Standouts from Canada’s final 2025 World Junior selection camp game against U SPORTS

OTTAWA – Canada has wrapped up its two-game, four-day selection camp in Ottawa with a 2-1 victory, sweeping the U SPORTS selects team in the process.

The game had a much slower pace, with the lone goal of the opening 40 coming early off a Brayden Yager shot. Canada went close to 17 minutes without a shot on net at one point. U SPORTS controlled the puck play, but some good goaltending by the Canadian keepers kept this one a close affair.

Matthew Wood scored the second Canadian goal to secure the victory, while Kale McCallum scored for U SPORTS.

Canada is expected to make cuts later Friday evening, although it’s unclear if all the cuts will be made or just a handful before heading to training camp in Petawawa, Ontario this weekend.

Here’s a look at the top performers from Friday’s action:

#29 Cole Beaudoin, C (Utah HC): Beaudoin had another excellent showing, this time as the fourth-line center. He just works harder than most out there, hitting players, forcing turnovers and preventing the puck from getting into a high-danger spot in his own zone. Beaudoin should lock up a bottom-line role for Canada – he was easily one of the better players in this camp.

#17 Tanner Howe, LW (Pittsburgh Penguins): Howe played on the penalty kill and the power play and looked quite good. He stood out in the scrimmage on Wednesday because he was the hardest-hitting and fastest-skating player on the ice. Howe knew his best way of making Canada was in a bottom-six energy role and he played just as well as you’d hope.

#35 Scott Ratzlaff, G (Buffalo Sabres): After an ugly third-period collapse on Thursday, Razlaff bounced back with a shutout effort – including a few big-time stops midway through the third period. It was exactly the period Ratzlaff needed to give him a big chance to bounce back and put himself back in the conversation to make Canada for the second straight year.

#50 Jack Ivankovic, G (2025 NHL Draft): After taking over for Ratzlaff for the second half, Ivankovic was lights out with some massive saves against Canada. His legwork was excellent, using lightning-quick reflexes to make some big stops. His play early in the third – especially on the extended power play – is a big reason why Canada held on in a game they got heavily outplayed in.

#18 Brayden Yager, C (Winnipeg Jets): Yager scored the opening goal and then added an assist to make it 2-1 late in the game. He had a solid two-way game, making some excellent plays at both ends. He’s one of Canada’s smartest players, and he clearly knows how to fire the puck, too.

#24 Calum Ritchie, C (Colorado Avalanche): Ritchie was the only player in the lineup with NHL experience, and while it didn’t help him score, I did like how good he was around the net. He had two excellent looks on the man advantage in the second period that just missed beating Carson Bjarnason, but just about every look Ritchie had was dangerous. Look for him to spend a lot of time on the power play later this month.

SPONSORED BY bet365