The puck drops on the 2021 IIHF World Junior Championship on Dec. 25 as 10 teams hit the ice aiming for a spot on the podium and the ultimate prize — gold. While national pride is on the line over the course of the tournament's 12 days, the premier event on the juniors stage also provides fans a chance to check out the next batch of NHL stars.
This year's tournament will see more than 100 prospects suit up for their country, including an NHL-best nine who hope to wear silver and black for the Kings. And, with the COVID-19 pandemic also putting a pause to the start of the 2021 NHL season, this year the ice will be littered with a number of prospects who are NHL-ready, such as Canada's Kirby Dach (Blackhawks), Finland's (Ville Heinola), Austria's Marco Rossi (Wild) and Germany's Tim Stutzle (Germany).
Here's a team-by-team breakdown of the players who will suit up in Edmonton for all 31 NHL teams from Christmas Day to Jan. 5 at the 2021 IIHF World Junior Championship.
NHL prospects playing in 2021 World Juniors
Anaheim Ducks
| COUNTRY | PLAYER | POS | CURRENT TEAM | ACQUIRED |
|---|
| Canada | Jamie Drysdale | D | Erie (OHL) | 1st/2020 |
| Sweden | Albin Sundsvik | F | Skelleftea (SHL) | 6th/2020 |
| USA | Jackson LaCombe | D | Minnesota (Big Ten) | 2nd/2019 |
| USA | Henry Thrun | D | Dubuque (USHL) | 4th/2019 |
| USA | Sam Colangelo | F | Northeastern (HE) | 2nd/2020 |
| USA | Trevor Zegras | F | Boston Univ. (HE) | 1st/2019 |
Arizona Coyotes
| COUNTRY | PLAYER | POS | CURRENT TEAM | ACQUIRED |
|---|
| Finland | Aku Raty | F | Karpat (SM-Liiga) | 5th/2019 |
| Sweden | Victor Soderstrom | D | AIK (SHL) | 1st/2019 |
| USA | John Farinacci | F | Muskegon (USHL) | 3rd/2019 |
Boston Bruins
| COUNTRY | PLAYER | POS | CURRENT TEAM | ACQUIRED |
|---|
| Finland | Matias Mantykivi | F | SaiPa (Liiga) | 6th/2019 |
| Russia | Roman Bychkov | D | Buran Voronezh (VHL) | 5th/2019 |
Buffalo Sabres
| COUNTRY | PLAYER | POS | CURRENT TEAM | ACQUIRED |
|---|
| Canada | Dylan Cozens | F | Lethbridge (WHL) | 1st/2019 |
| Canada | Jack Quinn | F | Ottawa (OHL) | 8h/2020 |
| Germany | John-Jason Peterka | F | EHC Red Bull Munchen | 2nd/2020 |
| USA | Ryan Johnson | D | Minnesota (Big Ten) | 1st/2019 |
Calgary Flames
| COUNTRY | PLAYER | POS | CURRENT TEAM | ACQUIRED |
|---|
| USA | Dustin Wolf | G | Everett (WHL) | 7th/2019 |
| Canada | Jakob Pelletier | F | Val-d'Or (QMJHL) | 1st/2019 |
| Canada | Connor Zary | F | Kamloops (WHL) | 1st/2020 |
| Russia | Yan Kuznetsov | D | Connecticut (HE) | 2nd/2020 |
Carolina Hurricanes
| COUNTRY | PLAYER | POS | CURRENT TEAM | ACQUIRED |
|---|
| Canada | Ryan Suzuki | F | Saginaw (OHL) | 1st/2019 |
| Russia | Vasily Ponomarev | F | Shawinigan (QMJHL) | 2nd/2020 |
| Sweden | Noel Gunler | F | Brynas (SHL) | 2nd/2020 |
| Sweden | Zion Nybeck | F | HV71 (SHL) | 4th/2020 |
Chicago Blackhawks
| COUNTRY | PLAYER | POS | CURRENT TEAM | ACQUIRED |
|---|
| Czech Rep. | Michael Krutil | D | Litomerice (CZE-2) | 4th/2020 |
| Czech Rep. | Michal Teply | F | Litomerice (CZE-2) | 4th/2019 |
| Canada | Kirby Dach* | F | Blackhawks (NHL) | 1st/2019 |
| USA | Landon Slaggert | F | Notre Dame (Big Ten) | 3rd/2020 |
*Dach got injured in Canada's exhibition game and will not play in the tournament.
