The defenceman is heading to Ottawa for the tournament in the midst of a steady season in the QMJHL.
Defenceman Basile Sansonnens is joining fellow Canucks prospect Tom Willander in competing for the 2025 World Junior Hockey Championship. The 18-year-old is in his first season with Rimouski Océanic of the QMJHL and has put up three assists in 23 games so far.
Sansonnens was picked in the seventh round of the 2024 NHL Draft at 221st overall after a season spent predominantly with HC Fribourg-Gottéron U20. In 40 games with this club, he produced a goal and two assists. As well, he posted a goal and three assists in nine playoff games. While he’s currently playing for Rimouski, Sansonnens is under contract in the National League, which is the highest tier of hockey in Switzerland. After his time in the QMJHL is up for this season, he’ll return to his contract club, Lausanne.
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This year’s tournament isn’t the first time Sansonnens has competed for Switzerland on an international level. He competed for Switzerland’s U16 team in 2021–22, putting up a goal and seven assists in nine games. In 2022–23, he played 24 games for Switzerland’s U17 roster. He also joined Switerland’s U18 team for the IIHF U18 World Championship. He competed in the Hlinka Gretzky Cup last season, playing four games.
A left-shot defender, Sansonnens will provide a steady defensive presence on Switzerland’s blueline. He joins a Swiss team that includes New York Rangers prospect Rico Gredig, Washington Capitals prospect Leon Muggli, and San Jose Sharks prospect Christian Kirsch. Switzerland will play exhibition matches against Canada and Latvia on December 19 and 23 respectively.
