The 2025 World Junior Championship (WJC) is set to take place in Ottawa from Dec. 26 to Jan. 5. After having two prospects participate in the 2024 WJC — Danny Nelson and Quinn Finley — the New York Islanders are expected to have at least three participants, potentially up to five or six.
USA, Danny Nelson
Nelson, a 2023 second-round draft pick by the Islanders, represented the United States in last year’s WJC, appearing in all seven games and helping secure the tournament victory. The 19-year-old center tallied a goal and an assist while excelling as one of the tournament’s top defensive forwards and penalty killers.
Now in his second season at the University of Notre Dame, Nelson has recorded six goals and nine points in 14 games. Known as one of the NCAA’s premier penalty killers, he often takes on critical late-game roles to help protect leads. While the United States roster will feature stars like Ryan Leonard, Gabe Perreault, and James Hagens, Nelson’s presence in the bottom six will be crucial to the team’s balance and overall success.
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With last season’s championship under his belt and fellow left-handed forward Quentin Musty expected to miss the 2025 tournament due to a hand injury, Nelson’s chances of making the team likely sit around 75%.
USA, Cole Eiserman
Like Leonard, Perreault, and Hagens, Islanders’ 2024 first-round pick Cole Eiserman is an elite talent set to represent the United States at the 2025 World Junior Championship. In his freshman season at Boston University, Eiserman has already showcased his scoring prowess with nine goals and 13 points in 12 games, boasting one of the most lethal shots in the NCAA. While no player is ever a guaranteed selection for the tournament, Eiserman is about as close to a lock as it gets.
USA, Kamil Bednarik
Kamil Bednarik, a teammate of Eiserman at Boston University and a fellow Islanders 2024 draft pick, is a potential candidate for the United States roster at the 2025 World Junior Championship. Known for his physicality and two-way game, Bednarik has been a reliable presence in the team’s bottom six, though his offensive production has not stood out with just six assists in 12 games this season.
Assessing Bednarik’s chances to make the U.S. roster is challenging, as more prominent players like Teddy Stiga and Max Plante are also in contention. However, Bednarik’s skill set offers value that others might not replicate. A strong showing in the Friendship Four tournament in Belfast, Northern Ireland, could boost his chances, but for now, his likelihood of making the team hovers around 50%.
USA, Zach Schulz
An unlikely but potential candidate to make the roster for the United States is defenseman, Zach Schulz. The 19-year-old was a candidate to make the roster last year but was left off due to strong competition. He is a defensive defenseman with strong stick work and IQ, two valuable traits for a depth defenseman. With the United States lacking a clear sixth and seventh defenseman, Schulz will be battling for the spots with the likes of Lukas Fischer, Will Skahan, Colin Ralph, and Aram Minnetian, leaving his odds of making the roster around 20%.
Finland, Jesse Nurmi
The Islanders selected winger Jesse Nurmi in the fourth round of the 2023 NHL Draft. Although he was projected to represent Finland at the 2024 World Junior Championship, an injury sidelined him from the tournament. Nurmi rebounded strongly at the 2024 World Junior Summer Showcase, where he scored two goals and led all players at the tournament with six points, including a standout three-point performance in a 5-3 win over Team USA. With Finland set to field a weaker roster this season, Nurmi is a near-lock to make the team, with his chances sitting at approximately 90%.
Sweden, Marcus Gidlöf
Islanders 2024 fifth-round pick, Marcus Gidlöf, is a goaltender who currently holds a 1.77 goals against average, a .917 save percentage, and a 4-1-0 record in five Swedish Hockey League games for Leksands IF. The 6-foot-6 goaltender initially flew under the radar among Islanders fans, overshadowed by the team’s depth in netminding talent. However, that is unlikely to remain the case. Although he did not make Sweden’s roster last season, his chances of representing his country this year are strong, with odds estimated around 80%.
Missed the Cut, Jesse Pulkkinen & Quinn Finley
Jesse Pulkkinen, one of the Islanders’ two 2024 second-round picks, narrowly misses the age cutoff for eligibility at the 2025 World Junior Championship by just a few days. In the 2024 tournament, the 6-foot-6 defenseman tallied a goal and two assists across seven games for Finland. Meanwhile, Finley, who misses the age cutoff by over four months, has built on his strong 2024 WJC by dominating the scoresheet for the University of Wisconsin this season. Defenseman Calle Odelius also aged out. He was expected to play for Sweden at the 2024 WJC if not for an injury.
Canada heads into the 2025 WJC as the favorites, looking to rebound from a frustrating fifth-place finish in 2024. A highly anticipated matchup between the United States and Canada is set for New Year’s Eve (Dec. 31) at the Canadian Tire Centre—their first New Year’s Eve clash since 2017, when Canada fell 3-1. The tournament kicks off on Dec. 26, with Sweden facing Slovakia at TD Place.
