Scouching’s 2025 World Junior Hockey Championship Preview
Happy Holidays everyone! Now that we’ve all overeaten and had our family gatherings, it’s time to gather around the television and go nowhere for the next little while as the 2025 IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship gets underway in Ottawa, Canada. It’s going to be an action-packed tournament as always, featuring some high octane talent, and as usual, we’re here with a primer to follow along with your favorite teams and players! I won’t waste anymore of your time so lets get right into previewing this year’s tournament country by country, from our lowest expected rank to our highest!
10th - Kazakhstan - 5.29 Avg. NHLeS
Player to Watch - Vladimir Nikitin (G)
As much as I love to see upsets at this tournament, I’m not sure how much magic is in the cards for the Kazakhs this season. One of the most elite on-ice looks in hockey, Kazakhstan is making their first appearance since before the pandemic. This season, everything will come down to Ottawa Senators draft pick Vladimir NIkitin. While I found the Kazakh U18 team from this past spring entertaining and admirable, the ability of the team to push back, even in the weaker group is going to be questionable. Much of their team is coming from Astana’s MHL team who are in the bottom half of the worse division in the worse conference of Russian junior hockey. They face 40 shots a night routinely and whoever is in net this year is going to be busy, even against teams like Switzerland and Slovakia.
That having been said, I have found U18s standout Asanali Sarkenov to be a talented finisher with some good puck protection ability that, when combined with his length, makes him an intriguing player to watch this season in Spokane. I don’t expect the key players from Kazakhstan’s Division 1A tournament last season such as Davlat Nurkenov and Alexander Kim to be huge difference makers this year but in my research for this, Beibarys Orazov seems like a nice piece to have on the defensive side of the puck. He’s the only player on this roster largely playing at a professional level, and he will be one of a small handful who will be expected to carry much of the load for Kazakhstan. Is there a chance they’re saved in relegation? I would be pleasantly surprised, but I just don’t see how unless Vladimir Nikitin has a Benjamin Conz-like performance facing what is likely to be 40-50 shots on many occassions, with some serious bounces, luck, and power play time going their way.
9th - Latvia - 6.81 Avg. NHLeS
Player to Watch - Eriks Mateiko (LW/RW)
I have a soft spot for Latvia. A great look on the ice, a scrappy team with many players who grew up playing in a closely knit community at the elite level of hockey, and often bringing some of the youngest rosters in these tournaments. Latvia in Ottawa will be no different, featuring the youngest team in the tournament with 15 eligible returnees, 4 more than the next team, with 4 players in their first year of NHL Draft eligibility, 4 more who are eligible for 2026, and the only 2027 eligible player in this whole tournament according to current rosters. That 15 year old is Roberts Naudins, and he also happens to stand 6’6” tall and I’m sure will have eyes on him if he makes the roster. It’s going to be an interesting and exciting year for the Latvians with some impressive names leading the way. Do I expect this team to make serious inroads and get through a quarterfinal for the first time? No, but I think they’ll push teams harder than we think.
