U-18 Men’s World Championship: Who stood out on Day 2

Credit: Malcolm Spence (Steven Ellis/Daily Faceoff)

VANTAA, Fin. – It wasn’t the closest day of hockey ever witnessed, but it did have quite the start.

Slovakia has fallen to 0-2 after a disappointing 5-3 loss to Latvia, a result that puts the Slovaks in a difficult spot if they have any chance of avoiding relegation. Switzerland, meanwhile, had a brutal start against Kazakhstan, allowing two goals early in a disjointed effort. They eventually turned things around, winning the game 5-2 after an excellent second half.

The afternoon game was full of blowouts. The hosts from Finland skated to an easy 7-0 win over Norway, giving them a 2-0 record to start Group A play. Canada, meanwhile, scored four goals in the first period against the Czechs in a game filled with penalties, with the defending bronze medalists holding on for a 6-0 win.

Here’s a look at the top players from every game, with Daily Faceoff’s Prospect Expert Steven Ellis looking at CAN/CZE, LAT/SVK and KAZ/SUI, while news writer Colton Davies zeroed in on the FIN/NOR game:

Canada

#11 Malcolm Spence, LW (2025): Spence was an absolute menace out there. He set a U-18 World Championship scoring record by scoring just five seconds into the game, and then proceeded to piss off just about every Czech player on the ice. He was aggressive, blocked shots and generated some good chances in a strong effort for Canada’s fourth line. After killing some crucial penalties all game long, Spence scored a second goal and added an assist on Gavin McKenna’s goal for good measure to finish off the game.

#24 Tij Iginla, LW: He’s good, guys. Iginla scored two goals and played as hard as anyone around the net, using his brute physical frame to win battles and get control of the puck. This is a perfect tournament to cement himself as a top-10 prospect this year, and he’s already been one of Canada’s more effective players with the puck through two games.

#5 Henry Mews, D: I was hard on Mews this year, partly because I felt like his defensive game lacked a lot. Today, he broke up some difficult plays with his speed and stick work, giving the Czech attack little room to work with. This was one of the better all-around efforts I’ve seen from him this season, and it comes a day after another excellent performance on his end.

#28 Cole Beaudoin, C: Beaudoin had a huge 5-on-3 penalty kill midway through the first, and even set up a breakaway after blocking a shot near the hashmarks. Beaudoin also assisted on Carson Wetsch’s goal that made it 4-0 after just 7:42 on a nice play. This was a great effort from a guy who plays as good of a two-way game as anyone on Canada.

Czechia

#9 Adam Benak, C (2025): The small, but skilled forward had a good showing for the Czechs, showing he could keep up with Canada’s pace while generating the best Czech scoring chances. He looked great with extra space on the man advantage, especially alongside his good friend Adam Titlbach. I hope to see more from him at this event after a difficult season for him.

Switzerland

#18 Robin Antenen, LW: Antenen was consistently Switzerland’s most dangerous forwards, setting up his teammates with some nice passes and even taking a few chances of his own on the man advantage. I also liked his physical game, landing a couple of big hits and winning most of his battles. I think his raw talent could allow him to get drafted this year.

#23 Leon Muggli, D: While many of Switzerland’s defenders tried to do a bit too much out there, Muggli kept things simple. His experience playing against men allowed him to stay calm, cool and collected under pressure while making smart decisions with the puck. A potential second-round pick at the NHL Draft, the Swiss will keep counting on Muggli as the tournament goes on.

#1 Christian Kirsch, G: After Phileas Lachat allowed two early goals, the Swiss needed a change, returning to Kirsch after losing to Czechia on Thursday. He was perfect the rest of the way, and even though he wasn’t overly challenged, the fact he kept his team in it, given their miserable start, was important.

#4 Gian Meier, D: Meier doesn’t bring much offense to the table, with his goal today being his first in 20 international games this year. But as a shutdown defender, he looked good in the second half of the game to earn Player of the Game honors. I’m not sure he’ll get drafted, given he’s lanky and doesn’t have much offense to his game, but he’s a fundamentally solid defender and he showed that today.

Kazakhstan

#10 Abzal Alibek, LW: Alibek scored a goal for Kazakhstan and had a few nice blocks in an overall solid game from the captain. He mixed speed and defensive acumen together to play a solid two-way game, while also landing a few hits along the way.

