The 2026 World Junior Championship marks the 50th anniversary of the tournament. Beginning as a way to capitalize on the growing global talent base, the invitational tournament became one of the marquee events on the hockey calendar and has created dozens of national heroes.
It’s always fun to watch the big stars thrive at the winter tournament, but it’s more exciting to see underrated or unknown prospects emerge as stars. Denis Golda’s bronze medal performance at the 2014 World Juniors not only made him a Slovak icon, but also an international one, with the Canadian crowd cheering the Slovakian teenager after the team’s loss to Canada in 2015.
Who will emerge as the surprise performers at the 2026 tournament in Minnesota? It’s always impossible to tell – that’s why they’re surprises. However, based on their seasons so far, I’ve picked out four potential breakout stars and four sleepers who could have bigger impacts than expected.
Breakouts
Tij Iginla, LW, Canada
Several candidates on Team Canada could qualify as breakout candidates: Michael Hage is second in NCAA points, defenceman Kashawn Aitcheson has 19 goals in 27 games, and, of course, Gavin McKenna is set to have a monster tournament after last year’s difficult loss. Yet those players are projected to be in top-six roles, meaning that a big tournament is more of an expectation than a surprise.
Related: Guide to the 2026 World Junior Championship
Meanwhile, Tij Iginla has spent most of the season recovering from an injury, which has taken him out of the limelight somewhat. Yet he was built for World Junior success. Canada loves a hard worker, and few can match Iginla in that regard. He’s also a fantastic goalscorer; in just 17 games, he already has 13 goals for the Kelowna Rockets. Pairing him with Hage, who was on his line to start training camp, could create some magic in Minnesota for the Canadians.
Will Horcoff, C, USA
All eyes will be on the Americans as they return to home soil as back-to-back gold medal champions, and carrying that burden will be James Hagens, Cole Eiserman, and Cole Hutson, who will be key players as they look for a three-peat. Max Plante will also enter the tournament as a player to watch after leading the NCAA with 30 points in just 20 games.
Behind them, though, Will Horcoff has been slowly gaining a reputation as a big-game performer, and people are taking notice. It started with a 24th overall selection back in June by the Pittsburgh Penguins; few analysts had him going that high in the draft. Now he’s leading the NCAA with 19 goals in 20 games with the University of Michigan. Given his size (6-foot-5) and defensive skill, Team USA will try to use him as much as possible, which will give him a great opportunity to put up a ton of points.
Ivar Stenberg, LW, Sweden
Although the World Junior Championship is generally thought of as a 19-year-old tournament, some of the best performances have come from draft-eligible players, such as Connor Bedard in 2023 and Jaromir Jagr in 1990. Ivar Stenberg could join the ranks of those greats, as he not only has shown to be an electric offensive player, but has already dominated one of the toughest leagues in the world.
Before leaving for the World Juniors in Minnesota, Stenberg had six goals and 24 points in the Swedish Hockey League (SHL). At that pace, he would finish above Daniel Sedin, William Nylander, Peter Forsberg, and Nicklas Backstrom as the most productive 18-year-old in SHL history. He was also part of a strong Swedish contingent that won silver at the 2025 U18 World Junior Championships, and with Stenberg taking a big step forward this season, he’ll be a big part of Sweden’s push to do the same in Minnesota.
Max Curran, C, Czechia
The Czechs have emerged as a dangerous team in recent years, finishing with a medal in the last three tournaments and narrowly missing out on one in 2022. Part of that is due to their deep lineups. Last year, Jakub Stancl was the team’s top scorer ahead of Eduard Sale and Adam Jecho. Before him, it was Matyas Melovsky and Gabriel Szturc, who finished just one point behind Jiri Kulich in 2024 and 2023, respectively.
Jecho, Vaclav Nestrasil, and Adam Novotny are the most likely players to take centre stage this year, but don’t count out Max Curran to make some noise. The 19-year-old will make his World Junior debut on Dec. 26, but he’s been devastatingly effective in international competition so far this season, leading all U20 players with 10 points in just four games, and scoring the game-winner against Latvia in pre-tournament action. He’s also been fantastic for the Edmonton Oil Kings, where he has 35 points in 28 games. He knows how to make things happen, and he’ll be sure to do so in his only shot at the World Juniors.
Sleepers
Jonah Neuenschwander, F, Switzerland
Despite being just 16 years old, Jonah Neuenschwander is making his second appearance at the World Juniors after becoming the first 15-year-old to play at the World Juniors in 24 years, and he’s already staking a claim as one of Switzerland’s best prospects in history. He’s fast, smart, and already playing a man’s game as a teenager. If the Swiss can build up some momentum, he could be a key part of their success.
Neuenshwander has been playing in Switzerland’s National League (NL) most of the season and already has six points in 18 games, which is already the best total from a U17 player in Switzerland’s top league. He was also the previous record holder, having scored three points in 15 games last season. While not the toughest league in the world, that’s still better than Nikolaj Ehlers, who only managed two points in 11 games in his 16-year-old season, and Nico Hischier, who had just one goal in 15 games in his.
Luke Osburn, D, USA
There’s no question that Team USA will rely heavily on Hutson to lead the charge from the back end. He led all skaters with 11 points last year and, with over a point-per-game with Boston University this season, there’s little doubt he’ll put up an even better total in Minnesota. But that’s a lot of responsibility, and if the Americans want to spread out some of the pressure, Luke Osburn would be an excellent option.
At last year’s U19 Junior A Challenge, Osburn finished second on the team and third in the tournament with nine points in seven games. While not as skilled as Hutson, he’s a talented puck mover and could be used to help take some pressure off his teammate. If so, watch his point total climb.
Alberts Smits, D, Latvia
Latvia has never had a player taken in the first round of the NHL Draft. The closest was all the way back in 1991, when Sandis Ozolins went 30th overall, which was still a second-round pick. That might change this year, though, as Alberts Smits is widely regarded as a top-10 pick. He’s a big, mobile defender with a booming shot, high-end creativity, and the ability to play in all situations. Latvia will use him as much as possible, and he could help the small nation upset some bigger powers once again at the World Juniors.
Braeden Cootes, RW, Canada
As I mentioned earlier, Canada will have a ton of star power on their roster, with the likes of McKenna, Hage, Aitcheson, and Iginla fighting to put up as many points as possible, as will Porter Martone, Cole Reschny, and the recently-released Michael Misa.
But don’t discount Braeden Cootes as a potential key player for the Canadians. Few expected him to be selected 15th by the Vancouver Canucks last June, and even fewer foresaw him making the NHL out of training camp before returning to the Seattle Thunderbirds after three games. Through hard work and intense competitiveness, he’s continued to defy expectations, and although he’ll be behind several talented players, he’ll give Canada every reason to move him up the lineup.
