Top 2025, 2026 NHL Prospects on display at U-17 World Hockey Challenge

Credit: Brandon Soto/OHL Images

It’s tournament season, baby.

The 2023 U-17 World Hockey Challenge is set to begin on Thursday, with some of the best 15- and 16-year-olds across the hockey landscape battling it out in Prince Edward Island for more than a week. It’s part of the IIHF’s international break which will see notable junior and senior level tournaments worldwide.

The event features a who’s who of hockey each fall. Notable tournament alumni include Jack Hughes, Alex Ovechkin, Ilya Kovalchuk, Cole Caufield, John Tavares, Clayton Keller, Jonathan Toews, Thatcher Demko, Jake Oettinger and, of course, Connor McDavid.

Seriously, it’s must-watch hockey for the diehards.

This year, Canada will bring just two teams: Canada Red and White. They usually bring a third, Canada Black, but decided to consolidate and push for a better chance at gold. USA Hockey will bring its U-17 National Team Development Program that plays together all year long and should factor into the title hunt big time. The rest of the field will be made up of Finland, Sweden and Czechia, all of whom have played tournaments already this year with similar rosters.

The United States sailed to an easy tournament win last year off the heels of record-breaking performances from James Hagens and Cole Eiserman. But who’ll be this year’s top players to watch from Nov. 2-11?

2025

Matthew Schaefer, LHD (Canada Red)

While his rookie season has had its challenges, Schaefer is always up for it. Drafted first overall by the Erie Otters last spring, the 6-foot-1 defender is an incredible skater and is always actively engaged at both ends of the ice. Offensively, Schaefer has real potential, but he’s also positionally sound and aggressive in his own zone.

Brady Martin, C (Canada Red)

An injury has limited Martin’s playing time so far with the Soo Greyhounds, but he has looked solid already. The six-foot centerman built a reputation of getting things done with the Waterloo Wolves the past two years, putting up incredible numbers while having the ability to take a game over. The smart, two-way forward has a tremendous release and isn’t afraid to let it fly.

Cole Reschny, C (Canada Red)

Reschny has been one of the most impressive rookies in the CHL, moving about at a near point-per-game pace throughout the season. A stout playmaker, Reschny has quick feet, an active motor and is great at getting himself in spots to pickup rebounds. He’s small at 5-foot-9 and that often leads to bigger defenders drawing to him, but Reschny is smart enough to get him out of trouble often.

Caleb Desnoyers, C (Canada White)

Already playing at a point-per-game pace, Desnoyers is one of the more exciting prospects out of the QMJHL for 2025. The budding Moncton Wildcats star was a standout at the Canada Winter Games earlier this year, building upon an impressive U-18 AAA season in Quebec. Taken first overall in 2023 QMJHL Draft, he thinks the game at a quick pace and has the size to handle the everyday grind that major junior throws at him. Canada Red has the higher-profile 2025 prospects, but Desnoyers is must-watch viewing on White.

William Moore, C (USA)

The season hasn’t been kind to the USNTDP’s top forwards, but Moore has the makings of a top-six forward in the NHL one day. The 6-foot-2 center is a tremendous playmaker with good hockey sense, allowing him to think quickly and set his teammates up on the rush. Moore was in consideration for OHL exceptional status in 2022, with his teammate, Michael Misa, instead getting it and leaving Moore behind to put up two points a game in the GTHL. There’s a good chance Moore explodes offensively at this event.

Charlie Trethewey, RHD (USA)

One of the tournament’s premier two-way defenders, Trethewey has led the U-17 USTNDP squad in scoring nearly from the get-go. Given his 20-goal, 86-point run with the prestigious Little Caesars U-16 team last year, Trehewey’s instant success doesn’t come as a surprise. He’s been consistently dangerous, even when the team has struggled against USHL competition.

Adam Benák, C (Czechia)

Benák was a standout at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup, tying for the tournament lead with 10 points in five games. The skilled playmaker has already seen time with HC Plzen’s men’s team in the top Czech league and has proven time and time again he can dominate older competition. That includes last year at this tournament when he was a point-per-game scorer at just 15. He’s the future of Czech hockey, as long as he can outgrow his 5-foot-7 frame.

