2025 World Juniors Roundup: Everything that happened on Day 1
OTTAWA – Four of the tournament heavyweights skated out to wins on Day 1 of the 2025 World Junior Championship, with Canada, USA, Sweden and Czechia coming out victorious.
Here’s a breakdown of every game, and the top standouts for each team:
Canada shuts out Finland 4-0
Canada has started off their quest to win gold on home ice on the right foot with a 4-0 victory over Finland at the Canadian Tire Centre on Thursday.
Canada will take on Latvia in Friday’s finale at 7:30 PM ET before getting Saturday off. Finland will have a quick turnaround with a 3:30 PM ET fight against Germany tomorrow, with both teams seeking their first win.
Canada opened the scoring in the final minute of the first period. Gavin McKenna was stopped on an initial chance, but he outlasted goaltender Petteri Rimpinen to make it 1-0. That momentum carried into the early moments in the second, with Easton Cowan firing a wrister to make it 2-0. Luca Pinelli and Matthew Schaefer would score goals in the final five minutes of the game to seal the deal.
The Canadians dominated the puck control, doubling up on shots multiple times throughout the night. Goaltender Carter George stood tall, stopping every shot sent his way.
Canada
#9 Gavin McKenna, LW (2026 NHL Draft): McKenna was Canada’s best player in the first period, with some high-quality moves that ultimately fizzled out. But near the end of the first, he used patience to beat Rimpinen in front of the net, flicking it over the Finnish keeper to make it 1-0. He nearly had two more in the first 10 minutes of the second, too. McKenna is one of the most skilled forwards in the tournament, and as long as coach Dave Cameron lets him run free, he’ll be in great shape.
#27 Easton Cowan, RW (Toronto Maple Leafs): Cowan was a support player a year ago, but he’s a guy they’re going to be counting on this year. He scored in the second period to make it 2-0 – a big one in a tight affair. He also had a few other nice plays alongside Calum Ritchie and Bradly Nadeau – the only line that hasn’t changed since the first pre-tournament game against Switzerland. Cowan, though, was just as good defensively as he was offensively, and that’s something you like to see.
#14 Berkly Catton, C (Seattle Kraken): Catton didn’t score, but he made play after play with the puck tonight. He had six shots in the first 40 minutes alone, starting with a four-shot first period as he looked to give Canada the lead early. I’d like to see him paired with another highly skilled winger on the right side – Porter Martone, perhaps? – but Catton has been impressive despite struggling to produce since the start of the pre-tournament.
#20 Ethan Gauthier, RW (Tampa Bay Lightning): Gauthier isn’t here to score – but he nearly did with a nice breakaway opportunity early in the second. The real value is his willingness to get rough and push guys around, and he was one of Canada’s most energetic wingers out there. Gauthier is a nice compliment to Jett Luchanko’s speed because they can feed off each other and contain the puck throughout a shift.
Finland
#30 Petteri Rimpinen, G (Undrafted): Rimpinen was pelted often in this one, making 27 saves in the opening 40 minutes. The first goal was a great play by McKenna, but the second one was one that Rimpinen would want back – a clean wrist shot. Still, Rimpinen looked sharp, especially on the Ethan Gauthier breakaway early in the second. He should be Finland’s starter for the bulk of the tournament.
#27 Julius Miettinen, C (Seattle Kraken): Miettinen was a buzzsaw out there. I liked his game through the middle of the ice, in particular. He was quick, had an active stick, and battled hard around the net. It didn’t pan out into anything noteworthy, but I still felt like I noticed Miettinen doing more positive things than the opposite. He needs to work on his faceoffs a bit more, though – he started off 2-for-11.
USA crushes Germany 10-4
The United States managed to snag the first major blowout of the World Junior Championship, beating Germany 10-4 to open up Group A play at the Canadian Tire Centre.
It was close in the first half, with Germany making it 3-2 at one point. James Hagens and Gabe Perreault each scored in the first before Trevor Connelly made it a 3-0 game early in the second. But goals from Julius Sumpf and David Lewandowski made it a one-goal game at the halfway point, adding some intrigue to a game that saw the Americans control the puck.
Everything fell apart for the Germans from there, though. Hagens, Brandon Svoboda, and Perreault would score over a five-minute interval to close out the period, making it 6-2. Lenny Boos and Timo Ruckdaschel each scored for the Germans in the third, but two goals from Brodie Ziemer and one each from Cole Eiserman and Carey Terrance made it a 10-4 final score.
