The calendar has flipped to December, which means the 2026 World Junior Championship countdown is officially on.

This year’s tournament returns to Minnesota, USA, and the United States will arrive with an opportunity to three-peat on home ice – their first ever on home soil – following back-to-back gold medals.

With rosters beginning to take shape, the Vancouver Canucks won’t have a significant presence this year, but two prospects have already received their preliminary invitations.

On Friday, Team Sweden announced its 26-player preliminary roster, and as expected, 2025 fifth-round pick Wilson Björck earned an invitation.

The 19-year-old Stockholm native has been on Sweden’s radar for months after a standout showing at the World Junior Summer Showcase in August, where he posted a goal and five assists across five games for a tie for second in tournament scoring.

Björck is coming off a strong 2024-25 season alongside his younger brother Viggo, who was also on Friday’s invite list, helping his club to a J20 Nationell championship and finishing second in league scoring with 67 points (28 goals, 39 assists) in 43 games. He made the jump to North America this fall, joining Colorado College as a freshman, where he has produced six points (three goals, three assists) through his first 13 NCAA games.

Sweden will participate in a three-game exhibition schedule leading into final cuts, with matchups against Canada on December 18 and 21, followed by Switzerland on December 23. One player will be trimmed from the 26-man group before the tournament begins.

Shortly after Sweden unveiled its roster, Switzerland announced its own preliminary list, which featured another Canucks prospect. Basile Sansonnens, a 2024 seventh-round pick, has been invited to the Swiss camp and is widely expected to secure a spot on the final roster.

Sansonnens has spent this season in the Swiss National League, appearing in a depth role against professional competition as a 19-year-old. While he hasn’t logged heavy minutes, the physical tools and defensive reliability provide a solid backbone for Switzerland’s backend, which projects as the team’s strength heading into the tournament.

The Swiss preliminary camp opens on December 10 in Kloten, followed by three exhibition games – Minnesota State (NCAA), Denmark, and finally Sweden – before final cuts are announced on December 24.

Both Björck and Sansonnens will compete in Group B, which includes the United States, Germany, and Slovakia. Over in Group A, Team Canada’s preliminary roster is set to be announced on Monday, December 8. Braeden Cootes, Vancouver’s 2025 first-round pick, remains a strong potential candidate to earn an invitation.

Cootes, now back in the WHL, is off to a strong start to his draft-plus-one campaign. Serving as captain of the Seattle Thunderbirds, he’s posted 21 points (nine goals, 12 assists) in 14 games.