Seen as a secondary evaluation tool for the IIHF World Junior Championship, the tournament will be played in a round-robin format.
For Konecny, his inclusion with the Czech U20 team comes on the heels of his four-game stint versus Finland and Switzerland in July. He has a long history with his country's national program, netting 20 points (6+14) in 51 international contests dating back to 2017-18. He will need a solid showing at the Four Nations event to maintain his status as a depth forward for this winter's World Junior tourney.
Marjala is no stranger to the Finnish program, averaging nearly a point per game (8-17-25) in 27 U16 and U17 appearances. Currently on the outside looking in when it comes to Finland's 2022 World Junior roster, Marjala has the offensive tools to make some noise over the next few months, both in Hodonin and when he returns to the QMJHL in the fall, to force his way into selection camp spot come December. At this time, though, 2023 could be a more reasonable target to earn a role on U20 national team.
