Scouching’s 2026 World Junior Hockey Championship Preview
We’re back for another year of the World Junior Hockey Championship, and this time we’re going to the State of Hockey, Minnesota, USA. A place I’ve always dreamt of going, the setting alone sets the stage for what could be one of the classic World Junior Championships. I’m always excited for this tournament, but this one is different. A significant number of 2026 NHL Draft prospects aside, these rosters are really, really close in terms of paper value in my books, especially from my #2 team to #5, and potentially even my #6 if things go right. I can’t recall the last time I had this much trouble ordering and ranking these teams, and it only got harder and harder the longer I worked on this. Every team brings some kind of advantage over another, and it could all simply come down to a bounce here or there, or a goaltending performance for the ages and things get completely flipped upside-down.
There are 30 players on rosters at time of writing that are eligible for the 2026 NHL Draft, and while quite a few are on lower-end teams and unlikely to be picked, the number that are on medal contenders is definitely higher than usual. So if your favourite NHL team is struggling, watch as much as you can because almost every team has something you can probably take home with you.
Before we get into the writeup, just a note that “AvgNHLeS” is a league, position and age-adjusted “score” of a player’s production but it isn’t a be-all-end-all and is useful for a baseline analysis. Enjoy the writeup, enjoy the tournament, and have a great holiday season!
10th - Denmark - 4.01 Avg. NHLeS
Player to Watch - Mads Kongsbak Klyvø (LW)
As much as I love travelling to Copenhagen and bobbing around Denmark on DSB trains, I would be stunned to see Denmark stick in this tournament after this year. Last season’s Division 1A victory came as a serious surprise to me with a strong group of NHL-Draft quality Norwegians falling well short of expectations and delaying their appearance in the World Juniors until 2027. The Danes are bringing a number of depth Metal Ligaen players and a handful of Swedish junior league names of varying quality. Defenseman Emil Saaby Jakobsen might be a curious draft eligible name, entering this tournament with high production in the lower tiers of Swedish junior hockey, but having checked him out a bit, I’m not convinced he’s going to be able to carry this group on his back. He has an intriguing set of feet that he uses to cover ice laterally well, especially with some decent skill with the puck, and certainly a willingness to put the puck on net, but he hasn’t played at a level comparable to this in his life. The only notable name on this roster is big winger Mads Kongsbak Klyvø with a powerful, nasty game that may be able to push back against some of their opponents during this tournament. The Florida Panthers draft pick has yet to dress for a game, but has managed to bring some level of impact in the warmup games Denmark has played to this point. A recent 6-1 loss to Switzerland with fewer than 10 shots on goal along with three straight losses in November to Norway, Latvia and Austria by a combined score of 16-4 doesn’t particularly spark a tremendous amount of hope, but the beauty of this tournament is that you never really know what’s coming. It isn’t likely, as goaltending can take you deep in this tournament, and Denmark is bringing inexperienced names with limited exposure to high levels of hockey, and these netminders are likely to face a lot of hockey pucks every game. With Slovakia, Czechia, Sweden and even the Swiss as opposition, the Danes don’t have an “easy” game ahead of them, let alone a likely competitive one, and as much as I’ve tried when digging in on this team and reflecting on my notes on their returnees from years prior, it seems very unlikely that Denmark returns for the 2027 tournament barring a spectacular relegation game performance.
9th - Latvia- 8.33 Avg. NHLeS
Player to Watch - Alberts Smits (LHD)
The Latvians were an unbelievably young group in 2025, featuring 14 names with prior World Junior experience, and they contend for the same label once again in 2026. This Latvian group could be a big surprise, just as they were last season after nearly stunning the Swedes in an unexpectedly close quarterfinal matchup. This season however, the Latvians are bringing a number of players from last year who were key players on the roster. Bruno Osmanis and Olivers Murnieks were two of the three players that landed more than two points last season, and gargantuan 16 year old Roberts Naudins is coming in the middle of a very successful year with Shattuck St. Mary’s on the US prep hockey circuit. Roberts Janis Polis has always been an intriguing player in my viewings and Daniels Serkins is likely to play a bigger role after a strong powerplay heavy performance at last year’s U18 and leading the team scoring.
