Flyers: Six Prospects in World Juniors Openers

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The Philadelphia Flyers organization boasts six prospects at the 2025-26 World Junior Championships in Minneapolis- St. Paul, Minnesota. All six will be in action as the tournament opens on Friday: Sweden vs.Slovakia, Finland vs. Denmark, USA vs. Germany, and Canada vs. Czechia.

Following is a look at the six participating Flyers’ draftees.

ack Berglund (C/W, Sweden): Berglund will serve as the Junior Crowns’ captain. He was named to Team Sweden for last year’s tournament but had to withdraw due to an injury suffered in a pre-tournament exhibition game. He had an outstanding 2025 World Junior Summer Showcase and has 47 games of pro experience to date in the Swedish Hockey League (the top domestic pro circuit). He’s been named to Sweden’s tentative 2025-26 WJC roster.

Jett Luchanko (C, Canada):  The Flyers’ 2024 first-round pick will represent Team Canada at his second straight WJC tournament. In back-to-back years, Luchanko opened the regular season in the NHL with the Flyers, playing in four games each year before returning to the Ontario Hockey League. Recently, he was traded from the Guelph Storm to the powerhouse Brantford Bulldogs. He’s played five games to date for Brantford (two goals, three assists). A two-way forward and pure playmaker, he’s still working on shooting the puck more frequently. Normally a center, he skated on third line right wing for Canada on a line with Cole Beaudoin and Cole Reschny.

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Porter Martone (RW, Canada): The sixth overall pick of the 2025 NHL Entry Draft has already compiled an impressive pre-NHL resume. He represented Team Canada last season at both the WJC and the senior-level World Championships. He has had an outstanding freshman collegiate season at Michigan State (11 goals, 20 points in 16 games). He was named captain for Canada’s WJC squad this year.

Heikki Ruohonen (C/LW, Finland): The big-framed Finn represented his national team at the 2024-25 WJC and the 2025 Summer Showcase. This season. Ruohonen made his NCAA collegiate hockey freshman debut for Harvard University. Offensively, the 19-year-old has posted five points (1g, 4a) in his first 11 college hockey games.

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Shane Vansaghi (RW, USA): The big-framed, hard-hitting American winger was named to USA Hockey’s WJC selection camp roster. He will vie for a checking role on Team USA. The 19-year-old also participated in the 2025 Summer Showcase tournament. A college teammate with Martone at Michigan State, he’s chipped in six points in 16 sophomore games to date. Vansaghi isn’t there to score goals. He’s there to play a relentless physical brand of hockey create opposing turnover and create havoc.

Max Westergard (LW, Finland): The skilled and surprisingly feisty Finnish winger represented his national team at the 2025 Summer Showcase. He’s dominated in Sweden’s top junior league and also has a combined 30 games of SHL regular season and playoff experience.

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