2025 U-18 Men’s World Championship: Horcoff, Ekberg among top standouts on Day 1
The opening day of the U-18 World Championship is complete in Texas, with Slovakia, Sweden, Latvia and USA taking home victories.
The day started off with about as quiet an opener as you’ll find Slovakia and Finland traded chances all game long, but the goaltending was superb. It took shootout goals from Michal Svrcek and Alex Misiak to finally end the game, with the pair combining for just one shot in 65 minutes of action.
The second game was completely different. Filip Ekberg led the way with four goals and five points to help Sweden beat Switzerland 10-3. The Swedes are considered one of the gold medal favorites, and they never once wavered in their puck dominance to open up the action in Frisco.
Latvia and Norway played a tighter game, with both teams sitting at a goal apiece heading into the third period. Like the earlier game in Allen, it required a shootout, with Latvia scoring twice to secure the win.
The hosts from the United States closed off Day 1 against Czechia. The Americans would score first off the heels of underaged forward Mikey Berchild. But 2025 draft prospects Radim Mrtka and Vit Zahejsky answered back to get the lead. But goals from Blake Fiddler and Will Horcoff in the final 10 minutes changed the course of the game, handing the win to the Americans to start the tournament off hot.
Here is a look at the top performers from every game on Day 1:
Finland 0, Slovakia 1
Finland
#25 Lasse Boelius, D: Boelius was Finland’s most effective defender in the first half, playing a smart, controlled game with the puck. He looked much more engaged than he was at the Hlinka Gretzky – which, based on other national team performances this season, seemed about right. He was quick, smart and made good heads-up plays consistently.
#24 Jere Somervuori, C: Somervuori was fast and determined to get to the net by every means necessary. He was Finland’s top playdriver on the first line, while also being the team’s most prominent playmaker. He has a ton of skill that can come in bursts and might not always be consistent. Transitionally, I thought he looked more stable and contained. But on a Finnish team with so little flash, Somervuori was the one I noticed the most up front.
#1 Patrik Kerkola, G: I wonder if the fact he didn’t face a single shot in overtime hurt him come the shootout. But otherwise, Kerkola was undeniably Finland’s best player, stopping all 25 shots sent his way through 65 minutes of play. The Finnish stopper is calm, cool and collected in the net and rarely wastes any movement. He’s going to need to be outstanding the rest of the way to keep the Finns in contention, though.
Slovakia
#20 Samuel Murin, LW: Murin played just 4:08 in the first period, but still managed to register three shifts in the first period. The Slovaks rolled all four lines to get everyone involved and I thought Murin was one of the most effective. He was aggressive around the net seemed physically engaged from about everywhere. I hadn’t noticed him too much before but I thought his energy and drive to make something happen around the crease was impressive.
#29 Tomas Chrenko, C (2026): Chrenko might be small, but his impact never is when he wears the red, white and blue. He had six shots in the first two periods alone and even scored on a penalty shot, only for it to be called off after he touched the puck a second time. He was quick, good along the boards and I think he handled the smaller ice well. Chrenko is one of the more intriguing Slovak prospects for 2026 and I liked how he took over the puck game today.
#2 Michael Pradel, G: All eyes were on the Slovak keeper today as he turned away all 34 shots he faced in 65 minutes of play. He was perfect in the shootout, too, to complete the game on a high note. The 6-foot-5 goaltender commands so much of the net and has the athleticism to truly stand out. He was good in his limited USHL duty this year and was solid at the Hlinka, too. He should get busier as the tournament wears on, but his perfect game today could matter a lot as the playoff picture comes into focus.
Sweden 10, Switzerland 3
Sweden
#5 Sascha Boumedienne, D: I’ve been harsh on Boumedienne this season because while the skill was always there, it felt like the consistency wasn’t. He scored a goal and added two assists today and was could have had a few others had things fallen his way. The hard-shooting defender has a ton of skill on the back end. He reminds me a bit of William Wallinder at points – he makes high-risk plays, but it sometimes backfires. Today, I thought he was excellent – my favorite game from him on Team Sweden this year.
#14 Filip Ekberg, RW: I wanted to see more from Ekberg this year, who seemed to have never been on Dave Cameron’s good side with Ottawa in the OHL. The skilled winger exploded for four goals and an assist today as he dominated around the net. He’s got the skill to be a finisher – he just needs the opportunities. Today was as dominant of a performance as I’ve seen from Ekberg and we’ll see how far he can go over the next week and a half.
