6 compelling World Junior Championship storylines

Who's ready to go to Sweden?

For all of our friends in North America, we hope you're ready to drink gallons of coffee to keep up with all the action (those damn time zones).

There's always plenty to keep an eye on as the NHL's young crop of future stars go head-to-head on the international stage. Without further ado, here are six of the most compelling storylines to look out for once the 2024 World Junior Championship gets underway on Boxing Day.

Will home cooking pay off for the hosts? 🇸🇪

Let's start with the hosts, shall we?

It's the first time in 10 years that Sweden has hosted the tournament, this time in Gothenburg. In 2014, Malmo hosted the festivities, and the home team made its country proud by capturing a silver medal. All in all, Sweden has hosted the world juniors six times before this winter and has medalled three times: a bronze in 1979 and a silver in 1993 to go along with its second-place finish a decade ago.

Luckily for Sweden, its roster this time around is considered one of the favorites to ascend to the top of the podium. It boasts nine returning players from the lineup that finished fourth last year, as well as a gaggle of first-round picks:

Sure, there's no Leo Carlsson, as he's currently tearing it up with the Anaheim Ducks, but Sweden is deep enough that it'll likely be just fine without him in the mix. Keep an eye on the Swedes' fearsome trio of Ohgren, Ostlund, and Lekkerimaki, who have plenty of experience playing together, including at last year's tournament.

It's been a long wait for Gothenburg, which was initially tabbed to host the 2022 world juniors, but the COVID-19 pandemic laid waste to that plan. Canada has held the past three tournaments, meaning the last time the championship was hosted outside of North America was in 2020 in Czechia.

Celebrini watch begins in earnest 🍿

Macklin Celebrini isn't as big of a household name as Connor Bedard was this time last year, but these world juniors will serve as the more casual hockey fan's introduction to the projected 2024 No. 1 pick.

Before getting on a plane to Sweden for the annual tournament, the 17-year-old led the NCAA's Boston University Terriers with 10 goals, 25 points, and 65 shots in 15 games, which is especially remarkable given his age. He's got momentum on his side heading into this winter's festivities.

Celebrini also impressed during his first major appearance on the international stage during the 2023 IIHF U18 World Championship this past April. There, the North Vancouver native matched a Canadian record for most points in a single tournament after ending up on the scoresheet 15 times (six goals, nine assists) in just seven games. What's more, Celebrini surpassed the likes of Bedard and Connor McDavid for most points by a Canadian player aged 16 or younger at the event, and he scored the overtime winner versus Slovakia to capture a bronze medal.

Let's see what Celebrini can do underneath a bigger, brighter spotlight.

Who steps up for Canada without Bedard? 🤔

Look, we're not expecting anyone on Team Canada - not even Celebrini - to replicate the sheer dominance Bedard showed at last year's world juniors, but someone is going to have to pick up some of that slack.

Bedard set a new Canadian single-tournament record after blitzing the competition with 23 points in seven games a year ago, five points clear of the previous record holders, Dale McCourt (1977) and Brayden Schenn (2011). Bedard scored seven points in one game last winter, for crying out loud.

Remember this goal Bedard scored to eliminate Slovakia in overtime to set up a semifinal match against the United States? Yeah, no one is touching that. No wonder Bedard was named the most valuable player at last year's tournament. He made every single game appointment viewing.

One name to keep an eye on, though, is winger Jordan Dumais, who was the best forward in the CHL last year not named Bedard. The 2022 third-round pick torched the QMJHL with 54 goals and 140 points in 64 games last campaign as a member of the Halifax Mooseheads. Despite missing the first 10 games of the 2023-24 season due to injury, Dumais currently leads the league with a bonkers 2.24 point-per-game rate after totaling 47 points in 21 contests.

Dumais was left off Team Canada's roster in 2023. Let's see what he's able to do with his long-awaited first taste of world juniors action. That's all we'll say on the subject for now since it bleeds into our next storyline.

Can Canada make it three gold medals in a row? 🥇

Canada is in pursuit of its third consecutive gold medal at the world juniors, which would be the country's longest streak since it pulled off the five-peat from 2005-09.

