Buffalo Sabres prospect Luke Osburn of the University of Wisconsin will hope to help the United States win the World Junior Championships beginning this Friday. OBSERVER File Photo by Christian Storms

This past year the United States won the World Junior Hockey Championships for the second consecutive time, a first in the program’s history.

The Red, White and Blue will have a chance to make it a three-peat on American soil beginning Friday in Minnesota, but it looks to be a much more daunting task with the group expected to take the ice.

The United States returns two key players who served important roles in winning last year’s tournament, including its top scorer, Montreal prospect and Boston University defenseman Cole Hutson. Not only did Huston lead the Americans in scoring, but he also was the top point-producer at the tournament with 11 and earned a spot on the all-tournament team.

The United States also brings back one of the best forwards in this year’s tournament, its top center from a year ago, Boston prospect and Boston College product James Hagens. Last year, he centered the two wingers named to the all-tournament team — current Capitals forward Ryan Leonard and Rangers winger Gabe Perreault — and provided 5 goals and 4 assists in 7 games on his own.

The Americans will have to rely on Hutson to step up and be in contention for Defenseman of the Tournament. He currently has 7 goals and 13 assists for 20 points in 18 games with the Terriers in the NCAA, looking to improve from last tournament’s lofty totals of 3 goals and 8 assists for 11 points in 7 games.

Hagens’ scored exactly at a point-per-game pace with the Eagles in the NCAA last season, but this year he is heading into the tournament slightly above with 10 goals and 8 assists for 18 points in 16 NCAA games. He will be able to make his wingers flourish in the tournament while playing all situations and munching plenty of minutes.

It is expected that Huston and Hagens will continue their success into the tournament, but the questions with the roster revolve around the depth behind them and the lack of a true answer between the pipes.

Last year the blue line featured two elite talents in Hutson and newly acquired Canucks defenseman, Zeev Buium, along with considerable depth that was able to tread water.

There are a few options to step up into that minute-munching two-way role Buium embodied last year. The obvious choice is the player who has had the same World Junior career trajectory, Ottawa Senators 2025 first-round pick Logan Hensler.

See WORLD JUNIORS, Page B3

The Wisconsin sophomore currently has 3 goals and 5 assists in 15 NCAA games and will surely improve from his one assist at last year’s tournament. While he might not be as offensively gifted as Buium, Hensler can skate the big minutes for the United States and has the pedigree of a returning champion.

Other offensive boosts from the American blue line could be provided by 2026 draft-eligible Chase Reid who currently has 14 goals and 21 assists for 35 points in 31 games for the Soo Greyhounds in the Ontario Hockey League, undrafted University of Michigan product Dakoda Rheaume-Mullen who has 4 goals and 9 assists for the Wolverines in the NCAA or Sabres prospect Luke Osburn who has 2 goals and 6 assists in 12 games for Wisconsin.

The United States needs to cut one more defender before action begins on Friday and it is likely Buffalo will have two rooting interests on the blue line with Osburn and defensive defenseman Adam Kleber who comes back from last year.

Even with another cut coming in the forward group, Buffalo also has a lock in the forward group with 2024 third-round selection Brodie Ziemer who provided 3 goals and 4 assists in 7 games last tournament.

Ziemer already has as many goals for the University of Minnesota this season as he did all of last year, scoring 12 goals and 7 assists in 19 games.

After Hagens, there are plenty of options to lead the offense and it is likely someone will shine brighter as he lifts his teammates to greater heights.

The player poised to become a household name in the near future is University of Michigan sophomore William Horcoff. The 2025 first-round selection of the Penguins is having a monster season in the NCAA, leading the nation in goals with 19 and is second in points, trailing only Team USA teammate Max Plante who paces the country with 16 goals and 14 assists for the University of Minnesota-Duluth.

A big blow to the United States happened earlier this week when it was reported that 2024 Golden Knights first-round selection Trevor Connelly would miss the tournament with a concussion. The dynamic forward would have been a play driver off the wing that is already scoring in the minor leagues with the Henderson Silver Knights.

That missing element might be uncovered in the tournament by a few forwards with bright futures ahead of them, 2025 Nashville first-round pick Ryker Lee of Michigan State and 2025 Montreal fourth-round pick L.J. Mooney.

Both forwards are elite danglers with great handles and speed, currently traversing their first seasons in the NCAA they have not put up lofty numbers, but the eye test shows they’re poised to break out soon and the World Juniors could be the perfect stage.

All that is great for the Americans, but countries like Sweden and Canada can match them up and down the lineup and have the clear advantage in net.

The United States made a late move to bring in United States National Team Development Program goaltender Brady Knowling, while Notre Dame netminder Nicholas Kempf is likely to be the starter ahead of him and Caleb Heil of the Madison Capitols in the United States Hockey League.

At the past two tournaments, the United States have relied on blue-chip prospects Trey Augustine of the Red Wings and Jacob Fowler of the Canadiens to take home gold.

Kempf is not near the same level as those two, nor is Heil, but Knowling could prove he is one of the top goaltender prospects for the 2026 Draft by stealing the net.

However, that is a lot of pressure to put on an inexperienced goaltender that an already loaded Canadian roster does not have to worry about.

THREEPEAT THREATS

After missing the podium each of the last two years, Canada will not be embarrassed for a third time bringing a roster that boasts the most NHL talent.

Canada brings six players that have played in the NHL this season, including Pittsburgh’s Harrison Brunicke, San Jose’s Michael Mina and Calagary’s Zayne Parekh who were loaned to play in this tournament by their NHL clubs.

