Boxing Day is here again, and so too is the most exciting time for hockey prospects—the International Ice Hockey Federation’s World Junior Championships. Day One brings us four games, including Canada’s first game of the tournament.
The 2024 WJC is hosted by Gothenburg, Sweden. Gothenburg was originally supposed to host the 2022 WJC, but the ongoing pandemic put a kibosh on that. That tournament ultimately took place in Edmonton, Alberta and Red Deer, Alberta, while Gothenburg was postponed until this year. This is Gothenburg’s first time hosting the WJC; it is the seventh time Sweden will host the tournament.
For those making the trip to Sweden for the tournament, the IIHF has created a fan guide for you!
Let’s take a look at the teams:
The teams
Ten countries will compete in the tournament, split into two groups of five teams (A and B). Group A consists of the defending champions Canada, the host Sweden, Finland, Germany, and Latvia. Group B consists of the United States, Czechia, Slovakia, Switzerland, and Norway.
Norway replaces Austria in the tournament this year, returning to the tournament for the first time since 2014.
Canada
Canada should once again be a favourite to win the tournament. The lineup is loaded with offensive talent once again, headlined by Macklin Celebrini who is expected to be selected first overall at the 2024 NHL draft. On top of Celebrini, the forward group includes six players that were first-round picks: Matthew Savoie (2022–9th), Conor Geekie (2022–11th), Nate Danielson (2023–9th), Brayden Yager (2023–14th), Matthew Wood (2023–15th), and Easton Cowan (2023–28th).
Other notable forward prospects are Jordan Dumais and Matthew Poitras. Dumais was a third-round pick in 2022. He is an undersized player—listed at 5-foot-9 and 174 pounds—but that hasn’t stopped him from racking up nearly 300 points over the last two and one-third seasons in the QMJHL. Poitras was a second-round pick in 2022 and comes with NHL experience. He laced up for 27 games with the Boston Bruins this season before being loaned to Team Canada, scoring five goals and 13 points.
On defence, the team boasts four former first-round picks: Denton Mateychuk (2022–12th), Maveric Lamoureux (2022–29th), Oliver Bonk (2023–22nd), and Tanner Molendyk (2023–24th).
Canada’s biggest question mark once again will be goaltending. Last year, Thomas Milic grabbed the starting job and was sensational in backstopping the team to a gold medal. This year, Scott Ratzlaff, Mathis Rousseau, and Samuel St-Hilaire will battle for the crease. While none may be household names, Ratzlaff was incredible at the 2022–23 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, posting a 4–0–0 record with a .976 save percentage. Rousseau currently sports a 16–3–2 record and .934 save percentage for the QMJHL’s Halifax Mooseheads, and St-Hilaire is 11–7–1 with a .920 save percentage for the QMJHL’s Sherbrooke Phoenix.
Czechia
Czechia always seems to be a dark horse, and this year is no exception. They have a handful of NHL-drafted forwards, led by Jiri Kulich (2022–28th) and Eduard Sale (2023–20th). Both are very talented offensive players. Kulich has been playing in the AHL this year and has scored 16 goals in 23 games. Sale is playing in the OHL and has put up 21 points in 25 games. He is known more for his playmaking abilities, evidenced by 14 of his points being assists.
Their defence includes two 2022 third-round NHL draft picks: Tomas Hamara and Marek Alscher. Czechia is also bringing along a pair of defencemen who are eligible for the 2024 NHL draft in Adam Jiricek and Tomas Galvas. Jiricek is the younger brother of David Jiricek—who was a big part of last year’s silver medal team—and is expected to be a top 10 pick.
Czechia’s goaltending consists of two NHL-drafted goaltenders: Michael Hrabal—a 2023 second-round pick—and Jakub Vondras—a 2022 sixth-round pick. They’re also bringing along Michael Schnattinger, who has looked quite good in the Czech league this year. None of these goaltenders were part of last year’s team, and it remains to be seen which one will claim the crease.
Finland
Finland has been very good in recent years, finishing in the top three five times over the last 10 tournaments. Three of those times they took home gold. Last year however, the team finished fifth. There is a lot of new blood this year though, as most of last year’s squad is too old to return.
