Alexis Joseph, Maddox Schultz headline standouts from the 2025 World U-17 Hockey Challenge

TRURO, Nova Scotia — In the scouting world, it’s never too early to start forecasting ahead. 

This is why the World U-17 Hockey Challenge is a major event for us here at Elite Prospects, a welcome diversion from focusing on draft-year prospects around the world. It gives us an opportunity to step away from our regularly scheduled 2026 NHL Draft coverage and look further into the future, to 2027 and even 2028.

With no IIHF-led event at the under-17 level, this is why we see a smattering of international events for players typically in their draft-minus-one season, as they generally begin their junior hockey careers and have their first chances to pitch their cases for an NHL draft selection two or three years out from the decision. 

The Hockey Canada-organized tournament has been and currently is the sole international event for this age group of Canadians, attracting attention for those who want to buy in early on the often-Canadian next big thing. The tournament is highly attended by NHL scouts and hockey media, with the medal games regularly being broadcasted nationally in Canada.

The 2025 edition of this event hosted no shortage of exciting future talent. Three of the four top prospects designated at the time as ‘top prospects’ on Elite Prospects’ Draft Centers for the 2027 and 2028 NHL Drafts played. All three of those players would go on to make their first big splashes last week, meriting trending status on the Elite Prospects homepage all week long as the hockey world began to learn their names.

The last time the U17 World Challenge was held in Nova Scotia (2014), it looked completely different — a 10-team tournament featuring five regional Canadian teams, running concurrent with the IIHF's World Junior Championship in December and January. Back then, it was future NHL superstars like Mitch Marner, Auston Matthews, and Matthew Tkachuk putting the East Coast province on notice. 

It will be another lengthy waiting game for the local crowd to understand the scope of what they’d just witnessed, but we here at Elite Prospects believe it’s never too early to start projecting the NHL careers of whoever’s up next. It’s a marathon, not a sprint, until the 2027 and 2028 NHL Drafts, but these are some of the players who came out of the gate running.

Alexis Joseph, C, Canada Red U17/Saint John Sea Dogs (QMJHL), 2027 NHL Draft

To little surprise, Landon Dupont’s closest contender for first overall in 2027 was the buzz-generator last week. The stage of the 2025 U17 World Challenge was all but made for Alexis Joseph to be one of its stars, and he delivered. 

The first overall pick in last June's QMJHL Draft, Joseph's 10 points with Saint John coming into the tournament led all 2009-born skaters in the league. He followed it up with 11 points this tournament, second in total points (third in points-per-game), and a three-way tie for most goals with six.

In his first game, he immediately made an impact with a hat trick. It was the perfect snapshot of Joseph at his best, and he looked like a future NHL star. All elevated by high-end skating among his peers, Joseph’s silky puckhandling, shooting finesse, positional sense, and forechecking when aggregated together make an interesting prospect with a skillset that would stand out in any draft year as a slam-dunk impact NHL player. 

His sense on the playmaking side of the puck didn’t come as naturally as his goal-scoring orientation, but his profile thus far is incredibly exciting. It doesn’t make sense for a 6-foot-5, 200-pound centre to be such a good skater — and we’re talking mobility, not just pace; although he has that, too. 

Though his pace was sometimes inconsistent, at his best, it's high-end — and it looks almost inhuman to see the biggest guy on the ice zipping around faster than anyone else. Joseph's skating already grades out at NHL-calibre, and he has ample time to further develop his abilities, which only strengthens his case as a unicorn-type prospect.

At this age, there are cautionary tales aplenty of falling in love with players who are physically ahead of their peers, but Joseph’s advantages are hardly created from bullying late-bloomers around the ice. His hits were effective without being bone-breaking, and his puck protection continued to match up well against opponents closer to his weight class. 

His size is still currently an advantage at his age and especially at this tournament’s U17 level, and it’ll no doubt be underlined and highlighted by scouts within the NHL and the media alike as June 2027 approaches, but consider it extra credit rather than the crux of his success thus far. It’s still a long road out, but Joseph’s projectable skills are very easy to envision thriving in the NHL.

Maddox Schultz, F, Canada White U17/Regina Pats (WHL), 2028 NHL Draft

One of three 2010-born players invited and the youngest player in the tournament, Maddox Schultz was yet another early-buzz name at this tournament. He recorded nine points in five games, including a tournament-leading six goals (tied with Joseph and Sweden’s Loui Karlsson) and a hat trick in Canada White’s first game. 

In his first international tournament, Schultz played with pace and considerable sandpaper. Executing frequent end-to-end plays with his speed through the zones, strength on the puck, and goal-scoring habits. He was more of a triggerman than a pure creator on the cycle or multi-man rushes, capitalizing on his chemistry with and the high-end playmaking abilities of Regina Pats teammate and fellow underager Liam Pue on two-on-ones and occupying the right spots in the slot to catch passes and get instant shots off. 

At 5-foot-10 and 180 pounds, his strength that enables him to be physical and incorporate some off-puck details into his game anchored on goal-scoring sensibilities projects to be an enduring quality of his game.

