Five players to keep an eye out for in the under-20 tournament

The wait is over. The 2025 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships start today at the Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa, O.N. The best under-20 hockey players in the world will compete among 10 nations.

With the future stars of the National Hockey League in the fold, there are many players to pay attention to while watching — too many. The NCAA is well represented at World Juniors, with 37 past, present, or future college players competing in Ottawa.

Here are five players playing college hockey to watch at World Juniors:

Ryan Leonard - United States

Leonard is arguably the best player in college hockey. After a slow start to his sophomore season at Boston College, the forward is now tied with two others for the most goals in the country with 12 and has 19 points through 16 games.

He had a signature moment for the United States in the World Juniors last year, blowing a kiss to the Swedish crowd after potting a goal in the gold medal game against Sweden en route to hoisting the trophy.

Now, the eighth overall pick by the Washington Capitals in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft will captain the U.S. squad. A dynamic scorer, Leonard can do it all in the offensive zone. He's got a real chance to lead the tournament in scoring.

James Hagens - United States

After breaking Nikita Kucherov's World Under-18 Championship single-tournament points record with 22 (nine goals, 13 assists) in seven games last year, Hagens is poised to center the top line at this year's World Juniors as an 18-year-old.

With 20 points (five goals, 15 assists) through 16 games as a freshman for Boston College, Hagens is on the shortlist to be potentially selected first overall in the upcoming 2025 draft.

An elite offensive talent across the board, Hagens is a dynamic, versatile player with a solid defensive game. He's a can't-miss talent.

Tom Willander - Sweden

After picking up a silver medal for his country in last year's World Juniors, Willander returns to the tournament for the second time as an improved player. A sophomore at Boston University, the defenseman has nine points (two goals, seven assists) through 16 games this season.

Willander was selected 11th overall in the 2023 draft by the Vancouver Canucks. As an 18-year-old playing in last year's under-20 tournament, Willander collected a goal and two assists in seven games.

He's a plus skater and a high-end defender with a good stick. While he's still polishing his offensive game, Willander's shown flashes of being a two-way player who's not afraid to carry the puck into the offensive zone.

Maxim Strbak - Slovakia

Selected 45th overall by the Buffalo Sabres in the 2023 draft, Strbak is in his sophomore season at Michigan State. In 16 games, the defenseman has nine points (goal, eight assists), matching his point total from his freshman season in half the games.

Born in Kosice, Strbak recorded a goal and an assist in the Spartans last outing — a 5-3 win over Minnesota on Dec. 14.

He'll be returning to his second World Juniors. In five games at last year's tournament, Strbak recorded a goal and six assists. A creative player with the puck on his stick, Strbak's a good skater for his six-foot-two, 200-pound frame with a solid two-way game.

Michael Hrabal - Czechia

Starting 16 games in goal for UMass so far this season, the sophomore's been a steady force between the pipes for the Minutemen. He's compiled an 8-6-2 record, a .917 save percentage, and a 2.49 goals against average. Hrabal stopped 32 shots in his lone shutout of the season so far in a 4-0 win over Boston University on Dec. 7.

The Prague native enters his second World Juniors on a heater, with a save percentage of .932 in his last five starts.

Standing at six-foot-seven, Hrabal was selected 38th overall by the Arizona Coyotes in the 2023 draft. His rights are now Utah Hockey Club's. The second goalie off the board, Hrabal reads the play well and is quite athletic, with impressive speed and agility in the crease.

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