The best junior hockey players in the world are heading to Canada’s capital city for the annual World Junior Hockey Championship.
The United States are the defending champions with Sweden (silver) and Czechia (bronze) also holding medals. Canada, the hosts, are looking for a better result after bowing out in the quarterfinals in Sweden last year.
Before the puck drops on another World Juniors, here are three players to watch on each of the 10 teams.
POOL A
Canada
Easton Cowan, RW
Club team: London Knights (OHL)
NHL Draft: First round, 28th overall (2023) by Toronto Maple Leafs
Cowan enters the tournament as one of its most hyped players, thanks to an incredible 56-game point streak in the OHL and the fact that he is the Maple Leafs’ top prospect. He plays the game with pace, is extremely intelligent, and has elite playmaking abilities. Cowan also shoots it well enough to be respected on that front. If he’s fully healthy, he should play a major role for Canada and produce more than the two points he put up last year in the event.
Matthew Schaefer, D
Club team: Erie Otters (OHL)
NHL Draft: 2025 eligible
Schaefer is one of the few players at the ripe age of 17 who can truly dominate a game against high-level, older competition. He has every tool available to be an impact player for Canada but his foundation is based on his elite skating ability. Everything else falls into place from knowing when to join the rush to staying back to defend against the best the opposition has to offer. I wouldn’t be shocked if Schaefer was Canada’s top defenceman by the time the tournament ends.
Calum Ritchie, C
Club team: Oshawa Generals (OHL)
NHL Draft: First round, 27th overall (2023) by Colorado Avalanche
Ritchie is in his third OHL season but has yet to play the full slate of games. When healthy, he is one of the league’s top players, having averaged well over a point per game in his 192 games played. Ritchie is a cerebral player who thinks the game well nand leans heavily to the offensive side. His game continues to grow, having added more speed and physicality to his repertoire. His year started with a seven-game audition with the Avalanche, where he recorded his first NHL point.
United States
Zeev Buium, D
Club team: University of Denver (NCAA)
NHL Draft: First round, 12th overall (2024) by Minnesota Wild
Buium continues to produce at an elite level for an NCAA defenceman with 20 points in 18 games. Many beleive he was a high value pick for the Wild when he dropped outstide of the top 10. Buium will have a big stage to continue to prove doubters wrong as a feature piece in a strong defensive core. He also has familiarity with American coach David Carle, who coaches Buium at the University of Denver.
Ryan Leonard, RW
Club team: Boston College (NCAA)
NHL Draft: First round, eighth overall (2023) by Washington Capitals
Now in his junior year, Leonard has is one of the most impactful players in college hockey. Once again, he is linemates with gifted Rangers prospect Gabe Perreault, and instead of Will Smith in the middle, the duo has now been matched James Hagens. The trio forms one of the the best lines in the NCAA. At his best Leonard is a play driver who is fearless going to all the hard areas on the ice. He is a perfect blend of will and skill and should be someone Carle leans-on in all situations.
James Hagens, C
Club team: Boston College (NCAA)
NHL Draft: 2025 eligible
Hagens has essentially taken the place of San Jose Sharks forward Will Smith at Boston College and on the American world junior team, where he will play in between Perreault and Leonard. A dynamic, two-way, high-compete player, Hagens will have every opportunity to maintain his status as a top prospect for the 2025 NHL Draft. He’s managed to put up 20 points as a freshman, placing him amongst the top 10 scorers in the loop.
Finland
Konsta Helenius, C
Club team: Rochester Americans (AHL)
NHL Draft: First round, 14th overall (2024) by Buffalo Sabres
A solid two-way centre, Helenius continues to produce in the professional ranks. He arrived in the AHL this season with 83 games of pro experience over two seasons in Finland’s top men’s league. His adjustment to North America has gone well with six goals and 17 points in 28 games. Helenius has hit all the marks along the way internationally, culminating in a four-game stint with the men’s national team last April at the worlds. He comes into this tournament with high expectations having competed last year for a Finland team that finished just out of the medals.
