In a month and a few changes, the 2025 World Junior Championship (WJC) is set to begin for some of the best under-20 hockey players in the world. In his last tournamentTeam Canada didn’t even qualify for the bronze medal match. With something to prove, they will bring the heat this winter.

Below is a prediction of Canada’s roster at the 2025 WJC, including 13 forwards, seven defensemen and three goaltenders. Prospects from 13 different NHL teams are represented here, which represents more than 40 percent of the league. No matter who you root for, there’s a reason to keep an eye on this team.

Canada’s forwards

At the start of the offensive there is some uncertainty with the attacking group. There are a lot of directions to follow here:

This Canadian forward group is loaded with talent, so there are some key omissions here (Tij Iginla, Andrew Cristall, Liam Greentree, Cayden Lindstrom, Michael Misa, and more). Unlike their 2024 roster, this team is poised to do some damage. With veteran leadership, an immense amount of skill and players capable of meeting their needs in any type of situation, Canada should be the favorite to win gold.

Related: Publication of the 2025 Junior World Championship calendar

Three members of the first six have already been on this stage before: Easton Cowan, Brayden Yager and Matthew Wood. They collected 11 points cumulatively during Canada’s five-game tournament in 2024, and they earned a re-invitation. Each of them could see a top-six workload.

Since his last participation in the WJC, Cowan has been one of the most unstoppable players in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL). He has points in 49 consecutive regular season games, dating back to November 23, 2023. There have been a few close stops in there, but he is ultimately a lock for this roster. Since some fans and pundits thought he had a chance of playing with the Toronto Maple Leafs this season he is more than worthy of this place. Yager relies heavily on his club the Moose Jaw Warriors in the Western Hockey League (WHL) and can control the game when he is there. He seems to be the de facto best center on this team. Wood is the National Collegiate Athletic Association’s (NCAA) leading teenage scorer this season with 14 points. At 6-foot-5 and 205 pounds, Wood gives size to a roster that lacks it. He will also bring a touch of goal to the second line.

Bradly Nadeau’s professional experience – briefly in the NHL but full-time in the American Hockey League (AHL) – should earn him some minutes. One of his great strengths will be taking advantage of space in the offensive zone. Calum Ritchiewho played a short stint with the Colorado Avalanche this season, also has the professional background working in his favor. The only youngster in the top six is ​​Gavin McKenna, who is eligible for the 2026 NHL Draft. He may be 16 (17 at the start of the tournament) and almost three years younger than some of his competitors, but make no mistake. He’s a dynamic player who can take over shifts, making plays for himself or his teammates. With 39 points, he is currently the top scorer in the WHL.

We can have a little more fun with the final six. That’s pretty small for most, but Canada’s third and fourth lines are both better on paper than the top lines of many competing nations. Riley Heidt was left out of this team’s latest rendition, but he shouldn’t be denied this go-around (at least, objectively speaking). The 19-year-old is the WHL’s leading scorer from 2022-23 to present, so it would be difficult to double down. Berkly Catton, who rivaled Heidt’s production last season, will be his partner in crime. His offensive talent and IQ will allow Canada to maintain the offense when its best players need rest. Beckett Sennecke, third overall pick in the 2024 NHL Draft, is off to a great start (23 points in 15 games) in the OHL after suffering a foot fracture during the offseason. He will complete this dangerous line.

The fourth line is quite young, but it could surprise some teams. Linemates Carson Rehkopf (2023 draft class) and Porter Martone (2025 draft eligible) have taken the OHL by storm, putting up a combined 61 points for the Brampton Steelheads. With 18-year-old Jett Luchanko in the middle, this trio has speed, skill and the ability to extend possessions in the offensive zone. Due to the new Rehkopf-Martone connectionit can be a sneakily overwhelming depth unit.

Things get complicated with the last attacker. It’s debatable whether Iginla, Cristall, Greentree, Lindstrom (if healthy) or Misa make this team better. But there is a good mix of everything on the roster. Denver Barkey applies to this last point, even if his 11 points in 13 games don’t really stand out to the OHL. He scored 102 points last season and could be very useful in a limited role. Barkey is a good energetic player to have for the bottom six, and he can play on the wing or in the middle. Additionally, he is a hitman for the London Knights alongside Cowan.