The 2028 NHL Draft is over two and a half years away and a lot will change, but Schultz gets a high grade on his first main-stage performance as an underager. It’s hard to wholly understand where he stands among the 2010-born class when his peers out east are still waiting to be drafted into the OHL and the QMJHL, and when there’s so much growth and developmental runway for players this young, regardless of location, but Schultz continues to push for top consideration and prove that he’s worth the hype.

Liam Pue, F, Canada White U17/Regina Pats (WHL), 2028 NHL Draft

Mention one, you have to mention the other. But don’t mistake Liam Pue for a mere sidekick. The third overall WHL pick (and Schultz’s teammate) is an odds-on star-in-the-making himself. With eight points in five games, he finished tied for sixth in tournament scoring and in second place for Canada White, one point behind Schultz. 

He exploded for five points in his team’s first game, the highest single-game point total of the tournament. He recorded the primary assists on four of Schultz’s six goals and scored four of his own, including the overtime winner to send Canada White to the gold medal game in an 8-7 barn-burner against the high-flying Americans.

Pue flashed his high-end playmaking identity at this tournament while still scoring his fair share of goals. His elite scoring chances far surpassed his counting stats, a positive premonition as seen in his WHL game reports thus far. We expect that his production will come, much as it did in this tournament, where he was at the front of the pack. 

However, Pue's game is compelling enough with modest numbers. His puck control and manipulation is truly something special, something we’ll be watching for development up to a high-end grade once the 2028 NHL Draft Guide rolls around. He was deceiving opponents left and right throughout the zones, and no play stood out more than his shift in overtime against the USA — and no, not the one where he scored.

Going end-to-end outnumbered three-to-one, he evaded Diego Gutierrez’s sweeping stick and Nolan Fitzhenry’s hook from behind on the zone entry. Pue then tucked his stick in to squeeze the puck just past Kane Barch’s body and skates, before throwing a five-hole shot just too high on USA goaltender Nathaniel Chizik. It was a straight-line entry with the goalie remaining in position, but the spirit of the goal was there. 

The following shift, Pue would score the overtime winner with Schultz in tow on a two-on-one, scoring on his own rebound after stating post-game that Schultz “looked at [Pue] like he wanted [Pue] to take the shot.”

Pue also displayed some two-way flashes throughout the tournament, being just as present in the neutral and defensive zones when not rushing the puck. He used his hockey sense not just to create chances but to also prevent them the other way, playing down low in the defensive zone and effectively halting opponents’ zone entries in the neutral zone. With high-end offensive sense and playmaking potential, it’s details like this that will make him into a can’t-miss prospect in the near future.

With their first appearance on the national stage representing Canada, the Schultz-versus-Pue debate continues to heat up, as two elite prospects who play quite different styles. And while they will remain exciting prospects whose paths are already inextricably linked, Pue is rightfully getting a more even share of the attention with his performance last week. It’s a long way to go until June 2028, but Pue shows all the early signs of future success at the NHL level.

Carter Meyer, C, USA U17/U.S. National U17 Team (NTDP), 2027 NHL Draft

Carter Meyer refused to be held pointless through his four games. His 10 points at the tournament were highlighted by a four-point performance in USA’s 6-5 shootout defeat of Canada Red, arguably the most entertaining game of the tournament. Beyond his four goals and six assists, he was a continuous scoring threat, dominating the offensive zone in his top-line minutes.

At this point of his development, Meyer does it all. He's a highly adaptive player who can play up to whatever tone is set. In this tournament, he most notably flashed puck skills, high off-puck awareness, and compete level. The on-puck awareness was inconsistent in some plays, but rarely so when it came to crucial offensive-zone creation opportunities. 

Through experiential learning, we’ve learned that vision and creativity outweighs decision-making, regarding how it’s viewed at the major junior level. Throwing no-look passes high in the zone is something to write down, sure, but it’s no eternal damnation. When Meyer was making these risky plays, he looked like the many NTDP forwards of the past who played with finesse and a try-everything attitude — many who were successful in adjusting to tighter competition, identifying their natural strengths to leverage and being more mindful about play selection at the pro level.

Meyer’s description of play at the moment is very general, but he’s a competitive offence-on-all-cylinders player who checks practically every box of what you would want from a prospect this far out from his NHL Draft year. 

Brock Cripps, D, Canada Red U17/Prince Albert Raiders (WHL), 2027 NHL Draft

Quickly gaining attention with his full-time arrival in the WHL, Brock Cripps was named the best Canadian defenceman of the tournament. He was as reliable as they come, plus he notched six points in Canada Red’s five games. 

He looked comfortable on every inch of the ice, killing plays at the blue line and drawing penalties with his offensive activations. His scanning habits and reads made him extremely effective in all of these situations and enhanced all of his tools, making him a dominant player in the plentiful minutes he spent on the ice. He both handled and dished out persistent defensive pressure, possessing the puck skills to work around them as a cycle initiator and the high-end skating to gap up aggressively on a zone entry and chase puck carriers through their best attempts at deception.

