The Capitals have six prospects taking part in the tournament.

The Washington Capitals prospects shined bright on the first day of the 2025 World Juniors in Ottawa on Thursday, with Cole Hutson and more showcasing their best hockey on the international stage.

Hutson had five assists to lead Team USA in scoring and also had a whopping plus/minus rating of plus-7 in a 10-4 win over Team Germany. The Boston University product, who D.C. traded up in this summer's draft to take in the second round, also impressed with his skating, stickhandling and speed.

Meanwhile, Ryan Leonard had two assists and led all American forwards in ice time. He is serving as the captain and played a big role, and there were several other chances he could have converted on had the puck bounced the other way.

Beyond the Americans, Czechia also enjoyed a strong start to the tournament with a 5-1 win over World Juniors. Capitals prospect Petr Sikora, who was taken in the fifth round of this year's NHL Draft, scored an empty netter to seal the win. He was also aggressive on the forecheck and played bigger than his frame.

He faced a familiar opponent in 2024 second-rounder Leon Muggli, who attended development camp with Sikora this summer. Muggli was a minus-1 for the Swiss but led all defensemen in ice time.

Miroslav Satan Jr., the seventh-rounder from this year's draft, had a tough afternoon with team Slovakia in a 5-2 loss to Sweden. He logged 8:18 minutes and was a minus-2.

Eriks Mateiko, the final Capitals prospect taking part in the tournament, will hit the ice with Latvia on Thursday.