The end of December means two things in the hockey world: the National Hockey League season begins to get serious, and the best under-20 players in the world converge for two weeks of high-octane action. Pitting 10 teams of junior-aged players against each other for global supremacy, the IIHF World Junior Championship is one of the highlights of the hockey year. It showcases the top prospects from all 31 NHL clubs, provides a spotlight for several key 2020 NHL Draft hopefuls, and provides some of the best games of the entire season.
This year’s tournament takes place in the Czech Republic, and features Canada, Czech Republic, Finland, Germany, Kazakhstan, Russia, Slovakia, Sweden, Switzerland and the United States. The event features 30 first round picks from the past two NHL Drafts, including eight top-10 picks.
To help guide the allegiances of hockey fans at a time where it might be a bit confusing to determine who to cheer for when (for example) Sweden plays Finland, we’ve crafted our annual guide to which prospects are representing the various NHL clubs at this event.
Note: At the time of posting, the Czech Republic, Germany, and Kazakhstan final rosters have not been set. This list is updated with their latest camp roster and will be updated when the teams are finalized.
World Junior Players Sorted by Their NHL Teams
Anaheim Ducks (2)
- G Lukas Dostal – Czech Republic – 2018 third-round pick (85th)
- C Trevor Zegras – USA – 2019 first-round pick (9th)
Arizona Coyotes (7)
- D Ty Emberson – USA – 2018 third-round pick (73rd)
- F Barrett Hayton – Canada – 2018 first-round pick (5th)
- W Jan Jenik – Czech Republic – 2018 third-round pick (65th)
- W Matias Maccelli – Finland – 2019 fourth-round pick (98th)
- C Valentin Nussbaumer – Switzerland – 2019 seventh-round pick (207th)
- W Aku Räty – Finland – 2019 fifth-round pick (151st)
- D Victor Soderstrom – Sweden – 2019 first-round pick (11th)
Boston Bruins (3)
- C John Beecher – USA – 2019 first-round pick (30th)
- C Curtis Hall – USA – 2018 fourth-round pick (119th)
- F Jakub Lauko – Czech Republic – 2018 third-round pick (77th)
Buffalo Sabres (4)
- C Dylan Cozens – Canada – 2019 first-round pick (7th)
- F Matej Pekar – Czech Republic – 2018 fourth-round pick (94th)
- G Erik Portillo – Sweden – 2019 third-round pick (67th)
- D Mattias Samuelsson – USA – 2018 second-round pick (32nd)
Calgary Flames (1)
- G Dustin Wolf – USA – 2019 seventh-round pick (214th)
Dustin Wolf of the Everett Silvertips.
Carolina Hurricanes (5)
- W Dominik Bokk – Germany – 2018 first-round pick (25th)
- C Jack Drury – USA – 2018 second-round pick (42nd)
- W Lenni Killinen – Finland – 2018 fourth-round pick (114th)
- D Anttoni Honka – Finland – 2019 third-round pick (83rd)
- W Patrik Puistola – Finland – 2019 third-round pick (73rd)
Chicago Blackhawks (2)
- F Antti Saarela – Finland – 2019 fourth-round pick (123rd)
- W Michal Teplý – Czech Republic – 2019 fourth-round pick (105th)
Colorado Avalanche (4)
- G Justus Annunen – Finland – 2018 third-round pick (64th)
- D Bowen Byram – Canada – 2019 first-round pick (4th)
- W Sampo Ranta – Finland – 2018 third-round pick (78th)
- D Daniil Zhuravlyov – Russia – 2018 fifth-round pick (146th)
Columbus Blue Jackets (4)
- D Tim Berni – Switzerland – 2018 sixth-round pick (159th)
- F Liam Foudy – Canada – 2018 first-round pick (18th)
- W Kirill Marchenko – Russia – 2018 second-round pick (49th)
- W Dmitri Voronkov – Russia – 2019 fifth-round pick (114th)
Dallas Stars (3)
- C Oskar Bäck – Sweden – 2018 third-round pick (75th)
- C Ty Dellandrea – Canada – 2018 first-round pick (13th)
- W Albin Eriksson – Sweden – 2018 second-round pick (44th)
Detroit Red Wings (5)
- W Jonatan Berggren – Sweden – 2018 second-round pick (33rd)
- G Jesper Eliasson – Sweden – 2018 third-round pick (84th)
- D Jared McIsaac – Canada – 2018 second-round pick (36th)
- D Moritz Seider – Germany – 2019 first-round pick (6th)
- C Joe Veleno – Canada – 2018 first-round pick (30th)
Edmonton Oilers (4)
- W Matej Blümel – Czech Republic – 2019 fourth-round pick (100th)
- D Philip Broberg – Sweden – 2019 first-round pick (8th)
- W Raphaël Lavoie – Canada – 2019 second-round pick (38th)
- G Olivier Rodrigue – Canada – 2018 second-round pick (62nd)
Florida Panthers (3)
- W Grigori Denisenko – Russia – 2018 first-round pick (15th)
