Viggo Björck – McKeen's Hockey

2026 IIHF U18 World Championships – Group B – Czechia, Denmark, Germany, Sweden, USA – Team Previews – Players to Watch

Chapin Landvogt — Mon, 20 Apr 2026 16:03:33 +0000

After taking place in the hot state of Texas for the second time in six years, this year’s IIHF U18 Worlds tournament will return to a more traditional hockey market, splitting venues between the Slovakian capital of Bratislava and the oh so hockey crazy town of Trencin. It is in the former that Group B action will take place, although you have to wonder if tournament organizers aren’t missing out on an opportunity here seeing as how Group B once again features Czechia, the border of which is but a half hour drive away from Trencin. All the better for the other four teams as the Czechs may not have as much of a home team advantage as anticipated.

We do expect Group B action to provide its fair share of skills and thrills, much to the delight of the swarm of NHL scouts that’ll be watching from above. In addition to what could be a chief attendance driver in Czechia, the group features reigning silver medalist Sweden, which will be keen on washing away the memories of the 7-0 gold medal game thrashing at the hands of Team Canada, and bronze medalist USA, which itself was just one goal away from making the gold medal game last spring. Rounding out things will be Germany, which bowed out in a tight 3-2 loss to Slovakia in last year’s quarterfinals as well as newbie Denmark, which will do all it can to avoid the relegation fate its U20 brethren experienced at this past winter’s WJC. At least the northern neighbor to Germany won’t have to wait until a possible relegation round appearance to get its shot at program vengeance.

Interestingly, the group is exactly the same as last spring, save for Denmark, which ultimately replaces Switzerland after the alpine hockey nation was somewhat surprisingly sent packing by Norway in a game that required a shootout. Not a pleasant way to exit the top division. Sweden is once again expected to contend for gold, even if there are some surprising roster omissions, with Viggo Björck’s absence greatly saddening to no less than the scouting community. Likewise, Team USA should be hard to keep out of a top two spot in the group, especially with the USNTDP welcoming a few very capable additions from the outside. Like Sweden, and maybe even more so, the Czech squad is heading into action sans several players felt to be among the finest the nation could have put on the ice this spring, highly touted 2026 draft eligible Adam Novotny chief among them.

Germany and Denmark are bringing along the best they have to offer, and both programs have “retaining the class” as their chief goal. One will do so by the end of the preliminary round. Considering that the driving forces behind Germany’s team this year are 2009-born players, the federation has plenty of incentive to retain the class for what could be a very promising 2027 tournament.

Here’s what to expect from each of the Group B contestants from April 22nd through May 2nd.

FRISCO, TEXAS - APRIL 24: Czechia’s Simon Katolicky #14 looks on during warmup prior to Preliminary Round - Group B action against Germany at 2025 IIHF Ice Hockey U18 World Championship at Comerica Center on April 24, 2025 in Frisco, Texas, USA. (Photo by Micheline Veluvolu/IIHF)

Czechia

We’ve gotten used to Czech teams at both the U20 and U18 levels being a regular contender at tournaments in recent years and last spring in Texas was no different, even if a medal wasn’t in play. The Czechs bowed out to Canada in the quarterfinals, but that 3-2 Canadian victory required overtime and proved to be a far cry from Canada’s 7-0 whipping of Sweden in the gold medal game. Essentially, the Czechs were the biggest stone on Canada’s gold medal path.

As competitive as Czechia has been as a team and program, Czech players have become a fairly scarce first round topic at the NHL draft, with only 5 having been selected in the first round since 2022. And that’s after none were taken in Round 1 of either the 2021 or 2020 drafts. An almost mindboggling fact. For this summer’s draft, the top Czech name of interest is without a doubt that of Peterborough Petes forward Adam Novotny. Despite being eligible for the worlds, he is not nominated. We’re also staring at the notable absence of center Filip Novak and OHL forward Simon Belohorsky as well as OHL RHD Ben Reisnecker, all of whom were noticeable contributors at last summer’s Hlinka Gretzky Cup.

Still, coach Tomajko’s team will feature a strength in net, with two CHL goaltenders coming off strong seasons for their club teams. Jan Larys and Marek Sklenicka are so efficient that a preliminary round platoon at the tournament is thoroughly possible. How much help they’ll get from their rather pedestrian blueline is a question worth asking, even if we’re very excited about seeing 6-foot-3 16-year-old Matyas Michalek strut his stuff. Up front, we expect the forward group to sorely miss Novotny’s skill and ability to take control of play. Now that burden will fall on several different shoulders, most of which have spent their winters in Czechia’s U20 circuit. Simon Katolicky and 2027 super prospect Petr Tomek will have to lead the charge.

All that said, we’d be surprised if the Czechs end up anywhere but third in Group B action. The team can surely upset Sweden or USA, but both may be asking too much. Likewise, Germany has been known to give the Czechs headaches, so they certainly can’t take a day off against their neighbor to the west. Once the quarterfinals begin, anything is possible, especially with solid goaltending.

Players to watch

Dominik Byrtus – D

An underager who was born in the USA, Byrtus is coming off almost an entire season of pro play in the Czech Republic, even if the majority of it was in the country’s second pro division (2 points in 22 games). Turning 17 one day before tournament begins, Byrtus has been turning heads as a two-way defenseman with a strong understanding of the game and a high level of coachability. At the nation’s U20 level, his play belied his age as he collected four goals, 19 points, and a +21 rating over 33 games, a better performance than many of his blueline colleagues on this team. You can expect him to have a top six role in the bag seeing as how he was one of the top scoring defenseman with the program all winter long (6 points in 15 games).

Vojtech Hora - D

A defensive defenseman with strong game-reading skills and a willingness to adeptly block shots and passes, the 6-foot-4, 187-pound defender is coming in with a full year of Finnish U20 league play under his belt. He plays a safe game in all three zones and clearly understands the KISS principle while not fooling around with the puck whenever he has the opportunity to just make the safe play. This could be of golden value for the Czechs who’ll hope he can be leaned on in most all-important situations. He’s one of the few players here who has represented the Czech Republic all winter long. Even if his numbers in the U20 league and internationally were very pedestrian, he wrapped up the season with nine points in nine U18 league playoff games.

Simon Katolicky - F

With Novotny out of the picture, 6-foot-4, 194-pound Katolicky will be looked at as a go-to piece up front. All of 17 right on up until after the draft, Katolicky came into the season looking like one of the hottest prospects his country had to offer. Alas, an injury cost him a month of play between November and December, and his stats in Finland’s U20 league never popped. He also failed to make Czechia’s WJC squad, perhaps primarily due to the injury and uncertainty of his condition, but between his absence there, no Hlinka Gretzky Cup action, and a mere 23 points in 42 games this winter, we’re wondering just how effective he is as a scorer, especially when he’s a go-to guy. What’s clear is that this tournament could have a heavy impact not only on where he’s selected, but whether he’s drafted whatsoever.

Jan Larys - G

The 6-foot-3 goaltender is coming off a 26-10-2 performance for Drummondville of the QMJHL. His 2.86 GAA and .908 save percentage are top values in the Q. His 1-4 record as part of the team’s first round ousting will be seen as little more than a steppingstone along the way. What’s clear is that he’s heading to Bratislava as one of the top goaltending options in the tournament and no matter how he’s made use of, Larys could easily contend for the top goaltending honors here. With the firepower up front looking limited, both he and Marek Sklenica look like the key decision makers for this Czech team, especially once the playoffs roll around.

Marek Sklenicka - G

Having spent the entire season as the 1a for the Seattle Thunderbirds, Sklenicka is - along with Larys - one of the most accomplished goaltenders in this tournament. Very athletic and quick in net despite his 6-foot-4 frame, Sklenicka brings everything necessary to go for gold here in Bratislava. We don’t know how much he’ll play, if he’ll be the starter, or if coach Tomajko will platoon his goaltenders, but Sklenicka would be the starter for a number of the teams in this tournament. Like with Larys, his performance could easily be decisive.

Petr Tomek - F

You want excitement? Here’s the Czech forward to watch closely. Although of a slighter build, to put it nicely, Tomek is 17 and a 2027 draft eligible. He’s also coming off a full season of top league pro play in Czechia, where he displayed youthful exuberance all season long while collecting 16 goals and 29 points over 64 games, nine of which came in 13 playoff games. In other words, he’s been all the rage back home. Now coach Tomajko will have to hope he’s ready to perhaps be Czechia’s top offensive weapon at this tournament. It would have been nice to see him getting more help from some of the established talents left off the roster, but we can’t wait to see what he’ll be able to do here, one way or another.

Matej Tomanek - C

For the first time in years, we won’t be seeing and talking about Adam Benak in this rubric. Tomanek is about the same size as Benak and as fate would have it, he’s as close to a go-to playmaker as the Czechs will have with Novotny and Novak out of the picture. Basically, the top 17-year-old in Czechia’s U20 league, Tomanek went 19-29-48 in 47 total games for his Plzen club and has shown well in international friendlies, even if usually in a lower line capacity. Now, he should be a cog on the power play.

Jakub Vanecek - D

Having just wrapped up the season with the Tri-City Americans of the WHL, the 6-foot-2, 194-pound Vanecek has all the makings of being Czechia’s powerplay quarterback at this tournament. Playing for a team that lacked offense, Vanecek nonetheless pumped in 14 goals and 35 points this season and is viewed as a very likely top 75 pick this summer. For the Czech Republic, we’re expecting him to wear a letter and take on many of the most important assignments. He can be a cool customer but isn’t without his defensive weaknesses.

MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - DECEMBER 26: Denmark's Martinus Uggerhoj Schioldan #28 steps onto the ice for the first period against Finland during Preliminary Round - Group B action at the 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship at 3M Arena at Mariucci on December 26, 2025 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA. (Photo by Tim Austen/IIHF)

Denmark

The winter and spring of the 24-25 season were absolutely magical for the Danske Ishockey Union, seeing not only their U20 and U18 teams gain promotion from their respective D1B groupings but their women’s team moved up as well and the Men’s WC team, which hosted a magical leg of the spring tournament, brought things to a new height with a 1-0 quarterfinal win over a stacked Team Canada.

Alas, not all stories continue to lead to happy endings and after the U20 squad was promptly relegated at this past WJC, Coach Flemming Green now has a huge task at hand to keep Denmark among the world’s elite, something being made difficult by the fact that most of last spring’s dominating players have aged out, most prominently NHL draft pick Max Klyvo.

That’s nothing new for a contestant like Denmark, which will look to archrival Norway for a bit of inspiration in the matter, knowing fully well that it may just have to face Norway in the relegation round to achieve its goal of class retention. As usual, Denmark’s team will lean heavily on a mix of players playing abroad, mostly in Sweden, and those back home who at least got a lick of pro experience this past season in one of the nation’s two top divisions. The team is lacking any notable stars though, something that its closest competitors like Germany and Norway will be icing.

Emil Saaby Jakobsen - D

Already as an underager, Saaby Jakobsen was a key defensemen for the Danes while gaining promotion. He’s a slick puckhandler who can hop on horse to push the play forward. Impressive, considering he’s already 6-foot-3. He’s been in Sweden for the past two seasons and got into two pro contests for an ambitious club in the nation’s 3rd circuit but was primarily more than adequate with five goals and 21 points in 32 U20 league games, strong stats for a 17-year-old. Interestingly, he killed it in the U18 circuit with 15(!) goals and 23 points in just 15 games. He’ll be Denmark’s go-to blueliner and is probably the most interesting player on the team from a scouting perspective. A candidate to be North American juniors next winter.

James Bigum Johansen - D

He’s 6-foot-6 and 205 pounds. He has a righty shot. He’s now got an entire season of pro play in Denmark under his belt, splitting duties between the top league (25 games) and the nation’s second tier (14 games). In between, he played 16 U18 league games, scoring 12 goals and 20 points along the way. The most fascinating part of all this is that it has taken place as a 16-year-old. Indeed, Bigum Johansen will first turn 17 during the tournament and we’re going to find out if his impressive feats to date are simply a result of lower levels of play or if there’s something truly special here that requires higher level attention. It wouldn’t be the first time.

Andreas Klove Morgensen - F

He’s 5-foot-11 and little more than a spit in the bucket at 160 pounds but Klove Morgensen has spent this winter being Denmark’s most noticeable forward internationally (7 points in 5 games) and had a fascinating club season in his native Denmark. In addition to 24 goals in 22 U18 games, he played the entire second pro league season and went 21-24-45 in 30 games, which are unusually good number for a 17-year-old. He then concluded the season with six games in the top league, where he’ll surely be next season if he remains in Denmark. We’ll now get to see what all that means while facing the big boys in his age group.

Martinus Schioldan - W

Likely to be the biggest minute-muncher up front, the 6-foot-1, 194-pound Schioldan is coming off his second full season of play in Swedish juniors, having suited up for 32 U20 league games for HV71 and another 17 at the U18 level. Not much of a scorer in either, Schioldan has been molding himself into an amicable two-way player with complimentary player qualities. We saw him at the WJC, where he had a middle six role and collected two assists along the way. In light of all this, he’ll be expected to carry a lot of the weight for this club, being one of the few returnees from the team that gained promotion last spring. His biggest impact may be as a wrecking ball up front.

FRISCO, TEXAS - APRIL 27: Germany's Darian Rolsing #4 looks on from the bench during Preliminary Round - Group B action against Switzerland at the 2025 IIHF Ice Hockey U18 World Championship at Comerica Center on April 27, 2025 in Frisco, Texas, USA. (Photo by Micheline Veluvolu/IIHF)

Germany

As much as we like teams who are here to win everything, we can appreciate when a federation is realistic and lets it be known that maintaining the class is the goal at hand, and anything above and beyond that is a cherry on top. For first-time coach Andreas Becherer, achieving that goal is his first major hurdle in his tenure with this team.

Germany achieved that goal last spring while featuring players such as Carlos Händel, David Lewandowski, and Maxim Schäfer, all of whom were drafted last summer, and their waterbug dynamo Dustin Willhöft (Saskatoon Blades). Alas, these go-to players have moved on to being keys to the nation’s U20 team and now the bulk of the responsibility is being passed along to a small group of underagers, with 16-year-old Max Calce (formerly Max Penkin) being chief among them. He’s not only someone to build on moving forward but is a returnee from last spring and already the biggest name Germany will be presenting. Had he not sustained an injury last December, he’d have been at the WJC in Minnesota as well. A veteran of 14 DEL games, he’s the most important player for Germany since, well, Tim Stützle. Yes, you read right.

As usual, the team will be showing up with a bunch of players the general fan will understand as no-names, the bulk of which have done little more than play in Germany’s top U20 league, which pales in comparison to those of most of the hockey world’s powers. Nonetheless, one defenseman will be coming straight over from the WHL, three players are heading down from Nordic country junior circuits, and four others are joining from Salzburg’s famed RB Juniors club, including two of the three goalies. Furthermore, three of the key players for this team are defensemen who are eligible for this summer’s draft while arguably the four most important forwards are first eligible in 2027. Two underage defensemen could also easily be among the top players for Germany, with 6-foot-2, 207-pound Liron Pellizzari having already suited up for seven DEL games.

To avoid beating around the bush, we can say the first game of the tournament will be little more than a warm-up match against Sweden. Not much is expected and Becherer can concentrate on systems and messages. But Game 2 will be against newbie Denmark, and this is by far the most vital game of the tournament. Win that and class retention is all but assured. A loss there will change the entire outlook, giving the games against the Czech Republic and USA a whole new meaning. Germany is not going to want to have to deal with that.

Beat Denmark and then the rest of the preliminary round is simply about preparing for the playoffs. That’s the driver’s seat Germany will be aiming for. Showing up in the relegation round would likely mean facing off against Norway or Latvia, and that hasn’t gone well for Germany in tournaments past.

Players to watch

Bastian Bauer - G

Germany is taking three internationally raw goaltenders to the worlds. Not a one of the three stood in goal for even five of the U18 team’s friendlies this winter and two of them are with the RB juniors program in Salzburg, neither of whom played with the men’s team there in the AlpsHL. Niclas Wolters was the starter for Berlin’s U20 outfit and played more this season than his colleagues, so he should be looking at the starter’s job. But 6-foot-2 Bastian Bauer, who only turned 17 one month ago, must be mentioned here because he’s coming off a season where he went 14-1 for the Red Bull program’s U18 team, following that up with a 5-0 record in the playoffs. His 0.80 GAA and .960 save percentage in the regular season are not something you see every day. It would be something if all that was the mark of a player who could turn heads at this tournament.

Nikita Bloch - F

An underager who just turned 17 three weeks ago, Bloch is one of the players who most impressed us this past season, especially considering how much his play and progress came out of the blue. To be clear, we enjoy the RB Juniors project going on in Salzburg because of how well players 16-21 years of age are able to play against lower tier pro men. They have many hurdles to climb, and Bloch got into 33 games, putting up three goals and seven points while mastering that. He exhibited no fear in his approach and put a dastardly solid wrist shot on regular display, most often playing on a line with other U19 players. That he was called up into the pro team was well-earned considering he had 17 goals in 18 U20 league games - as a 16-year-old. Now he’ll be a go-to offensive player here who is shaping up to be one to follow for the 2027 draft.

Max Calce - F

After gaining “exceptional status” to play in Germany’s top U20 league (DNL) as a 15-year-old in 24-25, Calce certainly took the bigger step this past season by not only making a 14-game debut with the Adler Mannheim of the DEL but scoring his first two pro goals in the process. It sounds pretty good - if not plain historic - for the 180-pounder who won’t be 17 until June, but this season has been otherwise a mix of bland, unfortunate, and surprising. He only got into 26 DNL junior games and his 33 points were good, but nothing particularly special. A game misconduct in the DNL championship series saw him miss the final game of the team’s sweep and meant he had just one point in three-game final series. His injury around the holidays cost him WJC participation and he (and his younger brother Danny) changed their name from Penkin to Calce a few months ago, the name of his DNL coach. Now Max is expected to be the ne plus ultra leader of this U18 team, which would mean he’ll certainly be expected to top the three points he had in Texas last spring. Alas, he’s entering the tournament having only played 10 contests whatsoever in 2026. What form will he be in?

