Prospect Info: 2025 World Juniors

[OgeeOgelthorpe]

My predictions;

USA gold
Sweden silver
Finland bronze

 

[OgeeOgelthorpe]

Andrew Gibson costs team Canada ha as Canada loses to the Czechs

He had a bad tournament. His mistakes cost Canada games. AND he’s having a horrid year offensively. It’s looking like the Kiiskanen trade was a solid move by Detroit.

 

[OldnotDeadWings]

He had a bad tournament. His mistakes cost Canada games. AND he’s having a horrid year offensively. It’s looking like the Kiiskanen trade was a solid move by Detroit.

Nah, Gibson had some rough moments but overall a decent tournament for a dispppointing team unprepared for IIHF officiating and the emotional overload of playing on home ice. Gibson was better than first-rounder Dickinson and a better defensive d-man than anyone on the team. He'll play in the NHL. Nonetheless it was a good swap of prospects considering Gibson at best a third-pair guy in Detroit.

There are/were seven 2024 first-round forwards in the tournament (Catton, Luchanko, Helenius, Connelly, Eiserman, Beaudoin, Hemming) The only one who has stood out IMO is Helenius and he's the only one at this point that I prefer to MBN.

 

[raymond23]

Canada cancelled two practices and two morning skates

Idk how you expect to win like that

Also the kid that was just drafted 3rd overall didn’t make the roster?

 

[Go Wings]

He had a bad tournament. His mistakes cost Canada games. AND he’s having a horrid year offensively. It’s looking like the Kiiskanen trade was a solid move by Detroit.

That is complete and utter bullshit. He was playing all the hard minutes for Canada especially when their number 1 defensemen went down. Yah he took a bad penalty that probably wouldn't be a penalty in the NHL. He actually played quite well in the tournament.

 

[DamonDRW]

when drafting you shouldn't touch anyone from this team Canada. this is probably the dumbest team since 2011 one that collapsed in the third period.

 

[Pavels Dog]

Gibson looked like trash and capped it off by costing Canada the game. The bar was set after two almost identical plays were penalized previously in the game (one being a 5 + game) so anyone with half a brain knew what the rules were.

Dickinson was even worse though, might already be a bust. Him and Cowan look like ECHL talents at best. Not impressed with anyone on this Canada team. Goalie was ok and I guess Mackenna has potential still.

Overall I hope Canadians stop being so cocky with their ”we could have multiple gold medal worthy teams” talk going into these events in the future. A few bad roster selections and they barely match up to Latvia and Czechia.

 

[Henkka]

My predictions;

USA gold
Sweden silver
Finland bronze

Not so fast. Finland has the best goalie and imo, we should target Rimpinen at the next draft to have heck of the goalie corps. It would be perfect to develop him at GR with Roope Koistinen.

Guy just outplayed Augustine on last meeting...

 

[13to40]

Gibson looked like trash and capped it off by costing Canada the game. The bar was set after two almost identical plays were penalized previously in the game (one being a 5 + game) so anyone with half a brain knew what the rules were.

Dickinson was even worse though, might already be a bust. Him and Cowan look like ECHL talents at best. Not impressed with anyone on this Canada team. Goalie was ok and I guess Mackenna has potential still.

Overall I hope Canadians stop being so cocky with their ”we could have multiple gold medal worthy teams” talk going into these events in the future. A few bad roster selections and they barely match up to Latvia and Czechia.

It wasn’t a few, there were 4-5 major roster decisions they fumbled. Imagine Sweden or USA removing ASP or Hutson because they weren’t good enough defensively and then instead bringing a bottom pairing styled defenceman to replace him… that’s how much of a head scratcher some of these decisions were.

I don’t think Team Canada would have been good enough to beat the Swedes anyways, but leaving out almost all their offensively gifted players of this age group in order to assemble a team of grinders was not a good idea. It backfired.

As the red wings also just witnessed, having a good coach does wonders for a roster too. Cameron is not the guy for U29 team Canada. Weird player deployment and line ups. Publicly saying he’s not benching any players and cancelling practices as he did, very odd. Discipline has always been a forte for all the prominent Canadian world junior teams and to take a step away from that and let the kids run and run as they wish, got them exactly what they deserved.

