After TSN did the exercise with Team Canada, it was The Athletic’s turn to get out its crystal ball to predict the rosters at the World Junior Championship. Scott Wheeler, Corey Pronman, and Max Bultman join forces to predict the lineup of the five countries. According to their prediction, the Montreal Canadiens should have three prospects at the traditional holiday tournament.

It shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone who followed the Summer Showcase to hear that The Athletic has Aatos Koivu making Team Finland’s roster and skating on the right wing of their second line. Koivu was a standout at the Summer Showcase, topping the scorers’ list and showing that he’s ready to make up for the time he lost because of mononucleosis.

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As for center Michael Hage, the article has him skating on the wing, just like TSN did, on Team Canada’s third line. Hage showed great potential at the Showcase, but with the regulars not being part of the exhibition games, he had a bigger role than he should have at the actual tournament.

As for newly drafted LJ Mooney, the article doesn’t have him as a starter for Team USA, but they do have him as an extra. Should that be the case, he should still see a bit of action in the early stages of the tournament, even if in a limited role. As they mention in the article, the fact that there were some undersized players on the Americans’ top six didn’t help his case.

Team USA will attempt to win a third consecutive Championship after triumphing in the Final over Finland last year in Canada and over Sweden in their home country in 2024. The tournament is set to take place from December 26 to January 5, 2026, in Minneapolis and St. Paul, in the United States. This will be the 50th edition of the event, and the Americans will be going all in for a three-peat.

Whoever wins, though, Canadiens fans will have a lot of fun following the team’s prospects at the tournament.

Photo credit: David Reginek-Imagn Images

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