Tobias Krämer - D

Fresh off a DNL championship with Mannheim (6-19-25 in 46 games), Krämer is pretty much our favorite prospect out of Germany this season. And he arrived out of basically nowhere to boot. Originally from the Czech Republic, his eligibility to play for Germany didn’t even become an IIHF certainty until about midseason, but it couldn’t have come at a better time for the DEB. He spent this past winter as one of the top overall junior defensemen in the country and combines snarl, uncompromising physical play, strong mobility, and an increasingly accurate and powerful shot, all in a 6-foot-6, 209-pound body. Watching him in Germany’s U20 is like being a kid in a candy shop, because there’s so little opponents can do to slow him down or get past him. Now comes the real test as aside from seven friendlies, this is the first time we really get to see what he can do against the creme-de-la-creme of his age group. There should be some initial issues with pace, but if he ultimately brings it, he could go from suspiciously impressive find to a hot topic for the scouting community in no time flat. The size/tools package is just too enticing. Bonus: he’s a righty shot to boot!

Darian Rolsing - D

At the conclusion of last season, we saw 6-foot-6 RHD Darian Rolsing looking like Germany’s top prospect for this year’s draft. He had not only spent the better part of two seasons playing Finnish juniors but entered the U18 Worlds in Texas as the #7 defenseman only to wind up as the team’s #3 by the time the playoffs rolled around. We knew he’d get USHL and maybe CHL attention and that took place, thus he spent this season gaining valuable experience for Wenatchee of the WHL. A defensive defenseman through and through, it’s been a season of learning, but one where he was in the line-up right from the get-go. Now he’ll be Germany’s de facto top pairing blueliner, out there for all major defensive duties. There are others here who can move with the puck, so his role will be clear. Whether he’s drafted or not this summer is looking uncertain. It’d have to be an outstanding tournament for him to sneak into a later round at this point but there’s pro potential here for down the road.

Jonas Schwarz - W

Get ready for a player who can jump out at you for all the right - or wrong - reasons. He’s a bit of a thoroughbred who needs to be reeled in at times and whether it’s snarky bite or an unchecked attitude, one can’t claim he’s emotionless, to put it nicely. What we can say is that he has some fantastic tools. Both his skating and stickhandling are things we don’t see coming out of Germany often, and he applies his hips in an excellent fashion in both maintaining balance and gaining better positioning. He knows where his colleagues are out on the ice as well. And like several others here, he’s first eligible for the 2027 draft. We suspect he’ll get a look on the line with Calce after putting up 58 points in 47 games for Lukko’s U18 squad, with another nine points in 13 U20 games when called upon. The program almost brought him along to Texas last spring but expect him to be getting top six minutes and responsibility as long as he stays focused.

Viggo Björck of Sweden celebrates after winning the 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship final game between Sweden and Czech Republic on January 5, 2026 in Saint Paul.
Photo: Joel Marklund / BILDBYRÅN

Sweden

So close, and yet so far. Once again. Sweden has some silver medals to flash in recent years, but that gold medal back in 2022 is beginning to feel like it was a really long time ago. Fortunately, the team has as good a shot at gold this spring as anybody, save for maybe Canada. And therein lies the problem, because the groupings at this tournament are mighty similar to last year and chances are, any path to gold will likely require the Tre Kronor to face off against a squad it got whooped by 7-0 a year ago (had we mentioned that already?).

Making things even more challenging is the fact megastar Viggo Björck, an SHL player who already helped carry Team Sweden to gold at this winter’s WJC, will not be along for the ride. Yep, some crazy stuff, seeing as how it all has to do with his own decision to continue playing for Djurgarden’s U20 team in the J20 league playoffs. Apparently, that’s a problem, although everyone is holding out hope that fences will be mended in time for him to head on down before too long. If not, a great deal of responsibility spreads onto a number of other shoulders and chances are, most of these players spent all season thinking their go-to cog would be with them in Bratislava. Time to think in different constellations, just in case.

The good news is that there are a good number of shoulders here for that responsibility to be spread upon. Goaltending has something to prove, but the nation is bringing no less than two of its best U20 goaltenders down with them and all three nominees are coming off a full winter of action. The blueline features its usual mixture of draft candidates and those still hoping to become ones. Up front, the Swedes will be featuring one of the best groups at the tournament and all the scouts will be in the house to see the big names like Alexander Command and Marcus Nordmark as well as the more mysterious talents such as Wiggo Sörensson and Vilgot Liden.

One thing is for sure: defenseman Malte Gustafsson has the wares and a prime opportunity to be the tournament’s top defenseman. For him, his performance here could be the difference between being selected inside or outside of the top 10 this summer.

Players to watch

Adam Andersson - C

If you fancy lunch pail players who are just good at everything and can play the game any way it comes, even if their stats don’t jump out at you, then Andersson is the Swedish forward you’re going to want to keep your eye on here. As well-rounded as it comes at this age, Andersson will likely be out there for PK duty and any time the going gets rough. He’s got the mind and hands to move the puck, and when it’s time to sprint, he’ll be getting from point A to B faster than most.

Viggo Björck - C/W

We’re holding out hope that the aforementioned discrepancies between Björck and the federation will take care of themselves by next week. He’s clearly the star of the team, was already a key component of the gold-medal-winning WJC team and is slotted to be a top 15 pick this summer. In fact, if he were six inches taller, he’d likely be a top three pick. Everything he does is that of a winner and it’s been that way for two years now. By the end of the season, he was taking a regular shift in the SHL. Should he show up in Trencin, there’s really going to be little opposition defenses can do to prevent him from heavily impacting every game. He’d have to be an odds-on favorite to lead the tournament in scoring. But will we see him there?

Alexander Command - F

Clearly inspired by the English language meaning of his last name, Command likes to take just that when playing, accustomed to having the puck on his stick and creating danger as both a shooter and playmaker. As wonderful as his season was, and coming from the same organization as Leo Carlsson, Command will be representing his country for the first time at a major tournament, and despite six scoreless SHL appearances, we can only really point towards his 12 points in 13 international U18 friendlies this winter as a sign of what to expect from him in Slovakia. Expect him to be a top six center who’ll look to use this tournament to solidify a spot in the latter half of the first round this summer.

Elton Hermansson - W

The 6-foot-1 winger is coming into this tournament as one of the most pro-mature players we’ll see. He’s coming off an entire season of HockeyAllsvenskan play with MoDo, a big name in the Swedish hockey world, where he put up 12 goals and 22 points while getting a good bit of playoff experience, recently bowing out in Game 7 of the semi-finals. He can play a rough ‘n tumble game and has absolute sniping abilities. Furthermore, his play against his peers in Slovakia could go a long way in deciding just how high he’s drafted this summer. We’ll be curious to see how he makes the transition from being the little fella in a veteran locker room to a go-to contributor with leadership expectations. We don’t think it’ll be a problem.

Malte Gustafsson - D

Pokechecks, use of space, reads, mobility, timing, an understanding of not only where the game is, but where it’s going… Yep, the hockey world didn’t really see it coming, but Gustafsson wowed this winter with his innate hockey sense and simple ability to play in all three zones against professional athletes. Already 6-foot-4 and 200 pounds, he makes a surprisingly coordinated impression, even if quite lanky, but he can handle the rough stuff and always takes the body when the situation demands it. He got into 31 SHL games this year and even if the production to date has never really seen any popping at any level, he’s a defensemen’s defenseman who can do a bit of everything and has the natural abilities to indicate there’s far more to come down the line. For now, Sweden will be happy with him just doing his thing until the end of April because it’s hard to imagine that all too many opponents at this tournament will be able to do anything but fail against his wingspan and overall shutdown skills.

Bosse Meijer - F

Meijer is for this year’s Team Sweden what Viggo Björck was for last year’s. He’s perhaps one of the top two Swedes for the 2027 draft and we’re now going to get a glimpse of that promising future, because as soon as the hockey world found out that Björck would not be joining the national team (we’re still in shock), Meijer’s immediate importance to this team skyrocketed. Of similar size to Björck, and having just turned 17 in December, Meijer spent the whole season in Sweden’s U20 circuit, ultimately contributing 23 goals and 62 points over 44 games, including 25 points in 13 playoff games. He was an offensive beast. He’s so far along that perennial contender Frölunda gave him a two-game SHL introduction. He’s got the goods to be a top six contributor at this tournament.

Marcus Nordmark - F

It’s a veritable given that the Djurgarden organization will be producing 1-2 first round talents just about every summer now. It certainly has felt like that in recent years and together with Björck, Nordmark is expected to keep that trend going. We’re also expecting him to become a full-time SHL player next year that we saw the Eklunds and Frondells be this year, even if his draft year star hasn’t been quite as bright as those of the aforementioned organizational teammates. Alas, the 6-foot-2 winger who got into eight SHL games this season was the U20 team’s scorer du jour with 38 points in 25 games and has since been killing it in the playoffs with 23 points in 11 games. He can move, he can run a power play, he can dish it, and he understands the generating offense off the rush. Sweden is bound to lean heavily on him up front in this tournament.

Ole Palme - D

Probably the one Swedish player on this list you may not have heard of yet, Palme has many of the tools you want a depth defenseman in your organization to have. He’s 6-foot-2, 200 pounds, and has solid four-way mobility. He was very noticeable at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup last summer with his three points and +5 rating. He parlayed that into steady and improving performances for the Växjö organization at primarily the U20 level (6 goals, 22 points in 25 games), but especially for the U18 squad (3-14-17 in 15 games), crowned by a 5-game stint in the SHL. He turned 18 two months ago and is right where you want him in his development. He should be an essential component of any success this Swedish team enjoys, especially when it comes to ensuring solid, teamwide puck management.

Wiggo Sörensson - F

Sörensson is one of the biggest mysteries at the tournament. This will be the opportunity to really see just what this young man has to offer and if it compares with those of his age group who have been playing in a more competitive environment. That’s because Sörensson played for a program off the beaten path and blew away the competition, both at the U20 level (56 points in 13 games) and with the 4th division men’s team (48 points in 37 games). By the time he was loaned out to the formidable Växjö organization, he added 12 points in 7 U18 games and scored a goal in his one U20 appearance. For all intents and purposes, he looks uniquely talented with a great deal of creativity and a strong understanding of generating offense. Having turned 18 not even a week ago, this will be the highest level he’s played at this year.

Wyatt Cullen. Photo by Rena Laverty, USA Hockey

USA

The years in which the US entered this tournament as the clear-cut favorite for gold are felt to be a thing of the past, even if those days weren’t all that long ago. Already last spring in Texas, there was concern that the team might have trouble playing for a medal. It ended up playing a fine tournament and going home with bronze, having lost the semi-final to Sweden by a tight score of 4-3 beforehand. But with the tides of junior hockey having changed so heavily thanks to the newfound NCAA eligibility for CHL players, the USNTDP no longer has recruiting power for a US player market it once dominated.

This winter has shown us already what that heavy shift in recruiting dynamics can mean as there were some less than spectacular games along the way and a lack of star power. It immediately cost them a topflight forward in J.P. Hurlbert, who took his act to the WHL. More will choose that route moving forward. This tournament will also not see OHL 97-point performer Nikita Klepov, who was fantastic for the US at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup, as his camp seems to be wanting to leave the door open for him to one day represent Russia in international play.

Nonetheless, the US is coming to Slovakia with a good 10-13 players expected to be drafted this summer and several more who are hot topics for the 2027 NHL draft. There’s plenty of depth and opportunity for a number of skaters to be heroes over the next few weeks. We’d even go so far as to say we’re not homing in specifically on names like Danny Beuker, Mikey Berchild, Sammy Nelson, or Victor Plante to be the top guys to keep an eye on, but any one of them could end up being a difference maker.

Also, of advantage for Team USA is that the preliminary round will look a lot like it did last year, just this time Switzerland is out and Denmark is in. Considering the Danes often present a team much like Norway’s, and the US toppled the Norwegians 10-0 in a recent test game, we see little stopping the US from finishing top three in the group and more likely among the top two. The key tests will be the initial match-up against a Czech team that might draw what’ll more or less be a hometown crowd and then the third match-up against a loaded Swedish side. The US beat Sweden 6-3 in the preliminary round last year, but the Swedes obviously got their revenge in the playoffs.

As opposed to last year, the program doesn’t have to be too worried about goaltending and the attack features a number of options, even if we find ourselves wondering who will be this year’s L.J. Mooney. There are some really big boys in the forward attack and that should be an advantage when the going gets tough or in general against teams with physical limitations.

What we don’t know is how solid the blueline will prove itself to be. It’s anything but star-studded but has come through as a suffocating unit at various junctures of the season, even at times when few goals were produced up front. Our concern here is when it may come down to one important game in the quarterfinals, the day when four teams are sent home packing. We’d have to think it’d behoove this team to not have to face, for example, Slovakia in Bratislava for such a decisive outing. On paper though, this team should be playing for a medal.

Players to Watch

Wyatt Cullen - C

The son of former NHLer and Stanley Cup winner Matt Cullen, Wyatt is a prospect currently very much on the rise. Setbacks in the fall and December kept him to a modest start into the season, but he’s been moving up the charts through the back half of the campaign and comes into this tournament as one of the players with the most to gain from a draft position perspective. In Slovakia, he’ll be a key contributor on the powerplay and in generating the kind of offensive opportunities that keep opponents guessing all game long. A future Golden Gopher, we see Cullen serving the role for this team at this tournament that players such as Jack Hughes, Logan Cooley, and James Hagens have for The Program in the past without wanting to lean too far out the window in making any direct comparisons. This is the level of relevance he should have for this team nonetheless.

Jamie Glance - W

With a September 23rd birthday, Glance just misses the cut for this year’s draft and is first eligible in 2027. However, with 33 goals and 72 points in 80 games this winter, he’s one of this squad’s absolute go-to guys and will now participate in the only U18 Worlds he’s still eligible for. Neither particularly large nor overly speedy, Glance displays a wonderful understanding of creating offense off the rush and finding ways to present himself for a pass, which is a good thing as his one-timer is among his most proficient weapons. There’s tenacity here too. Capable of making the sneaky slick pass, Glance can go under the radar for periods at a time before making a decisive play. A gamer and someone who can be the hero in overtime, we expect Glance to be in the thick of any success the team will have.

Diego Gutierrez - D

A righty shot defenseman with impressive size (6-foot-2, 187 pounds), Gutierrez hails from McAllen, Texas, and is coming in as a 16-year-old underager. A fairly hot topic for the 2027 draft at this point, we’ve liked that Gutierrez has shown a knack for making the sweet pass here and there and can break out the puck, sometimes by threading the puck over several zones. He’s still raw and has shown growing pains against bigger competition this winter, but there’s an opportunity at this tournament for him to surpass other defensemen on the totem pole and add considerable experience for the future, as he could be the program’s #1 defenseman next season.

Levi Harper - D

Certainly not the biggest defenseman in the world at 5-foot-11 and 175 pounds, Harper is coming in from the Saginaw Spirit and is your classic righty shot power play quarterback who is used to playing and gelling with star forwards. As such, he’s exactly what the doctor ordered for a team that never saw anyone within the program step up to the plate in this capacity this season. Smart with the puck and capable of unloading various forms of shots that forwards can make good use of in front of the net, Harper had 12 goals and 57 points in 68 OHL contests. The slick passer won’t turn 18 until October, meaning he’s first eligible for the 2027 draft. At this tournament, we’re expecting him to already be the US’ ne plus ultra on the blueline for all major offensive duties. Defensively, he’s very much a work in progress, so we’re looking at a true specialist weapon who could be a huge difference maker.

Brady Knowling - G

Already a member of the WJC squad this past winter, Knowling is thought of as one of the top three North American goaltenders in this draft, if not the best. That has much more to do with his athleticism, anticipation, strong east-west crease movements, and lightning quick reflexes, all packaged in a 6-foot-5, 200-pound frame. Alas, you wouldn’t know how highly touted he is by looking at stats alone, as the technical numbers against older competition do little to explain how he’s accumulated a 20-15-1 record. But now is the time where all that takes a back seat. Truth is, Knowling could easily will this team to a medal of some sort and has as good a shot at doing that as any goaltender in this tournament. He’ll face some pressure from the stronger teams, so we’ll get to see what he’s really capable of with the chips on the line.

Carter Meyer - F

Another underager draftwise, Meyer turned 17 just a week before the tournament but was already the program’s top scorer in the USHL leg of their season, putting up 37 points in 42 games. Son of former NHL defenseman Freddy Meyer, Carter has been the key offensive driver for the program’s U17 team and, in total, has suited up for 109 games this winter - an attest to his fitness and perseverance. The owner of a deadly wrist shot, he can control a power play from the right faceoff circle and sticks out as a deadly playmaker around and from behind the net. Considering some bigger names and outside additions may mean he takes a lower line assignment, just that may free him up to be quite the weapon against weaker competition.

Casey Mutryn - F

The one-year younger brother of San Jose Sharks prospect Teddy Mutryn, the Boston College commit came into the season as one of the most anticipated US players in the draft. He’s still expected to be one of the first 15 names off the board on Day 2, but this season has had its fair share of ups and downs. A righty shot with some moves and swagger, Casey is an absolute handful along the boards and in the slot. There’s plenty of bite to his game and he’s no stranger to the penalty box, as his 113 PMs this winter attest. Nonetheless, his 53 points in 80 games this winter have left viewers wanting more. All in all, we have little doubt that he’ll make his mark in pro hockey as a power forward with intangibles, but we’re really hoping he’ll use this tournament to give teams a good reason to perhaps select him at the tail end of the first round. We’re certain that some opponents here are going to have their hands full with him.