Colorado Avalanche
| COUNTRY | PLAYER | POS | CURRENT TEAM | ACQUIRED |
|---|
| Canada | Justin Barron | D | Halifax (QMJHL) | 1st/2020 |
| Canada | Bowen Byram | D | Vancouver (WHL) | 1st/2019 |
| Canada | Alex Newhook | F | Boston College (HE) | 1st/2019 |
| USA | Drew Helleson | D | Boston College (HE) | 2nd/2019 |
Columbus Blue Jackets
| COUNTRY | PLAYER | POS | CURRENT TEAM | ACQUIRED |
|---|
| Finland | Mikael Pyyhtia | F | TPS U20 | 4th/2020 |
| Russia | Yegor Chinakhov | F | Avangard Omsk (KHL) | 1st/2020 |
| Slovakia | Samuel Knazko | D | TPS U20 | 3rd/2020 |
Dallas Stars
| COUNTRY | PLAYER | POS | CURRENT TEAM | ACQUIRED |
|---|
| Canada | Thomas Harley | D | Mississauga (OHL) | 1st/2019 |
Detroit Red Wings
| COUNTRY | PLAYER | POS | CURRENT TEAM | ACQUIRED |
|---|
| Czech Rep. | Jan Bednar | G | Karlovy Vary (CZE) | 4th/2020 |
| Finland | Eemil Viro | D | TPS (Liiga) | 3rd/2020 |
| Sweden | Gustav Berglund | D | Vasteras (Allsvenskan) | 6th/2019 |
| Sweden | Albert Johansson | D | Farjestad (SHL) | 2nd/2019 |
| Sweden | Theodor Niederbach | F | Frolunda (SHL) | 2nd/2020 |
| Sweden | Lucas Raymond | F | Frolunda (SHL) | 1st/2020 |
| Sweden | Elmer Soderblom | F | Frolunda (SHL) | 6th/2019 |
Edmonton Oilers
| COUNTRY | PLAYER | POS | CURRENT TEAM | ACQUIRED |
|---|
| Canada | Dylan Holloway | F | Wisconsin (Big Ten) | 1st/2020 |
| Sweden | Philip Broberg | LHD | Skelleftea (SHL) | 1st/2019 |
Florida Panthers
| COUNTRY | PLAYER | POS | CURRENT TEAM | ACQUIRED |
|---|
| Canada | Devon Levi | G | Northeastern (HE) | 7th/2020 |
| Finland | Kasper Puutio | D | Karpat (Liiga) | 5th/2020 |
| Finland | Anton Lundell | F | HIFK (Liiga) | 1st/2020 |
| Sweden | Emil Heineman | F | Leksands (SHL) | 2nd/2020 |
| USA | Spencer Knight | G | Boston College (HE) | 1st/2019 |
Los Angeles Kings
| COUNTRY | PLAYER | POS | CURRENT TEAM | ACQUIRED |
|---|
| Canada | Jordan Spence | D | Moncton (QMJHL) | 4th/2019 |
| Canada | Quinton Byfield | F | Sudbury (OHL) | 1st/2020 |
| Czech Rep. | Lukas Parik | G | Benatky (CZE-2) | 3rd/2019 |
| Finland | Kasper Simontaival | F | Tappara (Liiga) | 3rd/2020 |
| Finland | Kim Nousiainen | D | KalPa (Liiga) | 4th/2019 |
| Slovakia | Martin Chromiak | F | Kingston (OHL) | 5th/2020 |
| Sweden | Tobias Bjornfot | D | Djurgarden (SHL) | 1st/2019 |
| USA | Brock Faber | D | Minnesota (Big Ten) | 2nd/2020 |
| USA | Arthur Kaliyev | F | Hamilton (OHL) | 2nd/2019 |