At forward, Lenni Hämeenaho, Aleksanteri Kaskimäki, and Jani Nyman are the only players returning from last year. Finland is bringing seven NHL-drafted forwards this year, but none of them were first-round picks. That said, they do have two forwards who are expected to be first-round picks in the 2024 draft: Konsta Helenius and Emil Hemming. Helenius is a player to watch for Finland, as he’s projected to be a top 10 pick. Hemming is projected to be selected late in the first round.
Only Otto Salin returns on defence for Finland. He is joined by four other NHL draft picks, all of whom were mid-round picks over the last two drafts.
In goal, only Niklas Kokko is back, but he didn’t play any games for last year’s team. He is the team’s only NHL-drafted goaltender and is joined by Noa Vali and Eemil Vinni.
With so many new faces, it’s tough to gauge what this team is capable of. The oddsmakers have them fourth, which seems about right.
Germany
Germany is a country that bounces in and out of the WJC. They have been in the tournament for the last four years, but the highest they placed in sixth (twice). None of the team’s captains from last year are returning as they’re all too old, so it will be a whole new leadership group for the Germans this year.
At forward, they have two NHL-drafted players and six players that are returning from last year. Julian Lutz is the only forward that fits into both of those categories. Also returning is Roman Kechter, who led last year’s team in goals with two, and was tied for the team lead in points with three. Phillip Sinn also returns, and he was one of the players who tied Kechter for the team lead in points last year.
The entire defence group is fresh this year. Sinn however, is listed at forward/defence on EliteProspects.com and may be relied on to stabilize this group. Germany brings just one NHL-drafted defenceman: Norwin Panocha, a Buffalo Sabres seventh-round pick.
Simon Wolf is the only returning goaltender for Germany. He played in two games last year and was lit up, sporting a 12.64 goals against average and a .776 save percentage. He is joined by Matthias Bittner and Philipp Dietl. Each of those goalies has posted respectable numbers so far this year, and the starting job is up for grabs. If Germany is to make it to the top five this year, their only hope is one of these guys takes the reins.
Germany lacks game-breaking talent. Their highest-profile player is Julian Lutz, a former second-round pick. On top of that, their roster only includes three NHL-drafted players. It’s incredibly difficult to see them finishing any better than sixth, which would tie their best performance in recent years.
Latvia
Latvia’s best performance in the WJC resulted in a 7th-place finish in 2022. Last year, they finished 9th and managed to avoid relegation, but their leadership group is too old for this year’s tournament. The team’s two leading point-scorers from last year will also not be returning.
Latvia has six returning forwards, two of whom are NHL draft picks: Dans Locmelis and Sandis Vilmanis. Locmelis was Latvia’s leading goal scorer last year and has been named team captain this year. Nothing stands out about their forward group, but they are bringing a lot of forwards who are capable of scoring.
Niks Fenenko and Elvis Laskovs return on defence and both have been reliable point-producers for their respective clubs this year. Darels Uljanskis is a player to watch as well. He is eligible for the 2024 draft and leads his team in points by a defenceman with 16 in 25 games.
It will be all new faces in goal this year as last year’s trio have all aged out. Last year, Patriks Berzins did not share the crease. He was a rock for Latvia, finishing with a 2.47 GAA and .914 save percentage. Berzins was a big reason Latvia came out of the tournament with two wins, and they’ll need this year’s group to step up just as Berzins did. Deivs Rolovs might be that guy, as he has posted strong numbers in the NAHL this year.
Latvia managed to avoid relegation last year, defeating Austria in the relegation round. With no standout players on the roster once again, they’ll have to rely on a strong team game to avoid the relegation round this year.
Norway
As mentioned earlier, this will be Norway’s first appearance in the WJC since 2014. Their team includes no NHL-drafted players, but one of their 2024 draft-eligible players is projected to be a high pick.
At forward, Michael Brandsegg-Nygård has been a consistent scoring threat at all levels and it’s likely he will be relied heavily on to play that role at the WJC this year. He is projected to be a mid-first-round selection in the 2024 draft, being ranked as high as ninth. A whopping 10 of their forwards will only be on the team this year, even if Norway manages to avoid relegation. Of this group, they have some serious firepower. Oskar Kind Bakkevig leads the way with 20 goals in 29 games in the J20 Nationell. Mats Bakke Olsen has 12 goals and 24 points in 30 games, also in the J20 Nationell. Noah Steen and Petter Vesterheim have produced over a point per game in the J20 Nationell this year and have both spent the majority of their seasons playing in HockeyAllsvenskan, Sweden’s second-highest league.
