The World Junior Championship pre-tournament started on Dec. 19, and while the results don’t matter, it’s a great time to get some confidence and momentum before the meaningful games start on the 26th. Many of the biggest stars stuck out and looked ready to do some damage in the tournament, but there were also a few players that surprised fans over the 11 games played across Ontario. With the puck ready to drop in two days, here are some players that stood out in pre-tournament action.
Canada
Easton Cowan, Right Wing
As the hometown nation, Canada will be the most followed team in Ottawa, especially after a disappointing finish in Sweden last year. Thankfully, the top line hit the ice buzzing, and in their first game against Switzerland, Easton Cowan scored a hat trick, then added another goal and an assist against Sweden. He was held off the scoresheet in Canada’s final game against Czechia, although his line scored the first goal. One of Canada’s only returnees this year, Cowan’s intelligence has been on full display so far in the pre-tournament. His chemistry with Calum Ritchie and Bradly Nadeau has been difficult for some of the top teams to handle.
Matthew Schaefer, Defence
Canada rarely brings more than one undrafted prospect to the World Juniors, but this year, they have three: Gavin McKenna, Porter Martone, and Matthew Schaefer. Of those three, Schaefer has easily been the most noticeable so far. He started the first game on the bottom pair with Beau Akey, but by the end of the game, he was on the powerplay and by the time Canada hit the ice against Sweden, he was lining up on the second pairing with Oliver Bonk. Schaefer finished the tournament with three assists, making him not only one of the most productive players up for the 2025 Draft but also one of Canada’s best defencemen.
USA
Ryan Leonard, Right Wing
With three goals and an assist over two games, Ryan Leonard took charge of the USA’s offence. Like Canada, he was a big part of the team’s top line, working well with Gabe Perreault and James Hagens, who he plays with at Boston College. That familiarity led to the line contributing to six of the American’s 11 goals they scored in pre-tournament play. USA’s captain is well on his way to surpassing his three goals and six points from last year’s golden run and will make the team another strong favourite to finish with a medal.
Trevor Connelly, Left Wing
Outside of the top unit, Trevor Connelly was one of the USA’s best players with a goal and two assists from the second line. The Providence College freshman has a lot to prove this year after a tumultuous 2023-24 and he’ll need to prove that he can play a supporting role to the American’s big guns like Leonard and Perreault, but so far, he’s showing that his current role is no problem at all.
Sweden
Rasmus Bergqvist, Defence
The defence will be a strength for Sweden this year, with Axel Sandin Pellikka, Tom Willander, and Theo Lindstein manning the blue line, but few would have expected Rasmus Bergqvist to be in the same conversation as those players. Yet, after two games, the Montreal Canadiens seventh-round draft pick scored twice and moved up to the first pairing. While not the biggest defender out there, he’s solid defensively and adds some toughness to Sweden’s highly-mobile back end.
Felix Unger Sörum, Right Wing
Having pro experience ahead of the World Juniors can give a player a major advantage, and Felix Unger Sörum is using everything he’s learned from playing with the American Hockey League’s (AHL) Chicago Wolves this season. He’s been getting better with each appearance and finished the pre-tournament with two goals and an assist. With David Edstrom and Otto Stenberg on the top line, Sweden boasts a highly skilled unit that will look to take over Group A.
Finland
Kasper Halttunen, Right Wing
With three goals and four points against Slovakia and the USA, Kasper Halttunen established himself as the go-to guy for offence for Finland. The big winger began the season with the American Hockey League (AHL)’s San Jose Barracuda before being re-assigned to the London Knights of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL). However, he was nearly a point-per-game player while with the pros, and he’s brought a lot of that experience and skill to the Finnish team.
Related: Guide to the 2025 World Junior Championship
Petteri Rimpinen, Goalie
Petteri Rimpinen was only one of two goalies who played a full game and never allowed a single goal. In 60 minutes against the Slovaks, the 18-year-old netminder turned away all 21 shots, allowing the Finns to win 6-0. He didn’t play in Finland’s second game against the USA, giving way to Kim Saarinen and Noa Vali, who entered the tournament as the team’s top two goalies, but neither looked quite as good as Rimpinen.
Czechia
Adam Novotny, Left Wing
Although he only finished the pre-tournament with a single assist against Lativa, there was a lot to like about Adam Novotny’s game, especially when Czechia faced the Canadians on Monday. The 16-year-old was engaged and unafraid at all times, and his work ethic gave the Czechs several opportunities to score. He’ll definitely be one to watch as the tournament gets underway on Boxing Day as he could easily move up the lineup into a more prominent role if any of the top two lines struggle to score.