That Gavin Mckenna kid is going to be real good he displayed tonnes of skill and poise as an underager. He will be back hopefully even better at next year’s tournament

 

[Konnan511]

No games today 1/3/25

Games start back up on Saturday 1/4/25:

 

[HoweFan]

Good luck to ASP, Kiskinen, and Augustine the rest of the way. Did I miss someone? At least Canadian Wing fans can be comforted in that our prospects are doing well

 

[SantosHalper]

when drafting you shouldn't touch anyone from this team Canada. this is probably the dumbest team since 2011 one that collapsed in the third period.

And Dave Cameron coached both teams
-----------------------------------
Anyways..... Kenny's back!

 

[AlwaysSunnyInDetroit]

Good luck to ASP, Kiskinen, and Augustine the rest of the way. Did I miss someone? At least Canadian Wing fans can be comforted in that our prospects are doing well

plante

 

[HoweFan]

plante

Oops. Good luck Max.

 

[Holden Caufield]

Overall I hope Canadians stop being so cocky with their ”we could have multiple gold medal worthy teams” talk going into these events in the future. A few bad roster selections and they barely match up to Latvia and Czechia.

Canada flamed out hard and deservedly so based on their performance. But it’s a two and a half week all star tournament. Anything can happen. This team did not come together, the coaching and build of the team were suspect. You are overreacting massively insinuating Canada hockey does not have insane depth. The margins to make the team are so razor thin that the selection process is completely objective.

ANY of these players could have made the team and been featured heavily. It’s hard to believe the bolded did not make the team…

Sennecke - Celebrini - Misa
Iginla - Bedard -Wood
Hage - Lindstrom - Cristall
Perasack - Heidt - Sawchyn
(Lardis/Greentree/Barkey)

Morin- Yakemchuk
Parekh - Marrelli
Mews - Lavoie
(Bertucci/Dragecevic)

Bjarnason

when drafting you shouldn't touch anyone from this team Canada. this is probably the dumbest team since 2011 one that collapsed in the third period.

Martone and McKenna are basically the only ones still eligible (Shaefer too I guess). They both looked great and probably should have been played a lot more minutes. Another hot take overreaction.

 

[izlez]

Canada flamed out hard and deservedly so based on their performance. But it’s a two and a half week all star tournament. Anything can happen. This team did not come together, the coaching and build of the team were suspect. You are overreacting massively insinuating Canada hockey does not have insane depth. The margins to make the team are so razor thin that the selection process is completely objective.

ANY of these players could have made the team and been featured heavily. It’s hard to believe the bolded did not make the team…

Sennecke - Celebrini - Misa
Iginla - Bedard -Wood
Hage - Lindstrom - Cristall
Perasack - Heidt - Sawchyn
(Lardis/Greentree/Barkey)

Morin- Yakemchuk
Parekh - Marrelli
Mews - Lavoie
(Bertucci/Dragecevic)

Bjarnason



Martone and McKenna are basically the only ones still eligible (Shaefer too I guess). They both looked great and probably should have been played a lot more minutes. Another hot take overreaction.

I'm not super familiar with all of hockey Canada and other teams prospects. But I believe Lindstrom and Iginla are injured so they couldn't be on the team. Zach Benson is another name off the top of my head I believe that is eligible but too busy playing in the NHL.

It's fun for me to see Canada fail miserably, but I'm sure not acting like the country still isn't producing crazy talent.

 

[Go Wings]

when drafting you shouldn't touch anyone from this team Canada. this is probably the dumbest team since 2011 one that collapsed in the third period.

And that's probably the dumbest comment I have seen in a while so congrats on that.

Schaefer played 2 games had 2 points and then got hurt. He's projected to go in the top 4 and be the top defensemen taken.
Martone who is also projected to be in the top 4 played 3 games and coach gave him 4th line minutes. He will likely be a power forward in the NHL.
McKenna will very likely go 1 overall in 2026 and just turned 17 right before the tournament again wasnt used properly.
If Detroit got any of those 3 I would be jumping in the air for joy.

Thank God you don't run Detroit's drafts because you sound just like Wright.

 

[OgeeOgelthorpe]

That is complete and utter bullshit. He was playing all the hard minutes for Canada especially when their number 1 defensemen went down. Yah he took a bad penalty that probably wouldn't be a penalty in the NHL. He actually played quite well in the tournament.

Not at all.