Brooks Rogowski - C

Rogowski won’t be 18 until several days before this summer’s NHL draft, but the 6-foot-6, 230-pound center is already an absolute truck of physical specimen. Joining the US from the Oshawa Generals, Rogowski was held to just 46 contests this season (42 points) as he missed a good month of play between early November and the holidays but left little doubt this season about his ability to move, dish the puck, and crash the net. That means he’s going to be able to add exactly what this spring’s Team USA is really in need of in Slovakia, coming in as perhaps the tournament’s biggest player. A Michigan State commit as of the 27-28 season, we’re thinking he’ll be adding a very difficult element for opponents to face and perhaps a powerplay presence that’ll give this team a major advantage. Like others on Team USA, this tournament could do a good bit in fortifying a spot as a first round draft pick.

Luke Schairer - D

In a year where the USNTDP has fewer draft eligible defenseman of note than usual, Schairer continues to look like the best of the bunch. His 27 points in 80 games were definitely nothing to write home about, especially considering he has played the point on the power play, but the offensive side of his game not only has room to grow, it’s a plus when we take the combination of mobility and size (6-foot-3 200 pounds) into account. He lacks a full level of smoothness in his turns, but he competes and rarely gives up on a play. There are times he can suffocate the opposition along the boards, and he makes strong use of his long reach. Coming into the season, there might have been more expectations of him, but this tournament will be one last prime opportunity to show what he can chip in for a successful team and is one to build on in the future.

2026 NHL DRAFT: TOP 32 PRIOR TO THE 2026 IIHF U18 MEN’S WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

Brock Otten — Sun, 19 Apr 2026 18:03:12 +0000

Caleb Malhotra

It’s time for the McKeen’s Hockey scouting team to update their rankings for the 2026 NHL Draft. Many junior leagues around the globe are in the thick of the playoffs and we have the IIHF U18’s upcoming. This top 100 will serve as our final ranking before our Draft Guide release, which expands us to a top 300.

Gavin McKenna is holding firm on his first overall ranking on our board thanks to some adjustments and strong play post world juniors with Penn State. We’re hoping that he gets the nod to represent Canada at the IIHF World Championships, which would be a terrific measuring stick for him.

Pushing up our list are Brantford Bulldogs center Caleb Malhotra and Swedish defender Malte Gustafsson. Malhotra has shown terrific progression over the course of the OHL season and has been outstanding through the first two rounds of the OHL playoffs. Meanwhile Gustafsson has shown remarkable poise across various levels in Sweden and offers great athletic tools and two-way upside.

Other significant “risers” from our previous list include Quebec forward Maddox Dagenais, North Bay center Ryder Cali, Moncton defender Tommy Bleyl, Slovak defender Adam Goljer, and Russian netminder Dmitri Borichev. All have played significantly well in the second half of their respective seasons and have pushed up our boards due to the upside that they possess. Dagenais brings elite athletic tools and a heavy shot to the table and has shown considerable improvement in the second half from a consistency perspective. Cali is one of the draft’s youngest players and has found confidence in his on-puck play, causing us to re-evaluate his upside. Bleyl is one of the draft’s most dynamic offensive defenders and his strong play has given us no choice but to adjust our ranking of him accordingly. Goljer is an athletic two-way defender who has played well against men in the Slovak pro league this year, but he’s shown offensive upside when playing against his peers. Borichev is the draft’s netminding crown jewel with a great frame, elite athleticism, and improving technical abilities.

Fresh off the release of our annual three part look at the top “re-entry” candidates available, several have made the cut in our top 100. Edmonton defender Ethan MacKenzie, Prince Albert netminder Michal Orsulak, Czech defender Tomas Galvas, Victoria defender Timofei Runtso, Chicoutimi forward Liam Lefebvre, and Sioux Falls defender Matthew Grimes. You can find more info about each player in the aforementioned three-part series.

We’re very excited to see what the end of the season has in store and how that impacts our final ranking. As usual, you can expect our annual draft guide to be released in early June.

RK	PLAYER	POS	TEAM	HT/WT	DOB	GP	G	A	PTS	PIM
1	Gavin McKenna	LW	Penn State (NCAA)	5-11/170	20-Dec-07	35	15	36	51	36
2	Ivar Stenberg	LW	Frolunda (SHL)	5-11/185	30-Sep-07	43	11	22	33	6
3	Chase Reid	D	Soo Greyhounds (OHL)	6-2/185	30-Dec-07	45	18	30	48	30
4	Caleb Malhotra	C	Brantford (OHL)	6-0/170	2-Jun-08	67	29	55	84	51
5	Carson Carels	D	Prince George (WHL)	6-2/195	23-Jun-08	58	20	53	73	66
6	Keaton Verhoeff	D	North Dakota (NCAA)	6-4/210	19-Jun-08	36	6	14	20	29
7	Alberts Smits	D	Jukurit (Fin-Liiga)	6-3/205	2-Dec-07	38	6	7	13	20
8	Viggo Bjorck	C	Djurgardens (SHL)	5-9/175	12-Mar-08	42	6	9	15	12
9	Malte Gustafsson	D	HV 71 (SHL)	6-4/200	11-Jun-08	27	0	3	3	4
10	Daxon Rudolph	D	Prince Albert (WHL)	6-2/205	6-Mar-08	68	28	50	78	75
11	Oscar Hemming	LW	Boston College (NCAA)	6-4/195	13-Aug-08	19	1	7	8	18
12	Tynan Lawrence	C	Boston University (NCAA)	6-0/185	3-Aug-08	18	2	5	7	2
13	Ethan Belchetz	LW	Windsor (OHL)	6-5/225	30-Mar-08	57	34	25	59	45
14	Adam Novotny	LW	Peterborough (OHL)	6-1/205	13-Nov-07	58	34	31	65	22
15	Elton Hermansson	RW	MoDo Hockey (Allsvenskan)	6-1/180	5-Feb-08	38	11	10	21	22
16	Maddox Dagenais	C	Quebec (QMJHL)	6-3/195	27-Mar-08	62	30	32	62	31
17	Oliver Suvanto	C	Tappara (Fin-Liiga)	6-3/210	3-Sep-08	48	2	9	11	16
18	Ryan Lin	D	Vancouver (WHL)	5-11/175	18-Apr-08	53	14	43	57	35
19	Wyatt Cullen	LW	USN U18 (USDP)	5-11/175	8-Sep-08	34	12	22	34	37
20	Xavier Villeneuve	D	Blainville-Boisbriand (QMJHL)	5-11/160	29-Sep-07	37	6	32	38	35
21	Nikita Klepov	RW	Saginaw (OHL)	6-0/180	27-Jun-08	67	37	60	97	43
22	Ilia Morozov	C	Miami (NCAA)	6-3/195	3-Aug-08	36	8	12	20	27
23	Alexander Command	C	Orebro (Swe J20)	6-1/185	16-Jun-08	30	17	27	44	61
24	Mathis Preston	RW	Spo-Van (WHL)	5-11/175	21-Jul-08	46	18	26	44	34
25	Tommy Bleyl	D	Moncton (QMJHL)	6-0/160	1-Dec-07	63	13	68	81	33
26	JP Hurlbert	LW	Kamloops (WHL)	6-0/185	11-Apr-08	68	42	55	97	45
27	Juho Piiparinen	D	Tappara (Fin-Liiga)	6-2/200	10-Aug-08	29	0	3	3	8
28	Adam Goljer	D	HK Dukla Trencin (Slovakia)	6-3/195	7-Jun-08	43	4	7	11	40
29	Jaxon Cover	LW	London (OHL)	6-2/175	13-Feb-08	67	20	32	52	48
30	Gleb Pugachyov	C	Chaika Nizhny Novgorod (MHL)	6-3/200	25-Mar-08	33	10	14	24	36
31	Ryder Cali	C	North Bay (OHL)	6-1/210	6-Sep-08	47	16	20	36	24
32	Dmitri Borichev	G	Loko-76 Yaroslavl (MHL)	6-3/200	19-Jun-08	24	12	8	2.25	0.929

2026 NHL DRAFT: TOP 100 PRIOR TO THE 2026 IIHF U18 MEN’S WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

Brock Otten — Sun, 19 Apr 2026 17:58:39 +0000

Caleb Malhotra

We’re very excited to see what the end of the season has in store and how that impacts our final ranking. As usual, you can expect our annual draft guide to be released in early June.

RK	PLAYER	POS	TEAM	HT/WT	DOB	GP	G	A	PTS	PIM
1	Gavin McKenna	LW	Penn State (NCAA)	5-11/170	20-Dec-07	35	15	36	51	36
2	Ivar Stenberg	LW	Frolunda (SHL)	5-11/185	30-Sep-07	43	11	22	33	6
3	Chase Reid	D	Soo Greyhounds (OHL)	6-2/185	30-Dec-07	45	18	30	48	30
4	Caleb Malhotra	C	Brantford (OHL)	6-0/170	2-Jun-08	67	29	55	84	51
5	Carson Carels	D	Prince George (WHL)	6-2/195	23-Jun-08	58	20	53	73	66
6	Keaton Verhoeff	D	North Dakota (NCAA)	6-4/210	19-Jun-08	36	6	14	20	29
7	Alberts Smits	D	Jukurit (Fin-Liiga)	6-3/205	2-Dec-07	38	6	7	13	20
8	Viggo Bjorck	C	Djurgardens (SHL)	5-9/175	12-Mar-08	42	6	9	15	12
9	Malte Gustafsson	D	HV 71 (SHL)	6-4/200	11-Jun-08	27	0	3	3	4
10	Daxon Rudolph	D	Prince Albert (WHL)	6-2/205	6-Mar-08	68	28	50	78	75
11	Oscar Hemming	LW	Boston College (NCAA)	6-4/195	13-Aug-08	19	1	7	8	18
12	Tynan Lawrence	C	Boston University (NCAA)	6-0/185	3-Aug-08	18	2	5	7	2
13	Ethan Belchetz	LW	Windsor (OHL)	6-5/225	30-Mar-08	57	34	25	59	45
14	Adam Novotny	LW	Peterborough (OHL)	6-1/205	13-Nov-07	58	34	31	65	22
15	Elton Hermansson	RW	MoDo Hockey (Allsvenskan)	6-1/180	5-Feb-08	38	11	10	21	22
16	Maddox Dagenais	C	Quebec (QMJHL)	6-3/195	27-Mar-08	62	30	32	62	31
17	Oliver Suvanto	C	Tappara (Fin-Liiga)	6-3/210	3-Sep-08	48	2	9	11	16
18	Ryan Lin	D	Vancouver (WHL)	5-11/175	18-Apr-08	53	14	43	57	35
19	Wyatt Cullen	LW	USN U18 (USDP)	5-11/175	8-Sep-08	34	12	22	34	37
20	Xavier Villeneuve	D	Blainville-Boisbriand (QMJHL)	5-11/160	29-Sep-07	37	6	32	38	35
21	Nikita Klepov	RW	Saginaw (OHL)	6-0/180	27-Jun-08	67	37	60	97	43
22	Ilia Morozov	C	Miami (NCAA)	6-3/195	3-Aug-08	36	8	12	20	27
23	Alexander Command	C	Orebro (Swe J20)	6-1/185	16-Jun-08	30	17	27	44	61
24	Mathis Preston	RW	Spo-Van (WHL)	5-11/175	21-Jul-08	46	18	26	44	34
25	Tommy Bleyl	D	Moncton (QMJHL)	6-0/160	1-Dec-07	63	13	68	81	33
26	JP Hurlbert	LW	Kamloops (WHL)	6-0/185	11-Apr-08	68	42	55	97	45
27	Juho Piiparinen	D	Tappara (Fin-Liiga)	6-2/200	10-Aug-08	29	0	3	3	8
28	Adam Goljer	D	HK Dukla Trencin (Slovakia)	6-3/195	7-Jun-08	43	4	7	11	40
29	Jaxon Cover	LW	London (OHL)	6-2/175	13-Feb-08	67	20	32	52	48
30	Gleb Pugachyov	C	Chaika Nizhny Novgorod (MHL)	6-3/200	25-Mar-08	33	10	14	24	36
31	Ryder Cali	C	North Bay (OHL)	6-1/210	6-Sep-08	47	16	20	36	24
32	Dmitri Borichev	G	Loko-76 Yaroslavl (MHL)	6-3/200	19-Jun-08	24	12	8	2.25	0.929
33	Jack Hextall	C	Youngstown (USHL)	6-0/190	23-Mar-08	59	20	38	58	28
34	William Hakansson	D	Lulea (SHL)	6-4/205	8-Oct-07	22	0	2	2	8
35	Marcus Nordmark	LW	Djurgardens (Swe J20)	6-1/180	4-May-08	25	14	24	38	48
36	Tobias Trejbal	G	Youngstown (USHL)	6-4/190	9-Nov-07	42	30	9	2.12	0.916
37	Brooks Rogowski	C	Oshawa (OHL)	6-6/225	28-Jun-08	46	15	27	42	17
38	Ben MacBeath	D	Calgary (WHL)	6-2/185	4-Mar-08	67	7	44	51	16
39	Alexander Bilecki	D	Kitchener (OHL)	6-1/180	9-May-08	66	9	20	29	43
40	Egor Shilov	C	Victoriaville (QMJHL)	6-1/180	30-Apr-08	63	32	50	82	29
41	Niklas Aaram Olsen	RW	Orebro (Swe J20)	6-0/185	19-Apr-08	29	20	20	40	22
42	Tomas Chrenko	C	HK Nitra (Slovakia)	5-11/170	2-Nov-07	44	9	22	31	10
43	Samu Alalauri	D	Pelicans (Fin-U20)	6-2/200	31-May-08	40	6	19	25	4
44	Jakub Vanecek	D	Tri-City (WHL)	6-1/190	25-Feb-08	59	14	21	35	20
45	Thomas Vandenberg	C	Ottawa (OHL)	6-0/180	8-Sep-08	59	25	25	50	20
46	Liam Ruck	RW	Medicine Hat (WHL)	6-0/175	21-Feb-08	68	45	59	104	36
47	Alessandro Di Iorio	RW	Sarnia (OHL)	6-0/190	17-Mar-08	45	12	19	31	16
48	Adam Andersson	C	Leksands (Swe J20)	6-3/200	2-Jul-08	30	3	14	17	24
49	Ryan Roobroeck	C	Niagara (OHL)	6-3/215	25-Sep-07	49	30	28	58	26
50	Pierce Mbuyi	LW	Owen Sound (OHL)	5-10/160	17-Apr-08	68	32	43	75	85
51	Ethan MacKenzie	D	Edmonton (WHL)	6-0/170	2-Sep-06	59	22	36	58	42
52	Filip Ruzicka	G	Brandon (WHL)	6-7/230	24-Mar-08	42	26	14	3.19	0.906
53	Maksim Sokolovskii	D	London (OHL)	6-8/235	12-Jul-08	44	2	6	8	49
54	Markus Ruck	C	Medicine Hat (WHL)	5-11/170	21-Feb-08	68	21	87	108	28
55	Simas Ignatavicius	C	Geneva-Servette (Sui-NL)	6-3/195	22-Oct-07	52	7	6	13	43
56	Beckham Edwards	C	Sarnia (OHL)	6-1/180	6-Jan-08	64	19	26	45	14
57	Giorgos Pantelas	D	Brandon (WHL)	6-2/215	24-Apr-08	68	6	31	37	50
58	Charlie Morrison	D	Quebec (QMJHL)	6-3/195	12-Oct-07	41	4	9	13	58
59	Adam Nemec	LW	Sudbury (OHL)	6-1/175	18-Oct-07	31	14	21	35	15
60	Tobias Tvrznik	G	Wenatchee (WHL)	6-4/180	29-Jul-07	39	16	18	3.1	0.913
61	Casey Mutryn	RW	USN U18 (USDP)	6-3/200	5-Jul-08	55	14	23	37	87
62	Michal Orsulak	G	Prince Albert (WHL)	6-4/225	26-Aug-07	36	28	4	2.22	0.907
63	Axel Elofsson	D	Orebro (Swe J20)	5-10/165	3-Jun-08	32	9	32	41	20
64	Nikita Scherbakov	D	Toros Neftekamsk (VHL)	6-5/190	23-Oct-07	35	4	6	10	24
65	Jonas Lagerberg Hoen	RW	Leksands (Swe J20)	6-2/175	24-Oct-07	9	9	7	16	33
66	Landon Nycz	D	Massachusetts (NCAA)	6-2/200	4-Oct-07	35	1	2	3	2
67	Adam Valentini	LW	Michigan (NCAA)	5-11/185	11-Apr-08	40	11	16	27	46
68	Viktor Fyodorov	C	Torpedo-Gorky NN (VHL)	5-10/175	21-Feb-08	32	2	6	8	8
69	Mans Gudmundsson	D	Farjestads (Swe J20)	6-2/170	9-Jun-08	35	1	24	25	10
70	Casper Juustovaara Karlsson	LW	Lulea (SHL)	5-9/170	25-Oct-07	31	4	2	6	6
71	Tomas Galvas	D	Bili Tygri Liberec (Czechia)	5-10/155	11-Feb-06	32	8	16	24	10
72	Jonah Sivertson	RW	Prince Albert (WHL)	6-3/195	27-Aug-08	66	24	29	53	41
73	Landon Amrhein	LW	Calgary (WHL)	6-4/190	6-Apr-08	64	10	21	31	12
74	Timofei Runtso	D	Victoria (WHL)	6-2/185	6-Jul-07	68	11	33	44	28
75	Liam Lefebvre	C	Rim-Chi (QMJHL)	6-3/205	15-May-07	59	32	27	59	86
76	Vladimir Dravecky	D	Brantford (OHL)	6-0/185	19-Dec-07	58	9	19	28	24
77	Beckett Hamilton	RW	Red Deer (WHL)	5-11/175	28-Mar-08	67	24	38	62	14
78	Wiggo Sorensson	C	Boro/Vetlanda HC (Swe Division 2)	5-11/180	15-Apr-08	29	20	18	38	14
79	Jakub Frolo	C	Ilves (Fin-U20)	6-1/195	5-Dec-07	37	10	30	40	103
80	Landon Hafele	C	Green Bay (USHL)	6-0/185	18-Sep-07	52	15	27	42	69
81	Brady Knowling	G	USN U18 (USDP)	6-5/200	9-Mar-08	28	12	10	3.73	0.88
82	Zach Olsen	RW	Saskatoon (WHL)	6-1/200	16-Mar-08	57	18	16	34	79
83	Matthew Grimes	D	Sioux Falls (USHL)	6-1/185	19-May-07	60	9	26	35	54
84	Chase Harrington	LW	Spokane (WHL)	6-0/195	30-Oct-07	61	28	29	57	105
85	Jakub Floris	D	Lukko (Fin-U20)	6-3/190	19-Feb-08	38	10	8	18	10
86	Noel Pakarinen	LW	Kiekko-Espoo (Fin-U20)	6-2/200	9-Jul-08	31	13	17	30	30
87	Malcom Gastrin	C	MoDo Hockey (Swe J20)	6-0/155	19-Aug-08	24	9	16	25	8
88	Nils Bartholdsson	RW	Rogle (Swe J20)	5-10/175	25-Apr-08	32	23	19	42	20
89	Elisei Ryabkin	D	MHK Dynamo Moskva (MHL)	6-1/180	8-Jul-08	48	3	16	19	25
90	Spencer Bowes	C	Ottawa (OHL)	6-0/175	19-Sep-07	67	23	19	42	28
91	Victor Plante	LW	USN U18 (USDP)	5-9/165	10-Mar-08	50	19	21	40	65
92	Vertti Svensk	D	SaiPa (Fin-U20)	6-0/165	9-Nov-07	33	3	28	31	80
93	Jean-Cristoph Lemieux	C	Wsr-Sby (OHL)	6-0/185	19-Jun-08	56	20	23	43	28
94	Vilho Vanhatalo	RW	Tappara (Fin-U20)	6-4/195	18-Jan-08	38	10	9	19	43
95	Brian McFadden	D	Thayer Academy (USHS-MA)	6-5/180	8-Jan-08	29	2	15	17
96	Lars Steiner	RW	Rouyn-Noranda (QMJHL)	5-10/175	12-Nov-07	44	30	25	55	44
97	Luke Schairer	D	USN U18 (USDP)	6-3/195	30-Jan-08	55	1	16	17	67
98	KJ Sauer	C	Andover High (USHS-MN)	6-3/200	24-Oct-07	15	8	17	25	42
99	Filip Novak	LW	Sparta Praha (Czechia U20)	6-1/195	7-Mar-08	28	11	24	35	60
100	Rian Chudzinski	RW	Moncton (QMJHL)	6-1/190	30-Dec-07	54	21	17	38	71
HM	Joe Erickson	C	Blake School (USHS-MN)	6-4/200	21-Apr-08	28	32	32	64	4
HM	Alan Shaikhlislamov	RW	Tolpar Ufa (MHL)	6-1/185	4-Sep-08	31	18	17	35	15
HM	Dmitri Kubantsev	RW	Vernon (BCHL)	6-1/195	28-May-08	47	15	38	53	52
HM	Yaroslav Fedoseyev	D	Chelmet Chelyabinsk (VHL)	6-1/180	5-Nov-07	25	1	5	6	25
HM	Cole Zurawski	RW	Owen Sound (OHL)	6-1/190	6-Feb-08	63	24	22	46	34
HM	Yegor Rybkin	G	Chaika Nizhny Novgorod (MHL)	6-7/205	3-Dec-07	11	5	2	2.56	0.915
HM	Zach Lansard	RW	Regina (WHL)	6-0/175	29-Jul-08	68	24	32	56	33
HM	Harrison Boettiger	G	Kelowna (WHL)	6-2/190	11-Dec-07	41	25	10	2.83	0.911
HM	Luka Arkko	LW	Pelicans (Fin-U20)	6-3/210	14-Jan-08	42	11	14	25	10
HM	Evan Jardine	LW	Youngstown (USHL)	6-0/180	23-Oct-07	53	27	34	61	70
HM	Cole Tuminaro	D	Chicago (USHL)	6-3/220	24-Jan-07	54	5	11	16	148
HM	Romain L'Italien	C	Cape Breton (QMJHL)	6-1/195	7-Apr-08	52	17	30	47	33
HM	Xavier Wendt	G	Tri-City (WHL)	6-1/165	24-Jan-08	43	18	20	3.25	0.905
HM	Caelan Joudrey	C	Wenatchee (WHL)	6-4/180	17-Jan-08	67	19	10	29	56
HM	Dakoda Rheaume-Mullen	D	Michigan (NCAA)	6-0/180	18-Dec-06	40	4	14	18	20