Likely leading the way for the Latvians is gigantic QMJHL winger Eriks Mateiko. With Saint John he has been a puck protecting beefcake who plows his way up the ice through pressure and makes plays around the net leading to an impressive 14 goal campaign to this point. He’s a powerful and strong player with some straightforward and efficient thinking that may capitalize on sleepy opponents here and there. The supporting cast is pretty solid as well, Bruno Osmanis has had his moments making plays from the perimeter in the games I’ve seen this year showcasing some creativity and vision with the puck that should help elevate others on his team. I enjoyed what I saw of Daniels Serkins at the U18s last spring as a smaller but dynamic and crafty scoring forward. Darels Uljanskis is likely Latvia’s power play quarterback with a heck of a shot from the point and some good skill application walking the blueline in the offensive zone. Olivers Murnieks and Rudolfs Berzkalns lead the way for 2026 NHL Draft eligibles, both coming from the USHL. I’m much more familiar with Murnieks to this point and the quality of his wrist shot and solid pace of play should help Latvia in a supportive role. Beyond that, I’m honestly not that familiar with a number of these players. They have a roster of players doing well at much better levels than the Kazakhs, and in my view their tournament may come down to a showdown with Germany in Group A that keeps them alive as it did last year. I don’t think this is a team that can go up against Finland, Sweden or Canada, but this is the World Juniors. You never know…
8th - Germany - 4.88 Avg. NHLeS
Player to Watch - Carlos Händel (D)
The Germans in this tournament might be a team that can surprise us in a game or two. They don’t really have any likely gamebreakers, but they have a surprising run of interesting players that might round out a decent roster, especially on the younger side of things. David Lewandowski, Carlos Händel, Maxim Schäfer and Rio Kaiser are all players I’ve had good looks of this season and while they are all unranked on my NHL Draft list, they’ve all touched the list at some point this year. Lewandowski is a well rounded player with good length on his frame, solid skill and finishing ability who leads the way on the team in my NHLeS metric. Händel isn’t far behind though as a dynamic offensive defender who likely quarterbacks the German power play, and likely does so quite well. Rio Kaiser is gigantic, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see him out there for a while eating some solid minutes, and while I think he lacks quite a bit of refinement, he’s got a massive frame that gets around the ice quite well and if he imposes himself physically, he may make a solid impact. Similar things can be said about his teammate Maxim Schäfer who brings size, good northbound speed and physical play. Paul Mayer, Paul Vinzens, Edwin Tropmann, and Norwin Panocha are players who we’ve seen before who have played good supplementary roles for the Germans internationally as well. German hockey is riding high after triumphing over Finland at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup, but Finland’s roster this season still holds many older, big and physical talents that likely overwhelm the Germans for now. As with many teams, things could all come down to a strong goaltending performance here and there. Whoever is in the net will be busy, but I think they could find themselves in the quarterfinals, and from there, all it takes is one heroic performance and Germany might have themselves a run. Likely? No. Do I cheer for upsets? You bet.
7th - Switzerland- 9.40 Avg. NHLeS
Player to Watch - Jamiro Reber (C/LW)
Onwards we go to Germany but more gooder-er: Switzerland! I think this team quietly could make some waves this season. In a tournament that often relies on goaltending, Christian Kirsch and Elijah Neuenschwander are a talented pair who have put up solid numbers in their respective leagues and have had strong performances in the past. The team itself has more than a few names I’ve seen over the years and filed in the back of my mind as nice junior level players who have the benefit of playing in the Swiss professional hockey circuit, often considered one of the best in Europe. Don’t let the low point totals fool you, these guys are playing minutes, and those minutes are tough to produce in.
Jamiro Reber will likely be relied upon extremely heavily for Switzerland this season. He has had a huge step in production this year with HV71 in the SHL, and with his high octane approach to the game, he’s going to need to have some great performances if he’s going to help his team into the medal rounds. Dynamic, skilled, surgical and aggressive, I’ve loved Reber’s evolution this year and think he could really turn some heads considering he remains unranked by many.
My dear son Ludvig Johnson is listed on the roster as he should be. A wonderful start to his junior league season landed him in the National League faster than even I expected, and he hasn’t looked out of place there in my viewings, especially offensively. He’s skilled, but the way he uses it is so, so smart. He delays, uses his feet to change angles, works pucks off the boards with precision and accurate passes, and like Reber, I’m hopeful that he turns some heads here. Along with him on the defensive side of things is undrafted defender Daniil Ustinkov who is having another strong season in the second division of Swiss hockey down the Zürichsee with Küsnacht. Skilled, evasive, defensively intelligent and underrated offensive abilities are the name of the game with Ustinkov and while he hasn’t taken the steps I expected since last year, he’s still been a strong performer with flashes of real brilliance that I think could show very well this season in Ottawa. Don’t sleep on Vancouver Canucks prospect Basile Sansonnens either. I was pleasantly surprised to see a team take a flyer on him, and he’s raw, raw, raw in the context of the NHL Draft, but the lanky kid can definitely skate and defend. He likely eats good minutes for Switzerland this year, and rounds out a strong D+1 group of players for this team.
