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MONTREAL – Four Canadiens prospects will play in the 2024 IIHF World Junior Championship, which gets underway on Tuesday in Gothenburg, Sweden.

Owen Beck will be looking for his second gold medal with Team Canada in his second stint at the tournament. Last year, fellow Habs prospect Joshua Roy, who has now surpassed the age limit, set the stage for Dylan Guenther’s overtime winner against Czechia, which sent Halifax’s Scotiabank Centre into a frenzy.

Currently the top scorer on the OHL’s Peterborough Petes, Beck leads his squad with 16 goals in 25 games so far in 2023-24. The Canadian contingent takes on Finland on the first day of the tournament, on December 26 starting at 8:30 a.m. ET.

There are two Habs prospects to keep an eye on with Team USA. Defenseman Lane Hutson will play in his second World Juniors tournament after earning bronze with the Americans in 2023. At just 19 years old, the blue-liner can serve as a mentor for some of his teammates – especially since he was named an alternate captain for our southern neighbors for the 2024 edition of the tournament.

The NCAA’s Boston University Terriers defenseman continues to provide a strong offensive contribution while defending the blue line this season. In 15 games, Hutson has 20 points (8G, 12A), which ranks him second on his team. Last year, his exceptional campaign earned him a bevy of honors, being named Hockey East rookie of the year, as well as winning the Walter Brown Trophy and being nominated for the Hobey Baker Award, among others.

For his part, Jacob Fowler booked his first ticket to the tournament. The 19-year-old goalie is in his first year of American collegiate hockey, where, at time of writing, he had the best winning percentage of NCAA goalies at .794, having won 13 of his 17 games. Last year, the Canadiens’ 69th pick overall at the 2023 Draft wrapped up his second and final season in the USHL with a .921 save percentage in 40 games.

Hutson and Fowler will put their university rivalry aside and will join forces for the World Juniors. The two Canadiens hopefuls and their teammates on Team USA will be in action for the first time on December 26 at 11:00 a.m. ET against Norway.

Lastly, Filip Mesar also earned a spot on his country’s roster and will represent Slovakia for a second straight year at the annual event. Named OHL player of the month for November, the 19-year-old winger has had an excellent start to the season with the Kitchener Rangers, collecting 32 points (13G, 19A) in just 20 games. The last time Mesar played in the WJC, he picked up six points in five games. Slovakia’s first game is the first one of the tournament, on December 26 at 6:00 a.m. ET against Czechia.

Schedule for our prospects

Owen Beck and Team Canada:

Lane Hutson, Jacob Fowler, and Team USA:

Filip Mesar and Team Slovakia:

For the full tournament schedule, click here.

Cover photo credit: Andrea Leigh Cardin/IIHF