60 CHL players set to compete at 2025 IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship
The CHL is the only development hockey league in the world to feature one player on all 10 participating countries at the 2025 World Juniors
The Canadian Hockey League (CHL) is proud to announce that a total of 60 CHL players (see complete list of players below) will represent their home countries at the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship which begins today (December 26) in Ottawa, Ontario, and runs through to January 5. The 60 CHL players account for over 25% of the players participating at the 2025 World Juniors, which is the largest of any development hockey league in the world. Specifically, the 60 CHL players are more than double the next-closest development league (NCAA – 26).
NOTES ON THE 24 CHL PLAYERS ON TEAM CANADA AT THE 2025 WJHC
NOTES ON THE 36 CHL PLAYERS FROM OUTSIDE CANADA AT THE 2025 WJHC
The CHL is the only development league in the world to feature a representative on each of the 10 participating countries at the 2025 World Juniors. Canada leads all participating nations with 24 CHL players as they vie for a third gold medal in four years. Right behind them are the reigning bronze medallist, Czechia, who have 10 CHL skaters, while Finland counts seven players from the CHL.
Of the 60 CHL players, the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) leads the way with 26 competing in the tournament. They are followed by the Western Hockey League (WHL) who have 21 players at the event, while the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) has 13 players competing at the 2025 World Juniors.
35 of the CHL’s 60 clubs will be represented at the event with the London Knights of the OHL (Bonk, Dickinson, Cowan, Haltunnen & Nurmi) and the Brampton Steelheads of the OHL (Ivankovic, Martone, Rehkopf, Fibigr & Zidlicky) leading the way with five players each. Right behind them are the Barrie Colts of the OHL with four players (Akey, Beaudoin, Hillebrandt & Hemming), while the Lethbridge Hurricanes of the WHL feature three skaters (Yager, Braillard & Port).
The 60 CHL players competing at the 2025 World Juniors are also in addition to the more than nine CHL alumni that are partaking in this year’s event, a list that includes Slovakian captain Dalibor Dvorský (OHL alumnus / Sudbury Wolves), Czech captain Eduard Salé (OHL alumnus / Barrie Colts & Kitchener Rangers), and German alternate captain Norwin Panocha (QMJHL alumnus / Chicoutimi Saguenéens).
At last year’s 2024 IIHF World Junior Championship in Gothenburg, Sweden, 63 CHL players either played in the tournament or were a part of their country’s 23-man roster. The latter included 17 CHL players who helped their country earn a medal at the 2024 World Juniors.
The 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship begins today with four games, which includes Canada taking on Finland at the Canadian Tire Centre at 7:30 p.m. ET. TSN and RDS, the official broadcast partners of Hockey Canada, will once again provide extensive coverage of the event, broadcasting all 29 tournament games.
For more information on this year’s 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship, please visit iihf.com/en/events/2025/wm20.
60 CURRENT CHL PLAYERS SET TO COMPETE AT 2025 WORLD JUNIORS
CANADA (24)
(G) Carson Bjarnason (Brandon Wheat Kings / WHL)*
(G) Carter George (Owen Sound Attack / OHL)
(G) Jack Ivankovic (Brampton Steelheads / OHL)
(D) Beau Akey (Barrie Colts / OHL)
(D) Oliver Bonk (London Knights / OHL)
(D) Sam Dickinson (London Knights / OHL)
(D) Andrew Gibson (Soo Greyhounds / OHL)
(D) Tanner Molendyk (Saskatoon Blades / WHL)
(D) Sawyer Mynio (Seattle Thunderbirds / WHL)*
(D) Caden Price (Kelowna Rockets / WHL)
(D) Matthew Schaefer (Erie Otters / OHL)
(F) Cole Beaudoin (Barrie Colts / OHL)
(F) Mathieu Cataford (Rimouski Océanic / QMJHL)
(F) Berkly Catton (Spokane Chiefs / WHL)
(F) Easton Cowan (London Knights / OHL)
(F) Ethan Gauthier (Drummondville Voltigeurs / QMJHL)
(F) Tanner Howe (Calgary Hitmen / WHL)
(F) Jett Luchanko (Guelph Storm / OHL)
(F) Porter Martone (Brampton Steelheads / OHL)
(F) Gavin McKenna (Medicine Hat Tigers / WHL)
(F) Luca Pinelli (Ottawa 67’s / OHL)
(F) Carson Rehkopf (Brampton Steelheads / OHL)*
(F) Calum Ritchie (Oshawa Generals / OHL)
(F) Brayden Yager (Lethbridge Hurricanes / WHL)
*named to Hockey Canada’s roster, but were not part of the initial IIHF registrations made by Team Canada on Dec. 25
CZECHIA (10)
(G) Jabuk Milota (Cape Breton Eagles / QMJHL)
(D) Jakub Fibigr (Brampton Steelheads / OHL)
(D) Adam Jiříček (Brantford Bulldogs / OHL)
(D) Matteo Koči (Kamloops Blazers / WHL)
(D) Vojtech Port (Lethbridge Hurricanes / WHL)
(F) Miroslav Holinka (Edmonton Oil Kings / WHL)
(F) Adam Jecho (Edmonton Oil Kings / WHL)
(F) Dominik Petr (Brandon Wheat Kings / WHL)
(F) Jakub Stancl (Kelowna Rockets / WHL)
(F) Adam Zidlicky (Brampton Steelheads / OHL)
FINLAND (7)
(D) Emil Pieniniemi (Kingston Frontenacs / OHL)
(D) Veeti Väisänen (Medicine Hat Tigers / WHL)
(F) Kasper Haltunnen (London Knights / OHL)
(F) Emil Hemming (Barrie Colts / OHL)
(F) Julius Miettinen (Everett Silvertips / WHL)
(F) Jesse Nurmi (London Knights / OHL)
(F) Tuomas Uronen (Kingston Frontenacs / OHL)
GERMANY (3)
(D) Carlos Händel (Halifax Mooseheads / QMJHL)
(F) David Lewandowski (Saskatoon Blades / WHL)
(F) Julius Sumpf (Moncton Wildcats / QMJHL)
KAZAKHSTAN (1)
(F) Asanali Sarkenov (Spokane Chiefs / WHL)
LATVIA (4)
(G) Linards Feldbergs (Sherbrooke Phoenix / QMJHL)
(D) Peteris Bulans (Chicoutimi Saguenéens / QMJHL)
(D) Harijs Cjunskis (Rouyn-Noranda Huskies / QMJHL)
(F) Eriks Mateiko (Saint John Sea Dogs / QMJHL)
SLOVAKIA (3)
(D) Jakub Chromiak (Kitchener Rangers / OHL)
(D) Peter Valent (Québec Remparts / QMJHL)
(F) Juraj Pekarcik (Moncton Wildcats / QMJHL)
SWEDEN (1)
(D) Axel Hurtig (Calgary Hitmen / WHL)
SWITZERLAND (4)
(G) Ewan Huet (Regina Pats / WHL)
(D) Basile Sansonnens (Rimouski Océanic / QMJHL)
(F) Léo Braillard (Lethbridge Hurricanes / WHL)
(F) Lars Steiner (Rouyn-Noranda Huskies / QMJHL)
U.S.A. (3)
(G) Sam Hillebrandt (Barrie Colts / OHL)
(F) Carey Terrance (Erie Otters / OHL)
(F) Joey Willis (Saginaw Spirit / OHL)
