The most wonderful time of the year is almost upon us, the World Junior Championship. The tournament, which has become a holiday tradition for many Canadian hockey fans, is only a few days away and with final rosters being announced, it’s time to highlight some players to watch. Team Sweden broke their group stage curse last year and made it all the way to the gold medal game, but eventually fell to Team USA and had to settle for silver. This year, they will have a good chance to do the same thing with the roster they’ve assembled, but they will be hoping for a better result than second place. With that said, here are five players you should be keeping a close eye on throughout the tournament.
Axel Sandin Pellikka
One of the top defenders at the 2024 World Juniors, Axel Sandin Pellikka will be leading Sweden’s blue line once again this year. He had two goals and six points in seven games last year amidst a solid season in the Swedish Hockey League (SHL) with Skelleftea AIK where he finished with 10 goals and 18 points in 39 games. This season, he is somehow doing even better with eight goals and 22 points in 25 games and is set to wear the “C” for his country taking over from Liam Ohgren who wore it last year.
Related: Guide to the 2025 World Junior Championship
Drafted 17th overall by the Detroit Red Wings in 2023, Sandin Pellikka is arguably the franchise’s top defensive prospect now that Simon Edvinsson has graduated to the NHL and could be their next elite offensive defenceman capable of putting up 60-70 points in his prime. His strengths lie in his skating, mobility and offensive instincts, attributes that are highly touted in the NHL right now. Look for him to be a force in this tournament once again.
Tom Willander
The other power on defense is Vancouver Canucks’ top prospect Tom Willander. Selected six spots ahead of Sandin-Pellikka in 2023, he has been plying his trade in the NCAA with the Boston University Terriers the last two seasons. After playing second-fiddle to Lane Hutson last season, he is now relied upon as their top defender and is thriving to the tune of two goals and nine points in 16 games. He was also part of Sweden’s roster last year where he had a goal and three points in seven games.
While Willander does not have the same offensive chops as Sandin Pellikka, he can still move the puck with aplomb and create chances off the rush with his skating and superb first pass. He is also much better defensively than his Swedish counterpart and will likely become an elite two-way defenseman once he makes it to the NHL. With Willander and Sandin-Pellikka at the helm, the Swedish defense will be one of the toughest units to play against this year.
Felix Unger Sorum
One of the more seasoned prospects playing for Sweden this year is Felix Unger Sorum, who already has some American Hockey League (AHL) games under his belt. In fact, he nearly made the Carolina Hurricanes’ roster out of training camp after a strong preseason. He has two goals and seven points in 22 games with the Chicago Wolves, and while those aren’t eye-popping numbers, his game isn’t always about the offense. He is very steady defensively, and can play on both special teams, making for a versatile player that coaches can rely upon game in and game out.
Related: Hurricanes’ Felix Unger-Sörum Makes Case for Roster Spot
Unger Sorum is another returnee from last year, where he put up six points in seven games. He also surprisingly got named to the World Championship roster and walked away with a bronze to go along with his silver at the WJC. This year, he wants to add a gold medal to that haul, and he will be a key piece in Sweden’s bid to avenge the loss they suffered to the Americans.
Otto Stenberg
Otto Stenberg was one of Sweden’s top forwards in last year’s WJC. He finished second to Jonathan Lekkerimaki in goals with five and was one off the team lead in points with nine, trailing only Lekkerimaki and Noah Ostlund. Now that both are not on the team, Stenberg will be relied on to do more this time around.
Stenberg isn’t having the best season in the Swedish Hockey League (SHL) with only three goals and six points in 25 games, but he has always figured out a way to produce when he slips on the Tre Kronor. According to Elite Prospects, in 57 games played across various international competitions, he has 30 goals and 70 points for a 1.23 points-per-game average. I think it’s safe to say he will be one of their key forwards again this year.
Victor Eklund
Our final player to watch is currently undrafted and eligible for the proceedings in 2025. The brother of San Jose Sharks forward William Eklund, Victor is ranked to go as high as sixth overall (Sportsnet, Dobber Prospects, and SMAHT Scouting), and might be a surprise producer on this roster. He was one of their top forwards at the 2024 U18 World Championship where he put up four goals and six points in seven games and dominated the international circuit last season with nine goals and 27 points in 26 games. He is also having a solid campaign in the HockeyAllsvenskan with Djurgardens, currently sixth on the team in scoring with eight goals and 15 points in 24 games. Touted for his shot, puck handling and hockey IQ, it will be interesting to see how he performs with and against players who are up to three years older than him.
Is Another Gold Medal Game in the Cards?
Without two of their top scorers from last year in Lekkerimaki and Ostlund, the Swedes will be in tough to make it back to the gold medal game. However, with their balanced roster and blue line led by Sandin-Pellikka and Willander, they shouldn’t be counted out. Look for the aforementioned five to have a huge impact on where they finish this year.
