With the 2026 World Junior Championship (WJC) just around the corner, starting on Dec. 26, Germany has announced their roster for this year’s tournament. The Germans will be looking to stay in the tournament for 2027 after fighting off relegation against Kazakhstan for their only win in last year’s tournament. What does the 2026 WJC roster look like for the country that has players like Moritz Seider and Leon Draisaitl in the NHL who call Germany home?
Germany’s Forwards
Lenny Boos, Maximilian Brunner, Gustavs Griva, Timo Kose, David Lewandowski, Nick Maul, Max Penkin, Elias Pul, Clemens Sager, Maxim Schäfer, Elias Schnieder, Tim Schütz, Tobias Schwarz, Simon Seidl, Dustin Willhöft
Germany will be bringing back a total of seven players from last year’s team, led by David Lewandowski and Maxim Schäfer. Both players had their names called at the 2025 NHL Entry Draft, with Lewandowski selected by the Edmonton Oilers in the fifth round and Schäfer by the Washington Capitals in the third. They have had strong success with their respective teams in the Canadian Hockey League (CHL) and will be relied upon heavily for offense this year.
With Julius Sumpf (Chicago Blackhawks) aging out of tournament eligibility, he is leaving a big hole in production after leading the way with seven points last year. Lewandowski and Schäfer are two of three returning players to tally multiple points in the tournament, with the other being Simon Seidl. Overall, the Germans will again likely have a tough time scoring with a roster that is not the deepest offensively.
Germany’s Defensemen
Max Bleicher, Carlos Händel, Max Hense, Fabio Kose, Moritz Kretzschmar, Nick Mähler, Manuel Schams, Finn Serikow
Only two defensemen on this year’s roster are returners, with Carlos Händel (Montreal Canadiens) and Max Hense being the veterans on the backend of the ice for Germany. Last year, three defensemen recorded a point, led by Edwin Tropmann with four. One area where the Germans will certainly not be lacking is the size of their defensemen, with only one under six feet tall. Being a strong defensive team again this year will be one of the biggest keys for Germany to keep themselves afloat against teams with much more offensive firepower.
Related: 2026 World Junior Championship Groups Finalized; Canada and USA Separated
With a young and inexperienced group of defensemen, both Händel and Hense will be relied upon heavily early on in the tournament.
Germany’s Goaltenders
Lennart Neiße, Lukas Stuhrmann, Linus Viellard
Two of the three goaltenders on Germany’s roster this year are returners, with Linus Vieillard likely to be the starter after playing in three games last year. After making his way to the Western Hockey League (WHL) this season, Vieillard will be relied upon heavily to keep things close for the Germans early on in the tournament. In last year’s tournament, he faced 94 shots and allowed only eight goals, but received only 12 goals of support from his team. Lennart Neiße was on the roster last year but did not get any action, but has had a strong start after returning to Germany to play in the Deutsche Eishockey Liga 2 (DEL2). Depending on how the tournament goes, there is a chance he or Lukas Stuhrmann will get playing time.
Germany Has A Massive Challenge Ahead of Them
It is more likely than not that Germany will be fighting a major uphill battle to avoid relegation again this year. With the lack of more than a couple of impactful offensive players, the biggest key to staying in games and having a chance to make the 2027 tournament very well could come down to their team defense and goaltending. The Germans have struggled to return to the form they showed in the 2021 tournament, when they were led by Tim Stützle and JJ Peterka, and it is easy to see that trend continuing again this year.
** With 26 players on the current roster, Germany will need to cut one player before the tournament starts**
