Penguins prospects Joel Blomqvist, Calle Clang selected for IIHF World Junior Championship
Penguins goaltending prospects Joel Blomqvist and Calle Clang have been selected for the rosters of Finland and Sweden, respectively, in the upcoming IIHF World Junior Championship tournament.
This is the second consecutive year they have been chosen for the tournament. Neither player appeared in a game during last season’s tournament.
The 19-year-old Blomqvist, who won a gold medal last season, was drafted by the Penguins in the second round (No. 52 overall) in the 2020 draft. This season, he has primarily played with Karpat of Finland’s Liiga. In five games, he has a 3-0-1 record, along with a 0.44 goals against average, a .980 save percentage and two shutouts.
Clang, 19, has appeared in seven games for Rogle of the Swedish Hockey League (SHL) and has a 3-3-0 record, a 2.72 goals against average and an .892 save percentage.
In late November, forward Logan Cooley, a native of West Mifflin, was selected to to the United States’ preliminary roster for the tournament. Cooley will be eligible for the NHL draft in 2022.
The tournament is scheduled to be held between Dec. 26 and Jan. 5 in Edmonton and Red Deer, Alberta.
Seth Rorabaugh is a TribLive reporter covering the Pittsburgh Penguins. A North Huntingdon native, he joined the Trib in 2019 and has covered the Penguins since 2007. He can be reached at srorabaugh@triblive.com.
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