Are you in the holiday spirit yet?

With Halloween now in the rearview, the daily reminders are everywhere — the Christmas season is fast approaching. And you know what that means, don’t you? That’s right, the World Junior Championships are just around the corner.

This year’s tournament takes place in Ottawa, Canada, and as per tradition, it all kicks off on Boxing Day. Vancouver Canucks fans have been spoiled in recent years. Not by the quantity of players sent, but the quality of those who have represented.

Whether it was Jonathan Lekkerimäki dazzling his way to tournament MVP honours and a silver medal in 2024-25, Tom Willander holding down Sweden’s blue line the past two events, or Sawyer Mynio cracking Team Canada last year, Vancouver’s prospect pool has consistently provided a higher calibre prospect worth cheering for.

This year, things may look different. As it stands, the Canucks have nine eligible prospects (by age) who could take part in the event. That said, the realistic number of players who may earn spots is three. It would be four if Russia were eligible to participate (Aleksei Medvedev).

Let’s take a look at the most likely candidates to don their nation’s colours in the nation’s capital.

We’ll start with Basile Sansonnens, a Swiss-born defenceman and the lone Canuck prospect who looks like a lock to make his team.

The steady, defensive-minded blueliner has been a mainstay in Switzerland’s international program for years and got his first taste of World Junior action at last year’s event. Now a year older, he’s expected to take on a larger role.

Currently skating amongst men with Lausanne HC in the Swiss National League, Sansonnens is averaging just under 11 minutes per night. His new role offers valuable experience for a player expected to help Switzerland play its usual dark-horse role at the tournament.

The 19-year-old is currently with the Swiss U20 team at the Five Nations tournament, an annual pre-World Junior event featuring Switzerland, Sweden, Czechia, Finland, and the USA. He logged second-pairing minutes in their opener against Sweden, which is a strong indication that his role will expand when the World Juniors begin.

Known for his defence-first, shutdown presence and reliable penalty-killing, Sansonnens should be a fixture in key defensive moments for the Swiss squad.

Wilson Björck wasn’t named to Sweden’s Five Nations roster for two reasons. First, as a Colorado College freshman, NCAA players generally don’t participate in the mid-season event. Second, he’s been sidelined since mid-October with an upper-body injury.

That said, Björck remains firmly in Sweden’s plans. He impressed at the World Junior Summer Showcase, finishing tied for second in scoring across all participants with six points (one goal, five assists) in five games.

Before his injury, he was adjusting nicely to the NCAA game, posting a goal and two assists through five contests while playing top-six minutes for Colorado College.

At 6-foot, 173 pounds, Björck may not intimidate with size, but his motor, edge, and willingness to battle in hard areas make him a handful for opponents. Offensively, he’s creative and unpredictable, able to generate chances in multiple ways.

His recovery timeline is still unclear, so it remains to be seen whether he’ll be healthy in time for the tournament. But if he is, expect him to contend for a roster spot — possibly alongside his younger brother, Viggo, a projected top-10 pick in the 2026 NHL Draft.

When the season began, it seemed unlikely that 2025 first-rounder Braeden Cootes would crack Team Canada’s lineup. Given the country’s elite depth, it’s always an uphill climb for 18-year-olds to make the final cut.

Then came training camp, where Cootes came in and blew the doors off. His three-game NHL stint proved he has the pace, compete level, and intelligence to at least enter the conversation for a roster spot.

Cootes has a strong history with Hockey Canada, having most recently captained the U18 squad while leading the team in scoring at last spring’s World Championships. Combined with his newfound NHL experience, that pedigree could help him sneak onto the final roster as a responsible, high-motor, two-way center.

Back with the WHL’s Seattle Thunderbirds, Cootes is firing at over a point-per-game pace with seven points (three goals, four assists) and winning 56.5% of his faceoffs as team captain.

He’s intelligent, mobile, and poised beyond his years and is quickly becoming one of the most exciting young additions to the Canucks’ prospect pool.

Overall, the Canucks may not have a large contingent in Ottawa this year, but the few who do make it could provide some exciting moments.

Sansonnens looks like a sure bet for Switzerland, while Björck is a strong candidate if healthy, and Cootes — the organization’s newest blue-chip prospect — could make things interesting for Team Canada’s brass.