COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) will be well represented at the upcoming 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship, as eight NCHC players and two linesmen will be taking part starting on Friday. The eight NCHC skaters will suit up for three different countries competing for a gold medal as final national junior team rosters were announced Wednesday, while the officiating staff was revealed on Monday.
 
Five NCHC players made the 2026 U.S. National Junior Team with Minnesota Duluth sophomore defenseman Adam Kleber and UMD sophomore forward Max Plante both back for a second straight year after winning the championship in 2025. In addition, North Dakota sophomore defenseman EJ Emery, Denver freshman forward Brendan McMorrow and UND freshman forward Will Zellers will also represent the Stars and Stripes on home ice at World Juniors. On Team Canada are a pair of North Dakota freshmen in forward Cole Reschny and defenseman Keaton Verhoeff, while Colorado College freshman forward Wilson Björck has been selected to Sweden’s National Junior Team.
 
Along with the players, NCHC linesmen Bryan Gorcoff and Matthew Heinen were selected to officiate the 2026 World Junior Championship. The duo is among only 12 linesmen from around the world chosen to work the upcoming World Junior Championship. Gorcoff is in his second season with the NCHC, while this is Heinen’s first year with the Conference.
 
The 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship runs from Friday, Dec. 26, 2025 through Monday, Jan. 5, 2026 in Saint Paul and Minneapolis, Minnesota. World Juniors begins with pool play on Friday with four games, including Team USA facing Germany, Canada taking on Czechia, and Sweden squaring off with Slovakia. The U.S. also faces Switzerland, Slovakia and Sweden in pool play, with quarterfinals set for Jan. 2. The full World Junior Championship schedule can be found here.
 
To watch the 2026 World Junior Championship, NHL Network is the exclusive home in the United States and will air every Team USA game in addition to many others, including all quarterfinal, semifinal and medal games. In Canada, TSN and RDS will once again provide extensive coverage of the event, broadcasting all 29 tournament games.
 
Tickets for all 2026 World Junior Championship contests are on sale now and can be purchased here, with big games and fan-friendly pricing available. Additional fan information for those attending games in the Twin Cities is available in Visit Saint Paul’s official Fan Guide.
 
Kleber (Chaska, Minn.) has been a lock-down defenseman for the Bulldogs this season, playing in all 20 games. The Buffalo Sabres draft pick has posted a +15 plus/minus this year, which is third among NCHC blueliners, while blocking 22 shots and averaging more than 21 minutes on ice per game. Offensively, he’s chipped in two goals, three assists and five points, matching his freshman season points total already. In six games at last year’s World Junior Championship, Kleber handed out one assist and was +5 en route to the gold.
 
Plante (Hermantown, Minn.) has started his sophomore season on fire, earning NCHC October Forward of the Month honors and co-National Forward of the Month accolades. The Detroit Red Wings draft pick leads the NCAA with 30 points, while his 1.50 points per game are second nationally. His 16 goals lead the NCHC and rank third in the NCAA, while he’s also dished out 14 assists in 20 games. Plante’s +16 plus/minus ranks third in the NCHC and eighth in the country. At last year’s World Juniors, he tallied three points (1g/2a) in six games, while Plante also scored a goal in Team USA’s exhibition win over Finland Tuesday night in Duluth.
 
Emery (Compton, Calif.) has put together a strong sophomore campaign on the backend for the Fighting Hawks, having appeared in 17 of the team's 18 games. Emery has tallied two goals – the first two of his college career – and two assists for a career-best four points already this season. The New York Rangers first round draft pick also carries a +6 plus/minus and has 10 blocked shots in his sophomore campaign.
 
McMorrow (Lakeville, Minn.), one of only two NCHC freshmen on Team USA, has compiled seven points in 17 games this season for the Pioneers. The L.A. Kings draft pick has scored two goals, while he’s dished out five assists, with points in two of his last three games. McMorrow has fired 22 shots on goal and has posted a +6 plus/minus.
 
Zellers (Maple Grove, Minn.) has 10 goals and five assists for 15 points in 18 games so far this season. His 10 goals tie for fourth nationally among rookies and lead all NCHC freshmen. The Boston Bruins prospect earned NCHC Rookie of the Month for November after tying for the league lead with seven goals in seven games. Zellers paces the Fighting Hawks with 58 shots on goal so far this season. He scored two goals in Team USA’s World Juniors exhibition win over Germany on Dec. 21, as well.
 
Reschny (Macklin, Sask.) is second on North Dakota and first among NCHC freshmen with 18 points, while leading UND with 16 assists in 16 games. The Calgary Flames first round draft pick has heated up the last few weeks with 14 points in his last nine games for North Dakota, including points in eight of those contests. Reschny was named NCHC Forward of the Week in early November after a five-point weekend at Omaha.
 
Verhoeff (Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta), who is the second-youngest player in college hockey this season, has tallied four goals and seven assists for 11 points in 16 contests so far for the Fighting Hawks. The four goals and 11 points are both second among NCHC freshman blueliners. The draft-eligible defenseman has also posted a +5 plus/minus, blocked 19 shots and is averaging more than 19 minutes per game on ice this season. Verhoeff scored a goal for Team Canada in a World Juniors exhibition win over Denmark on Tuesday, as well.
 
Björck (Stockholm, Sweden) has recorded eight points in 15 games this season for the Tigers with five goals and three assists. The Vancouver Canucks draft pick recorded his first multi-goal game with CC on Dec. 12 in a tie at Miami. He has two multi-point games this season and has fired 29 shots on goal with a +5 plus/minus. Björck will be the second CC Tiger to play for Sweden’s National Junior Team, joining former defenseman Gustav Olofsson, who played in the 2014 World Junior Championship.
 
In addition to the eight current NCHC players on World Juniors rosters, future North Dakota goaltender Caleb Heil is also on Team USA, while North Dakota committed defenseman Ethan MacKenzie is on Team Canada. Both are expected to join UND next season.
 
Team USA has medaled in eight of the last 10 World Junior Championships, including gold in 2024 and 2025 under the direction of Denver head coach David Carle. Kleber and Plante each won a gold medal in 2025 and are two of only eight players returning to the 2026 U.S. squad.
 
Current NCHC Players on 2026 National Junior Team Final Rosters
 
USA

• EJ Emery, North Dakota, D, So.
• Adam Kleber, Minnesota Duluth, D, So.
• Brendan McMorrow, Denver, F, Fr.
• Max Plante, Minnesota Duluth, F, So.
• Will Zellers, North Dakota, F, Fr.

Canada

• Cole Reschny, North Dakota, F, Fr.
• Keaton Verhoeff, North Dakota, D, Fr.

Sweden

• Wilson Björck, Colorado College, F, Fr.