2025 World Junior Summer Showcase: Top standouts from Canada intrasquad scrimmage

Yes, it’s July 29. Yes, this is a review of a controlled intrasquad scrimmage game that didn’t follow any real hockey format.

And, yes, you’re reading this right now.

Day 3 at the World Junior Summer Showcase in Minnesota is in the books, with Canada splitting its roster in half for a scrimmage as the lone game action of the day. The first period was a normal, 15-minute, run-time frame. The second period was all about special teams, while the third period was back to normal, 15-minute hockey.

Was the match meaningless? Mostly. It barely simulated a real hockey game. But it was good to see lines forming and players back in action ahead of Canada’s first real game against Finland at 4:30 PM CT on Wednesday.

Canada White won the game 4-3 in the shootout, with Carson Wetsch scoring the lone goal in the skills competition. From now on, Canada’s roster will be comprised of players from both teams, while some of the older, returning players will likely sit out for the remainder of the competition.

Here is a look at the top players from the game from both teams combined:

#18 Malcolm Spence, LW (New York Rangers): Spence was one of the more energetic forwards for Canada White. I loved how hard he chased after Red’s top players and didn’t seem to care that it was an intrasquad game. Spence has never been the most skilled or offensive player, but he never takes a shift off and is always trying to make things happen. Spence could make it as a fourth-liner, unless the team elects to take more skilled players instead. But Spence feels like a player built for this team.

#17 Michael Hage, C (Montreal Canadiens): Hage scored the opening goal, getting himself in the slot to receive a pass while going undetected. That wasn’t what impressed me the most, though. It was his constant movement out there, taking space away and setting up his linemates. Hage is a perfect No. 2 center because he plays a reliable two-way game without sacrificing offensive chances. I also loved his pass for the 2-0 Canada Red goal, too.

#18 Marek Vanacker, LW (Chicago Blackhawks): Vanacker was one of the more noticeable 200-foot players today. I loved his energy, and even though nobody was trying too hard physically, Vanacker did an excellent job of chasing after pucks, winning battles along the boards, and stealing the disk any time he could. Vanacker loves spending time near the crease, and it was his perfect placement that allowed for the 2-0 power-play goal.

#30 Carter George, G (Los Angeles Kings): George was tasked with making some big saves early and he was definitely up for the challenge. The skilled goaltender moved well in the crease, and he also tracked pucks well through traffic. Today, I liked how well he protected the bottom part of the net, and he looked sharp on the simulated power play drills.

#24 Porter Martone, RW (Philadelphia Flyers): It just felt like Martone was making things happen more often than not. He didn’t fire many shots on net, but he made some great plays to get it to other players to generate scoring chances instead. He also did a good job of harassing defenders at the point.

#4 Henry Mews, D (Calgary Flames): Canada will have plenty of puck-moving defenders to choose from come December, but he made a good first impression today. Mews was great during the power play drills, dominating puck possession like he did during his OHL career. The mobile defender was also good in his own zone, but he didn’t spend too much time there because he kept sending the puck the other way. I can’t believe he didn’t score on either of his two overtime breakways.

#15 Berkly Catton, C (Seattle Kraken): It seemed like Catton had the puck over 50 percent of every shift he took. That’s what Canada was hoping to see more of in Ottawa last year, but it shows just how good Catton is with the puck. He does a great job of controlling the disk and finding his teammates in open space, and it was a bit surprising he didn’t score.

#19 Cayden Lindstrom, C (Columbus Blue Jackets): I wasn’t sure what to expect from Lindstrom, who missed most of 2024-25 due to injury. But he was flying out there today, creating chances and even trying to convert on a few of his own. Lindstrom was one of the more noticeable centers today, and I loved his game in transition. He scored twice, too, making him the most productive shooter. That was nice to see given how much time he missed last year.

#31 Joshua Ravensbergen, G (San Jose Sharks): Ravensbergen was great in the second half, but he was also dominant in overtime. His movements were fluid, his legs were working and his flexibility allowed him to make some excellent saves when the pressure was on. Ravensbergen struggled at this tournament a year ago but he looked sharp tonight.

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