World Junior Championship preview: Top contenders, key players to watch

The holidays are here, and for hockey fans, that means it is time to settle in on the couch and make sweeping judgments about prospects based on their performance at the World Junior Hockey Championship.

Taking place in Ottawa, Canada, this year, the tournament is sure to be a good one. Without the likes of Connor Bedard or Macklin Celebrini — who are still eligible to play but are sticking with their NHL teams for obvious reasons — this is an opportunity for other prospects to shine.

Every team has medal hopes, and five or six teams have legitimate shots at gold. Canada and the United States always have golden expectations, Sweden and Finland will be in the hunt, and Czechia and Slovakia are, as always, upset threats.

The tournament is loaded with first-round picks and players expected to be drafted in the top five of upcoming drafts. There will be no shortage of highlight-reels plays, mistakes, heartbreak and jubilant moments.

Trying to predict a highly unpredictable tournament is always a fool’s errand, that’s why we’ve never had a perfect March Madness bracket. Every year, there is a Cinderella, a team that disappoints and players who announce themselves as potential stars of their sport.

That is no different this year, as many hockey fans will be introduced to the likes of James Hagens (U.S., 2025 draft-eligible), Matthew Schaefer (Canada, 2025) and Gavin McKenna (Canada, 2026). They will be reacquainted with drafted players such as Dalibor Dvorsky, Ryan Leonard, Zeev Buium, Konsta Helenius and Brayden Yager.

Group A in this year’s tournament includes Canada, Finland, Germany, Latvia and the United States. Group B is Czechia, Kazakhstan, Slovakia, Sweden and Switzerland.

Here’s a look at what each team is bringing to the ice, presented in reverse order of each team’s competitiveness:

Kazakhstan

The Kazakhs will be in a tough spot at this tournament and are likely to find themselves in the relegation round.

Kazakhstan has plenty of continuity, as many of its players are centralized on one team for the season. Asanali Sarkenov is the lone Canadian Hockey League (CHL) player for Kazakhstan, playing for the Spokane Chiefs of the WHL.

Latvia

Latvia brings two NHL draftees to the tournament, Darels Uljanskis (Anaheim) and Eriks Mateiko (Washington) and nine returnees from last year’s team in Sweden. The Latvians have continuity in their lineup with the returnees but lack a true standout talent. However, they are always a scrappy, hard-working team capable of shocking a traditional power.

Latvia’s most important game will come against Germany and will likely determine which team makes the quarterfinal and which plays in the relegation round.

Germany

Germany brings a very young team to the tournament and lacks the eye-popping talent it has enjoyed in recent years with Tim Stutzle, JJ Peterka and Florian Elias. Germany’s only NHL draftee, Norwin Panocha (Buffalo), will be relied upon to play big minutes in a shutdown role on the blue line.

In fact, the strength of the team is on the blue line with Paul Mayer and Lua Niehus returning, and while they are undrafted, they have talent and could play themselves into a development camp invite next summer.

The Germans are missing their most dangerous forward in Kevin Bicker (Detroit), a major loss to the offense. The Germans will have to rely on David Lewandowski (2025), Julius Sumpf and Lenny Boos to drive the offensive engine. The game against Latvia should determine whether the Germans qualify for the medal round, and they have a few more offensive weapons than the Latvians do.

A solid showing in a quarterfinal, with a young team that can return many of its players next year, would be considered a success.

Switzerland

Every year, one team goes on a Cinderella run. This year, the candidate to do that is Switzerland on the back of Ewan Huet, son of Stanley Cup champion Cristobal Huet.

On paper, the Swiss lack the talent to get past the quarterfinal, but that hasn’t stopped them in the past. Huet has struggled to find consistent playing time in the WHL this season, but this is likely his net, and we all know what Huets are capable of when they feel confident in their game. This is the perfect opportunity for Huet to showcase his abilities and backstop Switzerland on a Cinderella run.

