The best time of year has arrived. The World Junior Hockey Championship gets underway December 26 from Minneapolis-St. Paul, as the United States is looking to defend their back-to-back gold medals.While the Americans will be playing at Grand Casino Arena in Group A, Group B will be out of 3M Arena at Mariucci. This group features some elite young talent, highlighted by the superstar Canadian team. Let’s take a look at each roster and find out who will come out on top. 

***

Canada 

2025 Finish: Fifth Place

Since Connor Bedard’s record breaking tournament in 2023, the country has failed to even play for a medal in the last two tournaments. Last year, the Canadians placed fifth in a tournament in rife with anxiety. The ugliest moment came in one of the most stunning results in World Juniors history, a 3-2 shootout loss to Latvia. This year, head coach Dale Hunter has loaded their roster with some of the best U20 talent the country possesses. All but three players, Gavin McKenna, Keaton Verhoeff and Carson Carels, have already been selected by NHL clubs. With all of the talent, Team Canada should be in prime position to compete for the gold medal this year. Let’s take a closer look at some of the key players for the Canadians. 

Up front, Gavin McKenna is looking to take the reins as the top Canadian forward. He was on the roster last season, but had a relatively underwhelming tournament. He will assuredly be on the top line with Michael Misa, who was recently loaned by the Sharks, and Porter Martone. This line may be the best that any team can throw out there. The center position for the Canadian lineup is the one to watch, as Misa, Michael Hage, Cole Beaudoin and Braeden Cootes are an elite group down the middle. Beaudoin, in particular, is in the midst of a monster season with the Barrie Colts, and will be in line for some tough match-ups as the games play out. 

On the blue line, Zayne Parekh and Harrison Brunicke, loaned by the Flames and Penguins respectively, are the two notable names to watch. Parekh, if healthy, will be the team’s power play quarterback, which makes that group that much more dangerous. Additionally, Cameron Reid and Ben Danford will be playing big minutes. Carson Carels and Keaton Verhoeff will be fighting for time on the blue line, as both are looking to boost their draft stock. In net, Carter George and Jack Ivankovic were the tandem last time, and are going to be between the pipes again this time around. Canada kicks off play on December 26 against Czechia. 

**

Finland 

2025 Finish: Silver Medal 

Finland’s silver medal in 2025 was the country’s first medal since their heartbreaking 2022 defeat to the Canadians in the gold medal game. Last season, the country capitalized on contributions from 20 year olds including Kasper Halttunen, Rasmus Kumpulainen and Jesse Nurmi, none of whom will dawn the Finland jersey in Minneapolis. That being said, the Finns will still be a force to be reckoned with. 

With the Sabres opting not to loan Konsta Helenius, forwards Emil Hemming, Julius Miettinen and 2026 draft eligible Oliver Suvanto will be called upon for the offensive load. Again, the Finns won’t have a lot of their offensive talent from a year ago, so finding production from up and down the lineup will be key. Defensively, Wild prospect Aron Kiviharju is the headliner. He returns as Finland’s captain and brings an offensive element from the back end. The country also returns a lot of their defensive core from last tournament, so their familiarity will be a boost to their already tight defensive game. However, Ducks draft pick Lasse Boelius joins the blue line. He should fit in nicely. In the net, Petteri Rimpinen will be in the crease. He was one of the top goaltenders of the tournament last year and will have a chance to repeat his success. He gives Finland a boost to their already strong defensive play. Finland’s games may be more low-event, but that is exactly how the country is going to find success. 

***

Czechia 

2025 Finish: Bronze Medal 

The Czechs picked up their third straight medal last time around and are looking for similar results this year. The team knocked off Sweden to pick up the bronze medal. It’s a veteran group, similar to Canada, with 13 players above the age of 18. The team features a lot of CHL talent, highlighted by 2026 draft-eligible forward Adam Novotny. The forward group, in particular, plays an exciting game and should be able to keep up with the likes of Team Canada’s forward core. They don’t have Eduard Sale and Jakub Stancl this year, but Novotny, along with Vaclav Nestrasil, Adam Jecho and Petr Sikora will try and carry the torch. Nestrasil, especially, should play a major role for the Czech forward group. 

Defensively, the Czechs are big and hard to play against. Highlighted by Sabres draft pick and Seattle Thunderbird Radim Mrtka, the blue line has four players at 6-4 and above. Mrtka will be Czechia’s top blueliner in all situations, but returners Adam Jiricek and Jakub Fibigr should provide an offensive spark. In the net, Ondrej Stebetak, Michal Orsulak and Matyas Marik are the three Czech options. Michael Hrabel was the netminder in 2025, but with him out of the equation, the Czech netminder is a bit more uncertain. 

***

Latvia 

2025 Finish: Seventh Place 

2025 was undeniably Latvia’s most notable World Junior tournament, highlighted by a stunning upset win over Team Canada. Capitals prospect Eriks Mateiko was the engine for the Latvians up front. He netted five goals in five games and came up huge in almost every spot. He won’t be there this time around, so replacing his production is going to be a tall order. 

Bruno Osmanis is perhaps the biggest candidate to step up. He returns from a year ago and is in the midst of a nice season at the Allsvensken and U20 levels in Sweden. Olivers Murnieks also returns from a strong tournament in 2025. The 2026 draft eligible had four points in five games last year and should take an even bigger step. Additionally, Kristers Ansons and Rudolfs Berzkains should be among the top Latvian forwards. 

On the blue line, Darels Uljanskis and Alberts Smits will be Latvia’s top pairing. Uljanskis, a Ducks draft selection, has two years of tournament experience under his belt and should be tasked with all of the tough matchups. Smits is one of the top 2026 draft eligible skaters and is making his tournament debut. He is already playing heavy minutes in the top Finnish league and should have a big impact on the tournament. In the net, Linards Feldbergs will not return after stealing the show against Canada last year. Canadiens prospect Mikus Vecvanags and Nils Roberts Maurins are the two candidates to grab the Latvian net this time around. We’ll see if they have another upset in them, but the Latvians have a nice team that should be competitive. 

***

Denmark

First Appearance Since 2019

The Danes make their return to the World Juniors after knocking off Austria to qualify. Kraken prospect Oscar Fisker Molgaard led the charge last year but will not play in this tournament. William Bundgaard is likely the top Danish option in the forward group. He was the top scorer of the U18 D1A team. The Danes only feature one drafted prospect, Mads Kongsbak Klyvo of the Florida Panthers. He had three points in five games in the D1A games and should be among the Danes’ top forwards. Additionally, Tristan Petersen and Anton Linde bring CHL experience to the tournament. 

On the back end, Jeppe Kramer and Jesper Bank Oleson are going to be among the top Danish blueliners. They hope to be a part of the Danish identity that includes a shutdown style. Additionally, Markus Jakobsen brings a nice offensive element. He is currently almost a point-per-game defenseman in the USHL and will likely see some time on the power play. In the net, Patrick Tiedjen, Tobias Renner Christensen along with 17 year old Anton Emil Wilde Larsen are going to be battling for the starting job. Wilde Larsen does have a nice track record internationally. 

***

Final Standings Prediction 

1. Canada 
2. Czechia
3. Finland 
4. Latvia 
5. Denmark 

It feels like it’s said almost every year, but the Canadians feel primed for the top position in Group B. The Finns have nice talent as well, but their lack of returning talent may pose some challenges against the likes of Czechia and Canada. Regardless, Group B should be a fun group to follow as the tournament progresses. 

***

Thank you for reading! Follow me on X/Twitter @norr028 and check out my substack page https://nickorr.substack.com/ for updates all season long!