2026 NHL DRAFT – MID-SEASON RANKING – TOP 64 with Honourable Mentions – Closing gap between top prospects

Brock Otten — Sat, 31 Jan 2026 18:59:16 +0000

ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA - JANUARY 4: Sweden's Ivar Stenberg #15 looks on during a stoppage in play against Finland during Semifinal Round action at the 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship at Grand Casino Arena on January 4, 2026 in St. Paul, Minnesota, USA. (Photo by Micheline Veluvolu/IIHF)

With the World Juniors firmly in the rear-view mirror and many “junior” leagues past the halfway point of their seasons, it is time to update and expand the McKeen’s Hockey 2026 draft rankings. This time around we are bringing you a top 64, in addition to several honourable mentions.

While many in the industry seem to be wavering on the concept of Gavin McKenna being the top player available, he remains at the top of our list. We understand the apprehensiveness, but we also believe that McKenna still possesses the highest upside of any player available this year; plus, his performance in the NCAA has ticked up post WJC’s. However, we also believe that the gap is razor thin at this point between McKenna and several of the players we have ranked behind him. In particular, Ivar Stenberg received a fair amount of support from our team to be ranked ahead of McKenna.

While the race for first overall will be fascinating as June approaches, the debate over the top defenseman available will rage even more intensely. Verhoeff remains ranked first in this grouping, but there are arguments to be made that any of Reid, Smits, or Carels could be or should be the top defenseman selected. One thing is for certain; it is a good year to be drafting in the top five if your organization needs a quality young defender.

Caleb Malhotra, Oscar Hemming, Alexander Command, Wyatt Cullen, and Maddox Dagenais are among our highest climbers compared to the previous ranking. Malhotra suddenly finds himself competing for an OHL scoring title, showing tremendous improvement as an offensive play driver over the course of the last few months. The Oscar Hemming saga finally reached a conclusion after he joined Boston College at the end of December. While the offensive production has been only mediocre, his impact on the ice has been incredibly impressive as a freshman power forward; it’s cliche but he’s passing the eye test on a consistent basis. Command has been terrific for both Sweden internationally and in the J20 league, and he plays a competitive and fast paced game from the center position. Wyatt Cullen hasn’t played a lot this year, but when he has, he’s been outstanding for the NTDP. Lastly, Dagenais is finally putting everything together for the Quebec Remparts, as the former first overall pick in the QMJHL draft is becoming more confident in being able to utilize his physical gifts.

Our largest “fallers” were Xavier Villeneuve, Mathis Preston, Ryan Roobroeck, and Beckham Edwards. While we respect Villeneuve’s offensive upside as one of the draft’s most dynamic playmakers, we also wonder how much his game has truly grown in the last calendar year as one of this draft’s oldest first time eligible players. The offensive production just hasn’t been at an elite level the last few months. Can a trade to Vancouver (WHL) help Mathis Preston find more consistency and urgency in his game? Roobroeck’s offensive production has definitely improved over the last few months, but like Villeneuve, we wonder how much his game has truly improved this year as a third year junior player. Lastly, Beckham Edwards is a power skating forward with a goal scorer’s touch, but, the offensive consistency has been majorly lacking this year and it brings to light concerns over his projection and ceiling.

What about the goalies? Initially, our team wasn’t enamored with the talent level for the position this year, however, some performances over the last few months have helped to change our mind. We have three goaltenders ranked inside of our top 64, with Tobias Trejbal of Youngstown (USHL) sitting at the top of that list. Trejbal has been outstanding in the USHL this year and the UMass commit has the size and athleticism combination to make him a potential NHL starting netminder.

You can expect our next update towards the end of March as we expand to a top 100 ranking.

RANK	PLAYER	POS	TEAM	HT/WT	DOB	GP	G	A	PTS	PIM
1	Gavin McKenna	LW	Penn State (NCAA)	5-11/170	12/20/2007	22	10	19	29	19
2	Ivar Stenberg	LW	Frolunda (SHL)	5-11/185	9/30/2007	29	7	21	28	6
3	Keaton Verhoeff	D	North Dakota (NCAA)	6-4/210	6/19/2008	22	6	11	17	23
4	Chase Reid	D	Soo Greyhounds (OHL)	6-2/185	12/30/2007	39	18	27	45	30
5	Alberts Smits	D	Jukurit (Fin-Liiga)	6-3/205	12/2/2007	34	6	7	13	12
6	Carson Carels	D	Prince George (WHL)	6-2/195	6/23/2008	37	12	28	40	42
7	Tynan Lawrence	C	Muskegon (USHL)	6-0/185	8/3/2008	13	10	7	17	6
8	Viggo Bjorck	C	Djurgardens (SHL)	5-9/175	3/12/2008	29	4	4	8	10
9	Caleb Malhotra	C	Brantford (OHL)	6-0/170	6/2/2008	45	23	38	61	37
10	Ethan Belchetz	LW	Windsor (OHL)	6-5/225	3/30/2008	43	29	16	45	35
11	Oscar Hemming	LW	Boston College (NCAA)	6-4/195	8/13/2008	6	0	3	3	8
12	Adam Novotny	LW	Peterborough (OHL)	6-1/205	11/13/2007	37	22	21	43	8
13	Ryan Lin	D	Vancouver (WHL)	5-11/175	4/18/2008	42	11	39	50	33
14	Daxon Rudolph	D	Prince Albert (WHL)	6-2/205	3/6/2008	45	21	33	54	42
15	Oliver Suvanto	C	Tappara (Fin-Liiga)	6-3/210	9/3/2008	34	2	5	7	14
16	Elton Hermansson	RW	MoDo Hockey (Allsvenskan)	6-1/180	2/5/2008	29	9	7	16	14
17	Ilia Morozov	C	Miami (NCAA)	6-3/195	8/3/2008	24	7	7	14	25
18	Xavier Villeneuve	D	Blainville-Boisbriand (QMJHL)	5-11/160	9/29/2007	35	6	30	36	35
19	Malte Gustafsson	D	HV 71 (SHL)	6-4/200	6/11/2008	16	0	3	3	2
20	Juho Piiparinen	D	Tappara (Fin-Liiga)	6-2/200	8/10/2008	28	0	3	3	8
21	Alexander Command	C	Orebro (Swe U20)	6-1/185	6/16/2008	24	13	22	35	30
22	Wyatt Cullen	LW	USN U18 (USDP)	5-11/175	9/8/2008	17	3	11	14	2
23	JP Hurlbert	LW	Kamloops (WHL)	6-0/185	4/11/2008	45	31	41	72	26
24	Nikita Klepov	RW	Saginaw (OHL)	6-0/180	6/27/2008	45	28	32	60	27
25	Mathis Preston	RW	Spokane (WHL)	5-11/175	7/21/2008	36	14	18	32	32
26	Jaxon Cover	LW	London (OHL)	6-2/175	2/13/2008	45	14	20	34	40
27	William Hakansson	D	Lulea (SHL)	6-4/205	10/8/2007	22	0	2	2	8
28	Giorgos Pantelas	D	Brandon (WHL)	6-2/215	4/24/2008	45	2	18	20	30
29	Brooks Rogowski	C	Oshawa (OHL)	6-6/225	6/28/2008	31	7	18	25	10
30	Maddox Dagenais	C	Quebec (QMJHL)	6-3/195	3/27/2008	43	20	17	37	23
31	Tomas Chrenko	C	HK Nitra (Slovakia)	5-11/170	11/2/2007	33	6	16	22	6
32	Marcus Nordmark	LW	Djurgardens (Swe U20)	6-1/180	5/4/2008	21	10	20	30	42
33	Egor Shilov	C	Victoriaville (QMJHL)	6-1/180	4/30/2008	42	22	37	59	23
34	Ryan Roobroeck	C	Niagara (OHL)	6-3/215	9/25/2007	45	27	26	53	26
35	Jakub Vanecek	D	Tri-City (WHL)	6-1/190	2/25/2008	36	10	15	25	16
36	Pierce Mbuyi	LW	Owen Sound (OHL)	5-10/160	4/17/2008	45	23	27	50	65
37	Jack Hextall	C	Youngstown (USHL)	6-0/190	3/23/2008	38	12	25	37	22
38	Thomas Vandenberg	C	Ottawa (OHL)	6-0/180	9/8/2008	37	17	17	34	14
39	Vladimir Dravecky	D	Brantford (OHL)	6-0/185	12/19/2007	37	7	16	23	20
40	Alessandro Di Iorio	RW	Sarnia (OHL)	6-0/190	3/17/2008	28	10	9	19	8
41	Vilho Vanhatalo	RW	Tappara (Fin-U20)	6-4/195	1/18/2008	29	10	8	18	14
42	Ryder Cali	C	North Bay (OHL)	6-1/210	9/6/2008	24	11	5	16	4
43	Tommy Bleyl	D	Moncton (QMJHL)	6-0/160	12/1/2007	42	7	44	51	22
44	Tobias Trejbal	G	Youngstown (USHL)	6-4/190	11/9/2007	27	20	5	2.04	0.924
45	Charlie Morrison	D	Quebec (QMJHL)	6-3/195	10/12/2007	24	2	4	6	23
46	Oscar Holmertz	C	Linkopings (Swe U20)	6-0/190	3/21/2008	25	7	14	21	2
47	Nikita Scherbakov	D	Salavat Yulayev Ufa (KHL)	6-5/190	10/23/2007	7	0	0	0	4
48	Victor Plante	LW	USN U18 (USDP)	5-9/165	3/10/2008	34	16	13	29	55
49	Adam Goljer	D	HK Dukla Trencin (Slovakia)	6-3/195	6/7/2008	33	4	6	10	26
50	Luke Schairer	D	USN U18 (USDP)	6-3/195	1/30/2008	36	0	9	9	55
51	Niklas Aaram-Olsen	RW	Orebro (Swe U20)	6-0/185	4/19/2008	22	17	15	32	12
52	Gleb Pugachyov	C	Chaika Nizhny Novgorod (MHL)	6-3/200	3/25/2008	27	8	13	21	20
53	Simas Ignatavicius	C	Geneva-Servette (Sui-NL)	6-3/195	10/22/2007	44	5	6	11	41
54	Lars Steiner	RW	Rouyn Noranda (QMJHL)	5-10/175	11/12/2007	24	12	12	24	26
55	Dmitri Borichev	G	Loko-76 Yaroslavl (MHL)	6-3/200	6/19/2008	17	8	6	1.79	0.942
56	Adam Andersson	C	Leksands (Swe U20)	6-3/200	7/2/2008	23	2	13	15	22
57	Alexander Bilecki	D	Kitchener (OHL)	6-1/180	5/9/2008	44	7	15	22	24
58	Axel Elofsson	D	Orebro (Swe U20)	5-10/165	6/3/2008	26	7	24	31	18
59	Xavier Wendt	G	Tri-City (WHL)	6-1/165	1/24/2008	28	17	9	2.42	0.929
60	Adam Valentini	LW	Michigan (NCAA)	5-11/185	4/11/2008	24	6	13	19	40
61	Beckham Edwards	C	Sarnia (OHL)	6-1/180	1/6/2008	45	14	17	31	14
62	Samu Alalauri	D	Pelicans (Fin-U20)	6-2/200	5/31/2008	32	6	17	23	4
63	Ben MacBeath	D	Calgary (WHL)	6-2/185	3/4/2008	43	6	27	33	12
64	Liam Ruck	RW	Medicine Hat (WHL)	6-0/175	2/21/2008	46	27	37	64	26
HM	Simon Katolicky	LW	Tappara (Fin-U20)	6-4/195	7/24/2008	24	5	9	14	16
HM	Timofei Runtso	D	Victoria (WHL)	6-2/185	7/6/2007	45	7	26	33	22
HM	Layne Gallacher	C	Brantford (OHL)	6-1/180	2/16/2008	21	5	7	12	2
HM	Landon Amrhein	LW	Calgary (WHL)	6-4/190	4/6/2008	39	7	16	23	6
HM	Filip Ruzicka	G	Brandon (WHL)	6-7/230	3/24/2008	27	19	7	2.97	0.908
HM	Wiggo Sorensson	C	Boro/Vetlanda (Swe Div 2)	5-11/180	4/15/2008	24	13	16	29	2
HM	Viktor Fyodorov	C	Torpedo-Gorky NN (VHL)	5-10/175	2/21/2008	27	2	5	7	6
HM	Landon Nycz	D	Massachusetts (NCAA)	6-2/200	10/4/2007	24	1	1	2	0
HM	Brady Knowling	G	USN U18 (USDP)	6-5/200	3/9/2008	17	6	8	3.60	0.880
HM	Casey Mutryn	RW	USN U18 (USDP)	6-3/200	7/5/2008	36	7	18	25	32
HM	Tobias Tvrznik	G	Wenatchee (WHL)	6-4/180	7/29/2007	31	13	15	2.89	0.919
HM	Jonas Lagerberg Hoen	RW	Leksands (Swe U20)	6-2/175	10/24/2007	9	9	7	16	33
HM	Olivers Murnieks	C	Saint John (QMJHL)	6-1/190	7/31/2008	29	6	12	18	14
HM	Colin Fitzgerald	C	Pbo-Soo (OHL)	6-2/210	4/1/2008	44	13	12	25	48
HM	Adam Nemec	LW	Sudbury (OHL)	6-1/175	10/18/2007	8	4	6	10	0
HM	Chase Harrington	LW	Spokane (WHL)	6-0/195	10/30/2007	44	17	23	40	73

2026 NHL DRAFT – MID-SEASON RANKING – TOP 32 – Closing gap between top prospects

Brock Otten — Sat, 31 Jan 2026 18:56:46 +0000

You can expect our next update towards the end of March as we expand to a top 100 ranking.