Leon Muggli (Washington) and Ludvig Johnson will play key roles on the Swiss blue line, with Muggli expected to play in all situations and log big minutes. The Swiss blue line has capable defenders who skate well and cause turnovers in games where flashiness gets the best of some players. They will be physical, block shots and make life difficult at the net front.

Up front, Lars Steiner is a skilled playmaker who isn’t draft-eligible until 2026, but he will surely draw attention from scouts and could produce a few highlight-reel plays. Jamiro Reber and Jan Dorthe are having productive seasons for their respective teams and will be leaned on to produce the bulk of the offense.

If Switzerland is going to ruffle feathers in a weaker Group B, the game against Czechia may be their spot to make noise.

Czechia

Czechia is always an interesting team at this tournament thanks to talented players and inconsistent goaltending (jaw-dropping or devastating). Seemingly always on the verge of an upset, this year feels like it could have more ups and downs than a roller coaster. After shocking Sweden to win bronze last year, many believe the Czechs have the most volatile projection this year.

Michael Hrabal (Utah) is the clear starter in goal, and while he is extremely talented, he has struggled to perform when he wears his nation’s colors. He is capable of more than he has shown at the WJC level, and the Czechs are hoping they see that version of him over the next two weeks.

All eyes will be on Adam Jiricek (St. Louis), the 2024 first-rounder who has been riddled with injuries over the past few seasons. The Czechs inexplicably left Dominik Badinka (Carolina) off their roster, making their blue line even thinner. That places the pressure squarely on the shoulders of Jiricek and AHL Ontario’s Jakub Dvorak (Los Angeles) to carry the load. Both are capable of impacting the game and will need to keep the best opposing players at bay while producing offense.

Up front, the Czechs lack a true game-breaking talent. Eduard Sale (Seattle), Miroslav Holinka (Toronto) and Adam Jecho (St. Louis) will be relied upon to lead the charge offensively. Sale is on a tear with Coachella Valley in the AHL, while Holinka and Jecho are scoring nearly a point per game with the Edmonton Oil Kings in the WHL. The Czech forward group is bigger and will play a tighter checking style to frustrate teams, while hoping to capitalize on power-play opportunities or turnovers generated from their defensive play.

The bottom line is that if Hrabal is at his best, the Czechs are likely to finish second in Group B, meaning they’d get one of Canada, USA or Finland in the quarterfinal. That’s a tough task, but the Czechs have proved they are capable of frustrating more talented teams and getting key saves from their goaltender in an upset.

Slovakia

Slovakia lost a heartbreaker in overtime of last year’s quarterfinal after an excellent run of group play. The Slovaks have had outstanding goaltending recently, and that is unlikely to change this year.

The Slovaks return quite a few key players to the tournament. Maxim Strbak (Buffalo), Luka Radivojevic and Dalibor Dvorsky (St. Louis) will play major roles, with Dvorsky expected to be one of the stars of the tournament. This age group has enjoyed success at the under-18 level, and could send Canada, USA or Finland home in the quarterfinal.

Samuel Urban well tend the goal, and has been a key piece of that recent Slovakian success at the under-18 level. The undrafted goaltender is more than capable of backstopping Slovakia through the medal round, and earn himself some draft consideration as a re-entry in the 2025 draft.

Strbak is playing in his fourth WJC (!) and will be the most important defenseman for the Slovaks. He is capable of producing offensively and shutting down the best players on other teams. Dvorsky joins Strbak returning for his fourth go-round, and should contend for various tournament awards. He will be appointment television at this tournament, capable of producing highlight-reel plays with dazzling skill.

Finally, Radivojevic will draw plenty of attention from scouts at the tournament after last year’s performance and a solid first half with the USHL’s Muskegon Lumberjacks. The highly skilled defenseman could find himself in the first-round conversation with a standout performance in Ottawa.

Slovakia cannot be considered a Cinderella because of expectations and previous success, but there is reason to believe it could medal with its game-breaking talent and excellent goaltending.

