For the first time in more than two decades, a player under the age of 16 will take part in the World Junior Championship.
Jonah Neuenschwander made Switzerland's final roster Tuesday. The 15-year-old forward will be the first player of his age to play in the under-20 event since Andrei Kostitsyn and Konstanin Zakharov played up front for Belarus and Viktor Alexandrov did the same for Kazakhstan in 2001.
The only other 15-year-old in world junior history was Belarus goaltender Vitali Aristov in 1999.
Neuenschwander is listed at 6-foot-3 and 181 lbs. He's played primarily for Swiss National League club Biel-Bienne's under-20 team this season, producing 11 goals and 13 assists over 26 games. He's also played five games with the senior squad, posting a lone assist in those contests.
The youngster buried 20 tallies along with 12 helpers across 40 games with Biel-Bienne's under-17 side in 2023-24.
Neuenschwander won't be eligible for the NHL draft until 2027.