He had several bad giveaways that led to goals against, generated exactly zero offense, and took untimely penalties. It's great that he blocked some shots and played physical. The rest of his game is what is lacking.

When drafted by Detroit he had 21 points in 45 games for Soo.
The following season he had 44 in 68.
This season Gibson has 7 in 26. 0 in 5 games at the WJC.

This is a prospect that had no business on that WJC squad.

 

[schuelma24]

I think the absolute best case scenario for Gibson is a defense only bottom pair defenseman.

Very happy trading him for potential offense.

 

[OgeeOgelthorpe]

Not so fast. Finland has the best goalie and imo, we should target Rimpinen at the next draft to have heck of the goalie corps. It would be perfect to develop him at GR with Roope Koistinen.

I'm predicting Swedish depth overcomes Finnish systems. Finland may have the goalie advantage, but the rest of the their roster is weak in comparison. Sweden seems to be playing with a cohesion they haven't had in the last 5 or 6 years.

 

[Geezer WC]

These guys are kids they miss on their hits. The major in the first the kid missed on his hit and kneed the guy in the leg (almost knee). Czech in the 2nd missed on his hit, kneed the guy in the leg. Gibson late in the 3rd. missed on his hit and kneed the guy in the leg.

Should Gibson have tried for a hit there? Probably not.

 

[lilidk]

This the most physical swedish team I ever seen

 

[13to40]

Gibson looked like trash and capped it off by costing Canada the game. The bar was set after two almost identical plays were penalized previously in the game (one being a 5 + game) so anyone with half a brain knew what the rules were.

Dickinson was even worse though, might already be a bust. Him and Cowan look like ECHL talents at best. Not impressed with anyone on this Canada team. Goalie was ok and I guess Mackenna has potential still.

Overall I hope Canadians stop being so cocky with their ”we could have multiple gold medal worthy teams” talk going into these events in the future. A few bad roster selections and they barely match up to Latvia and Czechia.

It wasn’t a few, there were 4-5 major roster decisions they fumbled. Imagine Sweden or USA removing ASP or Hutson because they weren’t good enough defensively and then instead bringing a bottom pairing styled defenceman to replace him… that’s how much of a head scratcher some of these decisions were.

I don’t think Team Canada would have been good enough to beat the Swedes anyways, but leaving out almost all their offensively gifted players of this age group in order to assemble a team of grinders was not a good idea. It backfired.

As the red wings also just witnessed, having a good coach does wonders for a roster too. Cameron is not the guy for U20 team Canada.

 

[heyfolks]

I would never be allowed to sit as a judge, you've seen my posts (LOL). That said, given this is a site to express an opinion, I dislike knocking down these kids and young men. No one player cost Canada that game. If a focus of blame must be laid at the feet of anyone, it would be the coach. Any parents in here?! Hard to predict their attitude, approach, mood even at this age and this goes both ways. I give credit to an inspired CZE team. It was a helluva game.

I always enjoy this tournament. AS I said earlier Wings and USA - Canada on the 31st... perfect evening for us that stay home on that evening.

I make no predictions, but a USA vs Sweden final, with the game settled in a shootout with Trey in Net and ASP on the puck, would be a classic ending.... and an uncomfortable locker room moment in 2028.

 

[OldnotDeadWings]

Cameron was head coach of TC twice before, reaching the final both times, winning gold just three years ago. He was on the coaching staff in two other WJC tournaments, winning gold once. He has plenty of international and big tournament experience so there was no reason to think he was a bad choice this year.

TC for all international tournaments is never a one-man show. There's a lot of people involved and many decisions made by committee. For whatever reason, Cameron and staff and all those involved in the process starting in summer did not do a good job selecting and preparing the team for an IIHF tournament played at home, particularly the discipline that was going to be necessary. On top of that, there was typical Canadian overconfidence in grinders and team chemistry being enough to win, which sometimes it has been but increasingly rare. There were some iffy selections but there were also some automatic selections of presumed talented players who in the tournament were selfish, undisciplined and simply overrated.

Canada's three best players were Ritchie and two underagers, one of them injured early in Game 2 and the rest a mix of okay and ineffectual. That's not enough and it isn't going to be enough in the future unless they start relying on talented players being able to adjust to tournament necessity rather than being afraid to pick them in the first place.