The 2025 World Junior Championship is set to begin in under a week and I can hardly wait for the games to start on December 26. This tournament is a bright spot in the hockey world’s calendar each year as the best U20 players from around the world come together and give us nearly two weeks of exciting hockey, back-to-back-to-back.
There are always some great storylines to monitor such as Connor Bedard’s emergence as a borderline generational talent or the dominant play of Adam Gajan out of seemingly nowhere like we saw back at the 2023 tournament.
Today I’m going to be outlining 10 storylines to keep an eye on as the tournament gets set to start next week, from a returning star that could lead Sweden to the Gold to the 2025 draft eligible players most likely to have significant impacts for their nations this year. Let’s jump right in with number one.
1. Trey Augustine Hunts for Top Goalie Honors
If Trey Augustine hadn’t been battling for Team USA’s crease with Jacob Fowler at last year’s tournament, I believe he would have run away with the award for the tournament’s best goaltender. Despite playing just four of a possible seven games last year, I still think Augustine would’ve been a justified winner, with tournament-leading .936% save percentage and a perfect 4-0 record.
Related: Guide to the 2025 World Junior Championship
Augustine has been one of the best goaltending prospects in the world over the past few years, but he has always elevated his game when he plays internationally, winning four medals between two U18 World Championships and two U20 World Championships. He’s back for a third consecutive year, and is the clear favourite to be the top goalie this year, with a great chance to win back-to-back gold medals with a strong American team in front of him.
Augustine also has a chance to become the all-time leader in World Junior Championship wins, either by winning six of a possible seven games (which has been done 13 times before) to tie the record of 14 career wins, or by winning seven of seven (only done once before) to lead all goalies to ever compete in this tourney outright. Just three wins would make him USA Hockey’s all time leader in wins at this tournament, and four would put him in second place all time.
2. Gavin McKenna Debuts at U20 WJC
Ever since his 4-point WHL debut as a 14-year-old, it has been clear that Gavin McKenna was going to be something special. He followed up that short stint at the end of the 2022-23 season with an excellent rookie season, winning the WHL’s rookie of the year honours on the back of a 34-goal, 97-point season.
This year, McKenna has taken another step forward, leading the entire CHL in points with 60 in just 30 games before joining Team Canada’s selection camp. The Whitehorse native is a truly special offensive talent and had the inside track to make Canada’s final roster from the start of this process despite his age. It’s uncommon for draft eligible players to earn a spot in the World Junior Championship since the tourney is normally dominated by 19-year-olds, and it’s even more rare for a double-underaged player to make the lineup.
Gavin McKenna showing off his silky mitts! #WorldJuniors pic.twitter.com/OXY9GXLiMC
— TSN (@TSN_Sports) December 20, 2024
McKenna is just that, not eligible to be drafted until the 2026 NHL Draft, and turning 17 just mere days before the tournament begins. He will be counted on to be a serious offensive weapon for Canada in this year’s tourney, and will almost assuredly be a massive leader for Canada in the 2026 tournament as well. It’s a treat to watch him play, and while McKenna will someday be a household name as an NHL star, this will be the first time many hockey fans ever see him play. Don’t miss this chance!
3. James Hagens vs. Porter Martone vs. Matthew Schaefer
James Hagens began the 2025 Draft cycle as the clear favourite to go first overall, but he lost the lead he once had, through no fault of his own, with guys like Porter Martone and Matthew Schaefer significantly closing that gap. All three of these players will represent their nation at this year’s tournament, giving NHL teams and fans a great look at three of the very best players who will be available in this year’s draft.
Hagens is likely to be Team USA’s first line center, unless the San Jose Sharks release Will Smith to hunt for back-to-back gold medals. Hagens is a phenomenal skater who makes a ton happen on the ice with his puck-carrying skill, quick hands, and playmaking vision.
Related: 2025 NHL Draft Rankings – Horn’s Top 64 for December
Martone is likely going to be a factor in Team Canada’s top six forward group, with the combo of skill and tenacity that has made him such a dominant power forward in the OHL this season. Martone’s size and physicality are a major factor in his selection by Hockey Canada as well.
Schaefer is the consensus top defensive prospect in this year’s draft, despite nearly being eligible for the 2026 Draft class instead. Despite his young age, he has been phenomenal in the OHL this year with high-end skating and a remarkably mature two-way game. Team Canada is going to lean on him heavily, possibly even as a power play quarterback, and a strong tournament could be enough for some NHL teams to have him as the number one prospect in this year’s draft.
4. Dalibor Dvorsky Plays in His Fifth Tournament
Dalibor Dvorsky is set to compete for Slovakia in his fifth World Junior Championship, dating back to the 2021-22 season when a 16-year-old Dvorsky made the team. One of those five was the covid-cancelled 2021-22 tournament, but still, making a national U20 team at age 16 was wildly impressive.
Dvorsky hasn’t exactly set the tournament on fire over his 16 games of experience, with 11 points to his name so far, but at the age of 19, I expect he’ll have his best tournament yet. He is playing in the AHL this season with the Springfield Thunderbirds, and is on pace to score nearly 60 points as a teenager which would be wildly impressive. I wouldn’t be shocked to see Slovakia as the number one seed coming out of Group B, and a strong showing from Dvorsky would help make that a reality.
5. Can Kazakhstan Avoid Relegation and Stay in the Top Division of the WJC?
Kazakhstan has been a surprisingly strong junior team for the past few decades, never ranking lower than 14th in the world (which is 4th in the Division 1A tournament) at the U20 level in a single tournament in the past 20 years. In that same time span, they have competed in four tournaments in the top division, playing in the relegation round each time, and earning their spot in the top division twice.