Julius Miettinen, C
Club team: Everett Silvertips (WHL)
NHL Draft: Second round, 40th overall (2024) by Seattle Kraken
A solid two-way player, Miettinen can play centre or wing and is effective in both roles. He has the ability to get in on the forecheck and add some heaviness to a country that has earned a reputation for playing hard. There’s plenty of offence that comes with this player in that he has averaged a point per game over his year and a half with the Silvertips. This will mark his first World Juniors tournament and his first appearance with the national team in two years.
Kasper Halttunen, RW
Club team: London Knights (OHL)
NHL Draft: Second round, 36th overall (2023) by San Jose Sharks
A pure sniper, Halttunen has made his way from the AHL’s San Jose Barracuda back to the Knights in hopes of playing in more high-leverage situations as his game continues to mature. Halttunen is a confident player who doesn’t need many looks to make an impact and he should be Finland’s go-to when it comes to the powerplay. Like many of his teammates, he brings size and some physicality to the table. When engaged, he can lean on opponents and impose his will with size and strength.
Latvia
Roberts Naudins, F
Club team: Shattuck St. Mary’s (high school)
NHL Draft: 2027 eligible
Considering his Latvian descent, Naudins is taking an unconventional path in his minor hockey journey. As a late 2008 birthday, the recently turned 16-year-old is lighting it up in the prep school ranks. It’s not often Latvian players end up at Shattuck St. Mary’s, whose long-list of alumni includes Sidney Crosby, Jonathan Toews and Zach Parise. Naudins will be hard to miss at six-foot-six and 195 pounds and he has committed to Harvard for next season.
Eriks Mateiko, LW
Club team: Saint John Sea Dogs (QMJHL)
NHL Draft: Third round, 90th overall (2024) by Washington Capitals
Mateiko was one of the most raw prospects taken in the 2024 draft. He arrived in Saint John as a relative unknown after being selected with the 108th pick in the 2022 CHL Import Draft. He had been playing in the second tier Latvian professional league, not the typical place where prospects are mined. Mateiko had some success in Latvia’s second-tier pro league, but a move to Saint John unearthed “the Moose.” Now the Seadogs’ captain, he will take on a leadership role and will be a fun player to watch for one of the lower rated teams in the tourney.
Germany
Norwin Ponocha, D
Club team: Green Bay Gamblers (USHL)
NHL Draft: Seventh round, 205th overall (2023) by Buffalo Sabres
Ponocha is the lone drafted player on Team Germany. He started the year with the WHL’s Prince Albert Raiders but has since made the move to Green Bay in the USHL. Ponocha has three assists in his 15 games with the Gamblers but is still looking for his first North American goal. Previous to this season, Ponocha spent the 2023-24 season with the QMJHL’s Chicoutimi Saguenéens, where he amassed 15 assists over 52 games. This will be his second world juniors.
Julius Sumpf, C
Club team: Moncton Wildcats (QMJHL)
NHL Draft: Not selected in 2023 or 2024
A dual citizen who grew up in Austria’s famous Red Bull program, Sumpf is in his second season in Moncton as a 19-year-old. His first year in North America resulted in a 21-goal, 55-point season. He’s on pace to surpass those totals with 16 goals and 37 points through 29 games with the Wildcats. Sumpf had three points for Germany in last year’s tournament.
David Lewandowski, LW
Club team: Saskatoon Blades (WHL)
NHL Draft: 2025 eligible
After kickstarting the season with two points in the Hlinka-Gretzky Cup, Lewandowski started the season in the DEL, Germany’s top pro league. With his average ice-time sitting well below double digits, he made the move to Saskatoon, where he’s fit in quite nicely. Not afraid to shoot, he has put up seven goals and 15 points thorugh his first 20 WHL games played. He is considered a mid-to-late round projection for the 2025 draft.