- G Spencer Knight – USA – 2019 first-round pick (13th)
- W Justin Schütz – Germany – 2018 sixth-round pick (170th)
Los Angeles Kings (9)
- D Tobias Björnfot – Sweden – 2019 first-round pick (22nd)
- D Aidan Dudas – Canada – 2018 fourth-round pick (113th)
- W Samuel Fagemo – Sweden – 2019 second-round pick (50th)
- W Arthur Kaliyev – USA – 2019 second-round pick (33rd)
- C Rasmus Kupari – Finland – 2018 first-round pick (20th)
- D Kim Nousiainen – Finland – 2019 fourth-round pick (119th)
- G Lukas Parik – Czech Republic – 2019 third-round pick (87th)
- F Akil Thomas – Canada – 2018 second-round pick (51st)
- C Alex Turcotte – USA – 2019 first-round pick (5th)
Minnesota Wild (1)
- C Alexander Khovanov – Russia – 2018 third-round pick (86th)
Montreal Canadiens (4)
- W Cole Caufield – USA – 2019 first-round pick (15th)
- D Jordan Harris – USA – 2018 second-round (71st)
- D Mattias Norlinder – Sweden – 2019 third-round pick (64th)
- D Alexander Romanov – Russia – 2018 second-round pick (38th)
Nashville Predators (1)
- D Spencer Stastney – USA – 2018 fifth-round pick (131st)
New Jersey Devils (5)
- D Kevin Bahl – Canada – 2019 second-round pick (55th)
- D Daniil Misyul – Russia – 2019 third-round pick (70th)
- W Nikola Pasic – Sweden – 2019 seventh-round pick (189th)
- G Akira Schmid – Switzerland – 2018 fifth-round pick (136th)
- D Ty Smith – Canada – 2018 first-round pick (17th)
New York Islanders (2)
- C Jacob Pivonka – USA – 2019 fourth-round pick (103rd)
- F Oliver Wahlstrom – USA – 2019 first-round pick (11th)
New York Rangers (5)
- D Nico Gross – Switzerland – 2018 fourth-round pick (101st)
- C Karl Henriksson – Sweden – 2019 second-round pick (58th)
- D Zachary Jones – USA – 2019 third-round pick (68th)
- D Nils Lundkvist – Sweden – 2018 first-round pick (28th)
- D K’Andre Miller – USA – 2018 first-round pick (22nd)
Ottawa Senators (3)
- D Jacob Bernard-Docker – Canada – 2018 first-round pick (26th)
- D Lassi Thomson – Finland – 2019 first-round pick (19th)
- C Shane Pinto – USA – 2019 second-round pick (32nd)
Philadelphia Flyers (4)
- W Bobby Brink – USA – 2019 second-round pick (34th)
- D Adam Ginning – Sweden – 2018 second-round pick (50th)
- D Cam York – USA – 2019 first-round pick (14th)
- D Yegor Zamula – Russia – undrafted
Pittsburgh Penguins (1)
- D Calen Addison – Canada – 2018 second-round pick (53rd)
St. Louis Blues (2)
- C Nikita Alexandrov – Russia – 2019 second-round pick (62nd)
- G Joel Hofer – Canada – 2018 fourth-round pick (107th)
San Jose Sharks (1)
- D Santeri Hatakka – Finland – 2019 sixth-round pick (184th)
Tampa Bay Lightning (3)
- G Hugo Alnefelt – Sweden – 2019 third-round pick (71st)
- W Maxim Cajkovic – Slovakia – 2019 third-round pick (89th)
- W Nolan Foote – Canada – 2019 first-round pick (27th)
Toronto Maple Leafs (3)
- D Mikko Kokkonen – Finland – 2019 third-round pick (84th)
- W Nicholas Robertson – USA – 2019 second-round pick (53rd)
- D Rasmus Sandin – Sweden – 2018 first-round pick (29th)
Vancouver Canucks (4)
- W Nils Höglander – Sweden – 2019 second-round pick (40th)
- Karel Plasek – Czech Republic – 2019 sixth-round pick (175th)
- W Vasili Podkolzin – Russia – 2019 first-round pick (10th)
- D Toni Utunen – Finland – 2018 fifth-round pick (130th)
Vegas Golden Knights (3)
- W Pavel Dorofeyev – Russia – 2019 third-round pick (79th)
- C Ivan Morozov – Russia – 2018 second-round pick (61st)
- G Isaiah Saville – USA – 2019 fifth-round pick (135th)
Washington Capitals (2)
- D Martin Hugo Has – Czech Republic – 2019 fifth-round pick (153rd)
- C Connor McMichael – Canada – 2019 first-round pick (25th)
Winnipeg Jets (2)
- C David Gustafsson – Sweden – 2018 second-round (60th)
- D Ville Heinola – Finland – 2019 first-round pick (20th)
All the 2020 World Junior Championship Team Information:
*Links to come throughout December
Canada — Team Preview — Roster
Czech Republic — Team Preview — Roster
Finland — Team Preview — Roster
Germany — Team Preview — Roster
Kazakhstan — Team Preview — Roster
Russia — Team Preview — Roster
Slovakia — Team Preview — Roster
Sweden — Team Preview — Roster
Switzerland — Team Preview — Roster
USA — Team Preview — Roster
Selection Camp Invites by NHL Team
Roster Breakdowns by NHL Team
All Your THW 2020 World Junior Championship Coverage
This article was originally published by Thehockeywriters.com. Read the original article here.