Defenders of Canada

There’s less fun to be had with this team’s defensemen, but that doesn’t mean tough decisions won’t have to be made. Here are the predictions:

There may be some questionable choices here, but it seems inevitable that the Knights Sam Dickinson and Oliver Bonk will unite on a twinning for Canada. Bonk is a returning member of the 2024 WJC, while Dickinson was just selected 11th overall by the San Jose Sharks in the 2024 NHL Draft. They’ve shown high-level chemistry in the OHL, so putting that in the international spotlight should be a good challenge. Opponents should keep a close eye on Dickinson, who has 25 points (11 goals and 14 assists) in 15 games this season.

For the second duo, Tanner Molendyk and Zayne Parekh also seem like good bets to make the team. The former was selected by the Nashville Predators in the 2023 NHL Draft. He scored 37 points in 67 games that season, but has since worked his way up to WHL point-per-game production. His skating will be an invaluable asset to his club. Alongside him, Parekh has even more offensive potential. The OHL defenseman exploded, scoring 96 points in his draft year, and the Calgary Flames took notice by selecting him ninth overall. Both Molendyk and Parekh can make Canada’s blue line more potent, which could help them finish atop the competition.

Caden Price and Carter Yakemchuk occupy this third duo. Price, a member of the 2023 draft class, is producing at a 100-point pace for the Kelowna Rockets this season. The Kraken’s third round gem will be useful in transition. As for Yakemchuk, he’s a bit raw for a seventh overall pick, but Canada will lean on him. He’s scoring a point per game in the WHL, just like he was last season.

The final spot is up for grabs, so Matthew Schaefer is an inspired choice here. Objectively the best defender in the next 2025 class, he has what it takes to be part of this team despite his youth. He can play both ends of the ice, but he is highly skilled, blessed with elite skating ability and top-notch hockey IQ. A candidate for the first overall selection among a stacked group of forwards, it’s possible he beats out some of his older peers to make this team. He has 11 points in nine games with the Erie Otters this season.

Schaefer beats out more experienced talents such as Lukas Dragicevic and Sawyer Mynio, but his potential gives him the edge. He stood out in Canada’s gold medal victory in the 2024 Hlinka-Gretzky Cup in August.

Canada’s goaltenders

The goaltending battle is quite interesting, as there isn’t really a clear starter at this point. This could be anyone’s struggle:

Even though his numbers aren’t great this season (.891 save percentage), Buffalo Sabers prospect Scott Ratzlaff deserves to be part of this team. He has been a rock between the pipes for the Seattle Thunderbirds on several occasions and he has experience to boot. With over 100 starts in the WHL, he is a safe, but also potentially reliable, choice.

Carter George, selected in the second round of the 2024 NHL Draft, could steal a few starts. His numbers this season are excellent but not fantastic, with a .908 save percentage with the Owen Sound Attack. Being a year younger than Ratzlaff might prevent him from taking on a heavier workload, but George was also the starter on Canada’s gold medal-winning under-18 team in the spring.

Carson Bjarnason is probably on par with the other two guards in terms of skill, but he could be ahead on the depth chart given his start to the 2024-25 campaign. Among the 41 goalies with at least five games played, he easily leads the WHL in save percentage (.925). He’s been the starter for the Brandon Wheat Kings for three seasons now, so it wouldn’t really be surprising to see him be the starter for this team. Yet Ratzlaff and George are ahead in this prediction.

Joshua Ravensbergen, eligible for the 2025 NHL Draft, is an honorable mention here. None of the aforementioned goalies were first-round picks, but Ravensbergen could be. His .904 save percentage helped the Prince George Cougars become one of the best teams in the WHL.

Next January, Canada will try to add its 21st gold medal in this tournament to its collection. Stronger than a year ago, they have the weapons necessary to achieve this objective.