Yahoo Sports Coast To Coast To Coast: A Geographic Breakdown Of Team Canada's 2025 WJC Roster
Photo by Luke Durda/OHL Images
It’s no secret that Canada loves hometown hockey.
Each year, the World Junior Championship is an exciting opportunity for Canadians to root for players from their province. The roster represents the depth of hockey in Canada, with players coming from all over to represent their country.
But Canada’s talent and steep competition means not every province can earn representation. Let’s look at the geographical breakdown of this year's team as it prepares to take the ice in the nation’s capital, Ottawa, from Dec. 26 to Jan. 5, 2025.
Ontario: 14 Players
It’s no surprise that Ontario makes up the bulk of this year’s roster, considering that's usually the case.
But a dominance this prominent has not been seen in recent years, with the boys from Ontario accounting for 56 percent of the team’s players. The province with the second-most players, in stark contrast, accounts for just four players (16 percent).
Among the Ontarians are returnees Oliver Bonk, Easton Cowan and Carson Rehkopf, who will seek redemption after the team’s fifth-place finish in Sweden last year. Also notable is Calum Ritchie, who will serve as an alternate captain at his first time at the tournament.
The 14 Ontarians are:
- Jett Luchanko (London, Ont./13th overall in 2024)
- Luca Pinelli (Stoney Creek, Ont./114th overall in 2023)
- Carson Rehkopf (Vaughan, Ont./50th overall in 2023)
- Calum Ritchie (Oakville, Ont./27th overall in 2023)- Porter Martone (Peterborough, Ont./2025 draft eligible)- Cole Beaudoin (Kanata, Ont./24th overall in 2024)- Easton Cowan (Mount Brydges, Ont./28th overall in 2023)- Andrew Gibson (LaSalle, Ont./42nd overall in 2023)- Sam Dickinson (Toronto, Ont./11th overall in 2024)- Oliver Bonk (Ottawa, Ont./22nd overall in 2023)- Beau Akey (Waterloo, Ont./56th overall, 2023)- Matthew Schaefer (Hamilton, Ont./2025 draft eligible)- Jack Ivankovic (Mississauga, Ont./2025 draft eligible) - Carter George (Thunder Bay, Ont./57th overall in 2024)
Related: Canada Announces 2025 World Juniors Roster: Reaction, Full List And Cuts
Prairies: 5 Players
Saskatchewan, which produces the most NHL players per capita of any province, is represented by a solid group of four players.
Among them is Brayden Yager, the 14th overall pick in 2023, who hails from Saskatoon. Yager will captain the squad this year after being the lone Saskatchewan-born player on last year's roster.
Also from Saskatoon are Berkly Catton (eighth overall, 2024) and Caden Price (84th overall, 2023).
The No. 46 overall pick in the 2024 NHL draft, Tanner Howe, from Prince Albert, rounds out the province’s representation. With Saskatchewanian NHL players becoming harder to find, this is a good sign for hockey in the nation's “breadbasket.”
Manitoba is represented by a sole goaltender, Carson Bjarnason of the WHL’s Brandon Wheat Kings. Originally from Carberry, Man., the 19-year-old Bjarnason was drafted 51st overall by the Philadelphia Flyers in the 2023 NHL draft. He’s one of three rostered goalies looking to make his mark between the pipes.
Alberta representation is notably absent from this year’s roster. With goaltender Scott Ratzlaff released from camp and defenseman Harrison Brunicke unable to attend, no Albertans made the final cut.
Hockey Canada sent its first truly national team to the WJC tournament in 1982 (prior to that, the teams were that year’s Memorial Cup champions or all-stars), and there has been at least one Albertan player on the team each year ever since. The 2011 roster did not have any Alberta-born players, but Dylan Olsen's hometown is Calgary despite being born in Salt Lake City.
This year marks the first time Albertans have not been on the country’s WJC roster since the country stopped sending the Memorial Cup winners.
Related: Number of Saskatchewan-Born NHL Players Drops Despite High Per-Capita Rate
British Columbia: 2 players
Tanner Molendyk (McBride, B.C.) and Sawyer Mynio (Kamloops, B.C.) represent the West Coast.
Competing in the tournament for the second time, Molendyk, the No. 24 overall pick in 2023, rounds out the leadership group, serving as an alternate captain. Mynio was selected 89th overall in 2023, making him the lowest-drafted defenseman on this year’s roster.
Quebec: 2 players
La belle province is represented by Mathieu Cataford, the No. 77 overall pick in 2023, of Saint-Constant, Que., and Ethan Gauthier, the No. 37 overall pick in 2023, who was born in Phoenix, Ariz., but was raised in Drummondville, Que.
Cataford leads his current team, the Rimouski Oceanic, in scoring so far this season. Gauthier, who led Canada in goals at the 2022 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, will look to make his mark on the international stage once again.
Atlantic Provinces: 1 player
Bradly Nadeau of Saint-Francois-de-Madawa, N.B., is the lone rep from the Maritimes this year. The No. 30 overall draft pick in 2023 is the only player on Canada’s world juniors roster who’s still skating in a pro league this year, suiting up for the AHL’s Chicago Wolves.
North: 1 player
Representing the territories – and a leading candidate to go No. 1 overall in the 2026 NHL draft – is 16-year-old Gavin McKenna.
Hailing from Whitehorse, Yukon, McKenna becomes the eighth 16-year-old to be named to Canada’s WJC roster. He joins some pretty elite company in Wayne Gretzky (1978), Eric Lindros (1989), Jason Spezza (2000), Jay Bouwmeester (2000), Sidney Crosby (2004), Connor McDavid (2014) and Connor Bedard (2022). He’ll also become just the second Yukon-born player to play in the tournament, after fellow Whitehorsian Dylan Cozens (2020).
Leading the WHL in points at the time he departed for selection camp, McKenna is definitely one to keep an eye on as the tournament progresses.
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