Further down the depth chart, I’ve liked what I’ve seen internationally of Robin Nico Antenen, Loris Wey, Leo Braillard, and Rafael Meier, and I do think this is a team that could surprise us. Lots of prospect nerds are spying 2026 Draft-eligible Lars Steiner, and while I love the speedy and agile approach to the game that he brings, I’m not quite sure if this is going to be a huge statement tournament from him. It’s a tough level of competition and battling through pressure at high speeds of play has been an issue I’ve noted in my viewings this year. Super talented player, lots of potential and I’d be happy to see him blow me away of course, but I think the older names on this roster are going to be leading the way a bit more.
6th - Slovakia - 7.70 Avg. NHLeS
Player to Watch - Daniel Alexander Jencko (C/LW)
In my view the Swiss are pushing Slovakia hard here. They have a goaltending edge with a number of options, and their skaters are loaded with strong talent at a variety of positions and roles. Luka Radivojevic is a dynamic and entertaining offensive defenseman, Maxim Strbak and Jakub Chromiak are solid two-way stabilizers, I’ve liked what I’ve seen here and there of Samuel Barcik and Adam Belusko and while I don’t think this is a medal winning group of defenders, they definitely could compete in the quarterfinals. Up front they have plenty of diverse, fun talent to watch. Miroslav Satan is gigantic and fast, Andreas Straka is smart and slippery, Juraj Pekarcik is physical and skilled, Tomas Pobezal has good finishing ability, Frantisek Dej plows through anything that moves off the puck, and while I’m not certain Slovakia will score a tremendous amount, they might be able to grind their way to victory here and there. Daniel Alexander Jencko might be a pick off the board for a player to watch, but he’s been one of the more dynamic, agile and skilled players on the ice when I caught him with Malmö and Youngstown over the years. He’s off to a good start with UMass as a freshman, and I think he might quietly be a player who makes an impact offensively for this group. Slovakia isn’t the star-studded golden generation we had a few years back, but this is a competitive roster with balance where they need it. There are players with a physical edge that could help push them through better opponents, and goaltending that has really carried them at times over the years.
5th - Czechia - 10.63 Avg. NHLeS
Player to Watch - Michael Hrabal (G)
The Czechs are coming off of eliminating the Canadians in last year’s quarterfinals in a game that they somehow found a way to win while being significantly outshot and outchanced, and I think this tournament has a chance of being a repeat performance into the medal round. There are plenty of good players to choose from on this team up and down the lineup that could go toe to toe with anyone. They’re the biggest team in the tournament, and they very well play like they are with names like Adam Jecho, Adam Zidlicky, Jakub Stancl, Jakub Dvorak and Adam Jiricek all having strong physical tools. I love the skill that some of these players bring as well, with Miroslav Holinka, Jakub Fibigr, Tomas Galvas, Ondrej Kos among others being creative, evasive players that can push opponents back on their heels. They’re a team that could have some big power play potential with how mobile and fluid some of their defenders are. I’m curious to see what Vojtech Cihar brings to the table as a productive draft eligible player who I haven’t seen as much of that I’d like. Adam Novotny is a 2026 Draft Eligible who has been impressive in every international viewing I’ve seen him in to this point as well.
The big wild card for the Czechs will be Michael Hrabal in net. He’s been quite good in the NCAA to this point, but when he’s off his game internationally, he has really been off his game. Jakub Milota is a nice alternative from what I’ve seen, but I would imagine the big, athletic Hrabal is going to be the main guy in the pipes, and while he may not face as intense a workload as the teams ranked lower, he’ll need to stand tall when called upon if this team is going to land themselves some more hardware. Could they find their third medal in a row for the first time ever? I don’t think it’s impossible, but it could be a challenge considering how tight this group of teams appears to be.
4th - Finland - 12.90 Avg. NHLeS
Player to Watch - Konsta Helenius (C)
After what was a lacklustre Hlinka Gretzky Cup, the World Juniors should go much better for the Finns in Ottawa. Their roster for this tournament plays into their natural style of play that can grind out wins so much better. They love a heavy, physical counterattacking style, working off of each other being selfless and capitalizing on chances when they get them. Julius Miettinen, Rasmus Kumpulainen, Kasper Halttunen, and Emil Hemming all bring some level of physical game to the table with some offensive pop and will be heavily relied upon players for the team. Konsta Helenius is likely to be the star of the show after a strong AHL rookie campaign to this point. He’s intelligent on both sides of the puck and at both ends of the ice, able to do pretty much everything well, especially at this level. If Finland’s offense is going to move at 5v5, it’ll likely flow through him often. My personal favorite will be Jukurit forward Topias Hynninen. He should’ve been drafted last year, and after a Summer Showcase with him on the first line, Hynninen has followed up with an excellent Liiga season. He’s aggressive, physical, resilient, competitive and has some offensive tools that should come out more often than they do. He may not be a premier name for this team at the moment, but he could be a surprise to many this year.
