Blues, Bruins Prospects Impressing at World Junior Championship

Through the initial days of the 2026 World Junior Championship, a pair of prospects from the Boston Bruins and St. Louis Blues are standing out.

Green Bay Gamblers forward Will Zellers (34) skates with the puck against the Waterloo Black Hawks on Saturday, January 25, 2025, at the Resch Center in Ashwaubenon, Wis. Waterloo won the game, 6-3. Tork Mason/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin | Tork Mason / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The 2026 World Junior Championship is underway. The State of Hockey is hosting the annual event, with top young talent from around the world convening in Minnesota for a shot at the gold medal.

The United States is the two-time defending gold medalist and is looking for a third consecutive win at the tournament. Through the first two games, they have a shot. Armed with a stacked roster, Team USA is stalking another top prize at this year's WJC.

But several other countries are going to give the United States a run for their money. Teams have played just two games so far, but a pair of players are standing out. One of them is an American forward drafted by the Boston Bruins, and the other is a top netminder recently selected by the St. Louis Blues.

Two-Way Force for the United States

Team USA opened the tournament with a 6-3 drubbing of Germany, and they followed that up with a hard-fought 2-1 win over Switzerland. Leading the team in scoring is Bruins prospect Will Zellers.

Zellers, a third-round pick in 2024, continues to trend upwards. In the first two games of the tournament, he's recorded three goals and an assist for four points. He's one point off the WJC scoring lead, but it's not just his offense that is catching attention.

Zellers is a two-way force for the United States. He's not the biggest player, but he has a determined mindset on the ice and an extremely hard-working motor. He pressures the puck hard on defense, and he's just as aggressive with the puck on his stick or in the offensive zone. The United States have immense talent in their lineup, Zellers included, but it's the small things he does that make him a key piece of this team.

Feb 12, 2025; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; [Imagn Images direct customers only] View of a Team Sweden logo on a jersey worn by a member of the team during a 4 Nations Face-Off ice hockey game at Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images | David Kirouac-Imagn Images

Next Star Goalie from Sweden?

The Blues selected an intriguing player in the sixth round of the most recent draft when they took Love Härenstam out of the SHL. The 6'2", 190-pound puck-stopper is an agile and athletic goalie, and he moves gracefully within his crease.

He's quickly showing that he was probably worthy of a much higher selection in the 2025 NHL Draft with his performance at this year's WJC. Through the first two games, he's backstopped Sweden to two decisive wins.

In those victories, he's faced 54 shots against. He's turned aside 50 of those pucks, good for a 2.00 goals-against average and a .926 save percentage. His play so far is giving Sweden hope that they can improve upon their fourth-place finish in last year's tournament.

The tournament has a ton of action left, but so far Härenstam and Zellers are playing at an MVP caliber. Both of these players' respective NHL franchises have to be thrilled with their play, and they are hoping it continues over the remaining games.

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