Detroit Red Wings prospect Carter Mazur added another memory to his standout performances at his first World Championship.
The 21-year-old forward assisted on the goal that secured a 4-3 overtime victory for the United States over top Group A rival Sweden Tuesday at Nokia Arena in Tampere, Finland. That put the U.S., which has Wings coach Derek Lalonde on its staff, top place in the group with 20 points.
Dylan Samberg accepted Mazur’s centering pass from below the goal line and roofed it at 1:37 of overtime.
The point was Mazur’s fourth of the tournament. Drafted by general manager Steve Yzerman in the third round (No. 7) in 2021, Mazur has stood out for his strong performances, which began with an assist in his first game.
Sweden finished in second place in Group B with 18 points. Wings forward Jonatan Berggren assisted on the second goal scored by Leo Carlsson, a top prospect heading into next month’s draft. (The Wings hold the ninth pick, by which time he almost assuredly will be off the board.)
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Mazur (6 feet, 175 pounds) has spent most of the past two seasons at the University of Denver. In 2021-22 he recorded 14 goals and 24 assists in 41 games, leading all Pioneers freshmen and finishing second in NCAA scoring for a freshman (trailing only Luke Hughes’ 39 points for Michigan). The Pioneers beat Hughes’ Wolverines in the Frozen Four, then took down Minnesota State for the national title.
In his second season, Mazur earned 22 goals and 15 assists in 40 games, leading the Pioneers in goals, power-play goals (eight), and game-winning goals (six). On March 28 — his 21st birthday — Mazur signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the Wings and joined the Griffins, where he posted three goals and three assists in six games.
Mazur represented the U.S. at the 2022 World Juniors, leading the team with five goals and two assists in five games. This is his first outing with the men’s team, and that it is happening before the eyes of Lalonde (and Yzerman is an assistant general manager with Canada) is a terrific way to make a favorable early impression ahead of auditioning for a spot with the Wings come training camp.
Seider onto quarters
Germany completed a rally after an 0-3 start to finish the preliminary round with four straight victories, securing a spot in the quarterfinals for the sixth time in seven tournaments. Wings defenseman Moritz Seider did not factor in the scoring in Germany’s 5-0 victory over France Tuesday. He had a goal and two assists in the preliminary round.
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Contact Helene St. James at hstjames@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @helenestjames. Read more on the Detroit Red Wings and sign up for our Red Wings newsletter. Her latest book, “On the Clock: Behind the Scenes with the Detroit Red Wings at the NHL Draft,” is available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Triumph Books. Personalized copies available via her e-mail.