Based on my work so far this year for the NHL Draft, the real names to watch on this roster are returnee centre Rudolfs Berzkalns and potential top-10 defenseman Alberts Smits. There may be a handful of decent offensive names here, but in terms of driving results on both sides of the puck I don’t think the Latvians will rely on others much more than these two. I haven’t been too thrilled with Olivers Murnieks’ play in Saint John this year, but Berzkalns plays a similar but pivotal role in a much more effective way to my eye. His boardwork is high end, he’s huge, has a budding physical edge to his game, but the puck protection and pure speed in his game is hard to ignore. I wouldn’t be surprised to see NHL boards have him higher if Latvia plays him as much as I think they should. A great north/south player with some huge upside, Berzkalns is a player I wouldn’t be shy about playing against some good competition, and I imagine he’ll get plenty of chances to earn that role. Alberts Smits on the other hand might be one of the most hilariously entertaining performances from a defenseman that we’ve seen in this tournament in a few years. Smits is a smart short area passer, running good breakouts and steadily building his defensive game in Liiga, but his offensive zone game is absolutely wild. He’ll attack the net, drift into scoring areas if he sees space, and seems to pick his spots very effectively. He should be a lethal powerplay threat especially working off a shot-heavy defense partner in Darels Uljanskis. Smits has cracked the Latvian National team at points this season and not looked out of place, and his performances at the Finnish U20 level are laughably successful. Going back to junior competition should provide a huge amount of freedom and opportunity and he may very well cement himself as a top selection in this year’s draft class with others as he has with me this season.
The tipping point will be their game against Germany, who will likely be a tough test with a decent forward group of their own and almost certainly stronger goaltending. Montreal draft pick Mikus Vecvanags has had solid international performances and Ivans Kufterins is facing plenty of pucks with Kamloops in the WHL, but I still have more faith in any of the three German goaltenders in my experience. The Latvians, Germans and Swiss are very, very close in my books and as I wrote this, they’ve all swapped positions with one another. I think the Latvians could very well work their way into the quarterfinals and potentially shock their opponents, but the chances are slightly lower than the higher end defense and goaltending in Switzerland and certainly the goaltending in Germany. Smits, Uljanskis, Osmanis, Murnieks and Berzkalns might do enough to make it happen, but I think the real story might just turn out to be the Alberts Smits Party as he likely plays 45 minutes a game locked on the ice for every powerplay.
8th - Switzerland - 8.63 Avg. NHLeS
Player to Watch - Lars Steiner (RW)
Swiss hockey seems to be in a weird spot in 2025. There are some names that are certainly intriguing and have caught NHL eyeballs, but in terms of truly high end upside, depth and growth, there doesn’t seem to be a tremendous amount to chew on. The 2026 Swiss roster is bringing strong goaltenders in Christian Kirsch, Elijah Neuenschwander, both of whom split the net for this team last year, but they were busy with very little support from the Swiss offense. The story may be a bit similar this season, with little in the way of true offensive difference-makers, but if Jamiro Reber finds his pace and drives the net more than I’ve seen, he may make a difference. Loris Wey and Robin Nico Antenen are older names who have been on my radar for their energy and skill level, and Jonah Neuenschwander is a promising 2009-born player with size and puck protection ability that may be able to provide his team a boost. The intriguing group of defensemen may be able to insulate the Swiss goaltending well though, featuring three NHL Draft Picks and a few that fall just short of that benchmark. Ludvig Johnson is a 2024 Team Scouching pick who showed extremely well last year in my view, and earning himself a selection from Utah in 2025. I would expect him to be a major part of the Swiss powerplay, especially if Leon Muggli isn’t fully up to speed after playing just two games thus far this season. A really dynamic, skilled and confident offensive defenseman, Johnson is one I’m certainly watching. Daniil Ustinkov and Basile Sansonnens bring complimentary defensive ability, with Ustinkov bringing high upside skill and pass vision, but he can certainly come and go in frustrating ways. Nik Lehmann is a 2026 Draft Eligible coming out of a full time job in the National League. Not an easy feat for a defenseman and he could also bring some nice complimentary ability, and Niklas Blessing being an older name who can also bring even more offensive pop from the defensive side of the puck. Lars Steiner is the name I’m going to be watching closely. Some of his performances with Rouyn-Noranda this year have been a heck of a lot of fun, throwing his body around a ton, playing with skill through traffic and efficient offensive transition work. I’m not sure how much he’ll score at this tournament, but he’ll be a major player and likely a leader on the ice as a forechecker and puck transporter that will be relied upon to facilitate his team’s gameplan.
