Who to watch in the 2025 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships from Seattle area teams
By Jayd Serdy and Charles Hamaker
Seattle, WA - With the holiday season nearing it’s end in some regards while just starting in others, this time of years marks the beginning of another World Junior Championship. This year, our Seattle Kraken have eight players participating in the tournament. Berkly Catton, Carson Rehkopf and Caden Price will all join Team Canada. Julius Miettinen and Kim Saarinen will join Team Finland. Zeb Forsfjäl will join Team Sweden, while Eduard Sale and Jakub Fibigr will join Team Czechia. In terms of the other hockey teams in the area, WHL sides Seattle and Everett both have singular representatives in this years tournament as the Silvertips send Miettinen off while the Thunderbirds are sending defenseman Sawyer Mynio to join Team Canada as the Vancouver Canucks prospect is enjoying a strong year in Western Hockey League play. The World Juniors are always a great opportunity for higher rated prospects to show their skill further and establish an international status, while for those who may not be considered highly it’s another chance for them to show teams what they’re missing out on. With a deep and only growing prospect pool in just year four of their existence as an NHL franchise, here’s a look at the players involved in this tournament for the Kraken plus the Thunderbirds and Silvertips.
Seattle Kraken first round (Eighth overall selection) pick Berkly Catton during the teams rookie and development camps earlier this calendar year. (Photos by Rio Giancarlo)
Seattle Kraken prospects
Berkly Catton
Catton was drafted eighth overall during the 2024 NHL Entry Draft by the Kraken, as Seattle went with a forward when they were largely expected to take a defenseman. This will be his first time dressing for Team Canada in the U-20 tournament, as last year he dressed for both the U-18 WJC tournament where he had four points (One goal/three assists) over seven games played for his home nation. Throughout the 2024-25 season as captain of the Spokane Chiefs, Catton he’s recorded 47 points (14 goals, 33 assists) over 28 games so far as the Chiefs look to take their game to another level while sitting as the third seed currently in the Western Conference of the WHL. Catton is expected to play a key role for a Canada team that will be loaded with talent up and down the board, as we imagine that he’ll slot in as the center on the second line. The 18-year-old forward described making this roster as a “childhood dream,” so for him to make the team and to do so while centering the first line throughout Canada’s camp must be a thrilling experience. Expect Catton to make a big impact with Canada, playing as a top six skater and doing so while taking top power play minutes as well. Berkly has plenty of tools in his play and he has the intelligence to be able to use them all in the right moments, this is a tournament that should just add excitement to the prospect that the Kraken have in their system that very well could be a pillar of the franchise going forward.
“Ever since you’re a little kid at Christmas, watching the World Juniors, that’s my fondest memories. [Thinking back] to Seattle camp, Jordan Eberle is a World Junior hero, and he’s sitting in the stall next to me.”
Seattle Kraken forward prospect Carson Rehkopf during the teams rookie and development camps this calendar year. (Photos by Rio Giancarlo)
Carson Rehkopf
Rehkopf is returning to the U-20 WJC tournament for the second time in his playing career after being drafted 50th overall in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft, with some impressive numbers in the OHL (Ontario Hockey League) since the Kraken selected him. During the 2024 tournament Rehkopf had four points (Two goals/two assists) over five games with Team Canada. He is spending the 2024-25 season as an alternate captain with the Brampton Steelheads where he, like Catton, has recorded 47 points (20 goals/27 assists) over 27 games. Rehkopf was traded away from the Kitchener Rangers and is on a Steelheads team alongside other Seattle prospect Jakub Fibigr on a team that was expected to compete for a title but currently sits at eighth in the Eastern Conference. Rehkopf is a very talented offensive player that is looking to build off an excellent 2023-24 season where he was near the top of the points and goals numbers int he OHL, but isn’t expected to player much of a role with Canada here. Rehkopf seemed to perhaps be on the roster bubble for Canada during camp, but helped his case in a great way by scoring a hat trick in the first of two games. Rehkopf’s ability to gain separation on the ice and his in-your-face on-puck style as a player have made him a productive player in his career so far, and he gets another chance to do so on the international stage with this tournament.
