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Seven BCHL players take part in 2025 World Junior Championships

The 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship begins Dec. 26 in Ottawa, Ont. and there are four BCHL players participating in the main tournament, plus another two that took part in the Division 1A competition and another set to play in Division 2A

Main tournament:

  • Simon Meier – Team Switzerland (Penticton Vees)
  • Bradly Nadeau – Team Canada (Penticton Vees alumnus)
  • Tobias Pitka – Team Slovakia (Victoria Grizzlies)
  • Noah Samanski – Team Germany (Powell River Kings)

Division 1A:

  • Mathis Dufour – Team France (Brooks Bandits)
  • Philip Monnich Hagen – Team Norway (West Kelowna Warriors)

Division 2A:

  • Samuel Lyne – Team Great Britain (Cranbrook Bucks)

Meier is in his second season with Penticton and has 16 points in 26 games so far this season. He has played for the Swiss national team on multiple occasions, including at last year’s World Juniors where he had two goals in five games.

Nadeau is currently in his first full season of professional hockey with the Chicago Wolves of the American Hockey League (AHL). The former BCHL MVP, leading scorer and two-time Fred Page Cup champion has 15 points in 22 AHL games this year. This is his first time representing Canada at a major tournament Click here to read more about his selection.

Pitka is in the midst of his second campaign with the Grizzlies. Last year’s BCHL Top Prospects Game MVP has seven goals, 10 assists and 17 points in 20 games this season. He most recently represented his country last year at the under-18 championships.

Samanski has five goals and one assist in seven games since joining Powell River in November. This will be his first World Junior competition, but he has played for Team Germany at under-18 and under-17 competition in the past.

Dufour was part of France’s squad that played in the Division 1A tournament. The 17-year-old forward had a goal and an assist in five games as the French team finished fifth to stay above the relegation line. Dufour has a goal and four assists in 17 games with Brooks this season.

Monnich Hagen registered one assist in five tournament games with Team Norway who finished third in the Division 1A competition. Since joining West Kelowna in early November, he has one helper in eight games.

Lyne was selected to play for Great Britain at the Division 2A tournament set to begin Jan. 6 in Zagreb, Croatia. The 19-year-old has five goals, six assists and 11 points in 21 games with Cranbrook this year.

In addition to the seven players mentioned above, former Victoria Grizzlies defenceman Richard Baran was also chosen to play for Team Slovakia, while former Chilliwack Chiefs goaltender Vladimir Nikitin will play for Kazakhstan.