World Juniors: The Lowdown On Sweden And Finland's Rosters

With the world juniors set to kick off in Ottawa on Dec. 26, the rosters for every team are starting to get finalized. Sweden and Finland are always competitive, and they’ve been traditional powers at this event for decades now.

Sweden is a gold medal favorite just about every year, and this tournament should be no different, with a very solid roster from top to bottom.

Finland, on the other hand, is back with a roster of similar quality to last year. They may not have the top-end talent to compete with the rest of the powers, but they are always a better team than the sum of their parts.

Let’s look at each roster’s strong points as we look ahead to the world juniors.

Sweden

Otto Stenberg (STL) leads Sweden up front. He was one point back of the team’s scoring lead last year and was second on the team in goals. His high pace, high skill and never-back-down attitude will set the tone for this team. Stenberg can be among the tournament leaders in scoring.

The forward group is quite strong overall, with several players who have made an impact at past international tournaments.

Returnees David Edstrom (NSH), Anton Wahlberg (BUF), Zeb Forsfjall (SEA) and Felix Unger Sorum (CAR) are solid two-way players who could play up and down the lineup. Linus Eriksson (FLA) and Herman Traff (NJD) are among the 2024 NHL draftees looking to provide value.

Viktor Eklund (2025 NHL draft) is the team’s youngest player, and he could be their secret weapon. His up-tempo, relentless game combines high speed and impressive dual-threat offensive ability. Seeing where he fits in will be among the most interesting things to watch for this team.

Related: 2025 NHL Draft Rankings: Ferrari's Pre-World Juniors Top 64

Sweden is strong on the back end, led by Axel Sandin-Pellikka (DET), who was named top defenseman at last year’s tournament. This will be his third World Junior Championship, and he should be one of the best players on any team. His mobility, vision and playmaking will all be assets, but his ability to control the game all over the ice will be the difference-maker.

Tom Willander (VAN) and Theo Lindstein (STL) will help anchor what should be an incredibly strong back end. Axel Hurtig (CGY) and Rasmus Bergqvist (MTL) will be looking to provide some defensive stability as well.

The Swedes are likely to run with Marcus Gidlof (NYI) in net, but they also have Melvin Strahl (CLB) and Melker Thelin (UTA), who are more than capable of stepping in and putting up a good performance or two throughout the tournament. With three 19-year-olds, the Swedes opted to play safe in net.

Finland

The Finns still need to cut at least one player from their roster before the tournament, likely a forward. Their group up front is as strong as it’s been in recent years, led by Konsta Helenius (BUF), who should slot in as their top center. His methodical, tactical approach to the game personifies Finnish hockey, so he is a solid player at the top of their lineup.

Kasper Halttunen (SJS), Emil Hemming (DAL), Jesse Nurmi (NYI) and Tuomas Uronen (VEG) will all look to help bolster the scoring punch for the Finns. But the undrafted Topias Hynninen may be the sneaky additional scorer Finland needs in a tournament like this. His speed and pace will help ramp things up when the team slows down.

The blueline is an interesting group with no real true No. 1 defenseman. Aron Kiviharju (MIN) may assume that role as he has in the past internationally for Finland, but this group will certainly look for pairings with good chemistry and hope they can play their best hockey of the year.

Emil Pieniniemi (PIT), Kalle Kangas (PIT), and Sebastian Soini (MIN) will all likely play big minutes along with Kiviharju. Veeti Vaisanen (UTA) has played big roles on Team Finland, but his play in the WHL has been underwhelming this season.

In net, the Finns left Eemil Vinni (EDM) home, who was often the projected starter for this squad. They went with Petteri Rimpinen (undrafted), Kim Saarinen (SEA) and Noa Vali (undrafted). Rimpinen and Saarinen are the projected tandem, but there will be questions in net for Finland until someone steps up and solidifies the position.

Related: Canada Announces 2025 World Juniors Roster: Reaction, Full List And Cuts

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