Michael Hrabel, Goalie
Another standout against Canada, Michael Hrabel was a big reason why the game remained as close as it did. A giant goalie at 6-foot-6, he stood on his head, turning away 36 of 39 shots. It’s not the first time he’s frustrated Canada; at the 2024 World Juniors, he stopped 28 of 30 shots to send the Canadians home without a medal. He was back to top form in his only appearance in the pre-tournament and will look to upset Sweden and Slovakia in Group B.
Slovakia
Juraj Pekarcik, Left Wing
With Slovakia still waiting on the arrival of Dalibor Dvorsky and Miroslav Satan Jr., a lot of the offensive responsibilities fell to Juraj Pekarcik, and he did as well as he could without much support, scoring one of the Slovak’s two goals against the USA. He’s been one of the best players in the Quebec Maritime Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) this season with 12 goals and 35 points in 29 games, and once he’s joined by fellow St. Louis Blues’ prospect Dvorsky on the top line, he’ll likely have a much easier time putting up points. Right now, however, he remains one of the few bright spots on the team.
Tomas Pobezal, Centre
One other player who stood out with his offensive contributions was 2025 Draft-eligible Tomas Pobezal, who centred Slovakia’s second line against the Americans and assisted on both goals scored by the team en route to a 6-2 loss. Although he’s been more of a goal-scorer with HK Nitra in Slovakia’s top league this season with 12 goals in 26 games, he flexed his intelligence and puck movement in pre-tournament action, which will come in handy if the Slovaks want to do some damage at the 2025 World Juniors.
Switzerland
Leo Braillard, Left Wing
Scoring against Canada will always get you recognition, and Leo Braillard was the only Swiss player to do so in the pre-tournament matchup that ended 7-1 in favour of the home team. A member of the Western Hockey League’s (WHL) Lethbridge Hurricanes, he’s been one of the team’s better goal scorers with 12 goals in 24 games and looks ready to give the Swiss a bit of an offensive bump this year.
Jamiro Reber, Left Wing
After their defeat against Canada, Switzerland’s next pre-tournament game against Latvia allowed the team some much-needed retribution and momentum heading into the tournament. The game ended 5-1, with undrafted 18-year-old Jamiro Reber standing out as the team’s top performer with a goal and an assist. As one of the most productive teenagers in the Swedish Hockey League (SHL) this season, he’s been catching a bit of attention for the 2025 Draft, and a strong World Juniors will do wonders for his future. It also didn’t seem to bother him that he was on the team’s third line, either, and he used whatever ice time he got to make things happen. He’ll be one to watch regardless of how well Switzerland does.
Germany
Carlos Händel, Defence
The Germans will be desperate for offence at the World Juniors, especially playing in a difficult Group A alongside Canada, the USA, and Finland, all of whom have strong goalies. But Carlos Händel, the second-youngest player on the team, has emerged as one of the team’s best options at moving the puck and putting it in the net. The slick defenceman left the Swedish junior system to play in the QMJHL this season with the Halifax Mooseheads and he’s been slowly turning heads with his strong two-way play. Now he’s getting a chance to flex his offensive prowess on one of the biggest junior hockey stages in the world.
Latvia
Olivers Murnieks, Centre
Latvia scored only two goals in pre-tournament action, which is a tough way to head into their first game against Canada on the 27th. However, there is some hope for the team in 16-year-old Olivers Murnieks, who scored one of the goals and assisted on the other. He’s been with the United States Hockey League’s (USHL) Sioux City Musketeers this season, where he’s the youngest player on the team, but also sits fifth in scoring with 15 points in 25 games. Not eligible for the NHL Draft until 2026, he could emerge as a top player for Latvia for years to come and is already starting to make some noise on the international stage.
Kazakhstan
Vladimir Nikitin, Goalie
Kazakhstan will need an excellent goalie if they stand any chance of surviving past relegation this year, and thankfully, Vladimir Nikitin looks like he could be that guy. The 6-foot-5 netminder turned away 53 of 58 shots across two games, firmly establishing himself as the team’s number-one option in goal. He was a big reason why Kazakhstan qualified for the 2025 World Juniors in the first place after posting a .944 save percentage and a 1.78 goals-against average over five games in last year’s Division 1A tournament, and while those numbers won’t repeat in the top division, he has the skill needed to keep the Kazakhs in games when they’re outmatched.
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