It’s December, and that means the Christmas tradition of the World Junior Championship is just around the corner. The festivities, as always, begin on Boxing Day and run into the new year, when fans will get to watch future NHL stars strut their stuff on the national stage wearing their country’s colours with pride. This year, the Vancouver Canucks could see up to three players suit up for their respective nations. Let’s take a look at them now.
Canada – Braeden Cootes
Braeden Cootes started this season with a bang by impressing everyone in training camp and the preseason to earn a spot on the Canucks’ opening night roster. He only played three games before being sent back to the Seattle Thunderbirds, but he showed everyone that he could be close to full-time NHL action.
Related: Braeden Cootes Is Forcing His Way Into the Canucks’ Future
Cootes returned to the Western Hockey League (WHL) in mid-October and resumed his duties as captain of the Thunderbirds. He also hit the ground running with nine goals and 21 points in 14 games, including a dominant six-point performance against the Vancouver Giants on Nov. 8. Since his demotion to the WHL, he has gone only three games without a point, and boasts five multipoint performances. He’s on another heater right now, with four goals and six points in his last four games, making it almost impossible for Team Canada not to add him to the roster.
And if Cootes’ 2025-26 season so far isn’t enough to convince the Team Canada brass, they only have to look back to the 2024 U18 World Championship, where he captained them to a gold medal and led the team in scoring with six goals and 12 points in seven games. I think it’s safe to say he will not only be part of the roster, but end up as one of the difference-makers in their bid to dethrone the host Americans, who are looking for a three-peat.
Sweden – Wilson Björck
Like Canada, Sweden always has a lot of talent to choose from when it comes to the World Juniors. This year will be no different with top prospects like Anton Frondell, Victor Eklund, Ivar Stenberg and Viggo Bjorck dotting the landscape. Stenberg and Bjorck are slated to be top-15 picks in the 2026 Draft, and Frondell and Eklund were high selections in the 2025 Draft for the Chicago Blackhawks and New York Islanders, respectively. While Wilson Bjorck isn’t considered a blue-chip prospect and won’t be confused with his brother Viggo, he might end up being a bit of a steal as a fifth-round pick.
The Canucks have a knack for finding Swedish gems in the draft, and Bjorck has impressed in his first foray into North American hockey this season. Coming over from the Djurgardens organization, he has three goals and six points in 13 games with Colorado College in the NCAA, along with a plus-5 in the plus/minus column. According to THW’s own Justin Giampietro, he is projected to play alongside his brother on the second line with Stenberg.
Switzerland – Basile Sansonnens
Finally, it’s almost a certainty that fans will see 2024 seventh-rounder Basile Sansonnens patrol the blue line for the Swiss. At just 19 years old, he already has an extensive international resume, suiting up for 79 games across various tournaments, including the 2024 U18 World Championship and 2025 World Juniors. Over those 79 games, he has six goals and 20 points.
Related: Guide to the 2026 World Junior Championship
In his draft-plus-one (D+1) year, Sansonnens spent the season in North America with the Rimouski Oceanic in the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL). He had a goal and 12 points in 54 games, and another goal and five points in 23 playoff games. This season, he decided to head back overseas and joined Lausanne HC in the Swiss National League (NL). He only has three assists in 30 games alongside a minus-5, but has already seen eight games at the international level.
World Juniors Kick Off on Boxing Day
Canucks fans won’t have to wait long to see Cootes, Bjorck and Sansonnens in action. Sweden and Canada kick off their schedule on Boxing Day, with Sweden taking on Slovakia in the opening game at 10 am PT and Canada facing Czechia at 5:30 pm PT. The Swiss will have to wait a day before their debut, as they take on the Americans on Dec. 27 at 3 pm PT.