Seattle Kraken prospect and Kelowna Rockets defenseman Caden Price during the Kraken’s rookie and development camps this calendar year. (Photos by Rio Giancarlo)
Caden Price
The first defenseman we’ll list that’s heading to this tournament for Kraken prospects, Price was drafted 84th overall in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft, and is participating in the U-20 WJC tournament for the first time this year. The last time he dressed for Team Canada was during the 2023 U-18 WJC tournament where he had five assists over seven games played. He is currently an alternate captain for the Kelowna Rockets, the team that Seattle drafted him from, where he has 32 points (Six goals/26 assists) over 26 games played while the Rockets sit at eighth place currently in the Western Conference. Price was another player on the bubble of Team Canada’s roster, and he knew that in order to make it onto the 25 player group that officially made it to the tournament he’d need to display a strong defensive game. Fortunately for Price, that’s exactly the type of player that he is as a defensive stopper, a puck-mover, and a playmaker that creates advantages at every corner of the ice, starting with his work on the breakout. Price can hold off contact, problem solve against numbers, and keep his team on schedule which will all be very valuable for Team Canada if he’s called upon.
Everett Silvertips forward Julius Miettinen during the teams 2023-24 season, prior to being drafted by the Seattle Kraken. (Photos by Nate Koppelman)
Julius Miettinen
Miettinen was drafted 40th overall in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft by the Kraken, a draft that ended up featuring plenty of WHL talent including Julius here who joins teammate Kaden Hammell as the two Everett Silvertips players that have been drafted by Seattle. He has dressed for Team Finland quite a few times over his career so far, but this will be his first time in the U-20 WJC tournament. He is playing his second season with the Everett Silvertips and has recorded 34 points (Ten goals/24 assists) over 30 games so far this season with a Silvertips team that looks primed to make some noise in the WHL playoffs eventually considering the talent that they’ve retained and brought in (See: Landon DuPont). The last time he played in an international tournament was the International-Jr tournament during the 2023-24 season where he had zero points across two games. Miettinen always seems to be in the right spot to push attackers wide and then win possession along the wall thanks to his physical attributes that he can certainly use to his advantage. Offensively, he’s able to skate every route in order to push back defenders, creates chaos around the net, and perfectly times rolls off the boards to get open in the slot.
Seattle Kraken prospect and Finnish goaltender Kim Saarinen during the Kraken’s rookie and development camp. (Photos by Rio Giancarlo)
Kim Saarinen
Saarinen is one of a few goaltenders in the Seattle prospect pool, and was drafted 88th overall during the 2024 NHL Entry Draft. He is the only goalie that the Kraken have in the World Juniors this year as another Finnish born netminder in Visa Vedenpaa hasn’t played a club game since October which likely points to him being injured. Saarinen has played in the WJC tournament previously, but never for the U-20 team, as he has represented Finland internationally in a few different tournaments including the 2022-23 World Hockey Challenge and Hlinka Gretzky Cup, winning a bronze medal in the prior contest. During the 2024 World Juniors tournament he played for the U-18 team and held a .952 save percentage, with 0.77 goals against average over two games. He is playing for the HPK Liiga this season and currently has a .896 SV% with 2.87 GAA over 14 games, looking to build off an impressive 2023-24 when he won the U20 SM-sarja Best Goalie award in addition to being named to the U20 First All-Star Team. Saarinen should make the roster, but we don’t expect him to star for Finland and he will likely be in a depth role.
Seattle Kraken prospect and Swedish forward Zeb Forsfjäll during the Kraken’s rookie and development camps this calendar year. (Photos by Rio Giancarlo)
Zeb Forsfjäll
Forsfjäll was drafted 180th overall during the 2023 NHL Entry Draft, and is returning to the U-20 tournament for Team Sweden, where he had one assist over seven games during the 2024 tournament. At the time of writing this, he has appeared in one game during the 2025 tournament. He has spent the 2024-25 season with Sellefteä AIK of the SHL where he currently has recorded six points (One goal/five assists) over 25 games so far as he’ll look to add to an already somewhat accomplished journey career. Forsfjäll won the 2023-24 SHL Championship, won a Silver medal with Sweden in the U20 IIHF World Juniors while also winning Silver in the TV-Pucken and Hlinka Gretzky Cup tournaments previously. A sixth-rounder for Seattle, Forsfjäll is viewed as a 200-foot forward despite standing at just 5’9” as he takes care of his defensive responsibilities meticulously, using his skating and motor to take away passing lanes, apply pressure on the backcheck and position soundly in the defensive zone. He’ll be an interesting player to watch, as he isn’t likely to crack top six forward minutes but is a prominent member of the team’s leadership group and should eat up some significant minutes on both special teams units.