That means Kazakhstan has a 50% success rate at avoiding relegation in the past 20 years, something that they will fight tooth and nail to do again this year. Germany and Latvia are the most likely teams that Kazakhstan could face in a potential relegation series this year, and it would be quite tough to avoid relegation games altogether, as they’d need a team like Switzerland or Czechia to lose enough games to drop below them in Group B, which is very unlikely.
6. Axel Sandin Pellikka is Set to Dominate in His 3rd Tournament
Detroit Red Wings prospect Axel Sandin Pellikka (ASP) has been a consistent performer for Sweden at all levels. In the 2023 tournament, a 17-year-old Sandin Pellikka made a name for himself after earning significant ice time in his draft year. Last year, ASP was counted on heavily by Sweden, and repaid that trust with several timely goals and a strong set of defensive performances that earned him the Top Defender in the Tournament honors and a Silver Medal.
Related: The NHL’s Top 100 Prospects – Preseason Ranking
This time around, Sandin Pellikka is off to an incredibly hot start to the year in the SHL, with 22 points in 25 games, leading all defenders in scoring and all U20 players of any position as well. He’s also been named the captain of the team, and will be a two-way horse for the team once again. ASP is absolutely a favorite to be named top defender in the tournament once again, with USA’s Zeev Buium, Canada’s Sam Dickinson, and Finland’s Aron Kiviharju coming to mind as some other front-runners to keep an eye on.
7. Finland Looks to Bounce Back From Two Medal-less Tournaments
After a fourth place finish in last year’s tournament and a quarterfinal loss to Sweden back in the 2023 tournament, Finland is looking to avoid going without a medal for the third consecutive year. Finland hasn’t gone home empty handed three straight years since they missed out on medals for seven consecutive tournaments from 2007-2013.
I’m sure that’s not exactly a piece of history that will be on the players’ minds this year, but it’s going to be tough for Finland to come out of this year’s tourney with a medal, considering they are in a group with both the USA and Canada. Buffalo Sabres prospect Konsta Helenius is set to be a leader for Finland this year, and he’ll be eligible for the team at the 2026 tournament as well. Sharpshooters like Kasper Halttunen (San Jose Sharks) and Jesse Kiiskinen (Detroit Red Wings) have had strong starts to their seasons as well and should be major factors for Finland this year.
8. Germany Tries to Win Their Way Out of Relegation Play
Germany has played in the top division of the World Junior Championship for the past 5 years, even placing 6th twice, in 2021 and 2022. However, last year they were forced to fight for their spot in the top division, narrowly defeating Norway (5-4 in overtime) to earn their spot in this year’s tournament.
In 2025, Germany will look to not only hold onto their spot in the tournament’s top division, but to avoid playing for relegation altogether. While they will be playing in Group A which is full of powerhouses like Canada, the USA, and Finland, Germany will likely only have one game in the group stage that means all that much. Their head-to-head with Latvia.
While both nations are certainly capable of playing spoiler to any of the other three teams in their group, it’s likely that their match together will decide who is seeded 4th in the group and who plays for relegation. This game will be on December 30, as Germany’s final game, and Latvia’s third of four, so the stakes will be incredibly high.
9. Plenty of 2025 Draft Eligible Players Will be Competing
As a U20 tournament, the World Junior Championship is always led by 19 year old players who are more physically and mentally mature than the rest of the field. However, younger players always seem to worm their way into the lineup with levels of talent that simply can’t be denied. This year’s tournament will have plenty of high-end prospects from the 2025 Draft class, and a few of them can even be expected to play significant roles for their nations.
James Hagens is coming into his own as an #NCAA hockey player. He is a consensus #1 pick in the 2025 #NHL draft. He scored the overtime winner for BC tonight against UConn. Listen to our call and his answer when asked how it made him feel to score such an ELECTRIC goal. pic.twitter.com/6qSf0fEpGQ
— WZBC Sports (@WZBCSports) December 5, 2024
Porter Martone and Matthew Schaefer are going to be serious factors for Canada, and James Hagens projects as Team USA’s first line center. Those are three of the very best prospects from the upcoming draft and we’ll all get the chance to watch them compete for the spotlight when the tournament begins later this week. Other significant 2025 Draft prospects whose names you’ll likely hear at the tourney include Logan Hensler (USA), Victor Eklund (Sweden), Luka Radivojevic (Slovakia), and Jan Chovan (Slovakia), among others.
10. Who Will Be This Year’s Breakout Prospect?
It’s impossible to predict who it will be ahead of the tournament, but there are always a few prospects who are largely unheralded, who show up to the World Juniors and make themselves a household name. Someone like 2026 Draft super-prospect Gavin McKenna could technically qualify, as he’s likely to earn a lot more attention from the average hockey viewer following this year’s tournament, but he’s already got a spotlight on him as the WHL’s current Exceptional Status star.
Related: Ranking Every NHL Team’s Farm System – Preseason Ranking
Other possible breakout candidates are Sweden’s Melker Thelin (Utah HC) who has looked really strong in some pre-tournament games as Sweden’s starting goaltender. Sweden’s Otto Stenberg could also be a standout performer, as he always seems to be at his best while representing his homeland. USA’s Teddy Stiga is someone I have a lot of belief in, and he could absolutely blow some expectations out of the water. Don’t you want the chance to be able to say “I remember watching him burst onto the scene at the World Juniors!” to your friends in a few years?
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