The 2026 World Junior Championship tournament concluded last week with Team Sweden beating Team Czechia, seeing Sweden win their first gold medal since 2012. Even though Sweden won gold, there were a lot of standout players from each country, going from Denmark, who were relegated, to the winners.
Denmark: Markus Jakobsen, F
Markus Jakobsen was one of the few bright spots on Team Denmark this year, as they were demoted from the top division after a loss to Germany. Jakobsen had four assists in five games, and the 19-year-old was mighty in the offensive end, showing his vision for the game doesn’t lack, and carrying his talents over from the United States Hockey League (USHL) to the world stage.
Germany: David Lewandowski, F
David Lewandowski, an Edmonton Oilers fourth-round pick in 2025, showed off his talents at the WJC and proved why he was taken so high. The 18-year-old had one goal and four points in five games throughout the tournament and was the leader on offense the whole time, leading nearly every play. Lewandowski was one of the key reasons Germany wasn’t relegated. When he’s up in Edmonton, he’ll join Leon Draisaitl as another German on the team.
Slovakia: Tomas Chrenko, F
Tomas Chrenko, a projected late first-round pick for the upcoming draft in June, led Slovakia in everything statistically and on the ice as well. He led the team in points with eight and had five goals, inching towards the top of the whole championship in that regard. His hockey IQ, work on the power play, and his shot set him apart from others and might’ve boosted him up a bit in the draft order, as well.
Other players considered: Luka Radivojevic and Adam Nemec
Latvia: Nils Maurins, G
Nils Maurins almost singlehandedly held Latvia together throughout the whole tournament. Latvia was tied with Switzerland and Germany at 12 and was at dead last for the number of goals scored. In fact, only five of the 12 goals came from 5-on-5 play — the other seven were power-play goals.
Maurins was the reason the game against Canada was so close and went to overtime in the first place. Maurins, throughout the championship, had a 3.51 goals-against average (GAA) and a .879 save percentage (SV%), but that doesn’t reflect how important he was and his play in the slightest.
Other players considered: Alberts Smits
Switzerland: Christian Kirsch, G
Christian Kirsch led all goaltenders in SV% throughout the championship. Kirsch, a fourth-round pick last year by the San Jose Sharks, held the United States to two goals and shut out Germany. He allowed six goals to Czechia in the quarterfinals, though, who were the silver medalists. Kirsch finished up the tournament with a 2.69 GAA and a .904 SV%, having a remarkable showing for the Swiss.
United States: Will Zellers, F
For almost not making the team at all and having to work his way up from the bottom, Will Zellers had himself an impressive tournament. Zellers, drafted by the Colorado Avalanche in the third round in the 2024 Draft, whose rights now lie with the Boston Bruins, led the USA in points and was the key piece to them making it to the quarterfinal. He had five goals and eight points in the five games the United States played.
Other players considered: James Hagens, Teddy Stiga, Cole Hutson
Finland: Emil Hemming, F
Emil Hemming was a late first-round draft pick in 2024 by the Dallas Stars and one of the many bright spots the Finns had throughout the tournament. On Finland, he was one of the leaders in the offensive end. When he was on the ice, he was an immediate scoring threat.
Related: Guide to the 2026 World Junior Championship
Hemming always found the right lane and was always where he needed to be, and was dangerous on the power play. The 19-year-old had three goals in nine games, but with how many posts he hit and chances he had, he should’ve had a lot more. The Stars should be excited at the thought of getting him up in Dallas sooner rather than later.
Other players considered: Petteri Rimpenen, Oliver Suvanto, Aron Kiviharju
Canada: Michael Hage, F
Michael Hage finished the WJC as the leader in points, with two goals and a whopping 13 assists for 15 points in the nine games played. Hage, a first-round pick by the Montreal Canadiens, his favorite childhood team, really took Gavin McKenna and Brady Martin to new heights with his play on the wing.
Hage looked good throughout the championship and never seemed to have a game where he looked disinterested. He brought his momentum from the phenomenal season he’s having in the NCAA over to his country, and that’s all you can ask for. Hage will be playing in the NHL very soon.
Other players considered: Gavin McKenna, Zayne Parekh, Brady Martin, Tij Iginla, Porter Martone
Czechia: Tomas Galvas, D
The lone defender on the list, Tomas Galvas, was arguably the best defenseman who stepped onto the ice in Minnesota. Somehow, he went undrafted. Galvas was strong in both the offensive and defensive ends. He was always where he needed to be in his own end, disrupting passes and poking pucks off of sticks, and his offensive play didn’t lack, either, as he was always alert to what was happening around him. The 19-year-old was named to the All-Star team, alongside fellow defender Zayne Parekh, the best Canadian defenseman. Galvas posted three goals and nine points in seven games.
Other players considered: Vojtech Cihar, Michal Orsulak, Adam Jiricek, Vaclav Nestrasil, Petr Sikora
Sweden: Ivar Stenberg, F
Ivar Stenberg, projected to go first overall in June, had one of the best tournaments in the whole championship. He was in a fight with Canada’s McKenna, but after this, the argument may be over, and it swung in Stenberg’s favor. Stenberg played like a true NHL forward and showed that he can be drafted and instantly step into a role.
His offensive awareness was off the charts in 5-on-5 play and on the power play, and his shot carried the whole package, as he can shoot it from anywhere on the ice with anyone in front of him. Stenberg had four goals and ten points in Sweden’s gold medal run, and was the best-looking player in the whole World Junior Championship; the empty netter to secure gold was just a cherry on top.
Other players considered: Love Harenstam, Anton Frondell, Alfons Freij, Viggo Bjorck, Lucas Pettersson, Jack Berglund
The 2026 WJC was nothing short of remarkable, and these ten kids really shone on the big stage.