The United States will get Friday off before challenging Latvia on Saturday. Germany, meanwhile, will face off against Finland at 3:30 PM ET on Friday.
USA
#12 James Hagens, C (2025 NHL Draft): There’s been plenty of hype surrounding other top prospects to the point where it almost feels like long-time projected No. 1 James Hagens was becoming underrated. But with two goals and four points, Hagens was USA’s most productive forward, just like many people expected. He might be the youngest forward on the team, but he owns the scoring record at both the U-17 World Challenge and the U-18 World Championship. Is this the next one on his list?
#34 Gabe Perreault, LW (New York Rangers): Perreault is a serious MVP contender, and he started things off by scoring two goals and an assist tonight. He had the 2-0 goal and then made it 6-2 to further rub salt in the wound. But Perreault was great in all situations and was especially open in dangerous ice.
#24 Cole Hutson, D (Washington Capitals): Hutson had five assists, making as good of a first impression as you could ask for. His head fakes were in prime form – just like his brother. Germany had a hard time defending against him, and it allowed Hutson to be a truly dominant puck distributor. Look for him to put himself in the running for top defenseman this year.
#74 Brodie Ziemer, RW (Buffalo Sabres): It’s been an excellent year for Ziemer, who had two goals on five shots in the third period. He’s a buzzsaw who can do so much with and without the puck and he brings as much energy as you’ll find on a team like this. Ziemer will never be in the spotlight, but he does so much without the puck to be lethal.
#28 Brandon Svoboda, C (San Jose Sharks): Svoboda had a goal and an assist in a fourth-line role for USA. He also had a few blocks and got his stick into passing lines quite often to help end plays by the Germans. Like Ziemer, he isn’t flashy, but he plays a role and does it well.
Germany
#11 David Lewandowski, LW (2025 NHL Draft): Lewandowski was everywhere today. From some good defensive play, to taking a penalty and ultimately scoring a goal, Lewandowski was Germany’s best player today. And that tracks back to the pre-tournament drubbing from Sweden on Monday, too – even when the score was extremely lopsided, Lewandowski was tremendous. NHL scouts are noticing.
Sweden beats Slovakia 5-2
A three-goal, three-point effort from Detroit Red Wings prospect Axel Sandin Pellikka helped open up the way for Sweden’s 5-2 victory over Slovakia to kick off Group B play at the World Junior Championship.
The Swedes found themselves trailing early, but a big showing from the team’s blueline helped pave the way on Day 1.
It took Slovakia 11:53 to register their second shot of the game, but they made it count. St. Louis Blues prospect Dalibor Dvorsky used patience to wait for a screen in front and fired it past Samuel Urban for the 1-0 goal.
The Swedes were the better team with the puck throughout most of the game, but they couldn’t score until the second. Just over three minutes in, Montreal Canadiens prospect Rasmus Bergqvist had his first IIHF goal with a wrister in open space to make it 1-1.
Many expected Sweden’s blueline to be active on the attack, and they were in full force on Thursday. At 37:43, Axel Sandin Pellikka converted on a feed from Felix Unger Sorum to make it 2-1 Sweden. ASP then scored his second of the tournament on a great shot less than five minutes into the third, taking any of Slovakia’s momentum away in the closing stages. Sandin Pellikka finished the fun off with a hat-trick goal with about six minutes to go in the game, while Linus Eriksson scored with 4:30 to go to make it 5-1. Daniel Jencko scored late in the game, but it was far too late to make a comeback.
Sweden will meet up with Kazakhstan on Friday in an effort to stay perfect, while Slovakia will meet up with Switzerland earlier in the day.
Slovakia
#30 Samuel Urban, G (Undrafted): Urban was the only reason the game was close to start. The Swedes had full control, testing the undrafted goalie quite often early in the contest. He was especially good in the second period, moving well to make 11 stops. For a smaller goalie, Urban has to work a bit harder to see through screens, but his glove hand was active and he showed his flexibility quite often.
#15 Dalibor Dvorsky, C (St. Louis Blues): Dvorsky scored the only goal for the Slovaks, but had two other high-quality chances throughout the outing. The tournament veteran seemed to be one of the few engaged at both ends of the ice and he showed plenty of speed, too. If the Slovaks are going to pull off some victories in the round-robin, it’ll be because Dvorsky is playing at the top of his game. But he can’t do it all alone, as today showed.
