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          Standout prospects from preliminary round of 2025 world juniors

          Cole Hutson has played a significant role in the United States' quest to repeat as gold medalist at the IIHF World Junior Championship. Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images
          • Rachel Doerrie, ESPNJan 1, 2025, 10:55 AM ET
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              Rachel Doerrie is a professional data consultant specializing in data communication and modelling. She's worked in the NHL and consulted for professional teams across North American and Europe. She hosts the Staff & Graph Podcast and discusses sports from a data-driven perspective.

          The preliminary round of the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship is complete, and it was one to remember, with perhaps the most parity in the preliminary round of this tournament in its history. Kazakhstan took Slovakia to overtime, and the Latvians beat the Canadians for the first time in tournament history.

          With that in mind, here are some of the standout players and performances of a round-robin to remember, with the medal round beginning this Thursday: