Junior Team Canada will be strong… but so will the United States: everything you need to know about the 10 teams at the World Junior Championship

It's an annual tradition: the World Junior Hockey Championship is upon us!

The tournament officially gets underway this Thursday. On the one hand, the United States will try to repeat their conquest of last year, while, on the other, Canada will want to avenge the embarrassing collapse of the 2024 tournament.

Here's everything you need to know about the 10 teams present this year.

Group A

Canada

Result last year: fifth

Players to watchCalum Ritchie (A), Bradly Nadeau (A), Gavin McKenna (A), Tanner Molendyk (D)

Junior Team Canada has repeatedly stressed the importance of not making the same mistakes as last year, and we'll see if they really learned their lesson. On paper, we have no choice but to recognize that the Canadian team is one of the elite teams in the competition.

ÉCJ will count on five players returning from last year: Brayden Yager, Carson Rehkopf, Easton Cowan, Tanner Molendyk, Oliver Bonk as well as three players who played regular season games in the National Hockey League (NHL) in Calum Ritchie (seven games), Jett Luchanko (4) and Bradly Nadeau (1). Defensively, Tanner Molendyk and Oliver Bonk should see a lot of time on the ice.

UNITED STATES

Result last year: gold medal

Players to watch: Ryan Leonard (A), Gabriel Perreault (A), James Hagens (A), Zeev Buium (D)

At first glance, the United States will undoubtedly be Canada's biggest rivals for the gold medal. Several members of this team won the World Under-18 Championship two years ago, including forwards Ryan Leonard and Gabriel Perreault. Certainly, they will be without their center player Will Smith, who plays in the NHL. But you shouldn't bet against one of the two (or even both) to finish at the top of the competition's points standings. Defensively, Zeev Buium should also be able to create plenty of offense, while Trey Augustine may be the best goalie in the tournament, on paper.

Finland

Result last year: fourth

Players to watch: Kasper Halttunen (A), Konsta Helenius (A), Emil Hemming (A), Aron Kiviharju (D)

This isn't the most dominant lineup Finland has featured in recent years. Despite everything, it will count on a few key pieces, including attackers Halttunen, Helenius and Hemming. Helenius had a disappointing tournament last year at 17, but he should be one of the team's leaders this year. In 26 games in the American Hockey League with the Buffalo Sabres, he scored 16 points. Defensively, you will have to watch Aron Kiviharju. Considered an exceptional player just a few years ago, he missed almost all of last season due to injury, ultimately being drafted in the fourth round by the Minnesota Wild.

Latvia

Result last year: eighth

Players to watch: Eriks Mateiko (A), Darels Uljanskis (D), Peteris Bulans (D)

This will be a fourth straight World Group tournament for Latvia, who have reached the quarter-finals in two of the last three competitions. The Latvians never arrive with an all-star lineup, but their work ethic is, most of the time, impeccable. This year, they will be led by two NHL prospects, 6'6″, 209 lb. colossus Eriks Mateiko, a forward who was a third-round pick of the Washington Capitals in 2024, and defenseman Darels Uljanskis, whose the rights belong to the Anaheim Ducks, who claimed him in the seventh round last summer.

Germany

Result last year: ninth

Players to watch: Norwin Panocha (D), David Lewandowski (A), Carlos Handel (D)

Germany avoided relegation last year by beating Norway in the best-of-three tournament held annually at the end of the World Juniors between the last two teams in the round robin standings. It should come as no surprise if this is still the case in 2025. Germany will have a roster devoid of stars and counting on only one player having been drafted by the NHL, namely defenseman Norwin Panocha, a distant seventh-round pick of the Buffalo Sabres. The Germans will also be young and will count on some prospects for the draft, including forward David Lewandowski and defenseman Carlos Handel, a Halifax Mooseheads player.

Group B

Czechia

Result last year: bronze medal

Players to watch: Eduard Sale (A), Adam Jiricek (D), Michael Hrabal (G)

The Czechs have enjoyed success on the international junior scene over the past three years, winning silver in 2023, bronze last year and finishing fourth in 2022. Some of the biggest contributors to those successes, however, will not be present , starting with striker Jiri Kulich. The team will still count on a talented roster, made up of 14 players who were drafted by the NHL, including first-round picks Eduard Sale and Adam Jiricek. Jumbo-sized 6’6”, 209 lb goaltender Michael Hrabal has the potential to dominate this competition.

Suede

Result last year: silver medal

Players to watch: Axel Sandin-Pellikka (D), Tom Willander (D), Theo Lindstein (D), Otto Stenberg (A)

The Swedes will be taken seriously. The group of 19-year-old players who make up this roster lost in the final to the powerful Americans at the Under-18 Championship two years ago. Forward Otto Stenberg, a first-round pick of the St. Louis Blues, and defenseman Axel Sandin-Pellikka, also a first-round pick, but of the Detroit Red Wings, had been the leaders for Sweden, and everything looks good to believe that this will still be the case among those under 20. Sandin-Pellikka also won the title of defender of the tournament at last year's World Juniors played at home in Sweden.

Slovakia

Result last year: sixth

Players to watch: Maxim Strbak (D), Juraj Pekarcik (A), Miroslav Satan (A), Samuel Urban (G)

The Slovaks have had good years recently at the World Juniors, notably thanks to the development of good prospects like Filip Mesar, Dalibor Dvorsky, Samuel Honzek, Simon Nemec and Adam Gajan. We're not here anymore, though. The team will have much, much less depth and will have to regroup behind defenseman Strbak, who will be making his third appearance at the World Juniors, as well as Pekarcik and Satan, the only two forwards drafted by the NHL. They will fight with Switzerland and Kazakhstan to avoid finishing last in Group B.

Suisse

Result last year: seventh

Players to watch: Danil Ustinkov (D), Leon Muggli (D), Rico Gredig (A), Lars Steiner (A)

A bit like with Latvia, we should never underestimate Switzerland's work ethic, although the talent is not necessarily there again this year. At least the team will be able to count on defenseman Leon Muggli, a second-round pick of the Washington Capitals, and forward Rico Gredig, drafted by the New York Rangers, to bring some punch and experience. Also to watch: 17-year-old forward Lars Steiner of the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies, who is having an excellent first season in North America with 36 points in 29 games so far.

Kazakhstan

Result last year: champions of the division 1A

Players to watch: Davlat Nurkenov (A), Beibarys Orazov (D), Vladimir Nikitin (G)

Kazakhstan comes to the World Juniors after winning the Division 1A World Hockey Championship last season. We must therefore temper our expectations. It would be rather surprising if this team did better than a place in the relegation tournament at the end of the competition. Still, their leading scorer from last year, Davlat Nurkenov, is back, and the team is counting on goaltender Vladimir Nikitin, a seventh-round pick of the Ottawa Senators, to hold down the fort. He was named goalie of the tournament last year.