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Rachel Doerrie, ESPN
For the first time in history, the United States has successfully defended gold at the IIHF world junior championship.
Outstanding performances were the story of the tournament this year. For the first time in recent memory, there were no complaints of “too many blowouts” or “not enough parity.” Every team in the tournament was capable of a competitive game, making for a very unpredictable round robin and medal round.
From surprise upsets to last-minute goals to overtime thrillers and a shootout that lasted far too long, Ottawa put on a fantastic tournament from top to bottom.
In addition to the team competition, this was also a showcase for top prospects (both drafted and those who will be selected in 2025 and 2026), with execs and scouts from all 32 NHL teams in attendance. Here’s a look at players who stood out the most for each team, along with my take on each country’s overall performance:
Jump to a team:
Canada | Czechia
Finland | Germany
Latvia | Slovakia
Sweden | Switzerland
United States
Latvia
Latvia was the talk of the tournament. They presented problems for quite a few teams in the tournament, including a major upset over Canada, an overtime win against Germany and giving Sweden a scare in the quarterfinal matchup.
Had it not been for Petteri Rimpinen‘s performance in the final two games, Linards Feldbergs (undrafted) ought to have won the award for best goaltender. He won the hearts of fans, the attention of NHL teams and perhaps, a long look for the world championship team in the spring. He was nothing short of brilliant, and said he will remember the feelings he had during this tournament for the rest of his life.
Eriks Mateiko (Washington Capitals) was a force for Latvia, scoring key goals, playing in every situation and leading in every sense. If there was a play that needed to be made at a critical time, a scoring chance that needed to be created or finished, Mateiko was there. His teammates followed his lead, staying disciplined, playing strong defensively, blocking shots and sacrificing their bodies to make plays all over the ice. They forechecked hard, tracked back with tenacity and made life difficult for their opponents.
By tournament’s end, they’d earned a standing ovation from the crowd in Ottawa, who showed their appreciation for the Cinderella of the tournament.
Switzerland
As for the Swiss, there was really nothing to write home about. A team that had the chance to play Cinderella failed to get the elite goaltending required. The Swiss lacked scoring punch, and never gave Sweden, Czechia or Slovakia a scare. Their most entertaining game came against Sweden, which was a 7-5 affair. While the score looked close, the Swiss were down 6-1 and scored three goals in the final 10 minutes once Sweden had taken its foot off the pedal.
They struggled to generate dangerous chances at even strength, with the lone bright spot being a third-ranked power play; seven of the team’s 12 goals came with the man advantage. Without a true offensive threat up front, the Swiss struggled to get a foothold in the tournament. Many expected a quarterfinal exit, but their performance was disappointing overall.
Germany
Lacking their top scorer, Germany required an overtime thriller against Kazakhstan, who were without a top player because of suspension, to stay in the top group in 2026. The Germans struggled to create chances in dangerous scoring areas and lacked the ability to finish on the few chances they generated. Losing Kevin Bicker (Detroit Red Wings) prior to the tournament was always going to make this tournament a tough one, as he was expected to be the offensive engine.
For a country that has recently produced the likes of Leon Draisaitl, Tim Stutzle and JJ Peterka, 2025 was a disappointing tournament. The Germans were a very young group and nearly 75% of their roster will return next year with more development and physical maturity. This experience will be an important one for the returnees who will undoubtedly be motivated to improve on their ninth-place finish.
Slovakia
Slovakia started slowly and finished lower than their expectations in sixth place. Dalibor Dvorsky (St. Louis Blues) did not have the impact on this tournament that many believed he would deliver. They required overtime to beat Kazakhstan and failed to get a strong foothold in games against Sweden, Czechia and Finland.
With quite a few skilled 19-year-olds, Slovakia had an outside shot at a medal in the tournament. They were unable to establish an effective checking game to slow opponents down and allow their skilled gamebreakers to capitalize on scoring chances. By the time Dvorsky and Juraj Pekarcik (Blues) were in the game, their opponents were flying through the neutral zone and generating scoring chances from dangerous areas. Dvorsky was good but did not live up to the expectations of being one of the best forwards in the tournament.
