Jets prospects Sascha Boumedienne and Alfons Freij will showcase their skills for Sweden at the World Juniors, highlighting future defensive talent.
The Winnipeg Jets will have a strong presence at the upcoming World Junior Championship, with two of their top prospects earning spots on Team Sweden. Defensemen Sascha Boumedienne and Alfons Freij were officially named to the tournament roster, giving Jets fans an early look at two players who could play key roles in the organization’s future.
Boumedienne, Winnipeg’s 2025 first round pick, has quickly emerged as one of college hockey’s top young defensemen. The 18-year-old is in his sophomore season at Boston University after an impressive freshman year where he recorded three goals and ten assists for 13 points and a plus 8 rating in 40 games, helping the Terriers reach the National Championship game.
This season has been more challenging, with Boston University sitting at 7-7-1 and Boumedienne posting two goals and four assists through 15 games, but scouts continue to praise his high hockey IQ, strong positioning, and ability to read the play.
The rising level of competition in college hockey has accelerated Boumedienne’s development, and he is expected to remain at the collegiate level for at least one or two more seasons before deciding whether to sign with the Jets. If he turns pro, he would likely start with the Manitoba Moose in the AHL. In the meantime, Jets fans can watch him showcase his skills on an international stage at the World Juniors, with the potential for him to join Winnipeg’s NHL roster in just a couple of years if his development continues.
Freij, standing 6 foot 1 and shooting left, was selected by the Jets 37th overall in the second round of the 2024 NHL Entry Draft. He posted one of the most productive seasons ever by a defenseman his age in Sweden’s J20 league, recording 33 points on 14 goals and 19 assists in 40 games with the Växjö Lakers HC junior program during the 2023 24 season. He followed that up by representing Sweden at the U18 World Championship, where he led all Swedish defensemen with six points in seven games and helped secure a bronze medal.
Freij played his first professional season last year on loan with IF Björklöven in HockeyAllsvenskan, where he produced eight points in 29 games. After signing his entry level deal with the Jets in June, he remained on loan in Sweden and is currently playing for Timrå IK in the SHL. This season he has one assist and a minus 2 rating through 24 games and with Sweden’s U20 team he has added two goals and an assist for three points in seven games.
With Boumedienne and Freij both earning their places on Sweden’s World Junior roster, the Jets gain a valuable opportunity to see their two promising young defenders tested against the best of their age group.
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