#25 Tanirkhan Alpysbayev, G (2025): Alpysbayev was the only reason this game was close. He made 38 saves, including 16 in the third period as the Swiss took full control in the game. It’s difficult to scout goalies, and it’s not uncommon to see a team getting heavily beaten on the shot counter have a goalie stand on his head. But he made some truly difficult stops, showing great strength from his glove hand in particular.

Latvia

#27 Markuss Sieradzkis, LW: What a game for the fourth-liner, scoring a goal and adding two assists today. He moved very well around the ice, using his speed to win puck races and generate chances on his own.He had a quiet first game but was cooking tonight – not bad for someone who had nearly a full month off after the end of his season in Sweden.

#14 Olivers Murnieks, C (2026): Could Olivers Murnieks become the next notable NHLer out of Latvia? The 2008-born forward is skilled, dynamic and had a nice goal, too. He drives through the middle so well and uses his solid, strong frame to get himself into scoring positions with little difficulty. Through two games, Murnieks has been Latvia’s best player.

#1 Mikus Vecvanags, G: Yesterday, it was Nils Maurins. Today, Vecvanags stood out. He stopped 31 of 34 shots today as the Slovaks struggled to convert on their high-danger efforts. With Latvia boasting two good goalies in a year who are trying to avoid falling into the relegation round, they have a chance to keep making noise.

#21 Krists Retnais, D: With two assists, this was one of Retenais’ best games for the Latvians in his career. The captain played 18:10 and looked smooth and calm with the puck all game long. That’s two good showings for him thus far.

Slovakia

#15 Andreas Straka, LW: Straka had a good game for the Slovaks yesterday, bringing energy and violence to every shift. He had a goal and an assist while playing 20:17 as the Slovaks looked to use him as much as possible in their comeback effort. His game-tying goal gave Slovakia some extra momentum, but it didn’t matter in the end.

#27 Luka Radivojevič, D (2025): Radivojevič is a huge part of Slovakia’s hockey future, having played well at the World Juniors in the winter. After missing the first game due to illness, Radivojevič had two assists to help get the Slovaks back in it while working the power play. He played nearly half the game, which wasn’t surprising given he already has SHL experience and played so well against older competition with Orebro’s U-20 team. They’ll keep leaning on him as much as possible.

Finland

#34 Roope Vesterinen, LW: Vesterinen was lethal for the Finns in today’s win as he registered the first goal on a beautiful assist from Niklas Nyrki. Vesterinen nabbed his second goal of the night halfway through the second to give Finland a 4-0 lead, scoring on both of his shots. Talk about efficiency, especially out of someone who’s capable of giving them depth scoring.

#32 Emil Hemming, LW: Hemming was all over the ice, contributing offensively. He found the back of the net twice, both on the powerplay with assists coming from Helenius and Kiviharju. Hemming was lethal on the right flank throughout the Hlinka Gretzky tournament but has remained on the left wing through two games. So far, so good, as he has three one-timer goals to show for. Hemming was named the player of the game for Finland.

#12 Aron Kiviharju, D: Finland’s captain once again played a pivotal role, notching two assists in a 7-0 effort. Kiviharju fired home a goal during the third period after a great setup from Helenius, but was reviewed an called back. Kiviharju, of course, dealt with an ACL issue and missed most the regular season but doesn’t seem to have missed a step as he has three assists in two games while quarterbacking the Finns’ power play. He registered 24:56 of ice time, the most among all skaters.

#19 Konsta Helenius, C: Helenius was rock solid both offensively and defensively. Offensively, he notched two big assists and was a key factor in setting up goals for Hemming and Saarelainen. Helenius kept the offensive flare going and added his third assist of the game in the third period after stealing the puck and creating a rush. Helenius continued to be lethal in the faceoff circle going 13/19 yesterday and was 62% in the dot today. Helenius showcased his defensive presence and orchestrated a clean breakout on a few occasions for Finland.

#15 Niklas Nykyri, D: On Hemming’s first power-play goal, Nykyri jumped into the play, helping separate the Norwegians and creating an open slot for Hemming to rifle the puck. In the second, Nykyri intercepted a pass in the neutral zone, sprinted up the middle, and scored his first goal of the tourney, adding another point to the scoresheet. An excellent all-around effort.

Norway

#21 Tinus Luc Koblar, RW (2025): Despite a 7-0 loss, Koblar was named the player of the game for Norway after showing some good work along the boards. He had no shots, but he actually looked decent defensively in a game that was clearly one-sided from the get-go.

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