Norway went with an older group on defence as well, where five of their eight players will not be eligible to return next year. None of their defence stand out, and it will be a group effort that wins them games.
Goaltending is a big question mark for Norway. They come in with Markus Røhnebæk Stensrud, Martin Holtet Lundberg, and Sebastian Hagen Aarsund. Stensrud has posted the best numbers this year, but he’s listed at 5-foot-9. Size could be a problem for him when facing the best players in his age group. That said, let’s not forget he’s a big reason Norway is in the WJC to begin with. He went 5–0–0 with a 1.60 GAA and .928 save percentage in the D1A last year, backstopping Norway’s promotion to the top division of the WJC. It feels like it’s his job to lose right now.
Norway likely isn’t a team that will be in the mix for a medal, and their number one priority should be to avoid the relegation round. Anything else is a bonus.
Slovakia
Slovakia has consistently finished in the bottom half of the standings over the last eight years, and that will probably be the case this year too. Their roster includes eleven NHL-draft picks, three of which were first-rounders: Filip Mesar (2022–26th), Dalibor Dvorský (2023–10th), and Samuel Honzek (2023-16th).
Slovakia finished sixth last year, and a glaring problem was their inability to score goals. With 11 forwards returning, could we see a similar issue this year? Dvorský made the move from the SHL to the OHL earlier this year and has been superb, scoring 18 goals and 34 points in just 20 games for the Sudbury Wolves. Mesar is lighting up the OHL in a similar fashion, while Peter Repcik has been playing well in the QMJHL. Captain Adam Sýkora has been getting valuable AHL experience this year. The talent to score is there, the question is: can they put it together and score at the WJC this time around?
On defence, Viliam Kmec, Dávid Nátny, and Maxim Strbak return. None of them are known as particular high-scoring players, although Kmec is putting together a nice season in the WHL with 20 points in 30 games. The newcomers include Luka Radivojevic—son of former NHLer Branko Radivojevic—and Jakub Chromiak, whose name you may recognize as his older brother Martin played in the 2021 WJC.
The goaltending is led by returnee Adam Gajan. Gajan was excellent through four games for the Slovaks last year, posting a 2.40 GAA and a .936 save percentage. Joining him are Rastislav Elias and Samuel Urban, but this looks very much like it’s Gajan’s crease to lose.
Sweden
The host team has had a rough go in recent years. They’ve often been one of the best teams in the round-robin and then failed to win a medal. They come to the tournament this year with 19 NHL draft picks on their roster.
Expected to lead the way again at forward are a trio of 2022 first-round picks: Filip Bystedt, Jonathan Lekkerimäki, and Noah Östlund. The Swedes have three other first-round picks on the roster in Liam Öhgren (2022–19th), Otto Stenberg (2023–25th), and David Edstrom (2023–32nd). Bystedt led the way on offence last year and will be relied on in that role again this year.
The Swedish defence includes two first-round picks: the highly touted Axel Sandin Pellikka and Tom Willander. They also have other very good young players in Mattias Hävelid, Anton Johansson, Elias Pettersson (no, not that one!), and Elias Salomonsson. This looks like a solid all-around defence.
None of last year’s goalies are returning this year. Instead, Sweden looks to Hugo Hävelid (brother to Mattias), Kevin Reidler, and Melker Thelin. None of them have put in standout performances this year, with Thelin looking the best. It’s close though, so it’s anyone’s guess who the starter will be. We could end up seeing a two or three-way split with all of them sharing the crease.
Switzerland
Switzerland has placed all over the standings, except in the top three. Their lineup this year includes one NHL-drafted player, and no names really stand out. Switzerland is very unlikely to compete for a medal, so their main focus should be to avoid the relegation round.
Miles Müller and Jonas Taibel are the only returning forwards. Taibel led last year’s team in assists (three) and tied for second on the team in points (three). Leo Braillard has 20 points in 18 games in the WHL, while Jamiro Reber tied for the team lead in goals (two) at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup. Matteo Wagner has nine goals in the J20 Nationell this year, including four in his last five games. As a team that has struggled to score at the WJC, these players will be looked at to drive the offence.
