The 2025 World Junior A Challenge begins Sunday in Trois-Rivières, Quebec, marking the 17th tournament since its 2006 inception. Both the 2020 and 2021 WJAC’s were canceled by the pandemic.

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Team USA won its 10th WJAC gold medal last December, as the U.S. defeated Sweden. 

The U.S. has medaled in all 16 previous tournaments and has won seven of the past 11, including two of the past three. They’ll once again be joined by Canada East, Canada West and Sweden.

Here’s what you need to know about this year’s event.

When is the WJAC?

The 2025 WJAC runs Dec. 7-13 with two preliminary-round games scheduled for Sunday, Monday and Wednesday. The semi-finals are slated for Friday, followed by the bronze and gold medal games on Saturday. Those are scheduled for 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. EST on Dec. 13.

The event kicks off this Sunday (Dec. 7) at 3 p.m. EST, as Team USA takes on Canada East. The full WJAC schedule can be found here.

Who is competing?

Canada East

The roster features two of the OJHL’s top point producers in Will Hughes and Tate Collins. Hughes is tied for fourth in the OJHL with 47 points (15-32-47) through 30 games, while Collins is right behind with 45 (15-30-45) through 32.

The forward group also includes Mavrick Brunet, who leads the CCHL with 57 (16-41-57) through 25 games, and Brant Romaniuk – who has 46 points over 23 games with the NOJHL’s Timmins Rock.

Ottawa, ON – The Central Canada Hockey League is pleased to announce that forward Mavrick Brunet, Laval, QC, CAN, has amassed a CJHL-best 57 points in his first 25 outings for the Rockland Nationals (16G, 41A). Brunet currently ranks first in points for any respective team within… pic.twitter.com/UPjEzfJpkq

— The CCHL (@TheCCHL) December 3, 2025

The blue line features two of the OJHL’s top offensive defensemen as well in Joshua Brady and Luke Howard. Brady leads all defensemen with 28 points (7-21-28) and Howard is seventh with 21 (4-17-21). Brady has also been a weapon on the power play, where he’s earned 12 of his points.

Defenseman Nolan Turnbull is the lone returning player on the roster. Canada East has never won the WJAC and finished fourth last December. They’ve earned seven all-time silver medals and one bronze.

Canada West

Grant Reid, Max Leduc and Will Luctic tied for ninth in the AJHL with 28 points each, and they’re three of the 13 forwards. Ben Deacon also leads AJHL rookies with 14 goals and ranks second with 23 points. Brody Green has enjoyed a fast start too and ranks ninth in the MJHL with 29 points (11-18-29) through 25 games. 

For a second consecutive month, Devon Xtreme forward Ben Deacon has been selected as the recipient of the Adapt AJHL Rookie of the Month award! Deacon led all rookies with seven goals through November and tallied 11 points in nine games played! https://t.co/iUOZRT3xsb pic.twitter.com/U7LUbx2Aop

— TheAJHL (@TheAJHL) December 3, 2025

The blue line has a strong AJHL presence, including three of the league’s top five scoring defensemen. Taynton Lavender, Esteban Cinq-Mars and rookie Sullivan Humeniuk rank second, fourth and fifth among AJHL defensemen with 22, 18 and 17 points respectively.

Rookie Luke McKechnie ranks second among AJHL goaltenders in GAA (2.59), eighth in save percentage (.905), and his eight wins rank fourth. He’ll share the crease with Taye Timmerman. Defenseman Jaxon Herchak is the lone returner on the club.

Canada West has five gold medals, including three since 2015. The club has 11 all-time medals – 5 gold, 3 silver and 3 bronze – and defeated Canada East in last year’s third-place game, 5-2.

Sweden

Sweden’s roster features plenty of familiar faces from this summer’s Hlinka Gretzky Cup, as the Swedes finished second.

Forwards Marcus Nordmark and Elton Hermansson, and defenseman Malte Gustafsson are potential first-round picks next June, especially Nordmark – who led the Hlinka Gretzky Cup with 12 points (5-7-12). Hermansson (6-5-11) was tied for second with teammate Axel Elofsson (2-9-11), who led all defensemen. He and Gustafsson headline Sweden’s WJAC blue line.

📣 Truppen till Junior A World Challenge, 7-13 december, är uttagen.

💬 Den här samlingen är viktig för erfarenhetsbyggandet inför VM i april. Vi får chansen att spela flera tuffa matcher mot skickliga motståndare, säger förbundskapten Johan Rosén.⁠
⁠https://t.co/qLauMnSwKO pic.twitter.com/7SOYNTHYEe

— Tre Kronor (@Trekronorse) November 19, 2025

Douglas Nilsson and Viggo Tamm will occupy the Swedish crease. Nilsson is 5-1-0 this season for Färjestad BK U18 with a .958 save percentage and 0.99 GAA. He posted a .932 save percentage over five games at Hlinka.

The Swedes earned a silver medal last December and took home bronze in 2022.

USA

The U.S. roster is comprised of 21 USHL players, including six NHL picks; Jackson Crowder (WSH), Caleb Heil (TBL), Mace’o Phillips (CAL), Carter Sanderson (PIT), Ashton Schultz (BUF) and Brent Solomon (DET).

Heil is one of two returning American players, alongside defenseman John Stout. Heil is 10-4-2 this season with a .891 save percentage and 2.60 GAA, and he’s 5-0-2 over his past seven starts – making 144 of a possible 158 saves in the stretch. This will be Heil's third WJAC. He was also named to the U.S. WJC preliminary roster on Monday.

"NO."
-Caleb Heil (TBL)@MadCapsHockey | @USHL#GoCapsGo #USHL #GoBolts pic.twitter.com/FNk1W9C1nb

— FloHockey (@FloHockey) November 15, 2025

Blake Zielinski is one of the USHL’s top 2026 draft prospects and headlines the group of 13 forwards. The group includes four of the USHL’s top points producers – Solomon (11-15-26), Masun Fleece (16-9-25), Evan Jardine (9-13-22) and Landon Hafele (7-15-22). Fleece ranks second in the league with 16 goals.

David Bosco is also tied for second among USHL rookies with 15 points (8-7-15), and the roster features a pair of 2027 draft-eligible prospects in Jake Prunty and Gunnar Conboy. Prunty is tied with Bosco with 15 points (1-14-15) and has been one of the USHL’s top rookie defensemen, while Conboy has four goals. The left-shot forward was tendered by Green Bay last March.

The U.S. has previously won 10 gold, one silver and five bronze medals, and is 66-13-4 all-time in WJAC games.

*All stats as of Dec. 4, 2025.

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