| USA | Alex Turcotte | F | Wisconsin (Big Ten) | 1st/2019 |
Minnesota Wild
| COUNTRY | PLAYER | POS | CURRENT TEAM | ACQUIRED |
|---|
| Austria | Marco Rossi | F | ZSC Lions (NL) | 1st/2020 |
| Czech Rep. | Pavel Novak | F | Litomerice (CZE-2) | 5th/2020 |
| Russia | Vladislav Firstov | F | Connecticut (HE) | 2nd/2019 |
| Russia | Marat Khusnutdinov | F | SKA St. Peterburg (MHL) | 2nd/2020 |
| USA | Matthew Boldy | F | Boston College (HE) | 1st/2019 |
Montreal Canadiens
| COUNTRY | PLAYER | POS | CURRENT TEAM | ACQUIRED |
|---|
| Canada | Kaiden Guhle | D | Prince Albert (WHL) | 1st/2020 |
| Czech Rep. | Jan Mysak | F | Litvinov (CZE) | 2nd/2020 |
| USA | Cole Caufield | F | Wisconsin (Big Ten) | 1st/2019 |
Nashville Predators
| COUNTRY | PLAYER | POS | CURRENT TEAM | ACQUIRED |
|---|
| Canada | Philip Tomasino | F | Oshawa (OHL) | 1st/2019 |
| Finland | Juuso Parssinen | F | TPS (Liiga) | 7th/2019 |
| Russia | Yaroslav Askarov | G | SKA St. Petersburg (KHL) | 1st/2020 |
| Russia | Semyon Chistyakov | D | Avangard Omsk (KHL) | 4th/2019 |
| Russia | Yegor Afanasyev | F | Krasnaya Armiya Moskva (MHL) | 2nd/2019 |
New Jersey Devils
| COUNTRY | PLAYER | POS | CURRENT TEAM | ACQUIRED |
|---|
| Canada | Dawson Mercer | F | Chicoutimi (QMJHL) | 1st/2020 |
| Czech Rep. | Jaromir Pytlik | F | Litomerice (CZE-2) | 4th/2020 |
| Russia | Shakir Mukhamadullin | D | Salavat Yulaev Ufa (KHL) | 1st/2020 |
| Russia | Arseny Gritsyuk | F | Avangard Omsk (KHL) | 5th/2019 |
| Sweden | Alexander Holtz | F | Djurgarden (SHL) | 1st/2020 |
| USA | Patrick Moynihan | F | Providence (HE) | 6th/2019 |
New York Islanders
| COUNTRY | PLAYER | POS | CURRENT TEAM | ACQUIRED |
|---|
| Finland | Matias Rajaniemi | D | Pelicans (Liiga) | 6th/2020 |
| Sweden | Simon Holmstrom | F | Bridgeport (AHL) | 1st/2019 |
New York Rangers
| COUNTRY | PLAYER | POS | CURRENT TEAM | ACQUIRED |
|---|
| Canada | Dylan Garand | G | Kamloops (WHL) | 4th/2020 |
| Canada | Braden Schneider | D | Brandon (WHL) | 1st/2020 |
| USA | Hunter Skinner | D | London (OHL) | 4th/2019 |
| USA | Brett Berard | F | Providence (HE) | 5th/2020 |
Ottawa Senators
| COUNTRY | PLAYER | POS | CURRENT TEAM | ACQUIRED |
|---|
| Finland | Roby Jarventie | F | Ilves (SM-Liiga) | 2nd/2020 |
| Germany | Tim Stutzle | F | Adler Mannheim | 1st/2020 |
| USA | Tyler Kleven | D | North Dakota (NCHC) | 2nd/2020 |
| USA | Jake Sanderson | D | North Dakota (NCHC) | 1st/2020 |