Rodwin Dionicio is the only NHL draft pick in the lineup, and he is also a returning player. He’s a defenceman who’s shown he can score at all levels, evidenced by his 11 goals and 29 points through 26 OHL games this year. Daniil Ustinkov had a good showing at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup with a goal and three points through four games.
Alessio Beglieri is the only returning goaltender, and last year’s performance is one he’d rather forget. Ewan Huet—son of former NHLer Cristobal Huet—has been decent in the WHL, while Lorin Grüter has been excellent in the Swiss League. Grüter looks like the best candidate for the job based on their bodies of work so far this year, but the job is up for grabs.
United States
The United States is this year’s favourite to take home gold, and for good reason. Their lineup is stacked; the only skater on the roster who’s not an NHL draft pick is Zeev Buium, a defenceman projected to be taken in the top 20 of the 2024 draft.
Only four forwards are returning from last year’s bronze medal team. Of those, three are scoring at or above a point-per-game in the NCAA this year. Of the newcomers this year, one notable omission is Cole Eiserman, a player expected to be selected in the top three at the 2024 draft. Most of the United States’ forwards playing in the NCAA and are scoring at or above a point per game, led by Gabe Perreault (25 points in 17 games) and Will Smith (23 points in 17 games). Gavin Hayes (36 points in 27 games) and Carey Terrance (22 goals in 28 games) are feasting on the OHL right now.
Second-round picks Ryan Chesley and Lane Hutson return from last year’s squad. They’re joined by Buium—who is seventh in the NCAA with 25 points—and Seamus Casey, who has 23 points in 18 games in the NCAA.
The United States has an embarrassment of riches in goal. Trey Augustine was solid for the Americans at the last WJC, and he returns to the pipes again this year. Joining him are Sam Hillebrandt and Jacob Fowler, a 2023 third-round pick of the Montreal Canadiens. Augustine and Fowler have both been outstanding in the NCAA this year, and Fowler was goaltender of the year in the USHL last year. It’s hard to imagine Augustine not being the starter, but Fowler is doing everything he can to take it.
The schedule
Opening games are today. Following the round-robin, the top four teams in each group will advance to the playoff tournament, while the fifth place team will advance to the relegation round. Relegation is a best of three between the fifth place finishers in both Group A and Group B.
Group A
| DATE | TIME | AWAY | HOME |
|---|---|---|---|
| 26-Dec-23 | 14:30 | Finland | Canada |
| 26-Dec-23 | 19:30 | Sweden | Latvia |
| 27-Dec-23 | 14:30 | Finland | Germany |
| 27-Dec-23 | 19:30 | Latvia | Canada |
| 28-Dec-23 | 19:30 | Germany | Sweden |
| 29-Dec-23 | 14:30 | Latvia | Finland |
| 29-Dec-23 | 19:30 | Canada | Sweden |
| 30-Dec-23 | 19:30 | Germany | Latvia |
| 31-Dec-23 | 14:30 | Sweden | Finland |
| 31-Dec-23 | 19:30 | Canada | Germany |
Group B
| DATE | TIME | AWAY | HOME |
|---|---|---|---|
| 26-Dec-23 | 12:00 | Slovakia | Czechia |
| 26-Dec-23 | 17:00 | United States | Norway |
| 27-Dec-23 | 12:00 | Slovakia | Switzerland |
| 27-Dec-23 | 17:00 | Norway | Czechia |
| 28-Dec-23 | 17:00 | Switzerland | United States |
| 29-Dec-23 | 12:00 | Norway | Slovakia |
| 29-Dec-23 | 17:00 | Czechia | United States |
| 30-Dec-23 | 17:00 | Switzerland | Norway |
| 31-Dec-23 | 12:00 | United States | Slovakia |
| 31-Dec-23 | 17:00 | Czechia | Switzerland |
Playoffs
The odds
No team enters the tournament with negative odds. The United States is the favourite this year, followed very closely by Sweden and Canada. Finland rounds out the top four nations most likely to win.
Norway unsurprisingly has the longest odds at winning.
| TEAM | ODDS |
|---|---|
| United States | +175 |
| Sweden | +250 |
| Canada | +250 |
| Finland | +500 |
| Czechia | +1600 |
| Slovakia | +5000 |
| Switzerland | +6500 |
| Germany | +10000 |
| Latvia | +50000 |
| Norway | +80000 |
Who are you cheering for in the WJC this year? Let us know in the comments or on social media @wincolumnCGY.
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