Finland

Finland finds itself in Group A with Canada and the United States after a bitterly disappointing finish at the 2024 WJC. Given the talent in Group A, the Finns will be hard-pressed to finish higher than third, but the proverbial group of death means Finland avoids both Canada and the USA in the quarterfinals and is likely to face Slovakia or Czechia.

In terms of the roster makeup, Finland lacks superstar talent but has excellent depth at every position.

Finland continuously gets excellent goaltending at the tournament, and this year should be no different. Petteri Rimpinen, Kim Saarinen (Seattle) and Noa Vali are all options, with Rimpinen projected to start. None of the three are expected to be NHL stars, but given the goaltending factory that Finland is, it is more likely than not that Finland’s goaltending performs well enough to see it through to a semifinal appearance.

Finland has excellent depth on the blue line, with five NHL draftees, led by Aron Kiviharju (Minnesota). The highly skilled defender could be the difference between a medal and not in this tournament. He’s capable of taking over games and could find himself in the conversation for tournament’s best defender if he plays to his capabilities.

Every one of Finland’s defenders can play quality minutes, meaning there is room for error if one of the top six options falters. In an ideal situation, Finland does not have to overplay any of their defenders, and can run Kiviharju out in situations that allow him to showcase his tremendous talent.

Konsta Helenius (Buffalo) is the player to watch up front for the Finns, and he will be expected to play a major offensive and defensive role. He’s not Aleksander Barkov, but expect the Finnish coaching staff to deploy him in a similar manner to Paul Maurice’s deployment of Barkov in Florida. He’ll play in every key situation and be expected to lead the charge offensively.

Jesse Kiiskinen (Detroit) along with the London Knights duo of Jesse Nurmi (New York Islanders) and Kasper Halttunen (San Jose) will be relied upon to perform offensively for Finland against tough competition. Emil Hemming (Dallas) is a quality two-way player whose playmaking ability has developed this season. He will be a key player in the middle six who can forecheck, produce offense and keep top players off the scoresheet.

Given Finland’s talent and depth, its special teams should be among the best in the tournament, making it a legitimate threat to medal.

Sweden

Sweden is the prohibitive favorite to top Group B, with anything less seen as a disappointment. After a heartbreaking loss in the gold medal game on home ice at last year’s WJC, Sweden returns key players at every position, looking to improve upon its silver medal performance.

It is rare that a team’s top defensive pairing returns — as they are usually 19-year-olds. Axel Sandin-Pellikka (Detroit) and Theo Lindstein (St. Louis) will play huge roles on Sweden’s blue line, with slick puck-moving ability and solid two-way play.

Tom Willander (Vancouver) is another puck mover who will log key minutes in a second-pair role for Sweden, balancing the physical depth the Swedes have on the third pair.

Otto Stenberg (St. Louis), David Edstrom (Nashville) and Felix Unger Sorum (Carolina) will feature prominently for the Swedes. Stenberg was outstanding in last year’s tournament and is off to great start in the SHL this season. He has a knack for elevating his play when wearing his country’s colors and will be a key player in all situations.

Projected top-15 pick Viktor Eklund will draw the attention from scouts and executives, and is expected to play a prominent role in Sweden’s top six.

With Sweden’s solid depth and returning players, it is a threat to win gold, which would end a drought that has spanned more than a dozen years.

United States

The United States is bringing back a few players to defend its gold medal, a feat it has not been able to accomplish in the tournament through the years. The Americans were perfect in 2024 and they remain among the top gold medal contenders.

Goaltending is locked and loaded, with Trey Augustine (Detroit) returning as the starter for the third consecutive year, and the prohibitive favorite to be the tournament’s top goaltender.

Zeev Buium (Minnesota) returns and will lead the way for the Americans on defense. He started as the seventh defenseman in last year’s tournament, and ended as one of their best, scoring a crucial goal in the third period of the gold medal game. He’ll log major minutes alongside Drew Fortescue (New York Rangers), another returnee who is excellent in transition and complements Buium’s skillset.

