The 2025 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships are fast approaching and exhibition matches are already underway. December 26 marks the first day of the tournament itself, and matches will be played almost every day until the gold medal match on January 5. To get into the World Juniors spirit, let’s take a look at some recent performances of Vancouver Canucks prospects, sorted by country. Here are some highlights from Team Canada’s past years.
2019: Michael DiPietro
Michael DiPietro, picked in the third round of the 2017 NHL Draft, was set to be Thatcher Demko’s understudy for Vancouver’s “goalie of the future.” Despite Canada’s unfortunate tournament result, DiPietro posted an impressive 0.952 SV% and 1.23 GAA in four games played. He shutout Denmark and made a total of 98 saves throughout the tournament.
2018: Jonah Gadjovich
Like DiPietro, Gadjovich was a draft pick for the Canucks in 2017 and was selected 55th overall. In seven tournament matches played, Gadjovich scored two goals and one assist. After a few seasons with the Utica Comets, he played two seasons with the San Jose Sharks. He later joined the Florida Panthers and helped them win a Stanely Cup this past year.
2017: Noah Juulsen (Montréal Canadiens)
Originally a draft pick of the Montreal Canadiens, Noah Juulsen was taken 26th overall in the 2015 NHL Draft. He has since found his way to the Canucks, where he is a solid, hard-hitting defenseman who can fill any holes in the team’s D core fill up. In the 2017 World Juniors, he scored two assists in seven games for team Canada.
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2014: Bo Horvat
Horvat, a former captain of the Canucks from 2019 to 2023, was a key part of the organization’s transition period between the 2011 core and the current one. He was selected following a surprise draft day move that sent goaltender Cory Schneider to the New Jersey Devils in exchange for the ninth overall pick. In seven games played for Team Canada’s U20 World Juniors squad, Horvat scored a goal and two assists.
2009: Tyler Myers (Buffalo Sabres) and Cody Hodgson
While Vancouver fans didn’t know it in 2009, Team Canada’s Tyler Myers would become a huge part of the Canucks organization a decade later. Together with Cody Hodgson, he helped Canada to its fifth consecutive gold medal at the World Junior Championships. Myers scored one goal in six games. Hodgson, on the other hand, led the entire team in points with five goals and eleven assists.
