The annual World Junior Championships allows fans to see their hometown stars on the biggest stage in junior hockey. The tournament has been popular for decades in Canada with growing popularity around the world, and for many families, turning on the TV on Dec. 26 is a holiday tradition.
The Saskatoon Blades sent two players to the World Juniors this year: Tanner Molendyk joined Team Canada as an assistant captain and 17-year-old David Lewandowski made Team Germany. Both have been playing great; Lewandowski has been playing on the second line and led the Germans with two goals in the round-robin, while Molednyk has one assist in four games while anchoring Canada’s blue line alongside Andrew Gibson. It also doesn’t hurt that their teammates back home have been following them the whole way.
Watching the World Juniors
When Ben Riche joined the Blades over the offseason, he was praised for his speed and skill with the puck. It made him a natural fit for the top line in front of Molednyk on defence, who is one of the best skaters outside the NHL. The pair have converted on more than a few goals and have shown excellent chemistry. But, according to Riche, “It’s hard not to have chemistry with that guy.”
When Molendyk was selected to Team Canada, Riche was more than happy for him. “It’s really cool,” he said. “I love watching him play when he’s just here because he’s such a phenomenal player. But it’s really cool to get that opportunity to play on a stage like that and keep growing his game and showing off just how amazing he is.”
Rookie Zach Olsen was in a similar position with Lewandowski. The pair have regularly played together since the German arrived in Saskatoon in October. Like Riche and Molendyk, Olsen and Lewandowksi play a similar, in-your-face, never-back-down style while still dazzling with some fantastic puck skills. Even though Germany hasn’t been under the spotlight as much as Canada, Olsen was still excited to watch his linemate. “It’s always super special seeing those guys getting to achieve playing for their country,” he said, “and it’s super cool getting to cheer them on.”
But teammates aren’t the only ones that the Blades are following. Several players have attended NHL camps throughout their career, which has introduced them to top stars across North America. So, when Brendan Lisowsky was asked who else he was going to paying close attention to, he said, “I’ll go with Easton Cowan from the London Knights. As kind of a Toronto (Maple Leafs) guy, I knew him a little bit, so he’s a fun player to watch. He’s unbelievable in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), and excited to see him in the second year here at the World Juniors other than Molly (Molendyk) and Lewy (Lewandowski).”
For others, it’s just nice to sit back and watch their country and all the players they’ve played against join together to try and take home a gold. “I think just (watching) Canada in general,” said captain Ben Saunderson, regarding who he’ll be watching this year. “You grow up watching that with your family. It’s just a tradition, and now to know guys in it, Tanner and David, super proud of them for where they are right now. So, it’ll be super cool to watch that.”
Advice for Team Canada
While watching their teammates perform is always a treat, many of the Blades have been following Team Canada closely as they’ve struggled in the 2025 tournament. Despite their busy hockey schedule, many players have caught every game, cheering and groaning along with the rest of the nation.
“I was hoping for a lot better,” Riche chuckled when asked about Team Canada’s progress so far. “[They’ve been] a little bit undisciplined. I think all the Canadian fans know what’s going on there. But hopefully, Molly can be up there and pull the guys along and get them to wake up.”
Related: Guide to the 2025 World Junior Championship
Defenceman Grayden Siepmann, who’s been filling in for Molendyk alongside Saunderson on the top pairing, echoed Riche’s comments. “I’ve been watching all the Canada games, of course,” he said. “Tough one last night (against the USA), but I think they’ll get it together after kind of a little punch in the face there.”
The Christmas Eve game against Team USA, of course, ended in a 4-1 loss for the Canadians, who couldn’t stay out of the box. The team took 22 penalty minutes, resulting in three power-play goals for the Americans. It’s been a theme of the tournament; Canada has 52 penalty minutes over four games. It’s been frustrating for Canadian fans, making them look more like the underdog heading into a challenging quarterfinals against Team Czechia. But do junior hockey players see the same problems?
Siepmann had a reserved answer to that question. “It’s a short turnaround, short tournament,” he said about this rut Canada finds itself in. “It’s hard to get all these systems down to what you want them to be, but I think they have a lot of good players, so I think they just need to all play their game and do what the team and the coach says, and they’ll be perfectly fine here.”
Olsen agreed, saying, “I don’t think they’ve been playing their best, but I think they’re saving it for the quarters and semis, so I think they’re OK.” His advice was also more of a reminder to the players. “I would say just play their game and do what they’re good at, and they’ll be alright.”
What does Canada need to do to get by Czechia? Riche’s answer was short and sweet: “Stay disciplined and score.”
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