The United States is looking for back-to-back World Junior Championship (WJC) gold medals and has built an experienced team with ten returning players. As they chase a medal at this year’s tournament, these five players to watch could make or break their run.
Related: A Quick Guide to the 2025 World Junior Championship
Trey Augustine
Trey Augustine is back for this third year with the USA National Junior team. Though he may split some of his time this year with backup Sam Hillebrandt, Augustine is the clear number one in what will likely be his last campaign with the U20 Team.
Augustine has played 14 games with Michigan State University this season and boasts a 1.98 GAA with an 11-2-1 record.
The 19-year-old goaltender is very familiar with the tournament and has found lots of success on the world stage. Over his career WJC appearances, Augustine has an 8-1-0 record, a silver medal in 2023, and the aforementioned gold in 2024.
Augustine is the most experienced WJC player on this roster and Team USA will lean on him heavily in this tournament to provide the same success we’ve seen over the past two years. If he can stay hot in this tournament, the USA becomes an even harder team to beat. So keep an eye on the American net because Augustine can steal a game, or even a tournament for this squad.
Ryan Leonard
Ryan Leonard is another returning player who will be key to the success of this USA team. Leonard was named captain of the 2025 campaign and will likely be at the forefront of this USA offence and power play.
The 19-year-old is in his second year at Boston College (BC) and has tallied 19 points (12G 7A) in 16 games. In his freshman year with BC Leonard contributed to a NCAA Hockey East Championship and earned a 2nd Team All-American nod.
In this WJC, Leonard will be looking at first-line minutes and a key role in the first power play unit. He will be taking a leadership role not only in his captaincy but also when it comes to keeping their offence moving. Leonard will be a central player on the USA attack and is certainly one player to watch heading into this tournament.
James Hagens
James Hagens is one of three 2025 NHL Draft-eligible players for this experienced Team USA. Hagens is projected to go high in the first round and this tournament will be a defining time for him when it comes to draft stock.
Like Leonard, Hagens will be crucial on the power play, and USA’s offense in general. This may be his first WJC appearance, but he is not inexperienced in international play. In the last U18 World Championships, Hagens put up 22 points (9G 13A) in just seven games and earned the Most Points, Top Forward, and Tournament MVP awards.
Hagens will play on the top line for the USA in this tournament with his BC teammate Ryan Leonard; the chemistry on that line is already there.
This line will no doubt be the key force behind this USA offence. If they are firing on all cylinders, the USA is sure to be a favourite in this one, especially on the goal-scoring front.
Logan Hensler
Another 2025 NHL Draft-eligible player who will be pivotal on this USA team is Logan Hensler. The 18-year-old defenseman was on the bubble during camp this year but cracked the roster. While the top four seem fairly set for this squad, Hensler will be fighting for time where he can find it.
In his draft year, what he can show off at this tournament will be crucial in improving his draft stock as he is considered a top prospect. Though Hensler is not likely to play a key role for the Americans, he will add great depth to the lineup as a strong two-way player.
Like many other players on this 2025 WJC roster, Hensler is no stranger to the red, white, and blue. He was a part of the U18 WJC silver medal team where he put up 6 points (1G 5A) in seven games.
While he may not be the strongest defenseman on the team, it will be interesting to see what he can do with the minutes he gets. Hensler is seen as a bit more of an offensive defenseman and given the offensive talent on this USA team, he has the potential to play a key role in goalscoring opportunities.
Trevor Connelly is an 18-year-old forward out of Providence College and went 19th overall in the 2024 NHL Draft to the Vegas Golden Knights. He has top-six potential for this team and although he may not be top-end talent on this team, his secondary goal-scoring abilities provide great depth for this already loaded offense.
Connelly hasn’t had the hottest start at Providence this season with 11 points (3G 8A) in 12 games. However, the international stage is where he shines. In the USA’s bronze medal Hlinka Gretzky campaign, Connelly had 10 points (5G 5A) in just five games.
Though the first power play is essentially set in stone, USA has a lot of options for its second unit, and given how things are going, Connelly could find minutes there. Keep an eye on how the USA looks to use Connelly in this tournament because his depth provides them with a chance to out-last and out-score their opponents, especially in a tournament where every game matters as much as they do on the WJC stage.
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