The holiday season is upon us and that means the most magical time of year: the annual World Junior Championship! Pitting teams of under-20 players from 10 countries against each other over a couple of weeks, the tournament is a highlight of the hockey calendar. For fans of the NHL, it provides a glimpse at the future as it usually pits some of the best-drafted talent against each other.
This year’s tournament features Belarus, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Russia, Slovakia, Sweden, Switzerland and the United States. The event features 34 first round selections from the 2016 and 2017 NHL Drafts, including five of the first 10 picks in the 2017 edition.
World Junior Players Sorted by Their NHL Teams
Anaheim Ducks (5)
- F Maxime Comtois – Canada – 2017 second round pick (50th)
- F Sam Steel – Canada – 2016 first round pick (30th)
- G Olle Eriksson Ek – Sweden – 2017 fifth round pick (153rd)
- F Max Jones – United States – 2016 first round pick (24th)
Arizona Coyotes (1)
- F Tyler Steenbergen – Canada – 2017 fifth round pick (128th)
Boston Bruins (6)
- D Urho Vaakanainen – Finland – 2017 first round pick (18th)
- F Joona Koppanen – Finland – 2016 fifth round pick (135th)
- F Oskar Steen – Sweden – 2016 sixth round pick (165th)
- G Jeremy Swayman – United States – 2017 fourth round pick (111th)
- D Ryan Lindgren – United States – 2016 second round pick (49th)
- F Trent Frederic – United States – 2016 first round pick (29th)
Buffalo Sabres (5)
- D Vojtech Budik – Czech Republic – 2016 fifth round pick (130th)
- G Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen – Finland – 2017 second round pick (54th)
- F Marcus Davidsson – Sweden – 2017 second round pick (37th)
- F Alexander Nylander – Sweden – 2016 first round pick (8th)
- F Casey Mittelstadt – United States – 2017 first round pick (8th)
Calgary Flames (6)
- F Dillon Dube – Canada – 2016 second round pick (56th)
- D Juuso Valimaki – Finland – 2017 first round pick (16th)
- F Eetu Tuulola – Finland – 2016 sixth round pick (156th)
- F Adam Ruzicka – Slovakia – 2017 fourth round pick (109th)
- F Linus Lindstrom – Sweden – 2016 fourth round pick (96th)
- D Adam Fox – United States – 2016 third round pick (66th)
Carolina Hurricanes (3)
- D Jake Bean – Canada – 2016 first round pick (13th)
- F Martin Necas – Czech Republic – 2017 first round pick (12th)
- F Janne Kuokkonen – Finland – 2016 second round pick (43rd)
Chicago Blackhawks (5)
- D Jakub Galvas – Czech Republic – 2017 fifth round pick (150th)
- D Henri Jokiharju – Finland – 2017 first round pick (29th)
- F Artur Kayumov – Russia – 2016 second round pick (50th)
- F Andrei Altybarmakyan – Russia – 2017 third round pick (70th)
- F Tim Soderlund – Sweden – 2017 fourth round pick (112th)
Colorado Avalanche (2)
- D Cale Makar – Canada – 2017 first round pick (4th)
- D Conor Timmins – Canada – 2017 second round pick (32nd)
Columbus Blue Jackets (2)
- F Vitali Abramov – Russia – 2016 third round pick (65th)
- D Andrew Peeke – United States – 2016 second round pick (34th)
Dallas Stars (6)
- G Colton Point – Canada – 2016 fifth round pick (128th)
- D Ondrej Vala – Czech Republic – signed as a free agent
- D Miro Heiskanen – Finland – 2017 first round pick (3rd)
- F Fredrik Karlstrom – Sweden – 2016 third round pick (90th)
- G Jake Oettinger – United States – 2017 first round pick (26th)
- F Riley Tufte – United States – 2016 first round pick (25th)
Detroit Red Wings (3)
- D Malte Setkov – Denmark – 2017 fourth round pick (100th)
- D Kasper Kotkansalo – Finland – 2017 third round pick (71st)
- D Gustav Lindstrom – Sweden – 2017 second round pick (38th)
Edmonton Oilers (4)
- F Ostap Safin – Czech Republic – 2017 fourth round pick (115th)
- F Aapeli Rasanen – Finland – 2016 sixth round pick (153rd)
- D Dmitri Samorukov – Russia – 2017 third round pick (84th)
- F Kailer Yamamoto – United States – 2017 first round pick (22nd)
Florida Panthers (1)
- F Aleski Heponiemi – Finland – 2017 second round pick (40th)
Los Angeles Kings (3)
- D Kale Clague – Canada – 2016 second round pick (51st)
- D Jacob Moverare – Sweden – 2016 fourth round pick (112th)