POOL B
Sweden
Axel Sandin-Pellikka, D
Club team: Skelleftea AIK (SHL)
NHL Draft: First round, 17th overall (2023) by Detroit Red Wings
Sandin-Pellikka has been riding a steep developmental curve since his draft year. An excellent skater with high-end offensive instincts, he should be the centrepiece of Sweden’s first powerplay unit. Named the top defenceman in this event last year with a six-point performance, he should be able to perform at that level again based on his SHL numbers this season, which have him at just under a point per game pace. Sandin-Pellikka is also a capable defender and an excellent puck mover. Fun player to watch.
Viktor Eklund, LW
Club team: Djurgardens IF (HockeyAllsvenskan)
NHL Draft: 2025 eligible
Viktor Eklund is the younger brother of San Jose’s William Eklund and is projected to be a top-10 pick in the next NHL Draft. He’s not the biggest, but that doesn’t stop him from continuously being in the fight. Watching him navigate this tournament will be very telling as to how high his draft stock can go. He has had some point-producing success in Sweden’s second pro league with club team Djurgardens.
David Edstrom, C
Club team: Frolunda HC (SHL)
NHL Draft: First round, 32nd overall (2023) by Vegas Golden Knights
Edstrom is the rare first-round pick who has already been traded twice by NHL teams. The Golden Knights included him in a package sent to the Sharks for Tomas Hertl and the Sharks flipped him to the Predators this summer in the Yaroslav Askarov trade. Edstrom is a strong two-way centre who can do it all. He is a perfect fit for this edition of the Swedes who don’t have a super high-end offensive forward, but plenty who can play both ends of the ice. He should be able to provide ample production, win faceoffs and defend against the opposition’s best. He has been in SHL Frolunda on loan, averaging roughly 15 minutes per game.
Czechia
Eduard Sale, RW
Club team: Coachella Valley Firebirds (AHL)
NHL Draft: First round, 20th overall (2023) by Seattle Kraken
Sale has always been a top producer for the national team. He was at his very best in the medal round of his first world juniors in 2023, helping the Czechs win bronze. His all-around play in that tournament went a long way into his being selected by Seattle in the first round. Sale showed a high compete level, solid work ethic and the ability to make plays and produce offence. If he can find that level on a consistent basis, he will become an impact player at the NHL level. In the meantime, there’s no reason to think he can’t help lead the Czechs to its third straight medal.
Adam Jiricek, D
Club team: Brantford Bulldogs (OHL)
NHL Draft: First round, 16th overall (2024) by St. Louis Blues
Jiricek has battled injuries over the last couple of seasons so we’re not exactly sure what he can bring. When healthy, he’s a good skater who can provide some offence, but also be a tough and physical defender. He enters this event off a two-goal performance in Brantford and that may be what he’s able to provide Czechia on the back-end. Unfortunately ,his injury issues started at this event last year, early into the Czechs’ first game.
Jakub Stancl, LW
Club team: Kelowna Rockets (WHL)
NHL Draft: Fourth round, 106th overall (2023) by St. Louis Blues
Stancl is another St. Louis prospect who has excelled in the CHL. Playing for the Kelowna Rockets, he has scored 11 times en route to 32 points through his first 26 games. Stancl was instrumental in helping the Czechs to a bronze medal in this tournament last year. He had a goal and an assist in the bronze medal game with a plus-three rating. Stancl grew up in the Vaxo system in Sweden but has adjusted well, using his size and strength to adapt to the North American style of game and smaller ice surface.
Slovakia
Luka Radivojevic, D
Club team: Muskegon Lumberjacks (USHL)
NHL Draft: 2025 eligible
The son of former NHL forward Branko Radivojevic, Luka Radivojevic continues to make noise as a top prospect for the 2025 NHL Draft. He’s currently projected to go on the fringes of the first round, but a good tournament would go a long way in helping to break that barrier. He started the season in Sweden but has since made his way to Muskegon, where he has 10 assists in 19 games.
