"The 2026 World Junior Championship gets underway on Friday, with 10 nations vying for the under-20 gold medal. This year's tournament is being hosted at the Grand Casino Arena and the 3M Arena in St. Paul and Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Washington Capitals will again have six prospects at the tournament after Ryan Leonard and Cole Hutson won gold with Team USA last year."
"Hutson, an alternate captain for the USA at the tournament, will attempt to lead the Americans to a third straight World Juniors gold medal. In seven games last year, Hutson finished with 11 points (3g, 8a), becoming the first defenseman in the history of the tournament to finish first in scoring. The 19-year-old defender comes into this year's games as one of the top scorers in all of college hockey, posting 20 points (7g, 13a) in 18 games for Boston University."
"Participating Capitals prospects Nick Kempf, G (2024 fourth-round pick) - Team USA Kempf is expected to be the USA's number-one netminder to begin the tournament, a role he has previously excelled in on the junior national team stage. At the 2024 Under-18 World Junior Championship, Kempf posted a 5-1 record with a 1.89 goals-against average, a .919 save percentage, and two shutouts."
The 2026 World Junior Championship takes place in St. Paul and Minneapolis with 10 nations competing for under-20 gold. Teams must finish in the top four of their five-team preliminary group to advance to the single-elimination knockout stage and the quarterfinals on January 2. The Washington Capitals have six prospects in the tournament spread across five nations. Cole Hutson headlines the group after leading the 2025 tournament in scoring and posting 20 points in 18 college games this season. Nick Kempf is expected to begin as Team USA's starting goaltender after strong junior national team results.
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