All three Kings prospects participating in the World Junior Championships took home medals. Russia (with Maxim Kitsyn) stunned Canada (with Brayden Schenn) by scoring five third-period goals to claim a 5-3 victory in today’s gold-medal game in Buffalo. Russia trailed 3-0 going into the third period, then scored three goals in the first eight minutes to tie it and scored the go-ahead goal with 4:38 remaining. In the bronze-medal game, the United States, with Derek Forbort, defeated Sweden 4-2.
Kitsyn scored Russia’s second goal in the gold-medal game and had five goals and four assists in seven games for Russia.
Schenn had one goal and one assist in the gold-medal game and finished with a tournament-best 18 points in seven games for Canada, totaling eight goals and 10 assists. That tied Canada’s World Juniors record for most points, previously set by Dale McCourt in 1977. Schenn passed Wayne Gretzky, who had 17 points in 1978, and Eric Lindros, who had 17 points in 1991. Interesting side note on McCourt. He was, technically, property for the Kings after the NHL ruled that McCourt — then a member of the Detroit Red Wings — should be awarded to the Kings after the Red Wings signed Rogie Vachon from the Kings. McCourt objected, eventually was allowed to stay in Detroit and finished his NHL career with 478 points in 532 games. Another side note? McCourt and Schenn both wore No. 10.
Forbort appeared in all six game for the United States, did not record a point and had an even plus-minus rating.
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