In most hockey fan households around Canada, watching the World Junior Championship is likely a holiday tradition. The 2025 World Junior Summer Showcase wrapped up earlier this week, and many fans and experts are speculating about what the Canadian roster may look like come Boxing Day.
This year is a big one for Canada at the World Juniors. After two consecutive quarter-final exits in heartbreaking fashion to Czechia, Hockey Canada is looking to return to its former glory in the World Juniors. One way to do that is to hire one of the most dominant coaches the CHL has ever seen in Dale Hunter. He won the Memorial Cup with the London Knights this past season.
Canada has the potential to have a loaded roster this year for the tournament, based purely on who could be eligible. Obviously, some of the top-end players could be in the NHL next season. But, just for fun, let’s put together a Canadian dream team. Everyone is healthy and eligible. So here’s my way too early prediction for the Canadian roster.
How the forwards shake out
The first line is relatively obvious: Gavin McKenna, who will be playing at Penn State and is expected to go first overall in the 2026 NHL Draft. Porter Martone, who was also on the team last year and experienced the disappointment of losing. Martone is committed to playing at Michigan State next season and will do some serious damage for the Canadians.
At centre is Berkly Catton. Another returning player, this would be his third World Juniors. With 109 points with Spokane in the WHL last season, Catton is basically a lock to be on the team. Craig Button predicted he’d be captain of the team.
On the second line, we got two guys who many fans thought were snubbed last season. Michael Misa and Beckett Sennecke. In all seriousness, both these guys probably should’ve made the team last year. Sennecke got cut twice, basically, which fans from all over the country had their opinions on.
At centre is Roger McQueen, who went tenth overall to the Anaheim Ducks. McQueen is committed to playing at Providence College next season, and Button had him on the first line with Martone and McKenna. However, I think he’d be a better fit on line two.
The third line is Tij Iginla, Caleb Desnoyers, and Michael Hage. In the past couple of years, Canada has had checkers on the third line in an opportunity to build more of a “complete team,” but that won’t be a problem if you can score up and down your lineup.
Desnoyer was a top-five pick in this year’s draft, and Iginla would have been on the team last season had he not been injured. Hage was receiving praise for his performance in the Summer Showcase in Minneapolis.
The fourth line is Calgary Flames first-round pick Cole Reschny, along with Cayden Lindstrom and Jett Luchanko. I like the idea of having lots of returnees on the team. Last year, Canada lost to Latvia and Czechia. They were both very winnable games. Losing sucks, but it builds character, and often it pushes players to never want to feel that way again.
Plus, Luchanko brings speed, a good shot, and hockey IQ. Many fans believe that he will play games for the Philadelphia Flyers in 2025–26. Cayden Lindstrom was injured all last season, and the Medicine Hat Tigers were still so dominant in the WHL that it wasn’t even a contest.
Flames prospect Cole Reschny really stood out at the U18 World Junior Championship. He finished the tournament with five goals in five games and was a key reason why Canada won gold. I think he’ll earn himself a spot not only on the roster but in the lineup, come December.
Liam Greentree may potentially slide in if he’s not in the NHL, along with Cole Beaudoin, who would be another returnee. I’ve expressed the importance of having a lot of returnees on this team because of the results last year. Sacha Boisvert will be another guy to look out for because he really impressed some people with his performance in the summer showcase.
Revamping the defence
Defence is a little more unpredictable. Both of the guys I have on the top defensive pairing could very well be playing in the NHL next season. My top pair for 2025 is first overall pick Matthew Schaefer and Sam Dickinson of the London Knights. Dickenson won a Memorial Cup with Dale Hunter this past season. He was probably their best defenceman throughout the entire season.
I believe that if Schaefer hadn’t gotten injured, Canada would have for sure beaten Latvia and probably beaten Czechia. Even though he only played a game and a half, Schaefer was arguably Canada’s best player, and in his absence, they missed having a puck-carrying offensive defenceman.
It’s very possible that Schaefer will be playing for the New York Islanders next season, as he just recently signed his entry-level contract. However, sometimes it’s better for a player’s development to stay in junior for an extra year. He turns 18 in September, and it could benefit him to stay in junior.
The second pairing features one of the biggest snubs off the team last year, Flames top prospect Zayne Parekh. I know what you’re thinking, “Why isn’t he the first pair?” I think one key mistake Canada made last year was not having enough offensive defencemen. They cut Parekh, as well as Calgary Hitmen defenceman and Ottawa Senators first-round pick, Carter Yakemchuk. Parekh could’ve added extra offence to the defence core, especially after the injury to Schaefer.
Joining him is Kamloops Blazers defenceman Harrison Brunicke. He had 30 points in 41 games in the 2024–25 season. He probably would’ve made the Canadian roster last season if he hadn’t gotten injured right before the selection camp.
On the third pair is Kashawn Aitcheson. He had a massive season product-wise with the Barrie Colts, earning himself a first-round selection to the New York Islanders. We’re pairing him with Nashville Predators first-round pick, Cameron Reid.
Reid had 54 points in 67 games with the Kitchener Rangers in the 2024–25 season. I’ve mentioned this before, but I think Hockey Canada went too defensive and tried to build a more “well-rounded team” last year. That’s wrong!
If you have enough offence, other countries will be forced to defend against you, which is why Cameron Reid makes this team for me. Because that way, Canada will have puck-carrying offensive defencemen on all three pairings.
Some defenceman to look out for who aren’t on this list: including Toronto Maple Leafs prospect Ben Danford, Flames prospect Henry Mews, and Keaton Verhoeff, who is eligible for the 2026 NHL Draft.
A look between the pipes at Canada’s goaltending
Goaltending was one of the few bright spots for Canada in this tournament last year. Led by Los Angeles Kings pick Carter George, with Nashville Predators pick Jack Ivankovic backing him up. It’s pretty self-explanatory, given their performance last year and both George and Ivankovic’s performances in previous U18 tournaments, the last couple years.
Ivankovic started in goal the night Canada played against Latvia last year, becoming the first 17-year-old to start a game for Canada at the World Juniors since Jimmy Waite in 1987.
George has emphasized the idea of him leading Canada again in their road to redemption and how important it is to him to do better as a team this December. Ivankovic led Canada to the U18 gold in his draft-eligible season last year. With a 0.961 save percentage in six games.
What stands out about this team is the depth of this age group for Canada. They won back-to-back U18 World Championships with predominantly 2006-born kids in 2024 and 2007-born kids in 2025.
The last two years haven’t been close to the standard that Hockey Canada holds itself to at the World Juniors, which is “gold or bust.” They’ve done what USA Hockey used to do and adopted the philosophy of building a well-rounded team rather than taking the best players available.
After the recent disappointments, I believe Hockey Canada will change their strategy and be a favourite to win the gold medal this year in Minnesota.