#22 Milton Gastrin, C: Gastrin can thrive with just about anyone – today, he was a playdriver. He had a pair of goals and assisted on the ice-breaker for one of the more impressive games I’ve seen from him this year. He does a great job of shielding himself from opponents and getting the puck where he needs to. Gastrin is a potential first-round pick, and I know scouts already love what they’ve seen.
#27 Melvin Novotny, RW: Novotny had a pair of assists and would have had a third had one of his goals not been waved off. He was everywhere around the net, creating chances and taking advantage of open space. He played on Sweden’s fourth line, but he was more noticeable than most other wingers, given how he just seemed to always be moving and chasing after pucks. There is second/third-round potential here.
Switzerland
#21 Florian Schenk, C: Schenk is an imposing figure thanks to his big 6-foot-4 frame. The Saint John Sea Dogs forward had just two goals in 24 games, but he scored twice today thanks to his fantastic release. Seriously, where was that all year? He packs a ton of power into his game, and he’s going to have plenty of opportunities to show off as Switzerland’s No. 1 center. Let’s see if he can get some extra help, though.
Latvia 2, Norway 1 (OT)
Latvia
#30 Ivans Kufterins, G: Although he was outplayed by Felix Timraz-Westin, Kufterins was good himself. He made 21 saves and was perfect in the shootout to seal the deal. He was especially good in the first period, making eight saves, including some tough ones in tight.
#6 Alberts Smits, D (2026): Smits is a big, 6-foot-3 defender and he made sure to use his size. He spent nine games playing against pros with Jukurit in the top Finnish league and you could tell that experience came in handy. He was quick, made smart moves with the puck and even had a few decent looks on net, too. He led all Latvians with 25:44 today and was defensively stable throughout.
Norway
#30 Felix Timraz-Westin, G (2027): put on the best goaltending performance of Day 1. At 16, he’s one of the youngest players in the tournament. But he’s also 6-foot-6 and used every bit of his frame today to his advantage to make 39 saves. The Swedish U-18 league standout made a couple of huge glove saves and generally tracked pucks as well as anyone. This might be someone to keep a close eye on in two years if he continues to impress – but one Swedish scout told me there’s legit promise here.
#16 Mikkel Eriksen, C: One of the youngest players in the 2025 NHL Draft, Eriksen was expected to be a big part of Norway’s attack this year. He was one of their best players a year ago and led his team in shots today with four. Three of them came in the first period, and while he didn’t score, his ability to generate high-quality chances caught my eye. He’s expected to be a mid-round pick, but I think he has the raw talent to give Norway a chance in this tourney.
Czechia 2, USA 4
Czechia
#6 Radim Mrtka, D: Sometimes, it’s hard to remember that Mrtka is a 6-foot-6 defender. Like, of course you see the raw size. But then he pulls of skilled moves and scores goals like the one he did to make it 1-1 and you understand why scouts love him. Mrtka is a difficult defender to beat in his own zone, but he’s so dangerous on the attack, too. So you put those together and that’s why Mrtka is so intriguing – and potentially a top 10 pick.
#16 Adam Novotný, LW (2026): It felt like Novotný was everywhere on the ice. He didn’t get a point, but he was involved in many of Czechia’s high-end chances around the net. His mix of speed and open-ice awareness allowed him to get into scoring roles, and he had the two-way game to make himself even more effective.
USA
#29 Patrick Quinlan, G: Quinlan would probably want the 1-1 goal back, but it was a decent shot. The Univ. of Notre Dame keeper was forced to make some tough stops in the second period and it felt like he delivered. His footwork is quick and he does a good job of directing the puck to the corners. I don’t think Quinlan gets drafted without a stellar showing the rest of the week, but it was a good start overall.
#22 Will Horcoff, RW: Horcoff left the USNTDP midway through the season, but he was integrated back for this tourney and it was like he never missed a beat. He hit anyone who got in his way, created some high-quality chances and even scored the game-winning goal late in the third. He looks stronger, smarter and quicker than the last time we saw him with this group.
#12 Cullen Potter, C: Potter returned to the USNTDP lineup after leaving the program following just one season. He brought everything he did a year ago, and so much more. Tonight, he was fast, elusive, creative, and back-checked hard. He didn’t score, but it wasn’t due to a lack of effort. This US squad lacks a true game-changer but if Potter can change that, he might be able to cement himself as a top 15 prospect for 2025.
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