The Swiss are a curious group this year. While I don’t think they’re a serious medal contender, they have bits and pieces that could add up to an upset somewhere along the way. Strong goaltending, a relatively deep group of defensemen, and experienced, solid forward group might be able to sqeak something out. Insulate the goaltenders, use your defensemen to drive the puck to the net on the powerplay, and try to tread water at 5v5 would be the gameplan for me. It’s possible, but it may be a 5th straight quarterfinal loss for the Swiss in the cards.
7th - Germany - 6.14 Avg. NHLeS
Player to Watch - David Lewandowski (LW)
The Germans barely scraped their way back to this year’s tournament after squeaking out a relegation game victory over the Kazakhs in Ottawa. I had a front row seat for that game and while I have a soft spot for the Kazakh universe, the Germans are bringing a roster that should have no problem remaining in this tournament for next year, and while a playoff spot may be a bit of a reach, a key victory over Latvia is not out of the question, and from there anything is possible. Germany is bringing a fair number of intriguing players, especially at the forward and goaltending position that may be able to make some waves. Edmonton Oilers pick David Lewandowski is back after a strong 2025 performance with a well balanced offensive game using size and smarts to his advantage and will likely be leaned upon here. His Saskatoon teammate Dustin Willhöft may be small, but he’s dynamic, shifty and highly skilled and could be a good complimentary contributor offensively. Elias Schneider, Gustavs Griva and Maxim Schäfer and three other solid offensive players that have had success in North American junior hockey this season with Schäfer especially bringing some good power forward potential with pro hockey experience. The Kose Twins and 2027 NHL Draft prospect Max Penkin are also coming from long stretches in the DEL this year with some measurable success as well. Likely headlining the team in key moments of these games will likely be Montreal draft pick Carlos Händel. A skilled, aggressive offensive defenseman, he brings some dynamic ability that should bring a boost to the German powerplay and a bit of pop to help their solid forward group.
The real star of the show could very well be in net. While Linus Vieillard is returning from a strong 2025 tournament, all three German goaltenders have shown strong capability and may be able to steal a game here and there. I’ve really liked what I’ve seen of Lukas Stuhrmann from last year’s U18 tournament as well as his performances since moving to the Finnish Arctic Circle to play for Rovaniemi’s RoKi this year. Used to high workloads and keeping his team in games, if needed, he’s a dependable name to call upon. Lennart Neiße is huge, returning from last season’s team, and is doing the same as Sturhmann in the 2nd division of German professional hockey with high workloads and strong results. The Germans may not be a medal threat, but with great goaltending performances, and potentially competitive offensive names, they are not to be underestimated. While I have them penciled in for the relegation game, the split between them, Switzerland and Latvia is not particularly large.
6th - Slovakia - 7.71 Avg. NHLeS
Player to Watch - Adam Nemec (LW)
At time of writing, the youngest team in the tournament could also be one of it’s surprises. Featuring four strong 2026 NHL Draft candidates in Tobias Tomik, Tomas Chrenko, Adam Nemec and Adam Goljer, the Slovaks are bringing a lot of solid talent that could really punch above their weight class. Michal Pradel has been a very successful goaltender for this team internationally, even in high workloads, and two strong goaltenders are backing him up should things not go according to plan. Their 2025 NHL Draft class candidates are also a strong group that I’ve enjoyed watching over the last two seasons. Jakub Dubravik is a speedy attacker on the wing, Andreas Straka brings strong pass awareness, Matus Lisy and Luka Radevojevic have intriguing skill at the defense position that could boots the team’s outlook. Jan Chovan and Tomas Pobezal are also solid pieces to bring that can compliment others.
