Add another major publication – Sports Illustrated – to the always growing list of media outlets throughout North America that have done feature stories on hockey phenom Connor McDavid since he joined the Erie Otters as a 15-year-old at the start of the 2013-14 OHL season.
Sports Illustrated has a four-page article in its latest magazine entitled “The Next Next Next One.” McDavid, the highly touted No. 1 pick in the 2012 OHL Priority Selection who’s already expected to be the top pick in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft, also has been featured by media outlets such as the New York Times, USA Today and ESPN.com, The Hockey News, Toronto Sun, The Globe and Mail in Toronto) and Le Journal de Montreal.
McDavid, 16, a native of Newmarket, Ontario, finished second among all OHL rookies with 66 points in the regular season. He won a gold medal, and led all scorers with 14 points in seven games, with Canada in the IIHF U18 World Championship in Sochi, Russia.

There’s added local flavor on the ice in Helsinki, Finland today at the IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship. Erie native Keith Kaval is officiating today’s game between host Finland and Slovakia. Former Erie Otters goaltender Jaroslav Janus is on Slovakia’s roster, but he’s scratched for this game. He has an 0-2 record, 3.00 goals-against average and .875 save percentage in two games in the tournament.
Former Otters captain Ryan O’Reilly, a forward with the NHL’s Colorado Avalanche, is playing for Canada. He has a goal and three points in seven games.
UPDATE: Kaval will travel to Stockholm, Sweden to officiate in the tournament’s medal round.

Erie Otters center Connor McDavid captured the gold medal Sunday, as Canada defeated the four-time defending champion United States 3-2 in the title game of the IIHF U18 World Championship in Sochi, Russia. McDavid didn’t record a point for the second straight game, but he still led all players with eight goals and 14 points in seven games and tied for the lead with six assists. He was named the most valuable player and best forward.
McDavid set Canadian records for goals and points in the tournament. Meanwhile, Canada won gold for the first time since 2008.

Erie Otters center Connor McDavid’s second straight hat trick led Canada to a 6-0 quarterfinal win Thursday in the IIHF U18 World Championship in Sochi, Russia. Canada (5-0) moves into today’s semifinal matchup against Finland, with the United States and Russia in the other semifinal. Meanwhile, McDavid added to his tournament-leading totals of eight goals, six assists and 14 points after netting a hat trick in a 6-0 win against Sweden in the final preliminary-round game Tuesday. He already has set Canadian records for goals and points in this tournament with as many as two goals left to play.

Erie Otters center Connor McDavid leads all players with five goals, six assists and 11 points in four games for unbeaten Canada in the IIHF U18 World Championship in Sochi, Russia. McDavid, 16, capped his dominant performance in the preliminary round with a hat trick in a 6-0 win against Sweden Tuesday. Canada also beat Slovakia 4-1 last Thursday, Germany 3-1 Saturday and Switzerland 10-1 Monday to win Group B with a 4-0 record and secure a quarterfinal matchup with Czech Republic Thursday. The Czechs finished fourth in Group A with a 1-3 record. The United States finished third in Group A with a 2-2 record, and will meet Group B runner-up Sweden (3-1) in a quarterfinal.

BRNO, Czech Republic – Erie Otters defenseman Adam Pelech and Canada captured the bronze medal with a 5-4 overtime win against Finland in the third-place game at the IIHF World Under-18 Championship Sunday. Pelech no points and one shot on goal in the game to finish the tournament with no points, nine shots on goal and eight penalty minutes in seven games.
Hunter Shinkaruk, who plays for Medicine Hat in the Western Hockey League, scored his third goal of the game 2 minutes, 5 seconds into overtime to seal the victory. Belleville’s Brendan Gaunce scored a goal and Oshawa’s Scott Laughton had two assists for Canada, while Sault Ste. Marie’s Matt Murray stopped 29-of-33 shots in net. The United States won the gold medal with a 7-0 win against Sweden.

BRNO, Czech Republic – Erie Otters defenseman Adam Pelech has to settle for a chance to win a bronze medal at the IIHF World Under-18 Championship. Canada lost to the undefeated United States 2-1 Friday in the semifinals, setting up a third-place matchup against Finland on Sunday at 6 a.m. The U.S. will face unbeaten Sweden, a 7-3 semifinal winner against Finland, for the gold medal Sunday at 10 a.m.
Pelech had no points, one shot on goal and two penalty minutes against the U.S. He has no points, eight shots and eight penalty minutes in six games at the tournament. Owen Sound’s Gemel Smith scored Canada’s lone goal, which tied the score at 1 late in the first period. The U.S. scored the winning goal 6 minutes, 26 seconds into the third against Sault Ste. Marie’s Matt Murray, stopped 25 of 27 shots.

BRECLAV, Czech Republic – Erie Otters defenseman Adam Pelech and Canada defeated Russia 4-2 Thursday in the quarterfinals of the IIHF World Under-18 Championship on Thursday.
Pelech had no points, one shot on goal and two penalty minutes for Canada, which faces the unbeaten United States in the semifinals Friday at 1 p.m. in Brno, Czech Republic. Canada lost to the U.S. 5-3 in the final preliminary-round game Tuesday.
Windsor’s Kerby Rychel scored two goals against Russia. Sault Ste. Marie’s Matt Murray stopped 28-of-30 shots. Finland beat Germany 8-0 in Thursday’s other quarterfinal, setting up a semifinal matchup against unbeaten Sweden Friday at 9 a.m.

BRECLAV, Czech Republic – Erie Otters defenseman Adam Pelech and Canada face Russia today at 7 p.m. in the quarterfinals of the IIHF World Under-18 Championship. Canada finished third in Group A with a 2-2 record following a 6-2 win against Czech Republic on Monday and a 5-3 loss to the United States on Tuesday. Pelech had no points, six shots on goal and four penalty minutes in those four games.
The Canada-Russia winner faces the U.S., which won Group A with a 4-0 record, in the semifinals Friday at 7 p.m. in Brno, Czech Republic. Finland and Germany meet in today’s 3 p.m. quarterfinal. The winner plays Group B champion Sweden in Friday’s 3 p.m. semifinal in Brno.

BURLINGTON, Vt. – Mercyhurst alumnus Meghan Agosta scored the tying goal late in the third period and assisted on the winning goal in overtime, as Canada defeated the United States 5-4 Saturday to win gold at the IIHF Women’s World Championship at Gutterson Fieldhouse.
Agosta forced overtime by scoring with 2 minutes, 38 seconds left in regulation. Then she assisted on Caroline Ouellette‘s goal 1:50 into the extra period to seal Canada’s first title in the tournament since 2007 and snap the Americans’ three-year championship run.
Agosta finished the game with a goal and two assists and the tournament with four goals and eight points in five games. Former Laker Vicki Bendus and Mercyhurst senior Bailey Bram were scoreless in the game. They finished the tournament with a point apiece.