The blue line will have the perfect combination of skill and toughness to keep pucks out of Canada’s end and move into the offensive zone with the capability to light up the scoreboard. Some of Canada’s best goalscorers will be on the blue line with Parekh who scored 33 goals in each of his last two seasons in the OHL, 2025 Islanders first-round pick Kashawn Aitcheson who has 19 goals and 13 assists for Barrie in the OHL and 2026 top-defense prospect Keaton Verhoeff who has 4 goals and 7 assists as a freshman for the University of North Dakota. With so much talent on the back end it would be difficult to expect any individual Canadian defenseman to stand out above the rest.

The forward group has a similar blend of skill and talent, but there should be a few forwards that rise above the rest and vie for the award of Tournament MVP.

A deadly duo could be the 2025 fifth pick, Nashville prospect Brady Martin, and 2026 top-prospect Gavin McKenna who made the shocking move from the Canadian Hockey League to the NCAA with Penn State where he has 4 goals and 14 assists for 18 points in 16 games.

McKenna has lost some of his top-prospect luster and the transition monster could get that back playing with a center like Martin who plays the game hard with a heavy shot.

While most of the forwards are first-round selections, it does not mean that Canada will not have a diverse set of skills up and down the lineup with key players providing two-way games.

That is all backed up by one of the hottest goaltenders coming into the tournament, the University of Michigan’s Jack Ivankovic who has a 1.90 goals against average and .927 save percentage for the Wolverines. Along with him are 2025 San Jose first-rounder Joshua Ravensbergen and 2024 Los Angeles second-rounder Carter George.

FIERCE FINNS

Ivankovic is my top pick as the Goaltender of the Tournament, but Finland’s Peter Rimpinen will have the chance to retain his title from last season as he led the Finns to a Silver Medal.

Finland will need Rimpinen to find that form again after Buffalo denied the loan of top center Konsta Helenius who is torching the AHL with Rochester. The gut punch of losing the best offensive piece puts pressure on an experienced defensive corps.

Picking up the slack for Helenius should be Everett Silvertips forwards Matias Vanhanen and Julius Miettinen or 2024 Dallas first-rounder Emil Hemming. However, keep an eye on 2026 draft-eligible Oliver Suvanto who could play himself into a top 15 selection this summer and that extends to defenseman Juho Piiparinen looking to lock himself in as a first-rounder.

SURELY SWEDEN

The biggest threat to win Group A from the Americans is Sweden who matches up pretty evenly, but likely has the slight advantage in goal due to current form in a more competitive league.

The biggest threat to Gavin McKenna for the top pick at the 2026 NHL Draft is Frolunda winger Ivar Stenberg who is scoring at a historic pace in the Swedish Hockey League with 6 goals and 18 assists for 24 points in 25 games at just 18 years old.

He will likely line up with fellow 2026 draft-eligible Viggo Bjorck who has another 4 goals and 4 assists for 8 points in 24 games for Djurgardens in the SHL at 17. He is another small, yet smart and feisty Swede that plays with a brain well beyond his age group.

That line should just be the difference makers as the top line features a potential Tournament MVP with the third pick from the 2025 NHL Draft, Chicago’s Anton Frondell who currently has 10 goals and 5 assists for Djurgardens.

Sweden does not have a replacement for last year’s Defenseman of the Tournament, Axel SandinPellikka, but an improvement at forward maintains the threat for Gold.

COULD SURPRISE

Czechia has medaled in three straight tournaments and with a great defensive corps led by 2024 St. Louis first-round pick Adam Jiricek and 2025 Buffalo first-round pick Radim Mrtka, the opportunity still remains.

The Czechs should be able to slow down the best offenses in the tournament, but it is unlikely they will be able to provide the scoring to steal the tournament. The diminutive Minnesota fourth-rounder Adam Benak should be the straw that stirs the drink, but 2025 first-round Chicago prospect Vaclas Nestrasil will have the highest expectations coming into the tournament with 10 goals and 10 assists in 18 games for UMass.

Keep an eye on Adam Novotny to show off his goalscoring touch and lock himself in as a first-rounder this upcoming June.

DRAFT STOCK

It would take a miracle for Slovakia, Switzerland, Germany, Latvia or Denmark to steal a medal this upcoming week.

However, several players from those countries and the big players have the chance to improve their draft stocks and become future stars of the NHL.

Starting big, Canada brings McKenna at forward and both Verhoeff and Carson Carels on defense. Sweden boasts elite forwards in Stenberg and Bjorck, but big defenseman William Hakansson could make a name for himself too. Finland’s Suvanto and Piiparinen should lock themselves into first-round selections and Czechia’s Novotny can establish himself as an elite goalscorer in the draft.

Latvia could shock a team or two and it would be because of potential top 10 pick Alberts Smith on defense and draft-eligible forwards Olivers Murnieks and Rudolfs Berzkalns.

Switzerland could see Lars Steiner drafted in the first two rounds this June, but 2027 draft-eligible forward Jonah Neuenschwander will have to wait.

Germany will also be looking ahead with 2027 draft-eligible forward Max Penkin and has 2027 draft-eligible defenseman Emil Saaby Jakobsen.

PREDICTIONS

It’s time for Canada to play spoiler and I venture a guess it happens over the Americans in the Gold Medal game, while Sweden edges Czechia for Bronze.

The MVP will be Will Horcoff as he takes the top scorer, Ivankovic the top goalie from Canada and Defenseman of the Tournament is fellow countryman Kashawn Aitcheson. Joining them on the all-tournament team at forward are Sweden’s Stenberg and Canada’s McKenna, then Hutson on defense from the Americans.