Playing in the IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship (WJC) is a major accelerator in a prospect’s path toward becoming an NHL player. It compresses elite development experiences into a short, high-pressure tournament.
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The Montreal Canadiens’ prospect pool continues to boast quality and quantity. The 2026 World Junior Hockey Championships (WJC), being held in Minnesota this year, will showcase some of that depth, with the four players listed below already confirmed, but there could be more. While it is fun to watch the prospects participate, there is a value to their overall development as well.
Canadiens’ Expect Development Growth
The IIHF World Junior Championship is especially valuable for player development because it serves as a translation layer between a prospect’s current league and the NHL, revealing which parts of their game will scale up and which may not against faster, smarter, and more physically mature opponents.
In junior leagues and the NCAA, elite prospects succeed through puck dominance: more touches, more time, and more offensive freedom. At the World Juniors, that advantage shrinks, and they are suddenly facing opponents of similar talent who can close space quickly. This environment gives a glimpse as to whether a player’s style is built on translatable skills such as edge work, deception, timing, pace, and puck protection
Physicality is also tested, especially in the NHL-sized rinks. Players will face some older and stronger peers who are at a similar skill level. This can test if a player’s physical game relies on more than just physical or skill mismatches and instead on balance, leverage, and stick positioning.
It will also test to see the flexibility and hockey IQ of the prospects, as their roles may be compressed or even altered altogether. Most prospects arrive at the WJC as stars from their club teams, but only a few can remain in that role. How and if they can adjust to playing a depth or character role, such as second-unit power play, shutdown matchups, the penalty kill, or lesser ice time. Players who can adjust, and even thrive in these reduced but meaningful roles, show an understanding of how to create value without needing prime opportunities.
Short tournaments magnify momentum swings, mistakes, and pressure. Seeing how a player can rebound from a poor performance or build upon a good one can show the mental strength of a player. This mental growth is critical in separating high-end NHL regulars from fringe players. The WJC can be a development audit where strengths are validated against elite competition, while weaknesses (pace, physicality, defensive awareness) are exposed early, allowing targeted development before turning pro.
The Canadiens boast several prospects again this holiday season, while all of the rosters for the tournament are not all finalized, these four will each play an important role on their teams. Each one has the potential to become an NHL contributor in Montreal’s future.
Michael Hage – Centre – Team Canada
Somehow, Michael Hage fell to Montreal at 21st overall in the 2024 NHL Draft. His natural position as a centre, his size (6-foot-1, 199 pounds), his touching story and attachment to the organization made him an ideal fit for their prospect pool. He is in the midst of a strong sophomore season at the University of Michigan. The dynamic rush attacking centre is tied for the team lead in points and is second in points in the NCAA with 28 points in 20 games played. This will be his first international tournament, and he is slotted into a top-six role.
Expectations are set high for Hage heading into the World Juniors. Being slotted in as an offensive driver for Team Canada, he’s going to be leaned upon heavily at five-on-five and on the power play. Coming off a strong NCAA season thus far, Hage arrives with his confidence trending upward. He has been flashing his elite skill, vision, and growing physical engagement; all of this suggests this tournament could be a true coming-out party on the international stage.
Carlos Handel – Right Defence – Team Germany
The Rodney Dangerfield of this list, 2025 sixth-round selection Carlos Handel, gets no respect as he is consistently overlooked when lists of Canadiens prospects are made. Keeping with that theme, he and his countrymen will be looking to have the hockey world put some respect on the name Germany. In an exclusive interview with RG.org before the season, Handle spoke of the importance of this tournament for him and his development.
“We have a goal with Germany, of course, we have many returning players, me and other guys who got drafted, so of course, our goal is to stay in the top division, and then we see what happens from there.”
– Carlos Handle
His impact on Germany at the WJC will be felt in ways that go beyond the scoresheet. The puck-moving defenceman will be tasked with playing heavy minutes in all situations. He projects to be the connective tissue in Germany’s lineup, driving possession through the middle of the ice, stabilizing play against top competition, and giving the coaching staff a trusted option late in games. His blend of pace, intelligence, and two-way detail allows Germany to stay structured against deeper nations. If Germany is to punch above its weight in this tournament, Handel’s consistency and composure will be central to that push. This tournament can potentially be his coming-out party.
Aatos Koivu – Centre – Team Finland
Aatos Koivu, son of Canadiens’ legend Saku Koivu, was recently named to Team Finland’s roster. Through the first 30 games this season in Liiga, Koivu has seven points, playing a smaller role. The WJC provides him a golden opportunity to play an important role in the top-six. A role that can highlight his solid two-way play, and show he can be relied upon to provide impactful play in all situations. His gritty, physical style will be a welcome addition to this short tournament. He has shown he is willing to mix it up with anyone, as he did during the Summer Showcase, where he also led the tournament in goals.
The WJC will also provide him with more of an offensive role, as he had at the showcase, allowing him to put his playmaking skills and excellent shot on display against his own age group.
LJ Mooney – Right Wing – Team USA
Canadiens prospect LJ Mooney, who is now playing with the University of Minnesota, was selected 113th overall in the 2025 NHL Draft and has quickly become one of the most intriguing players in the prospect system and Team USA’s program. In an interview with Marco D’Amico at R.org, Minnesota Golden Gophers and Team USA head coach Bob Motzko could not stop raving about the undersized forward.
“LJ, well… he’s just such a fun hockey player; that rare combination of skating, skill and compete. There’s not a game or practice where you can’t help but smile when you watch him go. His compete level and skill set is rare. Even during practice, he’s the hardest-working and most intense player there. Every opportunity to prove yourself, he gives it his all. He’s just scratching the surface of his potential.”
-Bob Motzko
Canadiens fans may recognize those descriptors because current Montreal star Cole Caufield, who is also an undersized winger, has been described in that exact way. Now, this isn’t to say that Mooney is the next Caufield, but he is a highly skilled, undersized forward who has had to prove himself at every stage of his career as the smallest player on the ice. Montreal has historically had success with smaller, skilled players like them, especially in recent years. Not only Caufield, but also Lane Hutson. While the team has embraced adding skilled, smaller players, they have also drafted bigger players in order to insulate them and create a balanced roster with sufficient grit and toughness.
The WJC doesn’t just showcase talent, it stress-tests how a player plays. When someone succeeds in this tournament, that confidence is grounded in evidence that their game can work against elite peers. This often leads to more assertive play once they graduate to North American professional hockey. While it is not always the case, prospects who can adjust their game successfully at the WJC are more likely to do the same in the NHL. The World Juniors doesn’t create NHL stars, but it can be an important test of their development. Players who perform, adapt, and lead in this environment significantly improve their odds of becoming impactful NHL contributors, not just skilled prospects.