RANK	PLAYER	POS	TEAM	HT/WT	DOB	GP	G	A	PTS	PIM
1	Gavin McKenna	LW	Penn State (NCAA)	5-11/170	12/20/2007	22	10	19	29	19
2	Ivar Stenberg	LW	Frolunda (SHL)	5-11/185	9/30/2007	29	7	21	28	6
3	Keaton Verhoeff	D	North Dakota (NCAA)	6-4/210	6/19/2008	22	6	11	17	23
4	Chase Reid	D	Soo Greyhounds (OHL)	6-2/185	12/30/2007	39	18	27	45	30
5	Alberts Smits	D	Jukurit (Fin-Liiga)	6-3/205	12/2/2007	34	6	7	13	12
6	Carson Carels	D	Prince George (WHL)	6-2/195	6/23/2008	37	12	28	40	42
7	Tynan Lawrence	C	Muskegon (USHL)	6-0/185	8/3/2008	13	10	7	17	6
8	Viggo Bjorck	C	Djurgardens (SHL)	5-9/175	3/12/2008	29	4	4	8	10
9	Caleb Malhotra	C	Brantford (OHL)	6-0/170	6/2/2008	45	23	38	61	37
10	Ethan Belchetz	LW	Windsor (OHL)	6-5/225	3/30/2008	43	29	16	45	35
11	Oscar Hemming	LW	Boston College (NCAA)	6-4/195	8/13/2008	6	0	3	3	8
12	Adam Novotny	LW	Peterborough (OHL)	6-1/205	11/13/2007	37	22	21	43	8
13	Ryan Lin	D	Vancouver (WHL)	5-11/175	4/18/2008	42	11	39	50	33
14	Daxon Rudolph	D	Prince Albert (WHL)	6-2/205	3/6/2008	45	21	33	54	42
15	Oliver Suvanto	C	Tappara (Fin-Liiga)	6-3/210	9/3/2008	34	2	5	7	14
16	Elton Hermansson	RW	MoDo Hockey (Allsvenskan)	6-1/180	2/5/2008	29	9	7	16	14
17	Ilia Morozov	C	Miami (NCAA)	6-3/195	8/3/2008	24	7	7	14	25
18	Xavier Villeneuve	D	Blainville-Boisbriand (QMJHL)	5-11/160	9/29/2007	35	6	30	36	35
19	Malte Gustafsson	D	HV 71 (SHL)	6-4/200	6/11/2008	16	0	3	3	2
20	Juho Piiparinen	D	Tappara (Fin-Liiga)	6-2/200	8/10/2008	28	0	3	3	8
21	Alexander Command	C	Orebro (Swe U20)	6-1/185	6/16/2008	24	13	22	35	30
22	Wyatt Cullen	LW	USN U18 (USDP)	5-11/175	9/8/2008	17	3	11	14	2
23	JP Hurlbert	LW	Kamloops (WHL)	6-0/185	4/11/2008	45	31	41	72	26
24	Nikita Klepov	RW	Saginaw (OHL)	6-0/180	6/27/2008	45	28	32	60	27
25	Mathis Preston	RW	Spokane (WHL)	5-11/175	7/21/2008	36	14	18	32	32
26	Jaxon Cover	LW	London (OHL)	6-2/175	2/13/2008	45	14	20	34	40
27	William Hakansson	D	Lulea (SHL)	6-4/205	10/8/2007	22	0	2	2	8
28	Giorgos Pantelas	D	Brandon (WHL)	6-2/215	4/24/2008	45	2	18	20	30
29	Brooks Rogowski	C	Oshawa (OHL)	6-6/225	6/28/2008	31	7	18	25	10
30	Maddox Dagenais	C	Quebec (QMJHL)	6-3/195	3/27/2008	43	20	17	37	23
31	Tomas Chrenko	C	HK Nitra (Slovakia)	5-11/170	11/2/2007	33	6	16	22	6
32	Marcus Nordmark	LW	Djurgardens (Swe U20)	6-1/180	5/4/2008	21	10	20	30	42

2026 WORLD JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIP: Daily Recap- January 5th, 2026 – Game Summaries – Standout Performances – Notable Draft Eligible Prospects

Kyle Pereira and Linc Zdancewicz — Tue, 06 Jan 2026 20:28:36 +0000

CANADA V FINLAND

On the final day of the World Juniors 2026 tournament, we get started with the Bronze Medal game between Team Canada and Team Finland. Coming into this game, Finland had taken Sweden all the way to an eight round shootout before falling in the semi-finals. Meanwhile, Canada would lose for the third consecutive tournament to the Czechs, ending in a one-goal loss.

The Canadians would get things rolling early, as just over a minute into the contest, Michael Hage would have a burst of speed through the neutral zone, flying up ice and creating a 2-on-1. He would make an excellent move around a sprawling Finnish defender before sliding the puck across to Sam O’Reilly, who scores the opener. Just a few minutes later, Canada would continue a tough trend of allowing quick responses, as Arttu Valila scored off a drop pass from Heikki Ruohonen on the rush, knotting the game at one. Braeden Cootes would score about a minute later, as this game began to look similar to their group stage shoot-out, after Keaton Verhoeff found him at the high slot, where he whipped a shot past Petteri Rimpinen to take the lead right back. Halfway through the first, after things settled down, Zayne Parekh would take a holding penalty, resulting in the Finns taking the man advantage. On that powerplay, the Finns would even the score once again, as Julius Miettinen would fire a heavy shot past Carter George. It all started with Joona Saarelainen holding the zone on an attempted clearance, allowing the Finns to get set-up, with Lasse Boelius setting up Miettinen for the goal. Late in the first, Boelius would take a penalty for cross-checking, giving the Canadians a powerplay. They would not disappoint, as they showcased some outstanding puck movement, resulting in Parekh scoring in what has been a remarkable tournament for the Calgary Flames defender.

Heading into the second period with the lead, Canada would get started early, applying pressure immediately on the Finns. With the Finns getting tired, Parekh would pinch down on a clearance attempt, easily knocking the puck down to Tij Iginla, who would drive towards the net before setting up Porter Martone, who would give Canada the two-goal lead. Finland would make another costly mistake, with Ruohonen taking a slashing penalty and giving the Canadians another man advantage opportunity. Once again, they would exhibit outstanding passing ability, with Gavin McKenna threading the needle on a shot-pass to O’Reilly on the back door for his second of the game. Canada would then transition into a pure shut-down style, not really pushing the pace and instead keeping plays out wide and chipping pucks up and out consistently. The Finns would receive a positive break late in the period, when a Leo Tuuva takeaway led to a breakout, where he set up Ruohonen for the entry, and he walks in and fires it right past George, getting within two ahead of the third.

In the third period, Finland would control much of the play, but couldn’t quite get the dangerous looks they needed. When they did get quality chances, however, George was up for the task and shut the Finns out. But the Finns made one mistake, turning the puck over in their offensive end, leading to a McKenna rush up ice. They would get multiple dangerous looks, completely shut down by Rimpinen, before the puck found McKenna on the doorstep, with Rimpinen scrambling, and he did not miss. Finland once again would keep pushing, but George and the Canadians did not let them get one through, and Canada would be crowned this year's Bronze Medal winners.

MVPs:

Canada: Michael Hage, Gavin McKenna, Zayne Parekh

Finland: Heikki Ruohonen, Julius Miettinen, Joona Saarelainen

SWEDEN V CZECHIA

The first all-European Gold Medal Game since 2016 promised to bring a level of high intensity as both teams looked very heavy in their semifinal matchups from the day prior. The game got underway slowly, both teams defending the other’s chances quite well. No one quite looked offensively dominant but they both have tended to score greasy goals during this tournament. Czechia looked to get the upperhand in terms of advantage, getting two power plays in five minutes during the middle of the period. However, Jack Berglund would pick the puck up on a broken power play and drive the net, almost score, keep the play going and shoved it to Casper Justovaara who tapped it in for the Swedish lead on a shorthanded goal. The remainder of the period went back to the fundamentals for both teams, which consisted of shutting eachother down and using the body heavily.

The second period started with much of the same, but Sweden was playing to their strengths way more. The young guns Viggo Bjorck and Ivar Stenberg were playing excellent, driving play, establishing possession in the offensive zone and even showing up defensively. The Czechs were really showing that their match against Canada was wearing on them, just then, Vojtech Cihar cross-checked Ivar Stenberg in the back to put Sweden up on the powerplay. After some close bending, Victor Eklund finally broke the Czech penalty kill on a clean up goal dished to him by Jack Berglund.

The Swedes fully took control in the possession game from then on, absolutely shutting the door on the Czechs in the second period. Even when Czechia was on a PP, Sweden was shutting everything down. The second period wound down quietly with Sweden looking dominant, with just one period to go before winning their first gold since 2012. The third period started again with the Swedes bringing the pressure heavy, resulting in a quick Ivar Stenberg zone entry that kept going until he set up Sascha Boumedienne for an earth shattering clap bomb from the wall to give the Swedes a 3-0 lead in the third. Time continued to tick down on the Czechs chances but none were converting. Michal Orsulak was pulled with over three minutes remaining and off that 6v5, Adam Jiricek found the back of the net for the first time in this game. The netminder stayed out of the net and the Czechs continued to go to work in their offensive zone, until Matej Kubiesa found a lane to make it 3-2 Sweden with under 24 seconds to go. Some maybe thought Czechia had a slim chance to maybe tie, going back into the offensive zone yet again, but after a blocked shot, Ivar Stenberg rushed to the puck and buried the empty netter to seal the Swedish victory up in a bow. The Swedes finally break their curse and win their first gold medal since 2012, grabbing yet another gold from this 2006 birth year that has been so successful for Sweden.

MVP’s

Sweden: Viggo Bjorck, Jack Berglund, Ivar Stenberg

Czechia: Michal Orsulak, Adam Jiricek, Adam Novotny

INDIVIDUAL REPORTS

Heikki Ruohonen (FIN) (1G 1A)

After being nails all tournament, Ruohonen showed his more crafty side against Canada when on offense. His usual game was evident throughout the match, throwing the body around and causing general disruption for the Canadians in all three zones, he already looks like a Flyer. Ruohonen shone just as brightly on offense, showing how deadly he can be on rushes, carrying the puck up ice, dropping it to Arttu Valila and screening his shot to help tie the Canadians early in the bronze medal game. Later on, he showed another great rush play, escaping pressure with the puck, getting a ton of space and scoring a tricky goal to shorten the Canadian lead in the second period. Ruohonen has shown a ton of translatable two-way traits in his time at this tournament, his ability to be everywhere in the defensive and neutral zones are fantastic and offensively he had a solid tournament, setting up a great many quality chances that didn’t show up on the stat sheet.

Jack Berglund (SWE) (2A)

Berglund, the Philadelphia Flyers second round selection in the 2024 draft and captain of Team Sweden, had one last year of eligibility left to play in the U20s. Boy did he ever make a statement with it. He battled for the entire tournament, playing physical, going into board battles hard and winning pucks more often than not. He also chipped in plenty of offense, with 10 points in those seven games, including two in the one that mattered most. He was noticeable every single game because of his work ethic and sheer will to lead his team. Berglund did so many of the little things right, and this tournament showed that he can play amongst the best young players in the world, a key step towards his NHL dreams. He looks like the kind of player an NHL team would love to have, but hate to play against, especially come playoff time. The Flyers look to have a very good player for their future in the young leader and, now Gold Medal winner.

DRAFT ELIGIBLES

Gavin McKenna (CAN) (1G 3A)

Gavin McKenna finished his tournament with 14 points, adding four in the bronze medal game. His offensive zone mastery is the biggest takeaway I had from his entire tournament, he was so crafty with his passes, seeing lanes that you couldn’t even imagine if you had a bird’s eye view. His first two assists were secondary, feeding Michael Hage who’s chemistry with McKenna was crucial for Canada’s offense the entire tournament. His forechecking, though not as consistent against Czechia, was evident against the Finns albeit not as strong as his QF and Group stage games, it was still a strong trait that will give him a great leg up in Penn State when he goes back for his second semester. McKenna’s biggest highlight was his shot pass to Sam O’Reilly to put Canada up 5-2 on the power play. He wired the puck the second he got it to fool the entire Finnish defense, it was truly special, just another crazy pass in his repertoire. His goal later on to even further the lead, started from a great feed through traffic to Michael Hage, whos subsequent shot led to a rebound coming right to him to clean up. McKenna’s tournament, if nothing else, has established him as an insanely talented passer and deadly forward in the offensive zone, something that was already known but emphasized from the past two weeks. However, what was truly refreshing was to see McKenna routinely become a surprising disruptor from time to time, being fully on opponents on the forecheck during spurts of the tournament. If shown just a bit more consistently from this point forward, he will absolutely lock down #1 for himself.

Viggo Bjorck (SWE) (2A)

Bjorck, a projected early selection in the 2026 NHL draft, came into this tournament with minimal expectations in comparison to his teammate and other 2026 eligible, Ivar Stenberg. Yet, it feels no one did more in this tournament to raise their stock than Bjorck, who was active all over the ice, consistently. He officially finished with seven points in six games, including two assists in the most important game to clinch Gold. He dominated in his minutes, easily finishing as one of the best chance generators on the Swedish squad, and in the whole tournament, which is mighty impressive considering just how much talent is on Sweden. That came from his ability to use his strong skating to beat defenders wide, then use his lower center of gravity and lower-body strength to drive hard towards the net. He also showcased his incredible off-puck ability, consistently getting to the net front and finding open ice in dangerous areas all tournament long. Bjorck was also one of the best faceoff takers in the tournament, leading all Swedes with a 57% faceoff win percentage, allowing Sweden opportunities to control pucks in key spots. Not only was he key at driving offense and generating opportunities for possession off draws, but he was a key penalty killer in the gold medal game. His edge work, smarts, strong active stick and motor all shone bright in those spots, as he was able to clog up passing lanes incredibly well, and applied a ton of pressure on puck carriers who came into his area. He was outstanding all tournament long in so many different ways for Sweden. Bjorck certainly created a ton of buzz around his name, as he looks to earn a top-10 bid on draft day. One last note that deserves mention is Bjorck’s incredible character. He was absolutely wonderful to talk to after games and was noticeably loved by his teammates in the room. He’s a young kid that an NHL team surely would love to have.

2026 WORLD JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIP: Daily Recap- December 31st, 2025- Game Summaries – Standout Performances – Notable Draft Eligible Prospects

Kyle Pereira and Linc Zdancewicz — Fri, 02 Jan 2026 14:27:56 +0000

SLOVAKIA v SWITZERLAND

To open up this game, Switzerland was all over Slovakia. They kept them on their heels, giving them a lot of issues on the forecheck. Michal Pradel played well early, taking on the early pressure from the Swiss. At least, until Tobias Tomik took a very bad penalty, a double minor, that proved to be incredibly costly. Loris Wey opened the scoring on the power play, with Jamiro Reber and Ludvig Johnson getting the helpers. Then a little over a minute later, Mike Aeschlimann scored the second Swiss power play goal, with Daniil Ustinkov and Leon Muggli getting the assists.

The second period was more of a chess match than the first, trading some chances but mostly waiting for someone to make a mistake. It wasn’t until late that the Swiss struck the back of the net again. Kevin Haas was the goal scorer, with Koerbler getting his second point of the game on the assist, while Gian Meier grabbed the other assist.

The Slovaks would push back in the third, as they became more desperate to put one home in a crucial game. Adam Nemec would deflect a brilliant Tomas Chrenko shot-pass past Elijah Neuenschwander to cut the deficit to two. They pulled Pradel with about four minutes remaining, but the Swiss kept throwing themselves in front of shots and holding the Slovaks to the perimeter. With 10 seconds remaining, Luka Radivojevic fired a beautiful shot home off an offensive zone draw, set up by Nemec and Chrenko, but it was too little, too late for Slovakia.

MVPs

Slovakia: Jan Chovan, Adam Nemec, Tomas Chrenko

Switzerland: Leon Muggli, Loris Wey, Lars Steiner

CZECHIA v LATVIA

This crucial Group B matchup started quite even at the outset, seeing both the Czechs and Latvians play their own aggressive styles in the first five minutes. Adam Novotny’s high-sticking early gave Latvia the first advantage, and they made the most of it off a Bruno Osmanis feed to Kristers Ansons' power play goal to go up 1-0 on the Czechs. However, the trailing team gained its confidence shortly after. Tomas Poletin tied it up four minutes later through broken play started by Tomas Galvas, and then just a minute later, a penalty led the Czechs to swing momentum completely in their favor off the stick of, who else? Adam Jiricek. The Czechs would continue to offensively dominate, keeping the puck in their zone going into the second.

