Top AHL Prospects Depart For The IIHF World Junior Championship

Some of the AHL’s top young talents will have a chance to showcase themselves at the IIHF World Junior Championship beginning on Thursday, Dec. 26.

Ottawa hosts this year’s tournament as the United States attempts to take another title after capturing last season’s event. With 20 titles at the under-20 event, Canada leads the field. Canada, Finland, Germany, Latvia, and the United States will comprise Group A. In Group B will be Czechia, Kazakhstan, Slovakia, Sweden, and Switzerland.

In the 2024 tournament, Rochester Americans forward Jiri Kulich tied for the scoring lead with 6-6-12 in seven games for Czechia, the bronze-medal winner. Kulich is now with the Buffalo Sabres.

CANADA

Bradly Nadeau – Chicago Wolves – forward

The Carolina Hurricanes selected Nadeau as the 30th pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, and the 19-year-old is taking on the AHL after just one season at the University of Maine. Last season with the Black Bears he had 19-27-46 in 37 games to take a place on the Hockey East All-Rookie Team and earn a Hobey Baker Award nomination.

It is important to remember that Nadeau was playing at the Junior A level for Penticton of the BCHL just a little more than a year-and-a-half ago, and offensive production came somewhat slowly to him as he started his first full pro season with the Wolves. After just one goal in his first nine games, he has 6-9-15 for the season, and as the Wolves have started to figure out themselves, so has Nadeau.

He made his Wolves send-off on Dec. 14 a successful one with 1-1-2 the Wolves pushed their point streak to eight games (7-0-1-0).

CZECHIA

Jakub Dvorak – Ontario Reign – defenseman

Dvorak has extensive international experience with Czechia and served as a captain at the under-18 level.

Taken in the second round of the 2023 NHL Draft by the Los Angeles Kings, the 19-year-old is attempting to jump successfully to the AHL. If making that leap is a challenging task for a forward like Nadeau, learning the AHL as a blueliner can be an even more significant challenge. Dvorak has played 14 games for the Reign, who have an experienced blue line.

This will be Dvorak’s second trip to the tournament after he won bronze last time around.

Eduard Sale – Coachella Valley Firebirds – forward

Now that the Seattle Kraken have four draft classes, they have been able to transition the Firebirds from a veteran-filled group to a more traditional AHL roster in which youth is paramount.

Key in that group is Sale, a 19-year-old who went 20th overall to Seattle in 2023. He has made himself a regular in head coach Derek Laxdal’s line-up, notching 4-9-13 in 23 games for the Firebirds. Like Dvorak, he was part of that bronze-medal Czech club and had 3-4-7 in seven games.

FINLAND

Konsta Helenius – Rochester Americans – forward

Helenius went straight from the 2024 NHL Draft this past June and into the AHL by the fall as the Buffalo Sabres opted to place him with Rochester. They took him 14th overall in that draft.

As a 17-year-old, he went to the under-20 tournament last year with Finland and played in seven games. His work also earned him an invitation to represent Finland at the IIHF World Championship, and he got into four more games there. He also spent last season with Liiga club Jukurit Mikkeli and produced 14-22-36 in 51 games. This season in Rochester he has 6-11-17 in 28 contests.

SLOVAKIA

Dalibor Dvorsky – Springfield Thunderbirds – forward

Dvorsky, a sturdy 6-foot-1 and 206 pounds, arrived in the AHL physically ready to handle its demands. After 45-43-88 in 52 games last season for the OHL’s Sudbury Wolves, the St. Louis Blues decided that Dvorsky was ready to contend with the AHL.

Taken 10th overall in the 2023 NHL Draft by St. Louis, the 19-year-old has handled the AHL pace well. His 11 goals tie him for second among AHL rookies, and his 21 points have him even in fifth place among first-year players. This will be his third time at the under-20 tournament.

SWEDEN

Felix Unger Sorum – Chicago Wolves – forward

Like Nadeau, Unger Sorum is part of the cache of young, if raw, talent that the Hurricanes have developing in Chicago. Carolina chose him in the second round of that same 2023 NHL Draft.

While so often the focus for AHL prospects is to learn and improve their two-way game, young players still need the reinforcement of confidence that getting on the scoresheet can provide. Unger Sorum went his first 17 games without a goal for Chicago. But he has started to get reward offensively and posted 1-1-2 in his temporary farewell game Dec. 14 at Texas.

This will be his second trip to the under-20 tournament, where he had 1-5-6 last season for Sweden.

Anton Wahlberg – Rochester – forward

For all of Buffalo’s ongoing struggles, they do have reasons for hope in Rochester.

Wahlberg, 19, is one of those hopes for the Sabres, who made him a 2023 second-round selection. He got late-season experience with the Amerks last spring, playing nine regular-season games down the stretch before getting into five Calder Cup Playoff games. He came to Rochester with parts of three seasons in the SHL for the Malmö Redhawks. In 25 games this season for the Amerks, he has 4-6-10.

For Wahlberg, who has gone his last 13 AHL games without a goal, perhaps going to Ottawa can help to jump-start him offensively.

Here’s everything to know about the 2025 WJC.

Who Is In 2025 WJC Group A?

USA Hockey is in Group A along with Germany, Finland, Canada and Latvia.

Who Is In 2025 WJC Group B?

Group B consists of Slovakia, Sweden, Czechia, Switzerland and Kazakhstan.

USA Hockey Roster At World Juniors 2025

Team Canada Hockey Roster At World Juniors 2025

When Is USA vs. Canada At WJC 2025?

The last day of the year will feature one of the biggest games of the year in junior hockey: USA Hockey vs. Canada. The game is schedule for 7:30 p.m. ET on Dec. 31.

