The World Junior Championship gets underway on Dec 26, but there’s plenty to watch before the puck drops at noon on Boxing Day. From Dec 19-23, teams play two pre-tournament games, putting the final touches on their rosters and lines. Some teams, like Latvia and Germany, will use these games to make the final cuts before the real tournament gets underway, while teams that have already released their final rosters are now trying to see which players have chemistry with others and who looks capable of taking on bigger responsibilities on the top lines.
With pre-tournament action wrapping up on Monday, Dec. 23, here’s a look at the remaining matchups and how they could impact the rosters before the puck drops at noon on Boxing Day.
Sweden vs. Germany (3:00 PM EST)
Sweden was the first team to announce their final roster back at the beginning of December, but they still have plenty to figure out if they want to return to the WJC Final. Against Canada on Saturday, Dec 21, they lost 4-2 after going up 2-1 early in the second period. Returnees Theo Lindstein and Otto Stenberg showed plenty of chemistry, combining on both goals, and Felix Unger Sorum was one of Sweden’s most noticeable players on the ice, but some penalty trouble in the second and a lack of pressure at the end of the game allowed Canada to surge back. Depth scoring was also an issue; defenceman Rasmus Bergqvist was the only player not playing on the top unit to get on the scoresheet against Canada. They’ll need more consistent efforts to be a medal contender.
The Germans, on the other hand, handily won their first match, earning a 4-0 victory over Kazakhstan on Thursday. Lenny Boos and Timo Ruckdaschel both had two points and 17-year-old defenceman Carlos Händel scored the game’s opening goal on the powerplay. Goalie Linus Viellard turned away all 30 shots, and although Nico Pertuch will likely start against the Swedes and get the go-ahead for Germany’s first tournament game, Vielland proved he can handle himself. That’s a good situation for the Germans, who already lost one of their three goalies to an injury and had to call in a replacement.
Germany doesn’t have much of a chance against the Swedes, but with still two cuts left to make, they’ll look for their young top units to be firing on all cylinders. If they’re not, one of the veteran depth players could steal their place. Monday’s game will take place in Belleville, Ontario, at the CAA Arena at 3:00 PM EST.
USA vs. Finland (4:00 PM EST)
Both Finland and the USA are coming off strong victories over Slovakia, with the former winning 6-0 and the latter 6-2. The Finns saw six different goal scorers contribute to their victory, overwhelming the two Slovak goalies with 37 shots. However, three players ended up with multi-point nights: Kasper Halttunen and Kalle Kangas each had a goal and an assist, while Emil Pieniniemi had two assists. Petteri Rimpinen played the whole 60 minutes and was flawless, which could be trouble for either Kim Saarinen or Noa Vali. With the team clicking so well, this final game will be crucial for the team’s final cuts.
The Americans, however, don’t have to worry about cuts, having announced their final roster just last week. Against the Slovaks, they were a well-oiled machine led by the efforts of Ryan Leonard, who finished the night with two goals and an assist. But his Boston College teammates weren’t far behind; Gabe Perreault, Teddy Stiga, and James Hagens combined efforts on three of USA’s six goals, with the duo of Danny Nelson and Trevor Connelly combining for two more. While the offence was thriving and finding chemistry, neither of the American goalies was spectacular. Hampton Slukynsky started the game and allowed one goal on 14 shots, then Sam Hildebrandt allowed one on 10 shots. Trey Augustine is expected to start the tournament, but as to who will back him up could be decided against Finland. The two will face off at the Cornwall Civic Complex in Cornwall, Ontario, at 4:00 PM EST.
Switzerland vs. Latvia (7:00 PM EST)
The Swiss’ lone goal in the pre-tournament came from 19-year-old Leo Braillard, who was expected to be a top contributor for the nation. Alain Graf is the only player who had a point against the Canadians on Thursday, who centred Switzerland’s top line and should also be one of their go-to players. But, even though they lost by a landslide, San Jose Sharks prospect Christian Kirsch impressed by turning away 24 of 27 shots after replacing 2025-eligible Elijah Neuenschwander midway through the game. They’ll still need to see more from Leon Muggli, Daniil Ustinkov, and the 2026-eligible Lars Steiner if they want to make some noise in the tournament, and with 3-4 cuts yet to make, everyone will need to come out to play against Latvia.
Related: Guide to the 2025 World Junior Championship
Latvia is in a similar boat, with Eriks Mateiko scoring Latvia’s lone goal against Czechia. 16-year-old Olivers Murnieks added an assist on the goal along with 18-year-old Bruno Osmanis. They also need to make two cuts before Boxing Day, but seeing any offence from their team is a good sign at this point. Instead, they’ll be looking for who can be their starting goalie. Both Janis Fecers and Aksels Ozols were iffy against the Czechs, although Fecers was a hair better, saving 17 of 20 shots. Linards Feldbergs has the best chance to be the starter after playing with the Sherbrooke Phoenix this season, but he still needs some reps to find out whether he is ready for a challenging Group A. They will play at the Nick Smith Centre in Arnprior, Ontario, at 7:00 PM EST.
Canada vs. Czechia (7:00 PM EST)
Canada has been dominant for its two games in pre-tournament action defeating Switzerland 7-1 and Sweden 4-2. The team’s top line of Bradly Nadeau, Calum Ritchie, and Easton Cowan have been especially lethal, combining for five goals and eight assists over the two appearances. Canada’s coaching staff is clearly not messing with perfection as the three have remained together both games and will likely remain as the team’s top unit. Berkly Catton had a quiet first game while playing alongside Porter Martone and Carson Rehkopf, but when he centred Gavin McKenna and Luca Pinelli, everything seemed to click together and Catton was named Player of the Game against the Swedes.
Goaltending remains a question as the Canadians have tried all three in net. Carson Bjarnason, the expected starter, has faced the fewest shots of the three but only allowed one on 10 attempts. Jack Ivankovic has faced the most, turning away 16 of the 18 shots against Sweden, while Carter George remains the only one with a perfect record, stopping all 11 shots against Switzerland. Expect Canada to use two goalies again against the Czechs.
In Czechia’s only game so far, they easily got past Latvia 5-1, with Petr Sikora scoring twice and Tomas Galvas putting up two helpers. St. Louis draft pick Adam Jecho, plus undrafted 19-year-olds Matej Mastalirsky and Patrik Volas also got on the board for the Czechs, and NHL prospects Miroslav Holinka and Ondrej Kos added assists. The Czechs remain a medal contender and are getting offence throughout their lineup, and goalie Jan Kavan was solid against Latvia, but they’ll need to pull out all the stops to handle a Canadian squad that will be looking to make a statement ahead of the tournament. Those that can’t will be cut, as Czechia needs to slim their roster down by two. They’ll play at the Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa at 7:00 PM EST.
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