The fun doesn’t stop there though, as Joona Saarelainen, Aron Kiviharju, Mitja Jokinen, Daniel Nieminen and Jesse Kiiskinen are all players who bring a level of skill that should help push Finland through this tournament with supplemental offensive output. The question will be keeping the puck out of their net, as Petteri Rimpinen has been the best name on paper of the trio, but all three have been underwhelming more often than not in blue and white. Time will tell, but Finland is a medal contender in my opinion.
3rd - Sweden - 12.58 Avg. NHLeS
Player to Watch - Victor Eklund (LW)
The Swedes are a team who haven’t won this tournament in over a decade, but it hasn’t been for lack of trying. Four medals since 2018 is somewhat underwhelming for a powerhouse like Sweden, but this year’s iteration could very well find themselves right back in medal contention after a silver medal effort in 2024. There are many names on here who have quietly had some very effective seasons, especially up front. Felix Nilsson has broken through at the men’s level as the energetic and skilled forward I saw a couple years back, David Edstrom is a brilliant physical tactician who moves the play up the ice well, even under physical pressure. Herman Träff is a favorite of mine, ranked in my late first round last year with his wonderful combination of skill, size and strength, and if he can put his game together consistently in the way I’ve seen him do in the past, he could be a force for Sweden. Anton Wahlberg, Tom Willander, David Granberg and Viggo Gustafsson are all players that carry size and skill as well and should be able to help Sweden play a strong possession game. The team might be a little bit light on goal scoring with Oskar Vuollet and Viktor Eklund being the main names to watch, but Otto Stenberg certainly has his scoring moments, and captain Axel Sandin-Pellikka can step up and generate offense himself.
The Swedes are a team that feels a step behind the top two in the tournament, but at least on paper, the range from 3 through 6 being quite a bit closer than I remember from prior years. The Swedes have a strong trio of goaltenders that I still believe is a smidge behind the Americans as well, so the focus for Sweden has to be strong games against Finland and Canada to ensure the easiest quarterfinal matchup possible. Czechia and Finland might be able to knock around this Swedish roster a bit, but Sweden has a pretty balanced, resilient roster that could very well go deep in this tournament. Personally, I’m optimistic with the smart, big and skilled group they have with Melker Thelin or perhaps Marcus Gidlöf in between the pipes. They’ll need to have good games when it matters in order to get through the tournament, but I have faith they’ll find a way.
2nd - United States - 17.07 Avg. NHLeS
Player to Watch - James Hagens (C)
It’s another strong roster for the United States, but I’m not certain that they’re going to be as directly comparable to the Canadian roster as they have been in recent years. The goaltending is a clear advantage with Trey Augustine and Hampton Slukynsky having exceptional seasons to this point. There is a boatload of firepower as well, with Gabe Perreault, Ryan Leonard, Trevor Connelly, Cole Hutson, and Zeev Buium all bringing skill, finishing ability and creativity that can keep up with the best in the tournament. Surrounding them there are great transitional players with remarkable physical tools that could counterattack opponents extremely well. I expect an impressive showing in that regard from players like Oliver Moore, Teddy Stiga, and 2025 top rated prospect James Hagens. It’s entirely possible that Hagens becomes the star of the show, reinforcing a draft standing that seems to be on slightly shaky ground.
The States also bring a really good supporting cast of physically intense players with size and defensive talent in Drew Fortescue, Danny Nelson, Austin Burnevik, Brandon Svoboda, Colin Ralph and Adam Kleber. I’ll also be extremely interested in seeing what Logan Hensler brings to the table at this level as his NCAA freshman year has been a little bit up and down. He brings a great set of feet, covering ice well and chipping in on both sides of the puck and a strong World Junior tournament could lead to an excellent second half.
