I’ve been watching the World Junior Championships for 30 years and covering it professionally for nearly a decade, and for my money, this 2023 edition was one of the better versions.

There were upsets, underdog stories, incredible individual performances, and storylines galore. This has forever been a 19-year-old tournament. Every year we see a handful of draft-eligible players make their respective teams - usually on non-medal contending squads, and the scouting world and fans alike are hoping to see them strut their stuff on the big stage. However, more often than not, they end up playing a secondary or tertiary role behind the elder statesmen. It's just the way of the event.

But not so much this year.

What follows is a look at some of the notable performances from 2023 first-time, draft-el