Playing the point on Canada Red’s marquee first power play unit with Joseph and honourable mention standout Charlie Murata, that’s where he got his only goal of the tournament, tying the game in Canada Red’s comeback from a 4-1 deficit against the USA with the vulnerability of a wide-open centre lane amidst Canada Red’s high-pace passing around the zone, taking his chance to rip a shot from the blue line. 

His two-way skill primes him for these effects on the power play and spills over into his 5-on-5 impacts, making him one of the most dynamic defenders in the 2027 class. Maybe he’s not Dupont, but Cripps looks like he won’t be far behind next season.

Adam Němec, LW, Czechia U17/Bílí Tygři Liberec U20 (Czechia U20), 2027 NHL Draft

We interrupt our 2026 NHL Draft coverage of Adam Nemec to bring you 2027 NHL Draft coverage of Adam Němec, not to be confused with the Slovakian forward and younger brother of New Jersey Devils second-overall pick Simon. The Czech Adam Němec, born in 2009, was perhaps this tournament’s most consistent dangerous scoring threat. 

With the runaway speed and acceleration to turn any neutral-zone possession change into a breakaway and the shooting ability to finish on-net, Nemec's two-goal effort in the Czechs’ opening game handed a massive upset to Canada White, with Czechia winning that game by a score of 3-2 and therefore cementing Němec as the difference-maker.

Although Němec would not score in the remaining three games, as the Czechs managed only four more goals en route to a fourth-place finish, the young sniper consistently drove offence and pushed games to keep his team in these three losses. When he wasn’t finessing breakaways, he also showed some two-way promise; forechecking closely and capitalizing on the smallest of defensive errors, often in pursuit of his high-energy scoring chances. 

While plenty of his rushes were generated from waiting patiently for the two-line pass, Nemec later showed that when games got tighter, he could do the dirty work of gaining possession himself. The combination of his shot and puckhandling around traffic made him reliable to get a good scoring chance out of any rush circumstance. A natural play-driver, Němec will be an interesting player to watch develop these next two seasons.

Luca Santala, C, Finland U17/Kiekko-Espoo U20 (U20 SM-sarja), 2027 NHL Draft

Already earmarked in Elite Prospects’ 2027 NHL Draft Center as an ‘other notable prospect,’ Luca Santala asserted his place on that list with five points across Finland’s four games, leading the team’s forward corps. 

His offensive performance last season in the Finnish U18 league as a 15-year-old put Finnish prospect-watchers on notice, and his performance last week is no doubt provoking intrigue for the 2026 CHL Import Draft and 2027 NHL Draft alike. 

Offence-driven in every way, he was smart both on and off the puck, absorbing contact in stride and mapping out his teammates’ offensive plays to get himself in the right places at the right times. Although he wasn’t the one to score the overtime winner in Finland’s comeback win against Sweden in the fifth-place game, this was the best microcosm of that last quality in particular — positioning himself in the interior, drawing up tic-tac-goal schemes with one-timers and passes from behind the net. 

The way he played in this tournament made it difficult to judge his ability to work through unstructured, high-pace play, but consider Santala a player to watch as we approach 2027.

Douglas Johnsson, D, Sweden U17/Skellefteå AIK U18 (U18 Region), 2027 NHL Draft

On a struggling Swedish team, defence was much needed, and Douglas Johnsson was right there as one of the best defencemen on any team in this tournament. He was an effective play-killer and directly saved some Swedish goals against, displaying strong defensive instincts in tandem with some willingness to activate offensively. 

A lack of footspeed cut into some of this all-around efficacy, from defending rushes to entering the offensive zone with the puck, but some physical engagement and greater leverage of mobility could make up for middling pace. Throughout the tournament, he figured out how to do some of this, more frequently forcing rushers to the wall and incorporating deception in his skating mechanics while surveying the offensive zone with the puck. 

A reliable all-situations defender, Johnsson is an intriguing defensive prospect to watch thus far removed from June 2027.

Honourable mentions: Charlie Murata (F, Canada Red U17/Flint Firebirds, 2027 NHL Draft), Kayden Stroeder (F, Canada White U17/Edmonton Oil Kings, 2027 NHL Draft), Diego Gutierrez (D, USA U17/U.S. National U17 Team, 2027 NHL Draft), Brayden Willis (F, USA U17/U.S. National U17 Team, 2028 NHL Draft), Dominick Byrtus (D, Czechia U17/HC Oceláři Třinec U20, 2027 NHL Draft), Vaclav Osvald (G, Czechia U17/HC Dynamo Pardubice U17, 2027 NHL Draft), Lenni Kokkonen (D, Finland U17/Kärpät U20, 2027 NHL Draft), Roni Kuukasjärvi (D, Finland U17/Ilves U20, 2027 NHL Draft), Loui Karlsson (F, Sweden U17/Leksands IF U18, 2027 NHL Draft), Milan Sundström (C, Sweden U17/MoDo Hockey U18, 2027 NHL Draft)