Wednesday marks the beginning of the 2025 IIHF U18 Men's World Championship. As usual, there will be plenty of WHL talent at the event, as over a dozen WHLers have already agreed to represent their home nation. Here is a look at which players will be competing for a Gold Medal in Texas.  

Starting with Canada, they will start the tournament with six WHLers on their roster. The Vancouver Giants' lead the way with three players, as goaltender Burke Hood, defenceman Ryan Lin, and forward Cameron Schmidt will don the red and white jersey. The three will be joined by Seattle Thunderbirds' Braeden Cootes, Tri-City Americans' Jackson Smith, and Prince George Cougars' Carson Carels, who are looking to help Canada capture back-to-back Golds.

Czechia will also have a decent number of WHLers on their roster, with four players ready for the start of the tournament. The four are Thunderbirds' Radim Mrtka and Matej Pekar, Kamloops Blazers' Vít Záhejský, as well as Moose Jaw Warriors' Dominik Pavlík. Czechia could also be receiving Max Psenicka and Ondřej Štěbeták, but that depends on whether the Portland Winterhawks are eliminated from the 2025 WHL Playoffs.

Lastly, Germany and the USA will each have one representative. Saskatoon Blades' David Lewandowski will represent the Germans, while Edmonton Oil Kings' Blake Fiddler will play for the Americans. Both are looking to help raise their draft stock by having strong tournaments.

The 2025 IIHF U18 Men's World Championship gets started on April 23 at 10 am PT. The first game of the tournament will see Team Finland battle Team Slovakia. As for the final, it is scheduled for May 3 at 5:00 pm PT.

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