It’s time for the World Championship. It’s the International Ice Hockey Federation’s second-biggest event on the adult men’s hockey side of things — behind only the Olympics.
The tournament doesn’t get nearly as much attention in North America as it does in Europe because it coincides with the NHL playoffs. Those participating in the playoffs don’t attend, and it’s sometimes hard for countries to convince the eliminated guys to go because it cuts into their summer break.
Ten Utah Mammoth players accepted invitations to represent their respective countries. Here’s who’s going.
Team USA
Mammoth captain Clayton Keller will don the “C” for Team USA this year.
Keller seemed to play with a chip on his shoulder after being snubbed from the American 4 Nations Face-Off team, so it’s likely that he sees this as a tryout, of sorts, for the Olympics. He finished 11th in league-wide points this season.
As dominant as Logan Cooley was this season, he’s still somewhat unknown to the hockey world outside of the places he’s played. He centered Team USA’s top line in the exhibition matches. This could be his coming-out party.
If all goes well, it’s not impossible that Cooley could get an Olympic invitation next year.
Shane Doan, Josh Doan’s father, captained Team Canada to a World Championship gold medal in 2007. He represented Canada on the international hockey stage on seven other occasions, taking home either gold or silver at five of them.
This is Josh Doan’s first time competing internationally, and he’s chosen to rep Team USA, where he was born and raised. Players with multiple nationalities can choose which country they’d like to represent, but once they’ve played for one, they can’t switch to another.
For the second year in a row, Michael Kesselring is playing for Team USA. He spoke highly of his experience last year, often mentioning how much he learned from players like Zach Werenski.
He took a huge step in his development in the 2024-25 season, so perhaps his participation in the tournament could help him take another.
Team Canada
Barrett Hayton plays his best hockey when he’s confident. Team Canada’s strong possibility of taking home a gold medal should give him all the confidence in the world.
It’s his first time donning the red and white since the 2020 World Junior Championship, where he captained Canada to gold.
This is his first time playing with Sidney Crosby and Nathan MacKinnon — two renowned leaders who have the reputation as some of the hardest workers in the league.
Team Czechia
Karel Vejmelka won gold with Team Czechia at this tournament last season, though he didn’t get to play at all. He’s hoping for the same result this year, but he’d like to get there through his own volition, rather than that of his teammates.
Josef Kořenář
The Mammoth currently own the rights to goaltender Josef Kořenář, though he currently has no contract. He has 12 games of NHL experience: 10 with the San Jose Sharks and two with the Arizona Coyotes.
Team Germany
Maksymilian Szuber has yet to play for Utah at the NHL level, but he was extremely productive in the AHL each of the last two seasons. He was called up early in the season but was sent down before playing a game.
He’ll represent his home country of Germany at the tournament, where he should gain valuable experience and could even earn an Olympic spot for next year.
Team Austria
Gregor Biber
Utah selected Gregor Biber in the fourth round of the 2024 draft. The 6-foot-3 defenseman played for Rögle BK in the SHL this year — the highest level of professional hockey in Sweden and arguably the fourth-best league in the world.
It’s far too early to tell if the 18-year-old will ever amount to an NHL player, but this tournament should be great for his development.
Team Slovakia
Patrick Koch
The Mammoth own the rights to unsigned defenseman Patrik Koch, who was reassigned to the Czech Extraliga 10 games into the season by the Tucson Roadrunners. He did get called up to the Utah Hockey Club in October, but, like Szuber, he didn’t get to play at all.
Where to watch the 2025 IIHF World Championship
Fans in the United States can watch the tournament on NHL Network. Games start Friday. For the full schedule, check out the IIHF website.