WJC: Draft Eligible Players at WJC

[Michanko]

Thinking it’s be a good idea to have a thread to discuss and post draft eligible players from each country as final teams are made. It’s a big reason i’ll be watching games not involving my countries team as i’m sure it is other peoples. Having a difficult time finding this information in one place

I’ll start with Canada

Porter Martone, RW
Matthew Schaefer, D
Jack Ivankovic, G

Click to read more...

 

[Statsy]

USA of course with

James Hagens, C
Logan Hensler, D
Blake Fiddler, D
Sam Hillebrandt, G

 

[Namejs]

Latvia
Bruno Osmanis, RW
Daniels Serkins, W/C

 

[Michanko]

Blake Fiddler made it as well didn’t he?

 

[Statsy]

Blake Fiddler made it as well didn’t he?

Thanks, I added him as well as the goalie, Hillebrandt

 

[Maverick41]

Germany (alphabetically):

Lenny Boos (late '06)
Carlos Händel
Rio Kaiser (late '06)
Timo Kose
David Lewandowski
Maxim Schäfer

There is a chance one of them (most likely Kose or Schäfer) will get cut before the tournament.

 

[AyeBah]

Jamiro Reber and Topias Hynninen are both having great seasons in mens leagues as overagers. Reber was just days away from this season being his DY

 

[Hinterland]

Switzerland's potential 2025 draft picks at the WJC:

Elijah Neuenschwander

Gian Meier (OA)
Daniil Ustinkov (OA)
Ludvig Johnson (OA)

Jan Dorthe (OA)
Jamiro Reber (OA)

Neuenschwander is gonna get drafted, the overagers are wild cards. Lars Steiner and Elijah's brother Jonah are future superstars but 17 and 15 respectively and therefore not yet draft eligible.

 

[Tryamkin]

One draft eligible player to watch from each team:

Canada - LD Matthew Schaefer - Potential Top 3 pick, this tournament will be a big resume builder to cement his status and run for 1OA.

USA - RD Blake Fiddler - Huge RHD, son of Vernon. This tournament may put him on the map as he's generated a ton of hype in the WHL this year.

Sweden - LW Victor Eklund - Brother of William, killing the Allsvenskan this year. Projected to play Line 1 with Edstrom and Stenberg. Could really cement top 10 status with a great performance.

Finland - LD Mitja Jokinen - Finland did not take a first time draft eligible player, but Jokinen has made the jump to the Liiga this year and will be relied on to be a secondary defensive producer behind Kiviharju on the blue line, hoping for a good tournament to spark an overage selection.

Czechia -LW Vojtech Cihar - Adam Novotny is the high end name to watch, but eligible in 2026. Cihar will work for a bottom six role in a Czech team with high aspirations. Cihar is a shifty winger with a quick wrist shot who may impress this tournament and help his draft ranking if he can produce.

Slovakia - RD Luka Radivojevic - Luka made the switch from the Swedish system to the USHL and has struggled to make an instant impact, but still looked prominent. He'll have a good offensive role in the team this tournament as he looks to build on his appearance last year as a 16 year old.

Germany - C David Lewandowski - David is a center who's made the switch to the Saskatoon Blades after a rough start in the DEL this year. Still somewhat unknown in the public scene due to lower stats, Lewandowski can rise drastically with a solid performance similar to recent WJC successes JJ Peterka and Lukas Reichel.

Latvia - RW Bruno Ozmanis - Bruno has been a solid playmaker with Bjorkloven in the Swedish leagues for a couple years now, but is not considered a top prospect despite his solid numbers this year. He looks to provide another option alongside Eriks Matieko for Latvia's top line.

Switzerland - C Lars Steiner - Rouyn Noranda stud Steiner is not eligible until 2026, but he's making quite a name for himself in the QMJHL this year and is the youngest player on the team by a year and a half. He may slide to the wing, but he'll be a feature player on the team to watch.

Kazakhstan - RW Asanali Sarkenov - This player was eligible for the 2024 draft, but he's one of the only ones I've heard of on the squad. Selected in the 1st round of the 2024 CHL import draft by Spokane, Sarkenov is a 6'4 power forward who has produced 15 points in 21 games this season and was a force in the U18 WJC last year for Kazakhstan.

 

[Hinterland]

One draft eligible player to watch from each team:

Canada - LD Matthew Schaefer - Potential Top 3 pick, this tournament will be a big resume builder to cement his status and run for 1OA.

USA - RD Blake Fiddler - Huge RHD, son of Vernon. This tournament may put him on the map as he's generated a ton of hype in the WHL this year.

Sweden - LW Victor Eklund - Brother of William, killing the Allsvenskan this year. Projected to play Line 1 with Edstrom and Stenberg. Could really cement top 10 status with a great performance.

Finland - LD Mitja Jokinen - Finland did not take a first time draft eligible player, but Jokinen has made the jump to the Liiga this year and will be relied on to be a secondary defensive producer behind Kiviharju on the blue line, hoping for a good tournament to spark an overage selection.

Czechia -LW Vojtech Cihar - Adam Novotny is the high end name to watch, but eligible in 2026. Cihar will work for a bottom six role in a Czech team with high aspirations. Cihar is a shifty winger with a quick wrist shot who may impress this tournament and help his draft ranking if he can produce.

Slovakia - RD Luka Radivojevic - Luka made the switch from the Swedish system to the USHL and has struggled to make an instant impact, but still looked prominent. He'll have a good offensive role in the team this tournament as he looks to build on his appearance last year as a 16 year old.

Germany - C David Lewandowski - David is a center who's made the switch to the Saskatoon Blades after a rough start in the DEL this year. Still somewhat unknown in the public scene due to lower stats, Lewandowski can rise drastically with a solid performance similar to recent WJC successes JJ Peterka and Lukas Reichel.

Latvia - RW Bruno Ozmanis - Bruno has been a solid playmaker with Bjorkloven in the Swedish leagues for a couple years now, but is not considered a top prospect despite his solid numbers this year. He looks to provide another option alongside Eriks Matieko for Latvia's top line.

Switzerland - C Jamiro Reber - Rouyn Noranda stud Reber is not eligible until 2026, but he's making quite a name for himself in the QMJHL this year and is the youngest player on the team by a year and a half. He may slide to the wing, but he'll be a feature player on the team to watch.

Kazakhstan - RW Asanali Sarkenov - This player was eligible for the 2024 draft, but he's one of the only ones I've heard of on the squad. Selected in the 1st round of the 2024 CHL import draft by Spokane, Sarkenov is a 6'4 power forward who has produced 15 points in 21 games this season and was a force in the U18 WJC last year for Kazakhstan.

Reber isn't playing for Rouyn Noranda. That's Lars Steiner. Jonah Neuenschwander is 1,5 years younger than Steiner though.

 

[Tryamkin]

Reber isn't playing for Rouyn Noranda. That's Lars Steiner. Jonah Neuenschwander is 1,5 years younger than Steiner though.

Steiner is who I meant! Thanks. Neuenschwander probably will not play so I discounted him as someone to watch.

 

[Hinterland]

Steiner is who I meant! Thanks. Neuenschwander probably will not play so I discounted him as someone to watch.

Neuenschwander is gonna play. I don't agree with it but he's gonna play.