2025 World Juniors: Top standouts from Sweden vs. Germany pre-tournament game
BELLEVILLE, Ont. – The final day of pre-tournament World Junior Championship action kicked off in Belleville, Ontario, with Sweden skating out to an 11-1 victory over Germany.
The Swedes will now shift their focus to Dec. 26, where they’ll open the main event with a 12:00 PM ET start against Slovakia at TD Place in Ottawa. Germany will be in the first game at the main rink in Group A, taking on the United States at 2:30 PM ET.
It didn’t take long for the Swedes to open the scoring. Just 12 seconds in, Montreal Canadiens prospect Rasmus Bergqvist’s point shot somehow beat Nico Pertuch down low to score his second goal in two pre-tourney games. Midway through the first, Victor Eklund’s low shot snuck below Pertuch’s right pad and in, giving Sweden the 2-0 advantage early.
A four-goal second period helped Sweden take a commanding lead. Felix Nilsson found Herman Traff in front of the net early in the second period to make it 3-0 before Nilsson set up Victor Eklund a few minutes later. Tom Willander and David Edstrom would each score in the second to make it 6-0, with Carlos Handel ending Marcus Gidlof’s shutout near the end of the second. The Swedes were in full control in the third period, with Felix Unger Sorum scoring a pair of goals, while Willheim Hallquisth and Otto Stenberg added goals to help complete the game.
Here’s a look at who stood out on Monday afternoon:
Sweden
#16 Felix Unger Sorum, RW (Carolina Hurricanes): Get ready for the FUS show. He scored a pair of goals just seconds apart and had a couple of assists to boot, too. FUS has one game of NHL experience, but he’s been looking solid against men in the AHL this year, too. He’s relentless, has an excellent release and can outsmart the best of them.
#14 Linus Eriksson, C (Florida Panthers): Even though he took a penalty in the first (that Germany couldn’t capitalize on), I thought Eriksson was Sweden’s hardest-working forward. He moved so well, battled hard, and backchecked as well as anyone. That’s his thing – Eriksson can produce, but he’s known more for being a reliable 200-foot player who is difficult to beat in battles all along the ice.
#18 Victor Eklund, RW (2025 NHL Draft): Eklund scored the 2-0 goal on a bit of a fluky shot, but I noticed how often he got himself into a scoring position. It seemed like the Germans had a hard time detecting him any time the Swedes had sustained pressure because he kept on moving until he got to where he was comfortable to set up base. That allowed him to score a second goal in the second period, beating a German defender to rush in front of the net to receive a pass from Nilsson. Overall, an excellent game for a guy expected to go in the top five this season.
#17 Felix Nilsson, C (Nashville Predators): With two assists just a few minutes apart, Nilsson’s second-period performance helped Sweden take charge. His goal near the end of the game was nice, too. He’s a solid playmaker that doesn’t get enough love for how smart he is – he always is looking for the right pass, and he’s willing to take a hit if it means holding on a bit longer before distributing the puck. Look for him to be a decent middle-six option for the Swedes.
#24 Tom Willander, D (Vancouver Canucks): From an overall standpoint, I thought Willander was Sweden’s best defender. He scored a goal through traffic later in the second, but he also drew a penalty and landed some nice hits. I like Willander – he’s not a future top-pairing defender, but he’ll be a do-it-all second-pairing option who isn’t afraid to land the body. And with a shot like his, I hope he uses it more when the tournament kicks off.
Germany
#7 Carlos Handel, D (2025 NHL Draft): Handel scored the 6-1 goal with a perfectly placed wrist shot from the blue line. He also had an incredible play that nearly resulted in a second goal late in the game when he dangled past two Swedish attackers. Handel was good defensively, and his offensive game – even in a lopsided loss – was a nice bonus.
#11 David Lewandowski, LW (2025 NHL Draft): Lewandowski was Germany’s most engaged forward, chasing pucks down and never giving up on the forecheck. He didn’t have anything to show for on the scoreboard but his effort never wavered and he’s bound to pot a few when the tournament begins.