#4 Maxim Strbak, D (Buffalo Sabres): From blocking shots to landing hits, Strbak was throwing the body every time he could. The Michigan State University defender needed help off the ice after blocking a shot prior to the 2-1 goal, but he came back and played some of his best hockey in the third period. Look for Strbak to play over 25 minutes every single night.
Sweden
#18 Victor Eklund, RW (2025 NHL Draft): I loved that game from Eklund. He didn’t score, but he was very energetic, hit hard and challenged anyone who dared to battle against him. Eklund moves exceptionally well, with good footwork and a well-oiled motor that makes him tough to contain in tight spaces. I think having him in a top-six role at this tournament will show fans why Eklund has a shot at going in the top five of the NHL Draft.
#2 Rasmus Bergqvist, D (Montreal Canadiens): Maybe, just maybe, there’s some untapped offensive potential in Bergvist’s game. The defensive defender has three goals in three games dating back to the start of Sweden’s pre-tournament slate, showcasing a powerful shot from the point. For someone who doesn’t have a goal back in the SHL this year, it’s been nice seeing Bergqvist show a bit of offensive potential that some scouts have believed in for a few years now.
#4 Axel Sandin Pellikka, D (Detroit Red Wings): With three goals and an assist, ASP had has good of a start to a tournament as you could ask for. He moved the puck well, shooting the puck well and landed some excellent hits at both ends of the ice, too. It was a complete game for Sweden’s captain, someone many expect to challenge for the top defenseman award for the second consecutive year. Sandin Pellikka is off to an excellent start as he challenges to take home the top defenseman award for the second year in a row.
#16 Felix Unger Sorum, RW (Carolina Hurricanes): Calling it now: FUS is going to make himself a star at this tournament. He had two primary assists, finding Sandin Pellikka on his first two goal. His ability to read open ice is impressive, and he’s a lot more urgent – yet smart – with how he distributes the puck now compared to a year ago.
Czechia has cruised to its first win of the 2025 World Junior Championship, beating Switzerland 5-1 to finish Day 1 of Group B play at TD Place.
Czechia will get Friday off before taking on Kazakhstan at 1:00 PM ET on Saturday at TD Place, while Switzerland will rush back into action against Slovakia at 1:00 PM ET on Friday.
Despite scoring the first goal, the Czechs had a quiet first period. Miroslav Holinka had the opener at 4:46 after tipping in Tomas Galvas’ point shot. From there, the Czechs struggled to generate much of anything around the net, with goaltender Michael Hrabal having to bail them out a few times.
Czechia had a better second period, helping get them to a 3-0 lead. Eduard Sale scored on the power play at 26:10 before Ondrej Kos’ shot bounced off two Swiss defenders and in for the 3-0 goal. Jakub Stancl and Petr Sikora each scored to close out Czechia’s scoring, while Leo Braillard had the lone goal for Switzerland at 47:08 – just like he did against Canada in the pre-tournament.
Czechia
#30 Michael Hrabal, G (Utah HC): Hrabal is the X-Factor for the Czechs. They lack high-end scoring and high-quality blueliners, so they’ll need their returning goalie to be excellent. So far, so good as Hrabal stood tall in the opening game, especially in the first when he made nine saves for a nervous Czech team. Hrabal finished with 25 saves, which proved to be the difference in a game that was otherwise tight offensively.
#23 Tomas Galvas, D (Undrafted): When Galvas is on his game, he can make magic with the puck. Today, he made an excellent play from the point to get the puck past a Swiss defender, with Holinka in the right spot to tip the shot. Galvas had a second assist after helping set up the 2-0 power-play goal, with the defender able to beat a Swiss winger to get himself into a prime position to make a pass.
#28 Miroslav Holinka, C (Toronto Maple Leafs): Holinka scored the opening goal after directing a shot from the point by Galvas. He then made an excellent set up on the power play on a pass to Sale in the second period to help double up Czechia’s advantage. Holinka might not be the flashiest or most skilled No. 1 center in the tournament but he’s a tremendous playmaker who loves to make moves in open space and today was a great tournament debut for the Maple Leafs prospect.
Switzerland
#15 Lars Steiner, RW (2026 NHL Draft): I thought Steiner was one of Switzerland’s only notable forwards today. He had some decent looks with the puck and was the primary play driver in the first 40 minutes. His whole line was good, but I thought Steiner was the best at attacking pucks and setting up scoring chances on the rush.
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