That possession battle was still going fully the way of Czechia for the beginning of the second, however, the Latvian’s kept getting in lanes and causing general disruption. Max Psenicka would find a way, though, bouncing one past Maurins off the skate of Harjis Cjunskis to put the Czechs up 3-1 all the way into the end of the second. The third started with the Latvians finding their groove defensively, halting a lot of the Czechs' momentum in the neutral zone. Their luck would continue as the Latvians converted on yet another power play, once again Osmanis with the feeder, this time to Markuss Sieradzkis, who beat Marik short side, cutting the score to 3-2. However, the chances and time all seemed to run out for Latvia as the Czechs walled their last power play and Vaclav Nestrasil shut the door with an empty netter. The Czechs have put themselves in a position to win Group B if Canada loses, a most desirable outcome for them.

Viggo Björck of Sweden and Chase Reid of USA during the 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship game between USA and Sweden on December 31, 2025 in Saint Paul.
Photo: Joel Marklund / BILDBYRÅN

USA v SWEDEN

The most anticipated group stage game got underway in Grand Casino with aggressiveness from the United States, with Lee and Stiga creating some solid chances early. The chances went back and forth until Casper Justovaara opened up the scoring by banking a puck off of Logan Hensler’s skate to give the Swedes the lead. The game stayed relatively even for the entire rest of the first with the Swedes gaining momentum off repeated chances to end the period. The second period is where it all went downhill for the hosts. Ryker Lee tripped Harenstam in the crease, and shortly after, Eddie Genborg ripped a shot so hard that he didn’t see it go in initially. Adding to that lead just three minutes later was Lucas Pettersson off his own ripper, putting the Swedes up 3-0 early in the second and silencing the home crowd with the Cole Hutson “I can’t hear you” celly.

Looking for answers, the U.S. was granted a power play from an Eric Nilson tripping call that led to a Chase Reid get-back goal to finally get the Americans some life. The luck seemed to be going in the American direction after Harenstam was called for embellishment, giving the Americans another power play shortly after the Reid goal. However, Lucas Pettersson would score what ended up being the game-winner on another incredible shot off the rush while the Swedes were short-handed. Just minutes later, Eddie Genborg made it even worse, 5-1, as the Swedes, from the passing prowess of Viggo Bjorck, fired a pass to the aforementioned Genborg. Though they were down by four with the second winding down, Hagens, Ziemer, and then Will Zellers combined to create a seemingly hopeful goal for the Americans with Zellers potting his fifth of the tournament on the play to end the second.

The third period saw a change in net for the U.S., with Nick Kempf getting the remaining 20 minutes between the pipes. The chippiness and struggle continued to be as physical as it was petty, leading to a U.S. power play and goal from Teddy Stiga, who was fed by L.J. Mooney, who had by far his best game today. Just as the Americans seemed to have hope after that goal, they would be punished for their lack of discipline against the Swedes, who goaded them at every step, eventually giving their rivals a 5-on-3 advantage on the power play. Though Kempf initially made incredible save after incredible save to stave off most of the two-man advantage, Ivar Stenberg, who whiffed on three backdoor shots, did not miss his fourth shot to put Sweden back again by three, and they never relinquished that advantage. The clock ticked down as the Americans seemingly turned more desperate, but everyone in Grand Casino knew there was no coming back. In a complete reverse of the 2024 World Juniors Gold Medal game, Sweden took this matchup handily, winning 6-3 on their rivals' home ice.

CANADA v FINLAND

In a game of immense importance, with the winner taking on Slovakia and the loser having to face the USA in the Quarter finals, it got off to the most electric start of the tournament. Within the first six minutes of this game, the two teams combined for four goals. It started with Canada getting on the board first, with a goal from Zayne Parekh, who continued his hot tournament with a brilliant shot that beat Rimpinen. Less than three minutes later, Julius Miettinen would tie the game at one, as Matias Vanhanen springs him behind Parekh and Miettinen beats Carter George on the blocker side. About 30 seconds later, Canada would re-claim their lead, with Brady Martin finding the back of the net. It all started with Martin making a great flip pass up ice that Michael Hage skated into, followed up by Hage showing incredible poise with the puck to pull back, force the Finnish defender to skate past him, then setting Martin up on a tee to finish the play he started. Then, just over a minute later, Finland would once again tie the game up, with 2026 draft eligible Oliver Suvanto putting one home, finishing off Roope Vesterinen’s rebound on the back door.

The game would slow down a bit for some time, until a bad penalty was taken by Onni Kalto, with an ugly looking boarding call. The Canadian power play unit went to work very quickly, with Brady Martin putting home his second of the game. It was made possible because of solid initial movement at the point from Parekh and a very savvy play from Hage to throw the puck at Rimpinen for Martin to swat into the net off a rebound. But yet again, the Finns responded quickly, as Canada’s Ethan MacKenzie would take a penalty of his own for hooking two minutes after Canada took the lead. On the ensuing power play, Lasse Boelius would fire home a very well-placed shot from the point through traffic to beat George high. The first period would slow down again, as it became more of a chess match.

In the second period, Finland would take a couple penalties early, and on their second man advantage opportunity of the period, Canada’s power play would make them pay again. This time, it was Tij Iginla putting it home. Parekh would absolutely thread the needle on a beautiful stretch pass to spring Iginla on the breakaway, where he would make no mistake to beat Rimpinen in tight to give Canada their lead back again. That goal gave Canada plenty of momentum, as they really controlled the pace of play for much of that period. It wasn’t until the final few minutes of the period when Canada would take a two-goal lead, as Cole Beaudoin put home a chaotic scramble for the puck at the Finnish net front. Sam O’Reilly won a battle in the corner and sent the puck to the side of the net, where Caleb Desnoyers would drive hard, creating chaos and knocking the puck into space, and Beaudoin would put it away. But the Finns responded quickly yet again, cutting the Canadian lead back to one just 35 seconds later. Suvanto would force a turnover on the dump and chase, applying pressure and finishing a heavy hit in the corner, and Vesterinen would snag the loose puck before roofing it over the shoulder of George.

Going into the third period, it turned into a chess match again early, with both teams clamping down against rushes and preventing long offensive zone sequences. But Canada would strike first, as Beaudoin would score yet again off a beautiful feed from O’Reilly as he drove the net. Canada would completely lock it down after taking the two-goal lead, not allowing Finland to really have any sustained offense. O’Reilly would put the game away with a deserving goal, finding the Finns empty net, and punching their ticket to a date with Slovakia in the Quarter Finals.

MVPs:

Canada: Zayne Parekh, Brady Martin, Sam O’Reilly

Finland: Matias Vanhanen, Roope Vesterinen, Oliver Suvanto

INDIVIDUAL REPORTS

Sam O’Reilly (CAN) 1G 2A

O’Reilly had his best game of the tournament by far, in a crucial match up with a tough opponent. What makes Finland such a difficult team to play comes down to their details and ability to win physical battles along the boards. O’Reilly played to their strengths and won, time and time again. He was a key part of Canada’s win. It’s especially important to note due to the fact that he was not a popular choice to make the team when the rosters were initially announced, and he has done nothing but prove Team Canada right in their choice to bring him on. He caused issues for Finnish breakouts, forcing turnovers and creating scoring opportunities all game long, and he was rewarded for it on the scoresheet in the most important game of the tournament thus far for a star-studded Canadian team.

Jack Berglund (SWE) 3A

Sweden’s captain had his most important international performance on New Year's Eve. Berglund went to work early in the contest by matching the Americans’ aggression early, throwing his body around in neutral and defensive ice. There were a couple of great stops along the wall to limit the initial American attack, stepping up and showing why he will fit right in as a Philadelphia Flyer when he comes to North America. However, Berglund’s best period was the second alongside winger Lucas Pettersson. His mobility was crucial for both assists in the period, he did a great job of getting to the middle of the ice and in transition, cutting straight through the American defense. On the Pettersson shorthanded goal that put Sweden up 4-1, he put it all together, blocking the shot and supporting his linemate to become an option on the rush. Berglund finished his great night with some nice hands in tight to the net, feeding Stenberg on a rebound dish at the end of a long 5v3 power play. Berglund’s skill set is built for the NHL. Standing at 6-foot-4 and playing like it too, he will be a valuable middle six center for a team that has been desperate for some gritty center play for a long time.

DRAFT ELIGIBLES

Tomas Chrenko (SVK) 2A

In a disappointing loss for Slovakia, Chrenko continued to shine. He made an impact in all three zones in this game, showing off his relentless motor. He was able to make plays in the defensive end and transition up ice for some offensive looks against the Swiss. What makes that all the more impressive is the fact that the Swiss have done such an excellent job defending against rushes in this tournament with their structure, and Chrenko was still able to find those opportunities to make his impact felt. But it was in the offensive zone where Chrenko would truly stand out. He recorded assists on both goals, including one gorgeous power play set up to the back door on a shot-pass. But he was feeding chances to his teammates all game long but just didn’t convert into goals. He was excellent yet again, and his remarkable tournament continues into the quarterfinals, where he has truly become a core piece of the Slovak roster.

Viggo Bjorck (SWE) (2A)

Sweden’s best performing offensive player has been Viggo Bjorck so far, and the passing game has been the biggest key to that success. His creativity with his stick and space creation has been wonderful for the Swedes in the offensive zone. Bjorck truly came to play against the United States, fully coming alive in the second period, striking right away. His work to transition, enter the zone, and then draw two U.S. defensemen to him to open up space for Eddie Genborg was incredibly smart, a crucial decision to get Sweden up by two early in the second. After tons of other chances that didn’t convert, he showed off his flair by saucing a no-look pass to Genborg again on the power play. Though his size has been and will be a factor when he eventually gets drafted, his talents are evident every time he steps into the offensive zone, and the IQ with which he plays the game makes him more mature than many of his teammates in the neutral and offensive zones. Bjorck’s play against the U.S. last night truly shows the extent to which he has grown in the SHL and hopefully that confidence carries over to the rest of his season.

2026 WORLD JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIP: Daily Recap- December 29th, 2025- Game Summaries – Standout Performances – Notable Draft Eligible Prospects

Kyle Pereira and Linc Zdancewicz — Tue, 30 Dec 2025 16:16:19 +0000

Day 4 of the World Juniors was jam packed with action from start to finish, with some very fun matchups.

SWEDEN v GERMANY

Early in this game, Sweden faced similar problems that they faced in their game against Switzerland; the forecheck was giving them issues. But a penalty on Germany gave Sweden the first powerplay, where they scored the opening goal. Anton Frondell fired a beautiful one-timer home after the great set-up from Alfons Freij. After some more back-and-forth, with Sweden continuing to struggle against the tight checking Germans, Maxim Schafer would force a huge turnover in the defensive end, springing him and Elias Pul on a 2-on-0 chance, where he would set Pul up with an easy back-door tap-in.

In the second period, it would be Sweden who made key adjustments to control the play far better. Ivar Stenberg really started to dial in as well, playing a key part in an improved second period. It also helped that Germany took a penalty late in the first, allowing Sweden to open on the powerplay, where Viggo Bjorck finished a very pretty pass from Sascha Boumedienne to give Sweden their lead right back. Sweden would then kill off a 3v5 penalty kill, and score shortly thereafter, with Leo Sahlin Wallenius threading the needle to Jack Berglund on the doorstep for a simple tap in. The second would see Viggo Bjorck get his second of the day on the man advantage as well as a Felix Ohrqvist goal to see the Swedes go up 5-1 on the Germans going into the final period.

To start the third, Anton Frondell continued his power play domination with his second goal of the day and third on the PP in this tournament. The Swedish offense was fully awake and still firing on all cylinders towards the end of the game as they added another goal on the power play from Liam Danielsson to get some extra insurance, pushing the lead to 7-1. The game drew to an end with continued domination from the Swedes, as they did not let off the pedal, even scoring a literal last second goal from Berglund.

MVP’s

Sweden: Anton Frondell, Viggo Bjorck, Leo Sahlin Wallenius

Germany: Elias Pul, Maxim Schafer, Lenny Boos

FINLAND v CZECHIA

Radim Mrtka was back in action for the Czechs as they took on red-hot Finland. Early in the first, Veeti Vaisanen was charged with a 5-minute major and game misconduct for cross-checking Tomas Poletin on a net-drive. The Czech squad would take advantage quickly, as Matej Kubiesa scored from a drop pass from Tomas Galvas. Finland would take another penalty, and Rimpinen was forced into making a few key saves, including a highlight reel stop on a phenomenal pass to the slot from behind the net. It was all Czechia in the first, but Rimpinen held up his end incredibly well, keeping it a one-goal game.

The second period was very chippy, filled with scrums and a few penalties. But both goaltenders stood tall in net, keeping it a one-goal game. More of the same continued in the third, as the chippiness kept building. A few more penalties, and a few more big stops from both netminders. Orsulak made an excellent stop, in particular, going post to post on a one timer try. Emil Hemming would tie the game up late, off one heck of a one-timer to beat Orsulak high, set up excellently by Leo Tuuva, with about 20 seconds remaining in regulation. While Finland forced overtime, they could not cap off the comeback with a win. Instead, it was Adam Jiricek who scored an incredible, highlight reel, between the legs goal on Rimpinen. It was an electric ending to a very fun game.

MVPs

Czechia: Vaclav Nestrasil, Adam Novotny, Michal Orsulak

Finland: Oliver Suvanto, Petteri Rimpinen, Aron Kiviharju

ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA - DECEMBER 29: Slovakia's Tomas Chrenko #29 celebrates with Andreas Straka #15, Luka Radivojevic #26, Adam Nemec #21, Lukas Tomka #24 and Michal Svrcek #11 after scoring a third period goal against USA during Preliminary Round - Group A action at the 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship at Grand Casino Arena on December 29, 2025 in St. Paul, Minnesota, USA. (Photo by Micheline Veluvolu/IIHF)

SLOVAKIA v USA

The Americans came out hot to start, pressuring the offensive zone with a fire they hadn’t shown in their first two games. However, the Slovaks quickly regained their confidence, dumping and chasing to where the American defense started to wear down. Off a turnover by L.J. Mooney, Tobias Pitka made the defense pay, netting his first of the tournament during a quick rush. Quickly after Kamil Bednarik’s holding call, Tomas Chrenko scored his fourth goal in two games on the power play to put Slovakia up 2-0 early. The Americans looked frustrated as they ended the period with limited success in the neutral and offensive zones.

Entering the second, the Americans went down a man due to a Mooney interference call, but the U.S. PK found some great success when A.J. Spellacy scored a tip-in goal short-handed. The penalty kill continued to fire up the U.S. bench, getting three or four legitimate dangerous chances during the Slovaks power play. However, Slovakia would deliver a similar performance when the US went on their own power play. Adam Belusko drove one home to put the Slovaks back up two, and killed the Americans man advantage, bringing the Red, White and Blue to 0/7 on the PP.

Shortly after the U.S. began to crawl back, Brendan McMorrow buried a bouncing puck for his second point of the night to cut the lead to one. Soon after that, the U.S. finally tied Slovakia off of their first power play goal in the tournament. From a standstill, Ryker Lee ripped the puck over Michal Pradel’s glove side to even the game at three. Like clockwork, Slovakia went on the power play once again, just in time for them to take the lead. Frustrating failed chance after frustrating chance went by for the Americans as the second period ticked down. That was until James Hagens buried his first goal of the tournament to even the Slovaks at four. The second saw six goals all together between the two teams and they were even through two.

The final period would be the true test. Immediately, the United States struck first off Hagens’ stick again, finding an opportunistic bounce on a dump and chase. Just over three minutes later, the American power play found life again. Will Zellers found the back of the net for the fourth time on the back of a tremendous passing play from Brodie Ziemer and Mooney. From that point on, the game devolved into a chippy back and forth that was carefully built by animosity and grit. The game continued to get more aggressive and more desperate as both teams were deadlocked in terms of chances as time wound down. With the net empty, the desperate Slovaks found relief from the stick of Chrenko, who scored his fifth goal of the tournament. The draft eligible is taking command of the spotlight for the plucky Slovaks. Though they showed a ton of struggle, the United States defended and prevailed, giving their home fans a heart attack with this game, evening them with the Swedes at three regulation wins, setting up a very exciting New Years Eve night game.

MVP’s

Slovakia: Adam Belusko, Tomas Chrenko, Tobias Pitka

U.S.A.: A.J. Spellacy, Chase Reid, James Hagens

CANADA v DENMARK

Immediately, Canada sets the pace, owning possession in the Danes zone. When Denmark took a penalty, the Canadians made quick work. Gavin McKenna put his patented shot to work, getting set up at the dot by Michael Hage for an early lead. A few minutes later, Keaton Verhoeff throws up a brilliant stretch pass to Tij Iginla, who curls back up the boards under pressure, draws the defender in, then throws a beautiful backhand pass into the slot for Braeden Cootes, making it 2-0. After some offensive zone time for Denmark, resulting in their first shot on goal, a turnover created a rush the other way for Caleb Desnoyers, who set up Zayne Parekh on a tee, and he would not miss. A brilliant shot from a red-hot Parekh makes it 3-0.

