2025 U-18 Men’s World Championship: Ivankovic, Handel among top standouts on Day 5
It was the last double game day of the preliminary round at the 2025 U-18 World Championship in Texas, with Canada and Germany skating out to wins.
Canada has taken top spot in Group A after beating Finland 5-1. Canada will finish their round robin with a game against Norway on Monday before re-focusing on the quarterfinal on Wednesday.
With a loss to Germany in the first game of the day, Switzerland will be one of two teams in the relegation game on Wednesday night in Texas.
The first game was an important one, with Switzerland needing to win in regulation to avoid early elimination. They actually scored first, giving them their first lead of the tournament. But Germany went on to find themselves sitting on a 3-1 lead at one point, making life miserable for Switzerland. The Swiss would eventually make it 4-4 late in the third period – a frame they took 21 shots in. It didn’t matter in the end, though, as a late goal by Mateu Spath Mariscal gave Germany the victory and a spot in the quarterfinal.
The Canada/Finland game started off slow, with neither team taking many shots. But a near-perfect effort from goaltender Jack Ivankovic and some great puck movement by the Canadian attack allowed Canada to win the game 5-1 and improve to 3-0.
Here’s a look at the top players from the two games in Texas:
Germany 5, Switzerland 4
Germany
#7 Carlos Handel, D: Handel has been Germany’s best player all tournament long, and he had a two-goal, three-point performance to boot today. He’s just so slick on the blueline, moving fluently and shooting only when it makes sense. He’s good at using screens in front of the net to generate offense, and he knows when it’s best to just get the puck to someone else. I loved him at the World Juniors and I like him even more in Texas.
#22 David Lewandowski, LW: Lewandowski scored a goal midway through the second that was eventually taken back for goaltender interference. But he wasted no time jamming the puck home on a chance on the next shift to make it a 3-1 lead for Germany. He’s good around the net, using his muscle to outwork players and get into scoring lanes. Today, he was quite noticeable and could have easily had another goal or two if things had gone his way.
Switzerland
#11 Mike Aeschlimann, LW: That’s another great game out of Aeschlimann. I only saw him a little bit throughout the year and he never stood out to me. But in Texas, he’s one of the few forwards actually trying to make things happen, and he was rewarded with a goal. He’s good around the net and is as close to a power forward as Switzerland has in this draft class. I’m not sure he’ll get taken but I like that he has become a heart-and-soul player for this struggling Swiss team.
#21 Florian Schenk, C: Schenk was noticeable throughout most of the game for the way he skated and moved the puck. He had an assist in the first period, but he also made Germany’s defense have to work hard along the boards. He had two goals in Switzerland’s first game but had a much quieter second showing. Today, I liked the effort because it felt like he was always moving.
Canada 5, Finland 1
#28 Brady Martin, RW: Martin is one of my favorite players in the draft thanks to his incredible work ethic. He just does so many great things all over the ice and rarely comes out looking stupid. His win along the boards to help out on the 3-0 goal was peak Brady Martin – and he had two great passes on the power play on his next shift. He’s energetic, smart and a true workhorse – NHL teams are going to be clamoring over him this fall. He also scored an empty-netter for good measure today.
#9 Ben Kindel, RW: Kindel was added to Canada’s roster officially just two hours before puck drop but wasted no time making an impact. He scored the 1-0 goal and then assisted the 4-0 shot on the power play to put the game to rest. Kindel was so good during the WHL regular season, and everyone knew he’d be a huge asset for Canada if he ended up coming over. So far, so good.
#16 Lev Katzin, LW: Katzin continues to establish himself as one of the biggest risers for the draft from this tourney. He earned a secondary assist on the 1-0 goal and then made a great cross-crease pass to Braeden Cootes to make it 2-0. Katzin has been so dangerous all tournament long, averaging two points per game on Canada’s top line. He might have fallen a bit in draft rankings this year but scouts are loving his creativity.
#2 Xavier Villeneuve, D (2026): Villeneuve scored on a great shot to make it 3-0 and then had a secondary assist on the power play three minutes later. He’s such a high IQ defenseman who uses his patience to his advantage. He’s skilled, quick and makes great plays at both ends. Good players shine in big games – this was the best I’ve seen from him.
#1 Jack Ivankovic, G: Ivankovic wasn’t too busy, but Canada’s defensemen made sure to give their goalie some tough situations to deal with. He was quick to make some excellent stops, showing his true athleticism and high-end reflexes a bit more than he probably wanted to. Ivankovic does a great job of staying focused and on top of things and it allows him to have big performances like today.
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