How top NHL affiliated prospects fared at the 2026 World Juniors

Another World Juniors is in the book, and heroes – expected and unexpected – were made. 

None were more impressive than Sweden, who played as picture-perfect of a Gold Medal game as possible (for 57 minutes), winning their first since 2012. 

For Sweden, it was a by-committee affair, with six skaters sitting top-20 in scoring and 15 different players scoring a goal. 

The silver medallists, Czechia, pulled off their third straight exhilarating defeat over Canada, driven by the tournament’s MVP, Vojtěch Čihař, and the tournament’s top defenceman, Adam Jiříček.

While Canada suffered another tough loss, they pulled through to win bronze, while Zayne Parekh made history. 

Now, it’s time to take a look how nearly every NHL drafted prospect fared at the tournament. 

Canada

Kashawn Aitcheson, LD, Canada (