Seattle Kraken prospect and Coachella Valley Firebirds forward - during the franchise’s rookie and development camps this calendar year. (Photos by Rio Giancarlo)
Eduard Šalé
Šalé was drafted 20th overall during the 2023 NHL Entry Draft, Seattle’s first round draft pick in that years class. He is returning to Team Czechia in the U-20 tournament for the third time, and last year he totalled seven points (Three goals/Four assists) over seven games. The year prior to that, he recorded six points (One goal/Five assists) over seven games. Šalé is currently playing for the Coachella Firebirds, Seattle’s AHL affiliate, and has put up 13 points (Four goals/Nine assists) over 23 games as he looks to take his development to the next level after his last season in the OHL that saw some struggles to begin the campaign with the Barrie Colts before being traded to the Kitchener Rangers (Where he played with Carson Rehkopf) as the club looked to make a title run. Eduard is an exceptional offensive player, displaying skilled passing where he can feather the puck through layers to connect with his linemates with perfect touch, a shot that sees him fire the puck in-stride, with perfect mechanical form, off either leg, and hammer one-timers home from the faceoff circle. And you can’t discount Šalé’s hands, either, as his ability to corral difficult passes and blend his first touch into highly skilled handling moves at speed is through the roof. The Kraken are looking to see that translate to the AHL level as his development continues, following that bumpy year in the OHL during the 2023-24 campaign, and since he’s been a stalwart for Team Czechia for some time now here’s to hoping that he can use this tournament as a boost for his season moving forward as he’s been handling the size and speed of the league well already.
Seattle Kraken prospect and Brampton Steelheads defenseman Jakub Fibigr during the Kraken’s rookie and development camps this calendar year. (Photos taken by Rio Giancarlo)
Jakub Fibigr
Rounding out our eight Kraken prospects in this years World Junior Ice Hockey Championships, Jakub Fibigr was drafted 202nd overall during the 2024 NHL Entry Draft. This is his first time playing in the U-20 tournament for Team Czechia, but he was named an alternate captain for the U-18 team during the 2024 tournament. He had one goal over five games last year in that tournament. Fibigr is also playing for the Brampton Steelheads, alongside Carson Rehkopf, during the 2024-25 season and has recorded 15 points (Two goals/13 assists) over 27 games played on the campaign so far. Fibigr is looking to build off a strong campaign last year, not only making that World Junior Championship but also being named to the OHL second all-rookie team and winning a Silver medal in the Hlinka Gretzky Cup at the U18 level. As an underage defenseman, Seattle will surely be encouraged with his progress so far and especially with this specific accomplishment as he looks to have a good tournament. His great skating is a plus for his game that helps his play in transition, and he’s both a capable puck carrier and an adept and aggressive rush defender, often stepping up physically at his own blueline to neutralize the rush. He’ll play a depth role for Czechia, but it could be fun to see him find his way intro contributing if opportunities present themselves.
Seattle Thunderbirds
Seattle Thunderbirds defenseman Sawyer Mynio during the teams WHL Championship winning 2022-23 season. (Photos by Liz Wolter)
Sawyer Mynio
While we already touched on the one Everett Silvertips representative as he’s part of the Kraken prospect pool, there is another player that calls the Seattle area home currently that is headed to this years World Junior Ice Hockey Championships. That’s Seattle Thunderbirds defenseman Sawyer Mynio, a Vancouver Canucks draft pick that has been considered the steal of his draft class for his play since the Canucks selected him. Mynio is like if you took a cover corner in football and applied it to hockey, as his defensive game has earned himself high marks. He’s more than capable defending on the rush, steadily smothering the opposition by forcing attackers to the outside and matching their footwork. Sawyer can quickly switch from one puck carrier to the next, keeping the pressure on. By locking onto opponents, he eliminates them from the play entirely while adding some offensive spark to his game as well. In now his fourth year with the Thunderbirds, Mynio is currently on pace to beat his career high point total of 53, a mark he set last season while wearing an “A,” as he currently splits captain duties with forward Braeden Cootes. This is Mynio’s first time representing Canada on this big international stage, and unfortunately his time doing so in this tournament is off to an interesting start. Mynio is one of three players, including Carson Rehkopf, who have not been registered onto Team Canada’s 25-player roster quite yet, as they’ve currently registered only 22 of them. His name is on the roster Hockey Canada announced, but Mynio (Or Rehkopf, but we’re talking about Sawyer currently) can't play in the tournament until he’s added to the official tournament roster. He hasn't yet been added, as Canada cannot change from their 25-man roster once every slot is filled and they may be waiting to see if they want to make changes.
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