The Canadians are in for a challenge, though, as they're lacking star power. On top of Bedard, there's no Adam Fantilli, Shane Wright, Kevin Korchinski, Logan Stankoven, Brandt Clarke, or Dylan Guenther (of 2023 golden goal fame). Sure, the talented Matthew Poitras was a late addition after the Boston Bruins loaned him to Team Canada, but fellow would-be first-timer Zach Benson is remaining in North America.

So, where does that leave the reigning champions? The only returning player from the 2023 squad is Owen Beck, who was cut from last year's selection camp and called back into the fray because of an injury to Colton Dach. Canada is going to have to rely on its depth, which coach Alan Letang doesn't seem to view as a bad thing.

"We're missing what we miss, and there's nothing we can do about that," Letang said before making final roster cuts, per TSN's Mark Masters. "If we win with four lines or we play hard with the four lines, there's nothing wrong with that, either. If you don't have the super superstar, then everyone gets to contribute, and I think Canada's depth is the big advantage for us."

The Swedes will prove to be a major obstacle in Canada's path to a three-peat, not to mention the United States.

Can the U.S. avoid a third consecutive letdown? 🇺🇸

Team USA has had a bit of a rough go since winning gold at the 2021 tournament.

Two years ago, the Americans dominated the preliminary round, outscoring opponents 22-4 across four games. That success didn't carry over into the quarterfinal, where they suffered a shocking defeat at the hands of Czechia. Last year, the United States was routed by Canada in the semifinal but recovered to claim the bronze medal against Sweden. That recent track record isn't quite what we'd expect from the perennial favorites.

Once again, the U.S. is entering the championship as one of the best teams. Its roster features seven returning players from last year's tournament, headlined by Cutter Gauthier. The 2022 fifth overall pick ranked third on Team USA with 10 points (four goals, six assists) in seven games a year ago, and he's in line for more responsibility as the Americans' projected top-line center with Logan Cooley no longer in the mix.

This time, Gauthier will be accompanied by six of his Boston College teammates, including 2023 fourth overall pick Will Smith, eighth overall pick Ryan Leonard, and 23rd overall pick Gabe Perreault. That trio combined for 155 goals and 353 points as a line with the U.S. National Team Development Program last season and will give the opposition fits at this world juniors. On the back end, Lane Hutson leads an offensive-minded defense corps.

The United States is alarmingly deep, which led to some tough cuts and omissions. Cole Eiserman, a top prospect for the upcoming draft, wasn't invited despite leading the USNTDP's under-18 team with 27 goals and 45 points in 23 games. Neither was Hunter Brzustewicz, a defenseman who currently paces the OHL with 55 points in 34 outings. Potential 2025 first overall pick James Hagens was a final cut, likely omitted due to the team's depth and his young age (he just turned 17 in early November).

Team USA always boasts an incredible amount of skill, but this could be the right mix to return the Americans to the top of the podium.

Can Kulich lead the tournament in scoring? 🎯

Jiri Kulich is a world juniors savant at this point.

He's gearing up for his third appearance at the tournament and has made a major impact for Czechia during his first two rodeos. The nation finished in fourth place during Kulich's world juniors debut in 2022, and he helped the country win its first medal since 2005 with a silver last year. This time around, Kulich could be the tournament's leading scorer.

The 19-year-old has shown a knack for scoring at the world juniors, amassing 17 points across 16 games at the event (including two contests of the short-lived December 2022 tournament). Kulich is riding a hot hand, too. By the time the Buffalo Sabres announced they'd loaned him to Team Czechia, he was leading the AHL with 16 goals in 22 games.

If Kulich is named the best forward at these world juniors, he'd be the first Czech player to receive the honor since Pavel Brendl in 2001.

A gold medal at this tournament is probably too big of an ask thanks to Sweden, Canada, and the United States, but if Czechia finds itself on the podium again, it'll be the first time in over 20 years that the nation has medaled in back-to-back tournaments. Kulich will be a massive part of that pursuit.