While my eyeballs will be trained on what the 2026 eligibles can do in Minnesota, one of my favourites from the 2025 NHL Draft in Michal Svrcek is on the roster, and coming from the hardest level of hockey of anyone on the team. Yes, I can Google his production this year too and he’s been pointless at the men’s level, but having seen plenty of him, the talent is undeniable with high end skill, remarkable forechecking energy, an excellent shot and playmaking upside. Brynäs wasn’t using him after adding former NHL talents in the offseason, and Västerås has done nothing but struggle and haven’t used him on the powerplay outside of in one of his games with them so far. I could easily see him be a major player for this team that regains a level of confidence and success that just hasn’t been there this season. With good playmaking teammates, Svrcek could be a serious part of the roster that helps Slovakia go as deep as they can.
The Slovaks are another intriguing group that I think sits perfectly between the Denmark-opponent tier of teams profiled previously, and the potential medal contenders above them. They have the capability and the manpower to surprise the teams ahead of them, and should be able to easily handle the teams behind them. A surprising victory over the Czechs or Swedes could give them a strong matchup in the quarterfinals, and from there anything is possible. That said, this is a group that has lost in the quarterfinals in 10 of the last 12 World Junior tournaments, and while that outcome is likely once again, they have an upstart group of youngsters that might be able to surprise their opponents with some goaltending that has stolen games before. Their U18 team has gone to three straight bronze medal games since being promoted from Division 1A in 2022, and with a number of names coming from the most recent group, this is a team that could be worth betting on the upside if they wake up on the right side of the bed on the right day.
5th - USA - 16.85 Avg. NHLeS
Player to Watch - James Hagens (C)
This might be a surprise to people but the more I looked at the rosters of other teams and compared them to the rosters of the Americans, at the very, very least, this is where the tournament becomes extremely competitive. The NTDP teams of the last couple seasons have been somewhat less impressive than previous classes, but they still have a tremendous amount of firepower that could easily score in bunches with home ice advantage in Minnesota. Don’t get me wrong, there is a good chance this team finds themselves in the gold medal game, but looking at the combination of questionable goaltending and a shallow defense group, that could be a very difficult combination of issues to overcome in a short tournament like this.
On the plus side, Max Plante is a Hobey Baker contender with a solid, smart and high pace offensive game, William Horcoff has been on a shooting bender with the size and frame to eat valuable minutes and raise hell off the puck. James Hagens had an elite level performance last season and hopefully will be paired with his old friend and 2025 Gold Medal overtime goal scorer Teddy Stiga logging plenty of tough minutes. Cole Riserman is an elite finisher, L.J. Mooney will be all over the ice every shift, Ryker Lee has absolutely electrifying skill, and down the lineup they have some serious beef in A.J. Spellacy and Shane Vansaghi. The forward group is as deep as you’ll find in this tournament with all kinds of different brands of player, so scoring goals shouldn’t be to big of an issue for them.
The issues really stem from everywhere else. There are good names here, with Cole Hutson coming off an MVP-level 2025 tournament likely leading the way, it isn’t like there’s nothing. Chase Reid may be a top NHL Draft Pick this year with a smart offensive game that should also help boost the team’s talented forward group on breakouts and in the offensive zone. Logan Hensler and Blake Fiddler are rock solid, inoffensive defensemen who have had perfectly solid seasons with their club teams and should log solid minutes as well. I’m personally a massive Luke Osburn fan, as he’s a player who simply seems to understand the game and see the ice exceptionally well, with skating tools to maximize the potential in that awareness. He’s having a strong freshman year with Wisconsin and I hope to see plenty of him in what will be his last crack at this tournament. The actual defensive suppression ability of this group is a bit of a questionmark. Adam Kleber and EJ Emery will likely be called upon for this part of the game, but balancing which offensive defender’s ice time to sacrifice in order to bring more defensive stability will be key. All-out offense in front of a tandem of Hank Kempf and Caleb Heil might not be the best strategy, even if Kempf is getting plenty of practice under heavy workloads on a weak Notre Dame program this season.