- D Mikey Anderson – United States – 2017 fourth round pick (103rd)
Minnesota Wild (1)
- F Dmitri Sokolov – Russia – 2016 seventh round pick (196th)
Montreal Canadiens (3)
- D Victor Mete – Canada – 2016 fourth round pick (100th)
- F Joni Ikonen – Finland – 2017 second round pick (58th)
- F Ryan Poehling – United States – 2017 first round pick (25th)
Nashville Predators (3)
- D Dante Fabbro – Canada – 2016 first round pick (17th)
- F Eeli Tolvanen – Finland – 2017 first round pick (30th)
- F Patrick Harper – United States – 2016 fifth round pick (138th)
New Jersey Devils (7)
- F Michael McLeod – Canada – 2016 first round pick (12th)
- F Mikhail Maltsev – Russia – 2016 fourth round pick (102nd)
- D Yegor Zaitsev – Russia – 2017 seventh round pick (205th)
- F Marian Studenic – Slovakia – 2017 fifth round pick (143rd)
- F Jesper Boqvist – Sweden – 2017 second round pick (36th)
- F Fabian Zetterlund – Sweden – 2017 third round pick (63rd)
- F Joey Anderson – United States – 2016 third round pick (73rd)
New York Islanders (3)
- D Robin Salo – Finland – 2017 second round pick (46th)
- F Otto Koivula – Finland – 2016 fourth round pick (120th)
- F Kieffer Bellows – United States – 2016 first round pick (19th)
New York Rangers (2)
- F Filip Chytil – Czech Republic – 2017 first round pick (21st)
- F Lias Andersson – Sweden – 2017 first round pick (7th)
Ottawa Senators (4)
- F Alex Formenton – Canada – 2017 second round pick (47th)
- F Drake Batherson – Canada – 2017 fourth round pick (121st)
- F Markus Nurmi – Finland – 2016 sixth round pick (163rd)
- F Logan Brown – United States – 2016 first round pick (11th)
Philadelphia Flyers (4)
- F Maxim Sushko – Belarus – 2017 fourth round pick (107th)
- G Carter Hart – Canada – 2016 second round pick (48th)
- F German Rubtsov – Russia – 2016 first round pick (22nd)
- D Linus Hogberg – Sweden – 2016 fifth round pick (139th)
Pittsburgh Penguins (1)
- G Filip Gustavsson – Sweden – 2016 second round pick (55th)
St. Louis Blues (5)
- F Jordan Kyrou – Canada – 2016 second round pick (35th)
- F Robert Thomas – Canada – 2017 first round pick (20th)
- F Nikolaj Krag Christensen – Denmark – 2016 seventh round pick (209th)
- F Filip Helt – Czech Republic – 2016 seventh round pick (211th)
- F Klim Kostin – Russia – 2017 first round pick (31st)
San Jose Sharks (3)
- G Josef Korenar – Czech Republic – signed as a free agent
- F Joachim Blichfeld – Denmark – 2016 seventh round pick (210th)
- F Josh Norris – United States – 2017 first round pick (19th)
Tampa Bay Lightning (5)
- F Brett Howden – Canada – 2016 first round pick (27th)
- F Boris Katchouk – Canada – 2016 second round pick (44th)
- F Taylor Raddysh – Canada – 2016 second round pick (58th)
- D Cal Foote – Canada – 2017 first round pick (14th)
- D Libor Hajek – Czech Republic – 2016 second round pick (37th)
Toronto Maple Leafs (3)
- D Timothy Liljegren – Sweden – 2017 first round pick (17th)
- G Joseph Woll – United States – 2016 third round pick (62nd)
Vancouver Canucks (4)
- F Jonah Gadjovich – Canada – 2017 second round pick (55th)
- D Olli Juolevi – Finland – 2016 first round pick (5th)
- F Elias Pettersson – Sweden – 2017 first round pick (5th)
- F Will Lockwood – United States – 2016 third round pick (64th)
Vegas Golden Knights (2)
- F Jonas Rondbjerg – Denmark – 2017 third round pick (65th)
- D Erik Brannstrom – Sweden – 2017 first round pick (15th)
Washington Capitals (2)
- F Axel Jonsson Fjallby – Sweden – 2016 fifth round pick (147th)
- D Tobias Geisser – Switzerland – 2017 fourth round pick (120th)
Winnipeg Jets (3)
- F Kristian Vesalainen – Finland – 2017 first round pick (24th)
- G Mikhail Berdin – Russia – 2016 sixth round pick (157th)
- D Dylan Samberg – United States – 2017 second round pick (43rd)
All the 2018 World Junior Championship Team Information:
Czech Republic — Team Preview — Roster
USA — Team Preview — Roster
Russia — Team Preview — Roster
Belarus — Team Preview — Roster
Canada — Team Preview — Roster
Denmark — Team Preview — Roster
Finland — Team Preview — Roster
Switzerland — Team Preview — Roster
Slovakia — Team Preview — Roster
Sweden — Team Preview — Roster
All Your THW 2018 World Junior Championship Coverage