals: 8 games, 4 assists
Belliveau recorded two assists in his two games this week.
Daniel Laatsch
Size: 6-5/190
Shoots: Left
Drafted: 2021, seventh round
Team: University of Wisconsin (NCAA)
Season totals: 6 games
Laatsch was scoreless in two games.
Ryan McCleary
Size: 6-2/180
Shoots: Right
Drafted: 2021, seventh round
Team: Portland Winterhawks (WHL)
Season totals: 5 games, 1 assist
McCleary didn't play this week.
Clayton Phillips
Size: 6-0/195
Shoots: Left
Drafted: 2017, third round
Team: Penn State University (NCAA)
Season totals: 4 games, 1 goal, 2 assists
Phillips returned from injury after missing Penn State's last series of games. He slotted right back in on the left side of the top defense pairing and picked up two assists in his two games this week.
GOALTENDERS
Joel Blomqvist
Size: 6-1/183
Catches: Left
Drafted: 2020, second round
Team: Karpat (Liiga), Hermes (Mestis)
Season totals: 1 game, 0.00 GAA, 1.00 SV% (Liiga), 3 games, 2.07 GAA, .902 SV% (Mestis)
Blomqvist didn't play this week, serving as backup for Karpat's games.
Calle Clang
Size: 6-2/176
Catches: Left
Drafted: 2020, third round
Team: Rogle (SHL)
Season totals: 3 games, 2.27 GAA, .889 SV%
Clang appeared in one game this week for Rogle, a 3-1 win over Lulea in which he made 21 saves.
