Photo: André Ringuette/Hockey Canada Images
When it was announced earlier this month that Pittsburgh Penguins forward prospect Tanner Howe would represent Team Canada at the 2025 World Junior Championship, scheduled for Dec. 26-Jan. 5 in Ottawa, it fulfilled a childhood dream for the Saskatchewan native.
“It means everything. As a kid, I grew up dreaming of this and being in this tournament,” Howe said. “For it to become real life – and especially to do it in Canada, and have this fan base and support behind us – I think it's going to be so cool.”
Following the end of Team Canada’s invitational camp, Howe and his roommate – 2025 prospect, Matthew Schaefer – waited anxiously to see if they made the team.
“We sat there for about an hour, nervously waiting and trying to talk about other things to get our minds off it,” Howe said. “We finally got a knock on the door. Just crazy emotions, and it was just super awesome. A really cool moment and something that I’ll never forget.”
Howe said he called his family, former coaches, and teammates right after he got the news.
“It’s cool to see that support and to also thank them, because you don't get here by yourself,” said Howe.
Howe has represented Team Canada in the past, winning gold at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup and bronze at the World Under-18 Championship in 2023. He’s ready to bring his hard-nosed play and workmanlike effort to the tournament in hopes of helping Canada finish on top.
“I think I’ll bring some depth to the team, and I’ll be consistent every night,” said Howe, drafted by Pittsburgh in the second round (46th overall) this past summer. “My game is working hard and playing smart, playing that 200-foot game, and being kind of a Swiss army knife for the team. I think if I can do that, I can bring this team success and help with that.”
While Sidney Crosby’s ‘Golden Goal’ from the 2010 Winter Olympics stands out to Howe as a memorable international moment, his favorite is Jordan Eberle’s goal from the 2009 World Junior Championship.
“There’s so many memories, and it’s such a big tournament,” Howe said. “Every Canadian in the world is watching this tournament, so it’s pretty cool to be a part of it.”
Since getting drafted in June at Sphere in Vegas, Howe has been all over North America between the Penguins organization and the WHL. Over the summer, Howe participated in Pittsburgh’s development camp, Prospects Challenge, and training camp.
“It helps so much. Going to Pittsburgh’s camp and being able to skate with some of the big, top guys, and those guys being bigger, stronger, I think it helps so much,” Howe said. “It taught me a lot about what you have to do, even just training. It all kind of led up to this.”
While Howe sustained a facial injury at the World Junior showcase over the summer and had to miss parts of his first-ever training camp in the National Hockey League, President of Hockey Operations and GM Kyle Dubas is extremely impressed with what he’s seen from Howe so far, and is looking forward to watching what Howe can do with Team Canada.
“I’m happy for Tanner. He’s going to be, in my understanding, going to be on Canada’s third or fourth line, driving the other team crazy, forechecking, penalty killing, whatever it’s going to take to help Canada win,” Dubas said in the most recent episode of the GM Show with Josh Getzoff. “We’re very excited for him.”
Before Tanner arrived in Ottawa earlier this month, he had even more travel miles pile up since being drafted by Pittsburgh. Howe was traded from the Regina Pats to the Calgary Hitmen of the Western Hockey League during the middle of November, just a week before his 19th birthday.
“Yeah, it’s been a little bit of a roller coaster,” Howe said. “It all started with the draft, going there, and then going straight to Pittsburgh, and then back home training and back to Pittsburgh, and then getting traded to Calgary. I think it’s a pretty big shock.”
In 223 career games in the WHL between Regina and Calgary, Howe has registered 249 points (101G-148A). Since being traded to the Hitmen, Howe has nine points (3G-6A) in 8 games.
“It’s really good in Calgary so far, nothing but the best there,” he said. “We have a really good group there, so we are looking to go far and play some meaningful games.”
Along with Howe, defensemen Emil Pieniemi and Kalle Kangas were named to Team Finland for the IIHF 2025 World Junior Championship (more details here). The tournament starts on Dec. 26 and runs through Jan. 5, hosted at TD Place and Canadian Tire Center in Ottawa, Ontario. The full schedule can be found here.