Philadelphia Flyers
| COUNTRY | PLAYER | POS | CURRENT TEAM | ACQUIRED |
|---|
| Sweden | Emil Andrae | D | HV71 (SHL) | 2nd/2020 |
| USA | Bobby Brink | F | Denver (NCHC) | 2nd/2019 |
| USA | Cam York | D | Michigan (Big Ten) | 1st/2019 |
Pittsburgh Penguins
| COUNTRY | PLAYER | POS | CURRENT TEAM | ACQUIRED |
|---|
| Finland | Joel Blomqvist | G | Karpat (Liiga) | 2nd/2020 |
| Sweden | Calle Clang | G | Kristianstads (Allsvenskan) | 3rd/2020 |
San Jose Sharks
| COUNTRY | PLAYER | POS | CURRENT TEAM | ACQUIRED |
|---|
| Czech Rep. | Adam Raska | F | Rimouski (QMJHL) | 7th/2020 |
| Finland | Santeri Hatakka | D | Ilves (SM-Liiga) | 6th/2019 |
| Russia | Artemi Kniazev | D | Irbis Kazan (MHL) | 2nd/2019 |
| Russia | Yegor Spiridonov | F | SKA St. Petersburg | 4th/2019 |
St. Louis Blues
No players.
Tampa Bay Lightning
| COUNTRY | PLAYER | POS | CURRENT TEAM | ACQUIRED |
|---|
| Russia | Maxim Groshev | F | SKA St. Petersburgh (VHL) | 3rd/2020 |
| Sweden | Hugo Alnefelt | G | HV71 (SHL) | 3rd/2019 |
Toronto Maple Leafs
| COUNTRY | PLAYER | POS | CURRENT TEAM | ACQUIRED |
|---|
| Finland | Mikko Kokkonen | D | Jukurit (SM-Liiga) | 3rd/2019 |
| Finland | Topi Niemela | D | Karpat (Liiga) | 3rd/2020 |
| Finland | Roni Hirvonen | F | Assat (Liiga) | 2nd/2020 |
| Russia | Artur Akhtyamov | G | Ak Bars Kazan (KHL) | 4th/2020 |
| Russia | Mikhail Abramov | F | Victoriaville (QMJHL) | 4th/2019 |
| Russia | Rodion Amirov | F | Salavat Yulaev Ufa (KHL) | 1st/2020 |
Vancouver Canucks
| COUNTRY | PLAYER | POS | CURRENT TEAM | ACQUIRED |
|---|
| Russia | Vasily Podkolzin | F | SKA St. Petersburg (KHL) | 1st/2019 |
| Sweden | Arvid Costmar | F | Linkoping (SHL) | 7th/2019 |
Vegas Golden Knights
| COUNTRY | PLAYER | POS | CURRENT TEAM | ACQUIRED |
|---|
| Canada | Kaedan Korczak | D | Kelowna (WHL) | 2nd/2019 |
| Canada | Peyton Krebs | F | Winnipeg (WHL) | 1st/2019 |
| USA | Brendan Brisson | F | Michigan (Big Ten) | 1st/2020 |
Washington Capitals
| COUNTRY | PLAYER | POS | CURRENT TEAM | ACQUIRED |
|---|
| Canada | Connor McMichael | F | London (OHL) | 1st/2019 |
| Czech Rep. | Martin Hugo Has | D | Benatky (CZE-2) | 5th/2019 |
Winnipeg Jets
| COUNTRY | PLAYER | POS | CURRENT TEAM | ACQUIRED |
|---|
| Canada | Cole Perfetti | F | Saginaw (OHL) | 1st/2020 |
| Finland | Ville Heinola | D | Lukko (Liiga) | 1st/2019 |
| Finland | Henri Nikkanen | F | Jukurit (Liiga) | 4th/2019 |