They’re a talented group that could absolutely contend for the gold medal, and there is plenty of offensive output, goaltending talent and physical defending to be had. There aren’t many holes on this roster, but Canada is loaded full of offensive weapons, and I simply can’t wait to see how things shake out. The two teams meet on New Year’s Eve, which will be a must-watch, and if they meet in the playoffs, strap in.
1st - Canada - 24.67 Avg. NHLeS
Player to Watch - Gavin McKenna (LW)
What a shocker, another year, another strong Canadian roster in the top tier of my power rankings. The Canadians are favorites, but that didn’t stop the Czechs last year, the Americans in 2021, or the Finns in 2019. They are not invincible, but they’re pretty damn good and teams can often only hope to grind them down and drag them into the muck to find a way through them. Canada is absolutely loaded with guys who can fill the net with pucks or help others fill the net with pucks. Bradly Nadeau. Berkly Catton. Brayden Yager. Calum Ritchie. Easton Cowan. Luca Pinelli. Porter Martone. Of course you have Gavin McKenna, an elite prospect for the 2026 NHL Draft leading the way in my model with 50% offensive involvement on a team scoring 4 goals per game. He’s dynamic, insanely skilled, and absolutely lethal with the puck in the offensive zone, especially as a playmaker. Matthew Schaefer, recently ranked #1 here at Scouching, is looking to have another excellent public showing as well, as he brings his rush offense and playmaking ability to what is a bit of an all-star team of offensive talent. Sawyer Mynio, Oliver Bonk and Andrew Gibson are capable defensive insulators to help out on the physical side of the equation, but don’t forget about guys like Cole Beaudoin, Tanner Howe, or Porter Martone’s capability in that area. On the note of Martone, I’ll be very curious to see how his tournament goes, as there have been concerns about the pace of his game and his ability to push opponents onto their heels enough to be an enormous difference maker in the NHL. Seeing him share the ice with Matthew Schaefer for an extended period could be a very interesting experience for us draft geeks…
As usual, Canada’s “Must Do” list in order to go deep is the same as it almost always is. They have a good group of goaltenders this year but whoever is in the net will need to perform, and discipline from the lineup will be key. In this tournament, other teams often are more than good enough to score against a Canadian team with a man in the box. They’re a great team but not “still dominant on the PK” dominant I don’t think. It seems that in recent years, overhandling the puck and taking on a lot of risk looking for more dangerous plays has burned them in the past, but Canada usually looks like a completely different team in Game 6 than Game 1, and if there are hiccups along the way for them, I would simultaneously be not surprised, but not worried whatsoever. After last season, you brush yourself off and try again, especially when that was a game that simply did not go their way. I’m so excited to see this group and how they perform, and I think we’re in for a treat.
And there we have it! Another World Junior Hockey Championship is officially underway. I can’t wait to see what we have in store this season. There is always drama, controversy and glory to be had for every nation here regardless of expectation. It’s 95% of the reason why I love this tournament so much. I make jokes about Kazakhstan winning the whole thing, but in reality I just love seeing the hockey world expand horizons and welcome everyone to the table. The teal and gold doesn’t hurt though, and following the growth of the game globally is a real joy for me, even if they get blown out by their competition.
I hope you all have a great holiday season, however you choose to celebrate or not celebrate. At the very least, we can get cozy, flip on the TV, and watch kids chase their dreams on a massive, international stage. I have such tremendous respect for these young folks who have worked so hard to get here, and what they provide for us during their holiday season is something we may take for granted. If it were up to me, this tournament would be 32 teams and be a highlight of the hockey calendar, but I unfortunately have to live in the real world. For now though, we can grab the junk food and hot chocolate and let this play out however it may play out.
A final word of congratulations to the Danish U20 team for finding themselves in the top division for next season. They were somewhat of an unexpected victor in my books, but a well earned entry after a hard fought victory against Austria on the last day of the tournament got them to Minnesota in 2026.
Happy Holidays, and we’ll see you in 2025!
P.S: I’ll be at both semifinal games on January 4th and potentially poking around on New Years eve so if you’re in the area give me a shout! See you there!
