Early thoughts on preliminary World Junior rosters

It’s almost time for the World Juniors, the biggest event in the hockey prospect world. 

As we wait, many camp rosters and a final roster have been named. The other day, Canada’s camp roster dropped with more questions than answers after several high-profile omissions. 

Meanwhile, Team USA’s nearly-completed roster was released – and they look like the early favourites. Sweden’s final roster has already been named, and Czechia’s roster is starting to take shape with a lot of surprises. 

So, let’s react to the camp rosters of these teams. 

Canada

There are always surprises when Canada’s selection camp roster is unveiled, but this year had several more shockers than usual. Of course, with or without these players, Canada still has a top roster. 

Up front, Canada will be led by returnees Calum Ritchie, Easton Cowan, Matthew Wood, Brayden Yager, and Carson Rehkopf. In all likelihood, Gavin McKenna will become the first draft-minus-one prospect on Team Canada since Connor Bedard in 2022. 

As usual, there’s a plethora of skilled, detailed players who can fill roles too, headlined by Jett Luchanko and Cole Beaudoin. Andrew Cristall, the CHL’s point-per-game leader at 2.61, might not have the size or physicality Canada usually values, but his scoring punch will almost certainly be required, given some of the omissions. 

Defensively, the bulk of the work will be spread between returnees Oliver Bonk and Tanner Molendyk, as well as Sam Dickinson, the CHL’s leading blue-line scorer.

For draft fans, Matthew Schaefer and Porter Martone could both easily make this roster. Schaefer is thriving playing massive minutes and has the track record of domination in a Canada jersey, while Martone’s power playmaking game could fit anywhere in the lineup.

Alright, it’s time to talk omissions. Four of the 2024 Draft’s top 10 picks weren’t named: Beckett Sennecke, Tij Iginla, Carter Yakemchuk, and Zayne Parekh. Three of the OHL’s top scorers didn’t make the camp: Goal-per-game Michael Misa, dual-threat scorer Liam Greentree, and turbocharged sniper Nick Lardis. 

Sennecke, in particular, is a shocking omission. He has the size, skill, and adaptability that Canada seeks in these tournaments. He can play with anyone, create offence in nearly every way imaginable, and has proven to be a big-game player. Iginla doesn’t have the same size, but the rest applies to him as well.

Both Yakemchuk and Parekh have experienced some ups and downs this season, but their exclusions are clearly the result of Canada prioritizing more well-rounded, do-everything defencemen over specialists.

As usual, this isn’t the most skilled roster Canada could field, but it’s going to be a well-rounded one. However, for the second straight year, they aren’t the team to beat. 

Team USA

There is no doubt who the top team entering this tournament is: it’s Team USA. 

They’re the defending champs, returning their starting goalie, two top scorers, and several players ready for bigger roles. They have dynamic skill, skilled checkers, and a very mobile, aggressive blue line. 

Up front, expect Team USA to be the Ryan Leonard and Gabe Perreault show. The long-time duo has been a force at every level, especially in the medal round last year. Frequent linemate and potential No. 1 overall pick James Hagens has the inside track to slot as the centre of the line.

Oliver Moore was a standout in a depth role last time around. He’s the most explosive skater on this roster, bringing a detailed pass-first skill set every shift. Cole Eiserman could lead the whole tournament in goals. Conference rivals Carey Terrance, AJ Spellacy, and Joey Willis could form a formidable checking line trio if the latter two make the team, and the complementary hard skill games of players like Danny Nelson, Teddy Stiga and Brodie Ziemer provide lots of secondary scoring. 

On the blue line, Team USA has it all. The dynamic Zeev Buium will likely be team’s No. 1 and the early favourite for the tournament's top blue liner, but after that, it’s anyone’s guess. If there’s a constant theme, it’s mobility. Expect an active, highly-engaged blue line that looks to kill plays early. And if a rush squeaks through, arguably the best goalie at this tournament, Trey Augustine, will be there to stop it.

With only one cut up front and two on the blue line to make, the final roster is nearly complete. Blake Fiddler, a top 2025 eligible on the blue line, was a surprise to be named to the camp. In terms of skill, he could play here, but age might work against him. 

Team USA has never won gold in back-to-back years – this could be the year they change that. 

Sweden

Aiming for the top spot after last year's silver medal, Sweden already released their final roster, which includes plenty of firepower up front and a mix of puck-moving skill and physicality on the backend. 

There are not huge surprises up front. The biggest question mark was whether AHL forwards Felix Unger Sörum and Anton Wahlberg would be available to attend; they're both on the roster and will join the likes of Otto Stenberg and David Edstrom in the team's top-six. Players like Zeb Forsfjäll, Felix Nilsson and Oskar Vuollet were also expected to make the team based on their play between SHL and the national team.

Victor Eklund made the team as the only draft-eligible player. Currently sitting eighth on our draft board, Eklund brings a lot of versatility given we could easily see him thrive in a top-six role but his energetic style would also make him a useful presence in a bottom-six setting.

Before the season, many would've expected Anton Frondell to make the team, but he was ultimately left out. This doesn't come as a big surprise, though, as he missed time early in the season and hasn't quite lived up to the lofty expectations when he's been able to play. Instead, the team opted for older players with SHL experience (Dennis Altörn, David Granberg) to fill out the last roster spots.

Arguably the biggest snub can be found on defence, as Sweden decided to leave Noel Fransén home in favour of more defensive defencemen like Axel Hurtig and Viggo Gustafsson. This means they'll be relying even more heavily on Axel Sandin-Pellikka to create offence from the backend. 

On paper, Sweden enters the tournament without the clear No. 1 goalie. Melker Thelin and Marcus Gidlöf seem like the two favourites competing for the job, but even Melvin Strahl has had quality showings with the national team this season.

Czechia

Czechia hasn't officially announced their roster, but reports have emerged on their presumed selections.

If you look at who is missing from the reported roster among healthy options, one name sticks out like a sore thumb: Dominik Badinka. Already having played significant minutes in the SHL for the past two seasons, it seems evident that his omission from the team has more to do with other factors rather than his on-ice abilities. We'll see how much that decision will come back to haunt the team.

Adam Jiříček has only played four games this season due to injuries and is reportedly unlikely to attend this event. The jury is also still out on whether Eduard Šalé gets released from the AHL. Having added 12 points in 16 games in his rookie season with the Coachella Valley Firebirds, his inclusion would be a big boost for the team's chances at competing.

While Radim Mrtka and Adam Benák are Czechia's two most talked-about 2025 eligible prospects, neither is reportedly going to make the team without last-minute injuries. Instead, Vojtěch Čihař's good performances between his league play and November's Five Nations tournament seem to have gotten rewarded with a spot on the team. Meanwhile, a 2026 eligible top prospect Adam Novotný is set to be one of the youngest players in the entire event.

A quartet of North American prospects should be high-impact players up front: Adam Jecho, Miroslav Holinka, Adam Židlický, and Dominik Petr. Jecho has emerged a play-driver in the WHL this season, while Holinka has been one of the WHL's best surprises, showcasing a flashy, yet robust game. If Czechia find soffensive success, those two will likely be in the middle of it.