To start the second period, Denmark would strike first. Less than 30 seconds in, Mads Klyvo would snipe one over the short-side shoulder of Carter George. As the period wore on, Denmark would hold up… until they took another penalty. This time, it was Porter Martone on the man advantage putting one in the back of the net, set up by Parekh for the one-timer. After several incredible saves from Patrick Tiedjen, it is once again McKenna off a one-timer that beats him glove side, off a feed from Brady Martin to make it 5-1 late in the second. Canada would open the scoring of the third period less than five minutes in, when Michael Misa found the back of the net to make it 6-1. About a minute later, McKenna would snag the hat trick, extending the lead to 7-1. Then, late in the third, Kashawn Aitcheson would rip an unbelievable shot over Tiedjen’s shoulder to make it 8-1. Then very shortly after, it would be Martone again, another unreal snipe up and over the shoulder to make it 9-1.

MVPs

Canada: Gavin McKenna, Zayne Parekh, Jett Luchanko

Denmark: Patrick Tiedjen, Mads Klyvø, Markus Jakobsen

INDIVIDUAL REPORTS

Anton Frondell (SWE) (2G)

We can start to talk about Anton Frondell’s role on the Chicago Blackhawks power play when he inevitably makes their roster next year. The proof is in how automatic he has been for the Swedes in the left circle. Frondell’s shot is crisp, fast off the stick, and, best of all, accurate. He’ll need to show it more consistently at even strength, but he’s had a different role when playing 5-on-5. Frondell’s truculence and overall effort have been quite noticeable in this tournament. His games against Switzerland and Slovakia showed this style consistently throughout and it was no different against the Germans today. Frondell came barreling down on the forecheck to firmly establish, with all 205 pounds of his body mass, the Swedish possession and I have loved every minute of it. Off puck he has been opportunistic, getting open consistently trying to find that first even strength goal. Additionally, Frondell has been adept at finding his teammates for chances abound, I was surprised he didn’t get an assist in this contest against the Germans. Anton Frondell continues to exhibit his well-rounded game at the international level, let’s see how he does under the brightest lights, on New Years Eve against the hosts.

ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA - DECEMBER 26: USAÕs James Hagens #10 looks on during Preliminary Round - Group A action against Germany at the 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship at Grand Casino Arena on December 26, 2025 in St. Paul, Minnesota, USA. (Photo by Micheline Veluvolu/IIHF)

James Hagens (USA) (2G)

Hagens’ second World Juniors Tournament got under way in a slower fashion then his first as the U.S. was struggling to dominate like they had in years past. In the Americans’ toughest games yet, their top center showed up. Hagens was a crucial part of the U.S. turnaround today against Slovakia, starting with being one of the few forwards who could effectively enter the zone and set up an offensive cycle in the wake of a heavy Slovakian team in front of them. Despite setting up and contributing to a couple high danger chances, the Americans were down 3-4 with time winding down in the second. James Hagens went to work attacking the middle of the ice, receiving a pass and burying the game tying goal under Michal Pradel’s right arm.

His tendency to attack the middle has improved his game in the NCAA by leaps and bounds, making him a worlds better scorer than when he was a budding freshman just a season ago. Coming back onto the ice for the third, Hagens delivered the hot start they so desperately needed less than 20 seconds in. Once again attacking the middle, he jumped on a puck that was deflected by a Slovak stick to punch the then-go-ahead goal for the hosts. Hagens was critiqued in last year's tournament for not showing up in big games, then he scored a big goal in the gold medal game, now he has come through for the United States in their most crucial moment. This clutch factor should be a welcome sight for Bruins fans as they will be looking for him to do it again against a tough Sweden team on New Year’s Eve.

Alfons Freij (SWE) 2A

Freij was incredible when it came to moving the puck against the Germans. All game long, he was moving very well with the puck on his stick and dishing beautiful passes to teammates all over the zone. He was very clearly a standout on the back end for Sweden and a large reason they were able to get their game together after a slow start against Germany.

Patrick Tiedjan (DEN) 40/49, .816 SV%

Yes, he gave up a lot of goals. But the team in front of him was getting absolutely caved in. He played admirably well, battling hard on every save and making several impressive ones at that. Not to mention, he looked great from a mechanical standpoint, moving well laterally. He was very impressive despite the outcome and genuinely played his heart out against the Canadians in this contest, and that absolutely deserves a mention.

DRAFT ELIGIBLES

Tomas Chrenko (SVK) (2G)

The Slovak center has found lightning in a bottle in his last two games, scoring five total goals in two games. Chrenko came alive against the hosts today, blazing by many of their highly touted prospects with his coveted speed and challenging them with his unrelenting energy. Chrenko’s mindset alone when forechecking might be enough for me to consider moving him not only into a first round ranking but potentially a top 20 pick as well. However, his shot has been the talk of the town, finding lanes through heavy traffic for both of his goals. It is clear that this kid has an eye for the net when he slows down his game a bit. Though the Slovaks lost in regulation, Chrenko was one of, if not, the largest sparkplug that kept them in it right until the very end. Chrenko’s wonderful skating and shot, combined with the confidence he’s surely gained with his performance, should set him up nicely for the remainder of his season, playing in the Slovakian Pro league.

Keaton Verhoeff (CAN) 1A

While it wasn’t the cleanest performance, Verhoeff gave a really good taste of the raw talent he possesses. With the puck, he moved so fluidly as a skater and passer, pushing the pace and oozing confidence and swagger. Away from the puck, he slowed down and prevented rushes by Denmark thanks to his excellent skating and just how much space he takes up with his strides and reach. Offensively, he understood where the space was and was completely unafraid to jump right up in the offensive zone. Against a tougher opponent, it’s tough to gauge how much success his style would have, but he really could have produced more simply from how he navigated the zone without the puck. He’s a special talent who, once he really puts it all together, could be a dynamite NHL defender.

Interview with James Hagens

McKeens: I want to take you back to this past off-season. You were drafted by the Bruins obviously. How did the draft experience and going to their development camp help you prepare for the season and this tournament?

JH: Just being able to grow up and see all those guys who have been through it. You’re in the moment there, and to be able to be with my family and friends, it was really special. To be able to go to development camp. It was great going there, meeting all the guys, met a couple players on the team, so that was something that was really cool. Being able to talk to staff, see what I have to do, just make sure I was prepared for the season.

McKeens: Who are some of the guys behind the scenes here who helped build the culture that you guys have developed over the past couple of years where the team has been so successful?

JH: The coaching staff we have here, it starts with them being able to bring us together and then coaches back at NTDP for the guys that were there in this group, Nick Fohr. He had us really close. I know all of us still talk to each other to this day. Even the guys that aren’t here that we played with. So, I think it stems from there and being able to kind of bring these new guys that you haven’t met, new faces, especially once you’re getting here, being able to grow chemistry with them. Build the connection, you want to make sure that everyone feels welcome, everyone’s friendly, and that was what we did.

McKeens: Chase Reid, such a young, talented defenseman on the team, what’s it like having him on the ice at such a young age and having such a big impact?

JH: It’s great. You see how comfortable he feels out there and to be able to have someone like that on your back end, it helps a lot.

McKeens: Sticking with Reid, I asked him who the biggest trash talker was, guys who are really funny behind the scenes. He brought up Brodie Ziemer, would you agree with that statement or is there someone else who deserves their flowers there?

JH: Ha, I think Ziemer is definitely one of them. I think Teddy Stiga is another guy that’s pretty funny too.

2026 IIHF WORLD JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIP GUIDE – TEAM MCKEEN’S PREDICTIONS – Final Medal Standings, Tournament MVP, Top Forward, Top Defense, Top Goaltender, Best 2026 Draft Eligibles and Biggest Surprises

Team McKeens — Wed, 24 Dec 2025 13:31:31 +0000

USA Celebrating 2025 World Juniors win

The 2026 World Junior Championships are set to kick off on Boxing Day (December 26), with Minnesota and the United States hosting. Can Canada get back on track after two disappointing quarterfinal losses? Can the United States win their first gold on home soil and three-peat? Members of the McKeen’s team have come together to bring you our predictions for the tournament.

Final Medal Standings Predictions

GOLD

Canada - 19

USA - 3

Sweden - 2

SILVER

Sweden - 11

USA - 7

Czechia - 3

Canada - 3

BRONZE

Sweden - 8

Czechia - 7

USA - 6

Canada - 2

Finland - 1

Who Wins Tournament MVP?

Michael Misa - 8 votes

Gavin McKenna - 5 votes

Porter Martone - 3 votes

Anton Frondell - 2 votes

James Hagens - 2 votes

Also receiving votes (1): Max Plante, Carter George, Cole Hutson, Ivar Stenberg

Who Wins Best Forward?

Michael Misa - 7

Gavin McKenna - 5

Porter Martone - 4

Ivar Stenberg - 3

James Hagens - 2

Anton Frondell - 2

Also receiving votes (1): Victor Eklund

Who Wins Best Defender?

Cole Hutson - 10

Zayne Parekh - 5

Radim Mrtka - 2

Adam Jiricek - 2

Also receiving votes (1): Leo Sahlin Wallenius, Harrison Brunicke, Carson Carels, Chase Reid, Kashawn Aitcheson

Who Wins Best Goaltender?

Carter George - 12

Jack Ivankovic - 4

Petteri Rimpinen - 4

Joshua Ravensbergen - 2

Also receiving votes (1): Michal Pradel, Kim Saarinen

Which 2026 NHL Draft Eligible Prospect Has the Best Tournament?

KANATA, ONTARIO - JANUARY 2: Canada's Gavin McKenna #9 shoots the puck during warm-up prior to Quarterfinal Round action against Czechia at the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship at Canadian Tire Centre on January 2, 2025 in Kanata, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Andr Ringuette/IIHF)

Gavin McKenna

“He feels the need to prove that he's the best player when it comes back to U20 hockey.” - Chase Rochon

“He has been receiving big minutes in practice and the preliminary game against Sweden. I project he will be their top line left wing and that his game will carry over extremely well to this tournament's fast paced style of play.” - Linc Zdancewicz

“McKenna is a generational offensive talent with elite hockey IQ and creativity. He already has high scoring totals in junior leagues and dominated at the U18 level. With Canada’s top offensive role likely entrusted to him, he has the best combination of opportunity and skill to post standout numbers and influence medal outcomes. He plays with a level of confidence and pace rarely seen at his age, allowing him to consistently drive possession and dictate offensive flow. His skating acceleration and ability to separate from defenders should translate extremely well on the bigger WJC stage. He also thrives in clutch situations, often elevating his game late in tight matches. With strong linemates and heavy power-play usage, his points should come both at even strength and on special teams. Altogether, his skill set and expected role make him the clear favorite to be the standout draft-eligible player of the tournament.” - Marek Novotny

“I think this tournament will be a perfect chance for McKenna to show the doubters that he is still the top prospect for this draft. I think he’ll be able to hone his skill and put up big numbers and potentially be the top player of the tournament.” - Mika Burns

“His transition from the WHL to the NCAA hasn't been smooth or easy, but he still possesses all-world talent, he's proven himself to be a big-game performer in the past, and he'll be extra motivated to silence some of the recent criticism of him that has popped up in the public.” - Derek Neumeier

“After being underutilized last year, McKenna returns to the tournament with lofty expectations to lead Canada to gold as Bedard and Lafreniere did before in their draft years. The Wizard from Whitehorse is going to show everyone how dominant he can be at his own age level after sharpening his tools in the NCAA. The line of McKenna-Misa-Martone will be the stuff of legends.” - Kyle Watson

“I think Gavin McKenna will rise to the occasion and explode offensively. He will get more offensive opportunity than last year, he will play with Martone to start which the two were an elite duo at the U18 level and also playing with Misa who has the skills to match his will help him a lot to produce. The experience playing against older guys in the NCAA and coming back playing against his age group will help him be more confident.” - Jeremy Rivet

“He'll be a premier offensive player for Canada and will have all the opportunity to give scouts reassurance of his status as the top prospect in the draft.” - Kyle Dalla Zanna

“Gavin McKenna should finally get to demonstrate at these World Juniors why he is the consensus number one pick for the 2026 NHL draft. Besides being on a stacked Canadian squad, he should be given every opportunity to showcase his skills against the best junior players in the world. The skill set is just too high for him not to succeed.” - Mark Dube

“After a frustrating year in the NCAA where McKenna has been largely smothered offensively and has been a liability in his own end, the stakes have never been higher to have an MVP performance. This is McKenna's opportunity to all but solidify himself as the 1st overall pick should he dominate as we've seen in his WHL days. On a stacked Canada team he finds himself in a position to succeed with nearly any line mates. The circumstances surrounding this tournament are too grand for McKenna to give anything but his absolute best performance and given the amount of skill he possesses, McKenna should be the best overall player in Minnesota.” - Kaeden Ireland

“Gavin shines when the pressure is on, especially when representing his country at International Tournaments. He knows the buzz surrounding his game & all eyes are on him but I predict he will excel at this year's tournament & be a dominant player for Team Canada.” - Liam Staples

FRISCO, TEXAS - APRIL 26: Sweden's Ivar Stenberg #15 skates to the bench with teammates after scoring a first period goal against USA during Preliminary Round - Group B action at the 2025 IIHF Ice Hockey U18 World Championship at Comerica Center on April 26, 2025 in Frisco, Texas, USA. (Photo by Micheline Veluvolu/IIHF)

Ivar Stenberg

“Not that it will do much to raise his stock but Ivar Stenberg. He’ll be one of the focal points on a dangerous Sweden team and should finish just behind Frondell in the tournament scoring race.” - Jamison Derksen

“Despite currently stringing together the best SHL draft season in history, Stenberg is relatively unknown to fans compared to McKenna, or even Verhoeff. I think he will put together the best performance of the draft eligibles and potentially lead the tournament in scoring. He will be a household name after the tournament.” - Ben Misfeldt

“He was lights out at the U18s, easily the standout for Sweden there. Now, playing against older competition but alongside some of the same teammates, I can see him having another electric tournament. He's also having an excellent season that could push his momentum towards the best tournament.” - Kyle Pereira

“Behind Frondell and Eklund gets to play against top team's 2nd/3rd lines and shine from there.” - Arttu Myllymäki

“Ivar Stenberg will have the best tournament of all players eligible for the 2026 NHL Entry Draft. He is already playing at a record-breaking pace in the SHL and will demonstrate why he is in the conversation for the first overall pick in the upcoming draft. They know they have an elite player in Stenberg with what he has displayed this season so far. He surely will play a lot of minutes to give the best chances to team Sweden to win a medal.” - Jer Tremblay

“I fully believe Stenberg has the talent to be one of the most impactful players for Team Sweden. He’s having a great season in the Swedish top tier league, averaging nearly a point per game. He’s coming in great shape and should have an important role on a team which has the ambition to medal. I think Stenberg will continue in his SHL form and scores at a PPG rate at least.” - Matej Deraj

“Based on the season he’s having in the SHL, being a dominant force on the best team in the nation, and the fact that his form is at its peak just in time for WJC will result in him having the best tournament.” - Viktor Ahlund

Alberts Smits

“Looking from the outside in, the Latvian defenseman may log more minutes than just about any other 2026 draft eligible player in this tournament. His team will need to lean on him perhaps more than any other team will lean on a 2026-eligible player. His stats will likely not reflect how good/important his tournament is as his team is facing a considerable uphill battle against Canada, Czechia, and Finland. It is then damned to defeat Denmark. Surviving is naturally the central goal. He should be asked to be the key figure in this endeavor and that's what will concern the scouts when they're watching Latvia play. They'll want to see him embody the importance of his role in ensuring survival, and hopefully a nice little surprise here or there.” - Chapin Landvogt

Viggo Bjorck

“I can definitely see Viggo Björck driving much of the offense for Team Sweden and reestablishing himself near the top of the 2026 draft projections—though probably not in the top five, more likely in the 8–10 range.” - Joey Fortin Boulay

Carson Carels

“I think Carson Carels will have the best tournament among draft-eligible players. He might be a bit of an unknown commodity to some fans of the tournament, but he truly has been excellent in the WHL this year with the Prince George Cougars. He's incredibly difficult to play against, eats tough minutes against the best the league has to offer, and has a nice offensive touch to complement his rugged defensive game. The spotlight will be on Gavin McKenna and Keaton Verhoeff, but Carels has the ability to really impress quite quickly.” - Michael Moroz

“Carson Carels. If he gets the ice time, which I think he should, given how responsible he is while also being useful with the puck, his stock will rise a ton.” - Jeremi Plourde

“Carson Carels might not have the "best" tournament of any draft eligible, but he will open people's eyes to his reliable brand of hockey thanks to his high-end skating and puck moving.” - Felix Sicard

Adam Novotny

“There are so many top draft eligible prospects playing in this year’s tournament. However, I think that Novotny has a chance to be an offensive leader for the Czechs and help carry them to a medal. He’s been one of the better players in the OHL the last few months and he knows what it takes to perform well at this tournament after playing a support role on last year’s bronze medal winning Czech team. Don’t be surprised if he’s the highest scoring draft eligible player at the WJC’s.” - Brock Otten

What is the Biggest Surprise of the Tournament?

