Six Flyers prospects have been named to represent their respective national teams at the 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship, set to take place in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, from December 26 to January 5.
Porter Martone and Jett Luchanko have been named to Team Canada, Heikki Ruohonen and Max Westergård were named to Team Finland, Jack Berglund will represent Team Sweden, and Shane Vansaghi will play for Team USA.
Porter Martone (Forward) – Team Canada
Martone, the Flyers’ first-round pick (6th overall) in 2025, was named one of 13 forwards for Team Canada and will also lead the team as captain. The 19-year-old will compete in his second World Junior Championship, previously representing his country at the 2025 WJC where he scored a goal in three tournament games. Martone has also appeared in the World Under-18 Championships in 2023 and 2024. He captained the club to the Gold Medal in 2024 with 17 points (5g-12a) in seven games, which were the second-most points on his team and third most in the tournament. Between the 2023 and 2024 World Under-18 Championships, Martone recorded 23 points (8g-15a) in 14 games, which broke Connor Bedard’s record for the most career points by a Canadian at the tournament. The Peterborough, Ontario native is now in his first collegiate season with Michigan State University (NCAA) where he leads all teammates in goals (11) and points (20). His 1.25 points-per-game average ranks third among NCAA freshmen.
Jett Luchanko (Forward) – Team Canada
Luchanko, the Flyers’ 2024 first-round pick (13th overall), was named one of 14 forwards on Team Canada for the second consecutive year. He previously recorded one goal in five games for Canada last year and also represented the country at the 2024 World Under-18 Championships, scoring seven points (2g-5a) in seven games to help Canada capture gold. The London, ON native made the Flyers’ opening night roster and appeared in four NHL games this season, bringing his career total to eight. He has spent the remainder of the season in the Ontario Hockey League with the Guelph Storm and Brantford Bulldogs, recording four goals and 21 assists in 17 games. Following last year’s junior season, Luchanko was called up to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms of the American Hockey League, where he tallied three assists in nine regular-season games and added six assists in seven playoff contests—tied for second-most on the Phantoms.
Max Westergård (Forward) – Team Finland
Westergård, the Flyers’ fifth-round pick (132nd overall) in 2025, has been chosen as one of 14 forwards on Finland’s roster. The 18-year-old will be competing in his first World Junior Championship and has previously participated in the World Under-18 Championship in 2025, where he led all teammates with six points (2g-4a) in five games and was recognized as a Top 3 Player on his team. In 2025-26, the Tampere, Finland native has played 15 games with Frölunda HC of the Swedish Hockey League (SHL), Sweden’s top professional league. He also appeared in 12 games with the club’s U20 Nationell team, registering 21 points (4g-17a) in 12 games and a team-high 1.75 points-per-game average.
Heikki Ruohonen (Forward) – Team Finland
Ruohonen, a 2024 fourth-round pick (107th overall), has been named one of 14 forwards on Team Finland’s roster for the second consecutive year. He was announced as one of Finland’s alternate captains. The Helsinki native helped Finland capture silver at the 2025 World Junior Championship, recording four assists in seven games, including one in the gold medal game. His four points were tied for fourth on the team. The 6-foot-2, 215-pound forward is in his freshman year at Harvard, where he has played in all 11 games, tallying one goal and four assists. This will be his fifth national team experience: 2025 World Junior Championship (4a in 7 games), 2024 U-18 World Championship (3g-2a=5pts in 5 games), 2022 World U-17 Hockey Challenge (1g-1a=2pts in 5 games), U16 Finish National Team (1g-1a=2pts in 5 games).
Jack Berglund (Forward) – Team Sweden
Berglund, the Flyers’ 2024 second-round pick (51st overall), will represent Team Sweden as one of 14 forwards and the team’s captain. He was initially named to Team Sweden for the 2025 World Junior Championship last year but was unable to play due to injury. This tournament will mark the Karlstad, Sweden native’s second official appearance on the world stage; he also represented Sweden at the 2024 U-18 World Championship, helping the team win bronze with five points (2g-3a) in seven games. The 6-foot-4, 209-pound left-shot forward has spent most of the season with Färjestad BK in the Swedish Hockey League, Sweden’s top professional league, recording three goals and two assists in 22 games.
Shane Vansaghi (Forward) – Team USA
Vansaghi, Philadelphia’s second-round pick (48th overall) in 2025, will appear in his first World Junior Championship with Team USA. The 19-year-old participated in the 2024 World Under-18 Championship where he notched an assist in seven games and earned the Silver Medal. The St. Louis, Missouri native played parts of two seasons in Team USA’s National Team Development Program from 2022-24 and competed in the 2022 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge, where his seven points (5g-2a) in seven games helped USA win the Gold Medal. In 2025-26, Vansaghi is now in his second collegiate season with Michigan State University (NCAA) where he has notched a goal and five assists through 16 games.