WJC Schedule: Here’s All The Group Stage Games

Dec. 26

Sweden vs. Slovakia, TD Place, 12 p.m. ET
Germany vs. United States, Canadian Tire Centre, 2:30 p.m. ET
Switzerland vs. Czechia, TD Place, 5 p.m. ET
Canada vs. Finland, Canadian Tire Centre, 7:30 p.m. ET

Dec. 27

Slovakia vs. Switzerland, TD Place, 1 p.m. ET
Finland vs. Germany, Canadian Tire Centre, 3:30 p.m. ET
Kazakhstan vs. Sweden, TD Place, 5 p.m. ET
Canada vs. Latvia, Canadian Tire Centre, 7:30 p.m. ET

Dec. 28

Czechia vs. Kazakhstan, TD Place, 1 p.m. ET
United States vs. Latvia, Canadian Tire Centre, 3:30 p.m. ET

Dec. 29

Sweden vs. Switzerland, TD Place, 12 p.m. ET
Finland vs. United States, Canadian Tire Centre, 2:30 p.m. ET
Slovakia vs. Czechia, TD Place, 5 p.m. ET
Germany vs. Canada, Canadian Tire Centre, 7:30 p.m. ET

Dec. 30

Kazakhstan vs. Slovakia, TD Place, 1 p.m. ET
Latvia vs. Germany, Canadian Tire Centre, 3:30 p.m. ET

Dec. 31

Switzerland vs. Kazakhstan, TD Place, 12 p.m. ET
Latvia vs. Finland, Canadian Tire Centre, 2:30 p.m. ET
Czechia vs. Sweden, TD Place, 5 p.m. ET
United States vs. Canada, Canadian Tire Centre, 7:30 p.m. ET

When Do The World Juniors Championship Quarterfinals Begin?

Here is the quarterfinals schedule.

Jan. 2

Quarterfinal 1, TD Place, 12 p.m. ET
Quarterfinal 2, Canadian Tire Centre, 2:30 p.m. ET
Quarterfinal 3, TD Place, 5 p.m. ET
Quarterfinal 4, Canadian Tire Centre, 7:30 p.m. ET

When Do The World Juniors Championship Semifinal Begin?

Here is the semifinals schedule.

Jan. 4 (Canadian Tire Centre)

Semifinal 1, 3:30 p.m. ET
Semifinal 2, 7:30 p.m. ET

When Are The World Juniors Championship Finals?

Here is the finals schedule.

Jan. 5 (Canadian Tire Centre)

Third-place game, 3:30 p.m. ET
Championship game, 7:30 p.m. ET

What Channel Is WJC 2025 On?

The IIHF World Junior Championships are going to be broadcast on NHL Network. Here is the schedule:

WJC Broadcast Schedule On Thursday, December 26

12 p.m. ET: Sweden vs. Slovakia
2:30 p.m. ET: Germany vs. USA
5 p.m. ET: Switzerland vs. Czechia
7:30 p.m. ET: Canada vs. Finland

WJC Broadcast Schedule On Friday, December 27

1 p.m. ET: Slovakia vs. Switzerland
3:30 p.m. ET: Finland vs. Germany
7:30 p.m. ET: Canada vs. Latvia

WJC Broadcast Schedule On Saturday, December 28

1 p.m. ET: Czechia vs. Kazakhstan
3:30 p.m. ET: USA vs. Latvia

WJC Broadcast Schedule On Sunday, December 29

12 p.m. ET: Sweden vs. Switzerland
2:30 p.m. ET: Finland vs. USA
5 p.m. ET: Slovakia vs. Czechia
7:30 p.m. ET: Germany vs. Canada

WJC Broadcast Schedule On Monday, December 30

1 p.m. ET: Kazakhstan vs. Slovakia
3:30 p.m. ET: Latvia vs. Germany

WJC Broadcast Schedule On Tuesday, December 31

12 p.m. ET: Switzerland vs. Kazakhstan
5 p.m. ET: Czechia vs. Sweden
8 p.m. ET: USA vs. Canada

WJC Broadcast Schedule On Thursday, January 2

12 p.m. ET: Quarterfinal #1: TBD vs. TBD
2:30 p.m. ET: Quarterfinal #2: TBD vs. TBD
5 p.m. ET: Quarterfinal #3: TBD vs. TBD
7:30 p.m. ET: Quarterfinal #4: TBD vs. TBD

WJC Broadcast Schedule On Saturday, January 4

3:30 p.m. ET: Semifinal #1: TBD vs. TBD
7:30 p.m. ET: Semifinal #2: TBD vs. TBD

WJC Broadcast Schedule On Sunday, January 5

3:30 p.m. ET: Bronze Medal Game: TBD vs. TBD
7:30 p.m. ET: Gold Medal Game: TBD vs. TBD

Follow FloHockey’s Coverage Of Team USA At The WJC

FloHockey is providing comprehensive editorial and video coverage of the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship. With a team of content creators on site and leading WJC analyst Chris Peters providing stories and columns throughout the event, make FloHockey your home to learn more about the 2025 World Juniors. FloHockey will be following Team USA and Team Canada closely, while tracking the rest of the tournament on site. See all the stories here.

In addition to comprehensive editorial coverage, FloHockey is helping you learn more about Team USA with a number of video features with select players. Here’s what we have so far, with more to come!

Original Video Features

How To Watch The 2025 World Junior Championship

The 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship will air on TSN and RDS on television in Canada. The tournament will be streamed on TSN+ in Canada, as well.

In the United States, NHL Network will be the television home of the World Junior Championship. Streaming information for USA is not currently available.

Watch AHL, ECHL, USHL And More On FloHockey

FloHockey is the streaming home to some of the best hockey leagues in North America, including the AHL, ECHL and more. Check out the broadcast schedule to watch more hockey.