Cole Hutson (Washington) is likely to lead the second power-play unit with his excellent puck movement and dynamic skating ability. The ability to pair both Buium and Hutson, two dynamic offensive players, with quality defense-minded partners is a luxury for the Americans, and provides balance to one of the best blue lines in the tournament.

The Americans went with a traditional top-six, bottom-six forward orientation for the tournament: a high-octane, productive top six, and a bottom six with physicality and energy.

Three of the top six come from Boston College, and will be expected to produce the bulk of the scoring output for the U.S. James Hagens, a 2025 top prospect, super sniper Gabe Perreault (New York Rangers) and captain Ryan Leonard (Washington) are more than capable of filling the net, and will be a dangerous trio.

Cole Eiserman (New York Islanders) and Trevor Connelly (Vegas) were hot topics at the 2024 draft, and both possess game-breaking offensive skill. Look for Eiserman to be a power-play triggerman with his excellent shooting ability.

The bottom six features solid two-way players who will be relied upon in matchup roles and to play a heavier style to wear down opponents. The U.S. left some skill off the roster in favor of a more balanced team, but the Americans have a quality roster capable of winning gold.

The U.S. might not be the favorite, but it has quality goaltending and game-breaking talent, which means the team is always dangerous.

Canada

Canada is a team looking to bounce back from a poor showing at last year’s WJC that saw it leave without a medal. Anything less than gold will fall short of expectations at every WJC, and even though the Canadians are missing Connor Bedard and Macklin Celebrini, they have the talent depth to win gold at home.

Calum Ritchie (Colorado) and Jett Luchanko (Philadelphia) bring NHL experience to the roster. Those two, along with Brayden Yager (Winnipeg), Bradly Nadeau (Carolina), Berkly Catton (Seattle) and Easton Cowan (Toronto) will be expected to provide speed, skill and a ton of offense.

Gavin McKenna, the favorite to be picked No. 1 in the 2026 NHL draft, possesses incredible talent, and if utilized properly, could be an X factor for Canada.

On defense, Tanner Molendyk (Nashville) and Oliver Bonk (Philadelphia) will play major roles for Canada. Bonk will log key minutes against top lines and on the penalty kill, and Molendyk will be expected to drive and produce offense from the back end. Matthew Schaefer, a projected top-three pick in 2025, possesses elite hockey sense, quality skating and excellent transition play. Even as a draft-eligible player, he’ll probably play a key role on Canada’s blue line and could be a difference-maker by tournament’s end.

Canada will need its special teams to be good to win gold, and much of that will rely on Molendyk’s power-play proficiency and a penalty kill that should feature Bonk, Andrew Gibson (Nashville) and Caden Price (Seattle).

Canada’s issue has never been talent, it has been getting in its own way. Whether it’s undisciplined penalties, shaky goaltending, head-scratching coaching decisions or ill-timed turnovers, Canada will need everyone pulling the rope in the same direction to get back on top of the podium.

The last time that Ottawa hosted this tournament, it produced one of the most iconic Canadian hockey moments: Jordan Eberle‘s tying goal against Russia with 5.4 seconds to go. The Canadians are hoping that more of that magic still lies within the walls of the Canadian Tire Centre.

Canada and the U.S. enter the tournament with gold medal expectations. There were some rather shocking cuts by both teams, and both should hope that cutting EJ Emery (U.S., New York Rangers) and Zayne Parekh (Canada, Calgary) or Andrew Cristall (Canada, Washington) do not come back to haunt them.

Mark your calendars: the New Year’s Eve showdown between the two clubs is likely to determine who tops the group. One can only hope it is a classic like the last time these teams played in Ottawa on New Year’s Eve in 2008.

Tournaments with young players are unpredictable because of emotions, highly skilled players trying to do a little too much and the occasional brain cramp. That’s what makes this my favorite tournament every year.

We’re bound to see plays that make our jaws drop, that makes us pull our hair out and even, laugh. This tournament does not make or break a player’s career. After all, these are kids who are still developing physically and emotionally. The one prediction you can take to the bank: We’re bound to be entertained.