Max Westergård, LW (Finland)

Any time Finland’s U-16 team hit the ice last year, Westergård found ways to generate offense. He led the team with 11 points in 12 games and hasn’t stopped with four goals in just three U-17 contests this year. What stands out is how well he plays in front of the net and how he battles for pucks, giving him a trajectory as a power forward.

Filip Ekberg, LW (Sweden)

Ekberg took the Swedish hockey world by storm when he scored a hat-trick in his pro hockey debut with Almtuna in the Allsvenskan last year. He hadn’t even turned 16 yet, and he had a three-goal night in the second best league in Sweden. While he hasn’t had the same success this year, he’s still putting up solid numbers at the U-20 level, picking up where he left off last year. A standout every time he’s worn the Tre Kronor, Ekberg is small at 5-foot-9, but the skill’s there.

Anton Frondell, RW (Sweden)

Frondell has been fascinating to watch at the Swedish U-20 level, putting up about 1.6 points per game. There’s not much for him to gain at the U-18 level, amassing 10 points in his first four games. Frondell has points in every game since getting called back to Djurgardens’ U-20 team in October, so hopefully he’ll keep the hot streak alive.

Other notables: Cullen Potter, C (USA), Jack Ivankovic, G (Canada White), LJ Mooney, C (USA), Aapo Vanninen, C (Finland), Will Sharpe, LHD (Canada White)

2026

Gavin McKenna, C (Canada Red)

If you don’t know Gavin McKenna’s name now, you will soon. The 15-year-old phenom already looks to be the top prospect for the 2026 NHL Draft, but it feels like we’ve been hearing about his name for a while now. That’s partly due to his cousin being Connor Bedard, but McKenna followed in No. 98’s footsteps by becoming the first overall pick in the 2022 WHL Draft. The Medicine Hat Tigers standout is on pace for 97 points, which would be three points behind what Bedard did during his 16-year-old season. That alone would put McKenna in elite territory, and we’re still early in the season. McKenna obliterated the Canada Winter Games single-season record when he scored 16 goals and 31 points with Team Yukon in 2023, which really showed how dominant he can be. Expect him to be one of the top scorers here.

Ryan Roobroeck, C (Canada Red)

Already 6-foot-2 and 185 pounds, Roobroeck applied for exceptional status into the OHL in 2022 but was denied. So, Roobroeck answered back by leading the Alliance with 50 goals and 78 points in just 30 games for the best output in over a decade – even more than Nick Suzuki or Travis Konecny. He also won the Canada Winter Games with Ontario and skated in some Junior B games with the London Nationals. Now playing with Niagara, it’s good to see him thriving early.

William Håkansson, LHD (Sweden)

Håkansson is turning heads for his physical play this year. He stands tall at 6-foot-4, and he just turned 16. He’s no stranger to playing on the edge, having been ejected from two U-18 league games already. Håkansson even bullies players 2-3 years old than him in the U-20 league. And to think, it’s his first year playing defense after putting up some tremendous numbers at the U-16 level as a forward last year. There’s still a bit of honing he needs to do, but Håkansson is a fascinating prospect.

Adam Novotný, LW (Czechia)

A 6-foot-1 forward with speed, Novotný is drawing a lot of attention in Czech hockey circles. He already has a goal against pros while also putting up a point-per-game in the Czech U-20 league. Add in some impressive U-17 games earlier in the season and you’re watching a player with the potential to really make some noise at a level like this.

Ivar Stenberg, C (Sweden)

At 5-foot-9, Stenberg is on the smaller side. But the younger brother of St. Louis Blues prospect Otto Stenberg packs so much into his game, putting up some of the best numbers in Swedish U-18 action. The Frolunda product has produced at every level and his creativity shines through often. He’ll need to add some muscle if he’s going to be an NHLer, but at this level, he’ll be fine.

Other notables: Joonas Rajala, LW (Finland), Carter Amico, D (USA), Peyton Kettles, D (Canada Red), Andrew O’Neill, C (USA), Viktor Klingswell, LW (Sweden)

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