The US could repeat as gold medalists and I wouldn’t be surprised with the firepower on the roster. You can get away with scoring more than the opponent in this tournament, but there are some strong, balanced teams this year that could push the US to their limit. We’re in for an exciting tournament and many of the most exciting moments may well stem from games involving this team.
4th - Czechia - 17.00 Avg. NHLeS
Player to Watch - Adam Jiříček (RHD)
The biggest team on average in this tournament is also the oldest, and are the first in a tier that I could easily see challenge for a gold medal in Minnesota. The goaltending group isn’t quite up to par of the Finns or Canadians, but the roster in front of them is a deep, strong and diverse group of talents that could very easily outwork and outscore any opponent. Vaclav Nestrasil is a big name to watch coming from a remarkable freshman campaign with UMass with size, skill and finishing ability that could be a huge difference-maker for this group. Top 10 NHL Draft pick Radim Mrtka will likely play a ton of minutes and chip in on both sides of the puck, and Scouching favourites Tomas Galvas and Adam Jiříček likely to also be huge parts of the Czech blueline. Pretty much up and down the entire lineup, the Czechs have a strong roster capable of going as far as a gold medal game this season. The weak points are very limited, especially outside the net, and the depth is absolutely apparent. Their defense group might be among the most balanced in the tournament, with a third pair that could be relatively interchangeable with the top pair regardless of who’s on it. 2026-eligibles Jakub Vanecek Jakub Fibigr and Vladimír Dravecký are no slouches defensively, with Max Psenicka and Vashek Blanár being large wild cards that make for a heck of a group that could easily frustrate opponents ahead of them on this list.
The offensive group shouldn’t be slept on either, with names like Jiří Klíma, Petr Sikora, Adam Titlbach and Adam Novotny all bringing slick skill and good energy to the game that could keep up with “better” opposition. Adam Benák has been spectacular with Brantford and should easily be a huge scorer with the Czechs this year. There are just not many holes to poke here for this team top to bottom
The 4th spot for the Czechs is done extremely reluctantly. I don’t like it and have been flipping the teams from 2-5 around a ton in my preparatory work. This tournament can often come down to a goaltending performance and I just don’t have the same trust in their group as I do as names like Rimpinen, Liv, and any of the Canadian names. That said, if they find themselves in a quarterfinal against the Americans, I could see them upsetting them just as they have to the Canadians in years past. It’s going to be an exciting group for the Czechs and I hope they finish higher than this slot, as the team they’ve built has surprised in the past, and look even stronger this year.
3rd - Finland - 10.01 Avg. NHLeS
Player to Watch - Petteri Rimpinen (G)
In terms of NHL Draft talent, the last handful of years haven’t been particularly promising at the high end but 2026 is a different story. Last year’s silver medalists Finland are bringing simultaneously the most experienced World Junior team with 10 returning players, but some very intriguing youngsters for their first appearances at this tournament. Juho Piiparinen and Oliver Suvanto are two personal favourites of mine, and could be seriously impactful for this team considering their surroundings. Piiparinen has excellent defensive awareness and pass vision, and flashes of offense that could be a huge benefit for the Finns. Suvanto is a refrigerator on skates, impossible to get on top of, playing that traditional, typical Finnish style of play to it’s maximum, showing a ton of potential for future growth. Looking up and down the roster, there are still a remarkable amount of really solid hockey players. Max Westergård is a fun, skilled player who should thrive at this level, and Matias Vanhanen is in a similar boat after an exceptionally successful WHL career with Everett. Lasse Boelius is a very skilled offensive defenseman who is daring an confident, and Mitja Jokinen, Daniel Nieminen and Aron Kiviharju augment that defense group in a positive way and could make them more of a threat than other teams might be used to. The Finns have plenty of names that can also play that resilient, physical and team-first style of play that has brought them great success in the past. Emil Hemming, Heikki Ruohonen, Julius Miettinen, Jasper Kuhta, Atte Joki and the aforementioned Oliver Suvanto are large players capable of fighting off the best with their strength and skill.
