The World Juniors rosters are finally set for every country. Here’s a quick look at every Utah Hockey Club prospect participating.
Remember that this is a U20 tournament, meaning the majority of the players involved do not currently play in the NHL. That being said, most of the NHL’s current stars have played in the World Juniors — and some have even made names for themselves by doing so.
THE GOLDEN GOAL BY DYLAN GUENTHER! 🥇#WorldJuniors pic.twitter.com/VbbZQfTOV4
“CoBo” was Utah HC’s second-ever draft pick. They traded up near the end of the first round to secure the 24th overall pick, which they used to select Beaudoin.
Beaudoin has turned a lot of heads since then. He has become known for his workhorse mentality, which has turned him into a bulldog on the ice. He’s not afraid to play in the corners and he drives to the net as well as anyone.
It earned him a spot in the top group at Utah’s training camp in the fall and it has translated into a successful draft-plus-one year. He currently has 13 goals and 29 points with the OHL’s Barrie Colts.
“Coming back from an NHL camp, I think that really helped me just have confidence in myself and just try to help the young guys out,” he told the Deseret News over the phone in mid-November.
Beaudoin takes pride in being the type of player his coach can trust in any situation.
Michael Hrabal was the second goaltender taken in the 2023 draft. He’s a 6-foot-6 behemoth and he’s only 19 years old.
The World Juniors will not be a new experience for Hrabal, though he hopes this one will go better for him than the last one did. He played seven games in the tournament last year and posted an .877 save percentage and a 3.40 goals-against average en route to a fourth-place finish.
Hrabal plays NCAA hockey at the University of Massachussets-Amherst, where his numbers have improved since last season. It’s still far too early to tell what the future has in store for him, but he has the tools to become something great.
Joining Hrabal on Team Czechia will be Vojtech Hradec, whom Utah selected in the sixth round of the most recent draft. Hradec is a 6-foot-4 center who, like Beaudoin, is effective in front of the net.
Hradec plays for BK Mladá Boleslav in the Czech Extraliga, the top tier of professional hockey in Czechia. Fun fact: Arizona Coyotes legend Radim Vrbata is heavily involved in the team. He has been a minority owner and a manager there, and is now an assistant coach for the team’s U15 program.
Hradec led the U20 Five Nations tournament in scoring with five goals and 10 points in four games. In total 11 international games, he’s scored six goals and 17 points. In 20 Extraliga games, he has two goals and seven points.
He hopes to continue his international success at the World Juniors.
With this goal, #UtahHC Vojtěch Hradec now has 10 points (5G, 5A) in 4 games at the U20 Five Nations tournament. pic.twitter.com/BE0aKzNGHR
Utah HC defense prospect Veeti Väisänen will represent Finland, just like current Utah defensemen Olli Määttä and Juuso Välimäki will at the 4 Nations Face-Off in February. Väisänen was Utah’s second third-round selection in the 2024 draft.
He currently plays for the Medicine Hat Tigers of the WHL. He’s a defensive defenseman, but he has also chipped in nine points in 29 games.
Hrabal is not the only goaltender Utah is sending to the World Juniors this year. Melker Thelin will play for Sweden.
Like Hrabal, this is Thelin’s second time participating in the tournament. He played two games last year, posting a .909 save percentage, a 1.92 goals-against average and a record of 1-1-0.
Thelin plays for IF Björklöven in Allsvenskan, the second tier of Swedish professional hockey. His record is nearly impeccable through his 11 games this season: 9-2-0.
Keep in mind that in that league, you play against fully grown men. They tend to shoot a lot harder than the teenagers and young adults prospects face in Canadian major junior or American college hockey.
Melker Thelin matchhjälte för Björklöven i sin första start för säsongen🔥 pic.twitter.com/xcSlmLxLvF
NHL Network will be the exclusive host of the World Juniors in the United States. The games start on Dec. 26 and will be played in Ottawa, Ontario.
For the full schedule, click here.

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