ST. PAUL, MN – It is Christmas Day! That means one thing… the IIHF World Junior Championships start tomorrow! This year, the tournament is in the twin cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul, so the United States naturally has home-ice advantage.

At last year’s event, the Boston Bruins had zero prospects in the World Juniors. This year, that number is three. One of the prospects was acquired at the trade deadline last year, and two were selected in the 2025 NHL Entry Draft.

Tournament action kicks off tomorrow, December 26, and wraps up with the championship game on January 5. In the United States, 19 of the 20 group play games, and seven of the nine playoff games can be found on the NHL Network.

James Hagens, Forward, Team USA

The Boston Bruins selected James Hagens with the seventh-overall selection in this summer’s entry draft. Hagens, a sophomore at Boston College, has been playing at over a point-per-game pace. He has 10 goals and eight assists in 16 games with the Eagles. Hagens has routinely been on the first line for the Eagles this season and is expected to do the same on Team USA.

Hagens played in this tournament last year, and also was over a point-per-game pace. He has picked up five goals and nine points in seven games. Last year, Hagens spent a lot of the tournament playing on a line with Ryan Leonard and Gabe Perreault. He returned to the first line center spot during both of Team USA’s pre-tournament scrimmages, and potted an assist during the USA’s 8-0 win over Germany.

Will Zellers, Forward, Team USA

The Boston Bruins acquired Will Zellers at the 2025 Trade Deadline. In a trade that sent Charlie Coyle to Colorado, the Bruins picked up Casey Mittelstadt, Will Zellers, and a 2025 second-round pick (Liam Pettersson). Zellers is currently in his first year at the University of North Dakota, and he has found the back of the net ten times in 18 games played.

Zellers, who led the USHL in scoring last year, will make his first World Juniors appearance. He skated in the two preseason games for the United States and had a three-point night in the 8-0 win against Germany. He was the fourth line left winger against Germany, and then was moved up to the third line for the game against Finland.

Vashek Blanár, Defenseman, Team Czechia

Vashek Blanár was selected with the 100th overall pick in the 2025 NHL Entry Draft. He has been nothing short of a pleasant surprise for the Bruins organization. He has been playing for HV71 U20 in the Swedish U20 Nationell, and he has three goals, seven assists, and ten points. Blanár has also skated in three games for the HV71 senior squad. Next season, he will head to Amherst, MA, and play for Greg Carvel at UMass.

This will be Blanár’s first shot at the World Juniors. He has played for Czechia at the U20 level this season in the U20 Five Nations Tournament. In six games at the Five Nations, Blanár had a goal, an assist, and finished with six penalty minutes. The World Juniors will be an excellent chance for Bruins fans to get their eyes on Blanár; he possesses a lot of raw talent and put it on display at Development Camp over the summer.

Team USA Schedule

Friday, December 26, 6:00 PM: Germany vs. United States (NHLN)

Saturday, December 27, 6:00 PM: United States vs. Switzerland (NHLN)

Monday, December 29, 6:00 PM: Slovakia vs. United States (NHLN)

Wednesday, December 31, 6:00 PM: United States vs. Sweden (NHLN)

Team Czechia Schedule

Friday, December 26, 8:30 PM: Canada vs. Czechia (NHLN)

Saturday, December 27, 8:30 PM: Denmark vs. Czechia (NHLN)

Monday, December 29, 3:30 PM: Finland vs. Czechia (NHLN)

Wednesday, December 31, 3:30 PM: Czechia vs. Latvia (NHLN)

Playoff Schedule

Friday, January 2

12:30 PM: Relegation game

2:00 PM: Quarterfinals (NHLN)

4:30 PM: Quarterfinals

6:00 PM: Quarterfinals (NHLN)

8:30 PM: Quarterfinals (NHLN)

Sunday, January 4

4:30 PM: Semifinals (NHLN)

8:30 PM: Semifinals (NHLN)

Monday, January 5

4:30 PM: Third-place game (NHLN)

8:30 PM: Championship (NHLN)

The full schedule can be found here.

Enjoy the holiday!