The success of this team might hinge on individual performances from returnee goaltender Petteri Rimpinen. Rimpinen was simply exceptional last season, turning away 112 of 122 shots in the three playoff games Finland played, and will likely be leaned upon for another strong showing to bring Finland back to the medal rounds. The top group of team is very close, and very competitive, and Finland brings a goaltending advantage that two of the three teams ahead of them don’t carry, and it could easily be possible that they walk away with the gold medals when all is said and done. This country thrives when they need to steal a goal or two to grind out a win, and they have the personnel to do so this season, even if they aren’t my top rated team going in.
2nd - Sweden - 13.74 Avg. NHLeS
Player to Watch - Ivar Stenberg (W)
The Swedish group scores lower, but that’s largely due to a large contingent of SHL talent coming to this tournament, suppressing their numbers on paper. Don’t be mistaken, this is a strong Swedish group at pretty much every position. They’re bringing four 2025 draft-eligibles this season as Sweden is in the middle of a very strong cycle of high-end talent. William Håkansson is a dependable, strong and mobile defenseman with plenty of size and range. Viggo Björck is a potentially dominant pass-first forward that commands open ice and has ruthless offensive ability. Casper Juustovaara Karlsson is an excellent forechecker who can make life miserable for opponents while also showcasing some good skill and evasiveness on the puck. He’s a huge sleeper for me this year’s NHL Draft and I hope he gets to showcase what I’ve seen of him this year against the best in the tournament. Of course, leading the way for this group is Ivar Stenberg, a potential candidate for #1 overall, and as of this tournament, my personal #1 pick in the draft. Stenberg has a special quality about him where the game just seems to come so easily to him. He can do almost anything you need him to. His off-puck reads are exceptional. His forechecking ability is always visible. His skill under pressure through traffic is elite. He spots space offensively well, and his playmaking ability has just grown and grown in major SHL usage this year. As a complimentary two-way winger, Stenberg should be a huge impact player this year for the Swedes this year if grouped with the right set of linemates.
It isn’t all about the kids though. The depth of this team is also second to none with options down the middle including the physical Anton Frondell, the high skill/high pace Milton Gästrin (or Lucas Pettersson for that matter), the intense and brilliant Eric Nilson, the smart and energetic Linus Eriksson, or the the heavy, annoying Jack Berglund, there’s a mix here that should push deep into this tournament. Heck Viggo Björck could chip in up the middle for this team if given the opportunity. Defensively, it’s a deep, solid group featuring dependable two-way presences in Leo Sahlin Wallenius, Victor Johansson and Alfons Freij. Sascha Boumedienne could bring offensive flair along with Felix Öhrqvist as well, pressuring opponents and attacking the offensive zone with skill and creativity.
The goaltending trio might lag behind the rest of the team however. Herman Live has been their go-to this season so far internationally, but he hasn’t shown the level of dominance that other goaltenders have had at this tier. The Goos/Härenstam duo have been shaky at times as well, but in my view all that Sweden needs is competitive goaltending performances. This is a team loaded with various brands of talent from top to bottom, and while there isn’t much separating any of these top five teams, this could easily be the group that finds the Swedes in just their third gold medal game in the last twelve tournaments. It’ll be tough, but it’s very achievable. At the very least, draft geeks will get a look at some of the more underrated names in the class.
1st - Canada - 21.89 Avg. NHLeS
Player to Watch - Gavin McKenna (LW)
Another year, another Canadian team looking like the best group on paper. Sure, there are jokes about how this team has been knocked out in two straight quarterfinals by the Czechs, but it doesn’t change the fact that in terms of pure talent, Canada looks quite unmatched in the 2026 tournament. People constantly analyze the line combinations on this team, and my view is it is likely impossible to have a bad mix with this group. You could throw them in a Boggle bubble and create any combination and it could work. So many first round picks that absolutely deserve the label, a handful of players with NHL experience, a larger-than-normal cohort of college players, and a Dale Hunter-led coaching staff gives Canada a bit of a different baseline than previous years.