Maxim Strbak, D
Club team: Michigan State (NCAA)
NHL Draft: Second round, 45th overall (2023) by Buffalo Sabres
I felt Strbak was a little underrated in the 2024 draft when he went mid-second round to Buffalo. He’s a steady two-way player that can be trusted in all situations. As a right shot defender, his numbers have been slightly underwhelming through a season and a half at Michigan State with just 18 points in 48 games. Strbak is a rarity in that he will play in his fourth world juniors.
Dalibor Dvorsky, C
Club team: Springfield Thunderbirds (AHL)
NHL Draft: First round, 10th overall (2023) by St. Louis Blues
One of the best prospects coming out of the 2023 draft class, Dvorsky has had success wherever he’s played. He took an unconventional path for a Slovak in moving to Sweden at a young age to play against better competition. That tactic worked as he tore up the OHL with Sudbury posting 88 points in just 52 games last season. He’s at it again, this year in the AHL with Springfield where he’s had 21 points through 27 games. This will be his fourth world junior tournament.
Juraj Pekarcik, LW
Club team: Moncton Wildcats (QMJHL)
NHL Draft: Third round, 76th overall (2023) by St. Louis Blues
Pekarcik is settling into life in the QMJHL with points in 13 of his last 14 games in Moncton. Last season, the Blues prospect put up 59 points in 43 games for Dubuque of the USHL. This season, he has moved to the Wildcats, but the production hasn’t stopped. Pekarcik leans more playmaker/passer as opposed to shooter. He had great success finishing second on Slovakia’s 2023 U18 team with 10 points in the world championships.
Switzerland
Lars Steiner, C
Club team: Rouyn-Noranda Huskies (QMJHL)
NHL Draft: 2026 eligible
Still more than a year away from the NHL Draft, Steiner has found great success as a 16-year-old rookie in Rouyn-Noranda where he has put up 14 goals and 36 points, having left the Huskies as the team’s third leading point-getter. Steiner has 20 of his points on the powerplay this season.
Rico Gredig, LW
Club team: HC Davos (Swiss National League)
NHL Draft: Sixth round, 191st overall (2024) by New York Rangers
Gredig has played sparingly but has still held his spot in the HC Davos lineup. This will be his second world junior tournament and he will welcome the opportunity to get back to playing with his peer group.
Jamiro Reber, C/LW
Club team: HV71 Jonkoping (SHL)
NHL Draft: Not selected in 2024
Undrafted last year as one of the youngest in the 2024 draft class, Reber may get a look this year based on his play with HV71 in the SHL. In Sweden’s top league, Reber is playing roughly 15 minutes per game and has 14 points over his 25 contests. He returns from last year’s team in this event.
Kazakhstan
Asanali Sarkenov, RW
Club team: Spokane Chiefs (WHL)
NHL Draft: Not selected in 2024
It’s rare to see a Kazak player in the CHL, but this is where you will find Sarkenkov plying his craft in Spokane. There is some pedigree albeit in the weaker Kazakahtsan U16 league where he once scored 48 times en route to an 82-point season. At six-foot-four, 200 pounds Sarkenkov uses his size appropriately and will surely try to impart his will on games in the physical department.
Kyril Lyapunov, C
Club team: Astana Snezhnie Barys (MHL)
NHL Draft: Not selected in 2023 or 2024
Lyapunov has had some MHL success to date with an even 16-goal, 16-assist season. He has represented his country on a number of occasions and most recently fared well, helping his country earn first division honours by putting up four points in the U20 divisional playoffs a year ago. He will likely be a top producer for a country that will be playing to maintain a spot in the top division of next year’s tournament.
Beibarys Orazov, D
Club team: Nur-Sultan Barys (KHL)
NHL Draft: Not selected in 2023 or 2024
A big right-shot defenceman, Orazov will play in all the important situations for the Kazaks. Expect him to average around 24 minutes as game as this nation will struggle to keep pucks out of their own zone. He’s been impressive enough in the MHL to earn a full-time promotion to the KHL, where he has played 30 games despite not registering a point in limited ice time.
