2025 World Juniors: Standouts from Canada vs. Finland
OTTAWA – 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, securing his first World Junior Championship shutout.
Here’s a look at the top performers from both teams:
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.
#30 Carter George, G (Los Angeles Kings): A 31-save shutout is a good way to make a big impression in front of the home crowd. He had some weaker moments against Czechia in the pre-tournament game, but looked at the top of his game, especially on plays where he had to move quickly.
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.
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