The goaltending trio is nothing short of elite, another welcome change for the Canadian program and any one of George, Ivankovic or Ravensbergen are dependable names to have lined up against anyone. The defense group playing in front of them might be the weak point of the roster, but they haven’t looked “poor” by any stretch in the warmup game footage I’ve seen. Aitcheson, Carels, Parekh, and Reid all bring dynamic offensive ability that other teams will need to keep an eye on and take advantage of if an opportunity arises. Ben Danford is a stable, strong defense-first presence that actually has good results in that area. This may be the only potential gap in the Canadian roster, but they’re still one of, if not the top group of defensemen in the tournament.
The real magic is up front. Everywhere you look is high-end talent in some area of the game. It feels like every player is a centre, and I couldn’t care less who actually plays in that slot. Michael Misa should be a leader offensively for this group with his tactical brilliance, Porter Martone should be a handful for opponents with his power and skill level and Michael Hage looks to be a potentially elite offensive producer in this tournament with how dynamic and reliable he is up the middle of the ice. Even the physical names show great results rather than being big for nothing. Carter Bear, Cole Beaudoin, Brady Martin, and even Sam O’Reilly all show a more than capable ability to punish opponents all over the ice. Every single forward on this team could get their own writeup in how they could be difference-makers to be honest.
All eyes will be firmly fixed on Gavin McKenna however. Returning from last year’s disappointing roster, McKenna will be looked to as a major point producer for this group. Many draft analysts are hoping McKenna’s performance here will re-solidify his standing as the #1 overall pick in this year’s draft, and while I’ve been critical of his standing in that discussion going back to last season, I could very easily see him generate the results that get him into that discussion. Personally, my issues with McKenna could very easily be masked in this tournament on a team of this quality, but it could set the stage for a major 2nd half boost with Penn State that hopefully brings a more dependable overall game rather than the offensive zone playmaking focus he has shown in my viewings. He’s absolutely elite in that area, and taking penalties against Canada are basically a no-no, I’ll just be looking for important details in his game that I just haven’t seen in the NCAA to this point.
As is always the case, the only thing getting in the way of the Canadian roster is going to be themselves. International referees will call penalties more tightly, and Canada often seems caught off-guard by this. They’re unbelievably talented, but overhandling, overconfidence, and a reliance on pure skill has burned them in the past. The Czechs barely squeaked out a win in the quarterfinal last year, but another offensively loaded Canadian team struggled to score consistently against high end teams, and while my concerns about that occurring again are low with this group, the beauty of the World Juniors is that you never know. Ever. This team is a gold medal favourite, they should at least compete for hardware of some kind, but it’s all going to come down to their mindset, readiness, and the details of the game.
I can’t tell you how much I think this tournament could be an all-timer. We had some serious excitement last year, but this is year might be one for the ages. While Canada looks to be a favourite, there are many contenders for the throne. The US has plenty of offensive flair and firepower. The Finns have a trademark physical, grinding group that is always a threat. The Swedes are as deep as they’ve been in a while with diverse ability and plenty of bright young talent. The Czechs are also remarkably deep with players who have developed exceptionally well in the last 24 months. Heck, even the Slovaks have the exuberance of youth and at the least could set the stage for a much scarier 2027 roster once these guys age a year. Alberts Smits is going to be there, and he’s at least going to be highly entertaining and used a ton.
For draft geeks, many will be watching names like McKenna, Carels, Verhoeff, and Stenberg, but I urge everyone to really keep an eye out for all the other potential standouts. 30 players are eligible for the 2026 NHL Draft including 13 on my top tier of teams and four potential top-50 names on the Slovak roster. We haven’t seen 30 draft eligibles since 2022 where a Czech team with 8 of those 30 went all the way to the bronze medal game. Before 2022? You have to go back to before I graduated high school in 2008 to find that many draft eligibles led by Steven Stamkos. It’s going to be a good one folks, so strap in, grab a hot beverage, and have some fun.
Happy Holidays, and we’ll see you in 2026!
