Top 20 U-20 Women's Hockey Players In The World

It's an age group that no longer includes the likes of Laila Edwards, Kirsten Simms, and Tessa Janecke, but the depth of women's hockey talent continues to grow not only in North America, but globally.

At this young age, this list will certainly change by the week, so we included a large group of honorable mention players who could easily find their way into this list this season.

Here's a look at the top 20 U-20 players in the world:

1. Chloe Primerano, Canada, 2007 - Entered the NCAA a year early, reigning U-18 World Championship MVP, made her senior national debut with Canada at the Rivalry Series.

2. Nela Lopusanova, Slovakia, 2008 - 2023 U-18 World MVP, and one of the most highly touted players on the planet. Sublimely skilled, and headed to Wisconsin, she's a reason to hope for Slovakia on the world stage.

3. Caitlin Kraemer, Canada, 2006 - When you break all of Marie-Philip Poulin's U-18 records, you get noticed. Having a strong rookie campaign with Minnesota-Duluth, a member of Canada's national development team, Kraemer scores like few can.

4. Joy Dunne, USA, 2005 - Made her World Championship debut as the youngest member of Team USA. A big bodied star who was the NCAA National Rookie of the Year with Ohio State last season.

5. Jocelyn Amos, Canada, 2005 - Captain of Canada's national development team and a standout at Ohio State, Amos might be the closest non-pro forward there is to cracking Canada's senior national team.

6. Hilda Svensson, Sweden, 2005 - She's already demonstrated her ability to score against the best with Sweden at multiple World Championship tournaments, and she's been a star in the SDHL. Svensson is headed to Ohio State where she's only going to get better.

7. Emmalee Pais, Canada, 2005 - Like Amos, the Colgate star is close to Canada's senior national team. She's a complete player who threatens in many ways, and is only getting better.

8. Adela Sapovalivova, Czechia, 2005 - One of the slipperiest players on the planet, Sapovalivova is one of Czechia's top players, has been a top line threat in the SDHL, and is headed to Wisconsin. She is dynamic with the puck.

9. Mira Jungaker, Sweden, 2005 - Consistently one of Sweden's top defenders even as a teenager. Suffered a season ending injury with Ohio State, a setback no one wanted to see.

10. Claire Murdoch, Canada, 2006 - An intelligent playmakers who drives control for Canada, Murdoch's on-ice IQ makes her special. Plays in the NCAA with Connecticut.

11. Sanni Vanhanen, Finland, 2005 - If anything, Finland's push to rush Vanhanen into senior national duty several seasons ago held her back. She needed time to thrive, which she's finally finding now in the SDHL. Playing against peers at Ohio State should elevate her play and be a major boost for Finland's program.

12. Maggie Scannell, USA, 2006 - She's big and talented. Undervalued in the pecking order of USA's national team, Scannell looks like a future cornerstone for USA on the world stage. Currently thriving as a rookie with Wisconsin.

13. Mackenzie Alexander, Canada, 2006 - One of the NCAA's top scoring rookies at Princeton, Alexander is a constant offensive threat. While others have advanced in front of her, Alexander is proving every game she is one of the bright talents in Canada's future.

14. Cassie Hall, USA, 2005 - Having a breakout season at Wisconsin, she'll take on a bigger role each year as more of the program's veterans move on. Cracked USA's national development roster this season, Hall sees the ice well, and is only getting better.

15. Emma Venusio, Canada, 2006 - A rookie fro Wisconsin, few shoot the puck in the game like Venusio. She has a cannon, and also uses that asset to thread crisp passes through zones progressing the puck. When the puck is on her stick, there's little to worry about with Venusio. She'll be on Canada's senior national blueliner soon.

16. Ava Murphy, Canada, 2005 - Murphy has been rock solid for Wisconsin and Canada's U-18 team winning a pair of goal and a national title already. Murphy is one of the game's best young

17. Jordyn Petrie, USA, 2006 - Petrie is off to a fantastic start in the NCAA with Ohio State. A gold medalist at the U-18 Worlds scoring more than a point per game in 2024, Petrie's trajectory is getting higher each game.

18. Tereza Plosova, Czechia, 2006 - A good skater, Plosova is becoming more noticeable on the international stage with Czechia, and will soon step into a much bigger role. She uses her size and reach to her advantage on both sides of the puck.

19. Ebba Hedqvist, Sweden, 2006 - When it comes to a 200-ft impact, Hedqvist is relentless on the puck. She has a high motor and still could come to North America to the NCAA which would elevate her game beyond the strides she continues to take with MoDo.

20. Adrianna Milani, Canada/USA, 2009 - There needs to be one member of the next generation on this list. Canada should be sweating over their restrictions on young players. Instead of representing Canada this summer, Milani did the only thing possible and played for USA. She's slick with the puck, skates well, and can produce as she's shown with the Etobicoke Dolphins sitting near the top of OWHL scoring as one of the younger players in the league.

Honorable Mention

Sammy Taber, Avery Pickering, Alex Law, Jordan Baxter, Ema Tothova, Ivana Wey, Molly Jordan, Jenna Raunio, Annelies Bergmann, Hannah Clark, Alexia Aubin, Julia Schalin, Ava Lindsay, Gabrielle Kim, Josie St. Martin, Alessia Baechler, Piper Grober, Grace Outwater, Kahlen Lamarche, Eloise Caron, Angelina DiGirolamo, Keira Hurry, Makayla Watson, Gracie Graham, Finley McCarthy, Tereza Pistekova, Mira Hallin, Rhyah Stewart, Malgorzata Zakrzewska.