“Germany beats Slovakia in the round robin, sending them to the relegation round.” - Chase Rochon

“The Czechs beat Canada on Boxing Day. Canada usually starts the tournament with an easy matchup, but that’s not the case this year as the Czechs will have valuable contributors at each position. This Canadian team is under a ton of pressure and I think they start the tournament with some adversity.” - Jamison Derksen

“USA misses the semi-finals and finishes 5th. After back-to-back Golds, the USA doesn't look quite as strong this season. Their goaltending is a question mark, and the lack of draft pedigree on their roster compared to previous seasons is noticeable.” - Ben Misfeldt

“Julius Miettinen has been a favorite of mine since his draft year in 2024 and he is the first line center that no one is talking about. I predict he is going to be the engine for Finland's offense this tournament. His large frame, high hockey IQ, and grit will make him an unstoppable force.” - Linc Zdancewicz

“Czechia reaching the semifinals would be a major storyline, especially in a field dominated by traditional powerhouses like Canada, the United States, and Sweden, making it a huge achievement for a smaller hockey nation to push that far. In recent years Czechia has shown it can compete with the elite, earning strong finishes and proving its development system is moving forward, but the question remains whether they can repeat this success in 2026. In the past the team’s biggest weakness was defense, but this year the opposite could be true, as they appear to have their strongest blue-line group on paper in years. Many players also arrive with valuable World Junior and professional experience, providing maturity, structure, and stability throughout the lineup. With improved defensive responsibility, reliable puck movement, and goaltending depth behind them, Czechia has the foundation to stay in games against even the most explosive offenses. If their top forwards produce timely scoring and a solid preliminary round sets up a winnable quarterfinal, Czechia has a genuine chance to break into the top four and shock the field once again.” - Marek Novotny

“Jack Ivankovic- He steals the Canadian starting job and has a great end to the tournament. Proven track record at international tournaments and having an excellent season in Michigan, I see him surprising a lot of people, despite me having Canada at bronze.” - Kyle Pereira

“The biggest surprise for me will be the role that draft eligibles play on the top teams. Whether it be McKenna, Carels, McKenkzie on Canada or Stenberg, Björk on Sweden as well as Novotny on Czechia, I believe they will all have major roles on their team as well as some other who were not mentioned.” - Mika Burns

“I think that Harrison Brunicke is really going to open a lot of people's eyes. It's already well-known that he's one of the few prospects who is coming into this tournament with NHL experience, but he's not exactly a household name yet. I predict that he's really going to cement himself as one of the very best under-20 prospects in the world and get a lot of people excited about his future.” - Derek Neumeier

“Team USA missing the gold medal game after two gold medals in a row. I see that in these age groups Canada and Sweden have taken mental advantage from previous tournaments and overall have better players.” - Arttu Myllymäki

“Team Finland struggles to win and gets eliminated in the quarter-finals. The lack of elite players in their lineup will make matches against the best teams quite difficult. I see them struggling to win even in the preliminary round.” - Jer Tremblay

“Sascha Boumedienne bests Axel Sandin-Pelikka's totals of 10 PTS in 7 GP last tournament (most by a Swedish D this century).” - Kyle Watson

“With the desire of wanting to avoid placing an onus on this, this, or that player for this question, I'll be naming Team Switzerland as the tournament's surprise. The Swiss have very good odds of finishing 3rd in Group A play and this is a team built to give squads like Finland and Czechia real (quarterfinal) problems. It is loaded with players playing pro right now, especially on the blueline. It has 2 drafted go-to goalies having strong club seasons. And up front, there are plenty of tough-to-face grinders with a sprinkling of real skill in players like Reber, Steiner, and Neuenschwander. You can't take a day off against this year's edition but a team or two likely will.” - Chapin Landvogt

“I think Sweden being knocked out by Finland in the quarterfinal will be the biggest surprise. In group A, I see USA finishing 1st and Sweden finishing 2nd and in group B, I see Canada 1st, Czechia 2nd and Finland 3rd, which means a game between Sweden and Finland in quarterfinal. Finland learned that Helenius will not join them so it probably puts them out of contention for a gold or silver medal, but they have a lot of returnees with the gold medal game experience from last year. Finland is historically a well prepared team that follows their gameplan and that makes them hard to beat as a team. They have enough offensive threat to be able to score goals and after that they can defend very well. I think Sweden with a newer group with less experience at this tournament might hit a wall against a good defending team like Finland that also has the best goalie returning from last year with Rimpinen.” - Jeremy Rivet

“In general, the number of draft-eligible skaters is a surprise. Names like Casper Justovaara Karlsson and Carson Carels weren't projected to be in the running for their respective rosters at the beginning of the year. There are 30 draft-eligible skaters expected to take part in the WJC this tournament. The previous three WJCs had 20 or less.” - Kyle Dalla Zanna

“It’s hard to pinpoint just one major surprise, as there are several realistic possibilities. First, I wouldn’t be shocked if Team Latvia wins two games in the preliminary round and gives some of the stronger teams a real scare. I also think we’ll be pleasantly surprised by several 2026 NHL Draft eligible players making an impact—most notably Stenberg, Smits, Suvanto, Carels, and Novotny—and contributing significantly to their teams’ success. However, my biggest prediction is Jack Ivankovic winning the starting role (perhaps not on Day 1 of the preliminary round, but later on) and leading Team Canada all the way to the gold medal game.” - Joey Fortin Boulay

“Team Czechia - I think Czechs have one of the strongest teams and I won’t be surprised if they play for gold. They’ve earned a medal in all of the last three tournaments and now they’re bringing their arguably strongest team in recent history. They’ll miss Jakub Milota in net, but the defense is exceptional, and they also have a strong offensive group. Czech ambitions are reasonably high, especially since they beat Canada in quarterfinals in both 2024 and 2025 tournaments. I think Czechia makes the finals this year.” - Matej Deraj

“I think the Czechia team will be a big surprise at this tournament. They have a very deep squad, and their defensive core may be one of the best on paper. Also, most of their team already plays in North America so they are used to this style of play and should help them transition easily on Minnesota ice.” - Mark Dube

“As a whole, I think Czechia's roster is going to surprise some people with how well they are going to play. They don't have a Gavin McKenna or Cole Eiserman-level star, but they have a deep roster with lots of NHL draft picks and older bodies that can occupy depth roles. It will be a challenge for them to medal in this tournament, especially because they will have to predominantly compete with Canada, the United States, Sweden, and Finland, but they have the talent to surprise and I'm really excited to see how they play in Minnesota!” - Michael Moroz

“I think the USA's weaker recent classes will really be exposed. I think they will have a very underwhelming tournament, not looking too good up and down the lineup especially compared to Canada.” - Jeremi Plourde

“I would love to say Mads Kongsbakk Klyvo in Denmark, but as he hasn’t played many games this season so I will say Vladimir Dravecký (in terms of individual performances).” - Viktor Ahlund

“The biggest surprise of this year's World Juniors will be Latvia's performance against bracket mainstays like Czechia in the group stage and even Sweden in the playoff. This Latvian team has its most talented forward group in recent memory headlined by Bruno Osmanis. They also have potential top 10 pick Albert Smits who very well could finish as the most impressive 2026 eligible defenseman in the tournament. This group is no stranger to upsets and I think Latvia takes down Czechia and Denmark in pool play and gives my projected Group A 1 seed Sweden a run for their money in the QF.” - Kaeden Ireland

“The biggest surprise of the tournament will be that I do not think the Czechs or Fins will medal this year with the rosters & goaltending. The Czechs have reached the medal round in the last 4 tournaments while the Fins were the silver medalists a year ago even with the return of LA Kings prospect, Petteri Rimpinen who had a stellar tournament last year. The depth & experience that Canada-Sweden-USA possess throughout their lineups I just cannot see any other teams being able to knock them out until they play each other in the semis & final.” - Liam Staples

“Team USA medals in a supposed "down" year for the team. Their squad is still loaded with talent and there is always a sense that USA plays with an energy and grit that makes them greater than the sum of their parts.” - Felix Sicard

“I have a few surprises…I mean this tournament is always jam packed with them, so why limit it to just one! Firstly, I don’t think the U.S. medals on home soil. I’m just not confident in their goaltending being good enough to help them push through a deep field this year. Plus, the pressure of playing at home is very real, especially when you’re gunning for a third straight gold medal. Secondly, I think that Canada has a poor round robin and has to fight through a tougher route to get to the semifinals. Under Dale Hunter, I think that they will peak later in the tournament and still come home with a medal, despite a rough beginning. Thirdly, I see Switzerland as a team that could actually make the semifinals. In a QF matchup versus either Finland or Canada (if I see Czechia taking top spot in Group B and Switzerland finishing third in Group A), they could play the spoiler.” - Brock Otten

2026 IIHF WORLD JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIP GUIDE – SWEDEN– Team Preview, Key Players and Draft Eligible Profiles

Felix Robbins — Mon, 22 Dec 2025 21:31:33 +0000

Always strong on paper, but merely a paper tiger. That is the story of Sweden at the WJC. Last year, they went undefeated in the group stage and looked to be a lock for the finals. They ended up not even medaling. Sweden hasn’t won gold since 2011-2012 and has only won twice in the official 49-year history of the tournament. The goal (and expectation) for Sweden in Minneapolis–Saint Paul is simple: Win the gold.

This year’s squad was selected with pro experience and versatility in mind. Coach Magnus Hävelid and GM Anders Lundberg want a team that can match the speed and physical intensity of the “big brother” teams like Canada and USA without sacrificing the fine skill that Sweden is known for.

Everyone save for three players (Eric Nilson, Sascha Boumedienne, and Wilson Bjorck) are playing Swedish pro hockey. The names they’ve brought range from NHL stars-to-be like Frondell or Eklund to undrafted underdogs like Felix Carell and Felix Öhrqvist. Seattle prospect Loke Krantz is making his national team debut, so there is not shortage of storylines to keep an eye on.

The forward core is as solid as it comes from top to bottom. Equal parts grit and skill. The only question mark there is down the middle. Sweden doesn’t have a true 1C, but they do have three capable middle six centers as well as several versatile wingers with diverse skillsets. Finding the right mix in the top six is going to be the key for Sweden’s success.

Perhaps the most glaring question mark is the decision to only bring left-handed defencemen. The logic was to bring the best defencemen available, and it’s hard to argue with that. The decision surely speaks to the confidence they have in the guys who will be playing on their off-side. Goaltending is full of experienced national junior team players who are currently playing pro as well, so no question marks there.

Another strong roster on paper. Will it all come together when it counts? Will this finally be the year Sweden gets over the hump?

Key Players to Watch

FRISCO, TEXAS - MAY 2: Sweden's Anton Frondell #16 skates with the puck against USA’s Asher Barnett #13 in the first period during Semifinal Round action at the 2025 IIHF Ice Hockey U18 World Championship at Comerica Center on May 2, 2025 in Frisco, Texas, USA. (Photo by Tim Austen/IIHF)

Anton Frondell – C/W, Djurgardens IF (Chicago Blackhawks)

After a full offseason and preseason uninterrupted by injury, Frondell looks like he is thriving in the SHL. He leads all SHL players under the age of U21 in goal scoring and leads his team in +/-, all the while alternating from center to winger. Frondell is only 18 years old and still learning how to play down the middle at the pro level and he’s got the right mix of tools to handle the tough parts of the job. He’s competitive, intelligent, and plays a heavy game. He’s an excellent finisher with a powerful shot. The question marks about his speed/skill combo at C are still there, though his quickness has taken a step.

There’s no question that Frondell will be one of Sweden’s most used forwards and top offensive weapons at the WJC. Blackhawks fans are about to find out how close Frondell is to being able to fill a top six center role on the big stage. However, I maintain that Frondell is best suited to a physical finishing role on the wing to a speedier, more creative center. Based on what mix Magnus Hävelid decides to go with on a given night, we could see both over the course of the tournament.

Milton Gästrin – C, MoDo Hockey (Washington Capitals)

Gästrin has had a real statement year so far. His play at the HockeyAllsvenskan level has been nothing short of excellent. He’s become a key player for MoDo, playing in all situations and is second on the team in scoring. His on-ice work rate is infectious and his compete level is off the charts. He’s always moving his feet. His ability to push the pace and make passing plays at high-speed has taken yet another step. Gästrin has become a veritable two-way playmaking center with tangible NHL upside. He still has to put on some more pounds and get stronger, but he’s still a young ’07 – lots of time for that.

Gästrin’s role on Sweden’s WJC squad will have to be just as impactful as in the pros. He will most likely be an all-situations workhorse here as well, seeing deployment in all zones as well as on both the PP and PK. He should find himself centering the middle six, potentially even the second line. I wouldn’t be surprised if Gästrin wears a letter at the tournament as well, since he’s captained every level of international hockey he’s played at.

Lucas Pettersson – C/W, Brynäs IF (Anaheim Ducks)

Pettersson has been completely flying under the radar since his draft season, but this year seems to be the one he’s been waiting for. Learning from former NHL stars like Niklas Bäckström and Jakob Silferberg on a stacked Brynäs team is an ideal situation for a young prospect. His confidence in offensive situations and resilience at the pro level are encouraging signs that his development is back on track. It’s not impossible to believe he’s got a real path to a top nine role with the Anaheim Ducks in a couple of years.

At the U20 level, Pettersson is an elite offensive performer. He can be so dynamic and really push the pace when he’s on. Shift to shift consistency was the main question mark during his draft year, but his ability to drive play at the most recent U20 5-nations has been very encouraging. Pettersson’s speed, skill, and drive would make him the ideal 1C between players like Eddie Genborg or Anton Frondell. However, his inconsistent physical game and two-way impact would make that a tall order. He’ll most likely serve as a top six winger and play on the top powerplay unit.

Alfons Freij – LHD, Timra IK (Winnipeg Jets)

Freij finally made the WJC squad in his final year of eligibility. He has spent his D+2 on loan with Timrå in the SHL and has delivered mixed results thus far. The production is lacking and he’s still got work to do on the defensive side of the puck at the pro level, especially in physical battles. However, once he has the puck on his stick, he can navigate his way through multiple layers of neutral zone defenders with ease. The skating is borderline elite, and he can stretch the ice with his excellent passing and up ice vision.

For Freij truthers like myself, this a pivotal tournament. The tools are still excellent, but it’s time for them to come together in a big way. With Sweden only bringing left-handed defencemen to Minneapolis-Saint Paul, Freij will likely be playing on the right side in the top four. I expect him to control play from his backhand with efficiency and poise like he did during his draft year in Växjö. Freij has got the ability to activate below the blueline and make a play, as well as a lethal shot from the point. He’ll likely feature on Sweden’s powerplay as well.

Ivar Stenberg – LW, Frölunda HC (2026 NHL Draft)

Rarely do we see draft eligible players torch the SHL like Stenberg has thus far. His historic pace of production for a rookie puts him on the same list as legends like Markus Näslund, the Sedins, even Foppa (Patrick Forsberg). Going from the 3rd best pro league in the world to the U20 level is going to feel easier, international best-on-best or not.

The foundation of Stenberg’s game is his high-end hockey sense and his soft skill. He stays 2 or 3 steps ahead of play, on and off the puck. He’s got fantastic peripheral vision and can manipulate defenders to open up space and make passing plays only he can make.

Being used to the pro game means he’s no stranger to high speed and heavy physicality. However, he’ll need a little help in transition as he’s not the most fleet of foot. Still, Stenberg should be a lock for a top line spot and for the 1st Power Play unit.

Other Draft Eligible Players to Watch

FRISCO, TEXAS - MAY 3: Canada's Ryan Roobroeck #26 stick checks Sweden's Viggo Bjorck #21 in the first period during Gold Medal Game action at the 2025 IIHF Ice Hockey U18 World Championship at Comerica Center on May 3, 2025 in Frisco, Texas, USA. (Photo by Tim Austen/IIHF)

Viggo Björck – C/W, Djurgårdens IF (2026 NHL Draft)

For someone who was routinely in the top five conversation on pre-season draft boards, Björck has quickly become one of the most slept on prospect in the 2026 NHL draft. He’s still an everyday SHLer and producing at a solid clip for a draft eligible. Yet somehow, I see him tumbling down lists.

While his strengths are his hockey sense and puck skills, anyone questioning Björck’s compete is out to lunch. He battles hard at the pro level and his physical resilience has taken a huge leap. The only valid question mark about his game is his size/speed combo. It’s tough to picture him as an elite offensive NHL forward without the high-end skating typically associated with undersized forwards.

Björck should play a prominent role in Sweden’s top six and will most likely QB one of the power play units. A return to the U20 level should be in his favour. He’ll be looking to turn some heads and remind people why he was so highly touted coming into the draft year.

William Håkansson – LHD, Luleå HF (2026 NHL Draft)

With Håkansson being left off the 2025 U18s and ineligible for the 2026 U18s due to his October 2007 birthday, there was little expectation that he’d be given a look for the U20 WJC. However, his outstanding SHL play with Luleå, as well as his fine showing at the U20 5 nations has landed him a spot on Magnus Hävelid’s squad. A pleasant surprise for draft enthusiasts, indeed!

While you can never have enough size in your D core, focusing on that is selling Håkansson’s game short. Håkansson’s imposing physical presence should give Sweden some grit and sandpaper on the backend, yes, but he plays with the poise and intelligence of a seasoned veteran. He’s got excellent control of his frame and uses his reach to his advantage defensively.

I expect him to play in the bottom four, keeping it simple and killing plays. However, don’t be surprised if the big man jumps up on the rush or activates below the blueline every now and then. His strong four-way mobility and quickness for his size takes opponents by surprise. A strong showing here should solidify Håkansson’s reputation as a top draft eligible defenceman in the draft.

Casper Juustovaara Karlsson – LW, Luleå HF (2026 NHL Draft)

Easily the biggest surprise of the roster, although not without precedence. Juustovaara Karlsson is this years’ Isac Hedqvist. An undersized bulldog of a forward who won himself an SHL job and fights tooth and nail every night to keep it. He’s 5-foot-9 but hits like a truck. He flies around the ice and battles for pucks with reckless abandon. He is heart and hustle personified. He’s shown strong puck skills and playmaking ability at the U20 level, and his offence has picked up a little at the SHL level, too.

If CKJ gets into games, it’ll be during the group stage and he’ll most likely be used as a bottom 6 checking forward. Highlighting CJK for this article is a conscious choice. He’s a player I’ve really enjoyed watching so far this season. However, with an October 2007 birthday and a very limited path to the NHL based on his size and skill set, he’s unlikely to get drafted. That being said, a good showing here could be the difference between being completely overlooked for the draft and weaseling his way onto a few watchlists.