Standout performances from the 2022 U18 World Hockey Championship

LANDSHUT, Germany -- Nine days and 20 games later, the men's 2022 U18 World Hockey Championship has come to an end, with Sweden defeating Team USA 6-4 in the gold medal game at Fanatec Arena on Sunday.

Only a few hours earlier, Maamme rang out over that same arena's speakers in celebration of Finland's 4-1 win over Czechia in the bronze medal game.

So, that's how the medal round shook out. Sweden takes home gold; Team USA silver; Finland bronze.

This tournament wasn't about national bragging rights for the high-ranking NHL executives and their retinue of scouts who descended on the hockey-mad Bavarian towns of Landshut and Kaufbeuren for the last week-plus though. For them, the U18s serve a far less noble purpose. It's just one last opportunity to see how many of these players fare in a high-stakes setting before making a final determination on where they stand in this year's draft.

I was on the same assignment for the Elite Prospects scouting team, stationed in Landshut for all but one day of the tournament, taking notes and filing scouting reports for the 2022 NHL Draft, and in some cases, the two that will follow it.

What follows is a list of some of the players who stood out the most in this tournament and my scouting report on their play, with quotes from players and coaches, and a look at my tournament MVP and All-Star ballots. {