Slovakia was going to need a quality performance from Samuel Urban (undrafted) in goal to contend for a medal, and he was unable to deliver. After getting outstanding goaltending in recent tournaments, Urban faltered at critical times and lacked the ability to make the key save at the right time.
Sweden
Sweden looked like the team to beat after the preliminary round. They went through Group B like a hot knife through butter. Axel Sandin-Pellikka (Red Wings) was brilliant from start to finish with a hat trick on Boxing Day and elite play that carried the Swedish blue line. He was a difference-maker at both ends of the ice and looked every part of a future top-four NHL blueliner. He was named the tournament’s top defenseman and was Sweden’s best player from start to finish.
Up front, Otto Stenberg (Blues), Anton Wahlberg (Buffalo Sabres) and Felix Unger Sorum (Carolina Hurricanes) carried the offense. All three averaged more than a point per game and were forces. The quality of scoring chances generated kept opponents on their toes and caused nightmares for goalies. All three consistently tilted the ice in Sweden’s favor and wreaked havoc on the power play.
Victor Eklund (2025 draft-eligible) looked the part of a top-15 prospect with a solid performance in Ottawa, posting six points and showcasing an ability to win races, get inside position and finish plays with skill.
Sweden’s reward for dominating their group? A date with Latvia, who won twice in the preliminary round. That quarterfinal matchup was a lot closer than the Swedes were expecting and likely took more out of them, leading to a semifinal loss to archrival Finland. Sweden looked like the best team for the majority of the tournament but were unable to get the job done in a tight game and lost the bronze medal game to Czechia in a shootout that went on far too long.
They will rue the missed chances, goal posts and negated goals, but their penalty kill let them down. For a team looking to avenge last year’s gold medal loss on home soil, Sweden will be bitterly disappointed to leave Ottawa without a medal.
Czechia
The bronze medal-winning Czechs got great performances from quite a few players in this tournament.
Eduard Sale (Seattle Kraken) was dynamic and led the way in every sense. Offensively, he finished his opportunities, secured the bronze medal with a shootout winner and showcased his high-end puck skill and finesse consistently.
Adam Jecho (Blues) made the most of his opportunity, creating scoring chances and consistently disrupting transition for opponents. Miroslav Holinka (Toronto Maple Leafs) didn’t show up on the scoresheet, but was critical to the success of the team. The details of his game in all three zones made a difference, supporting pucks and creating space for his linemates to benefit from.
Peter Sikora (Capitals) was public enemy No. 1 after drawing a debatable major penalty in the quarterfinal against Canada, and he played that role perfectly. His ability to make small plays at critical times, draw penalties and step up in key moments tilted the ice and allowed the Czechs to regain momentum.
On the defensive side, Adam Jiricek (Blues) performed very well in this tournament and has been generally good when wearing his national colors. He moved well, made good puck decisions and drove play from the blue line for Czechia. He was engaged and made his teammates better by making simple plays and not being overactive. A steady but impactful game is exactly what scouts were hoping to see, and Jiricek delivered.
Michael Hrabal (Utah Hockey Club) was steady in goal and was the ultimate difference-maker in the shootout when the Czechs needed a save. He didn’t steal any games, but he didn’t cost them any either. Overall, the Czechs will be pleased with back-to-back bronze medal performances.
Finland
Finland had an up-and-down tournament, starting with a shutout loss to Canada, followed later by a fantastic semifinal win over Sweden and an overtime loss in the championship game.
Finland produces a lot of two-way impact players and was forced to rely on them in the tournament because they lacked the offensive firepower of other teams. They were able to lock the opponent’s best players down and keep them from dominating pace of play. Coupled with an outstanding performance in goal by Petterri Rimpinen (2025), Finland’s play carried them to within one shot of the gold medal.
Rimpinen made more than a handful of saves in the semifinal and final that he can tell his grandchildren about, but the two in overtime of the final were A+. Finland likely finds themselves in the bronze medal game without his stellar performance. That is presumably what secured the tournament’s top goaltender award, because Feldbergs had a legitimate case, but Latvia didn’t get as far.
Konsta Helenius (Sabres) was quiet for much of the tournament but carried Finland in the semifinal with four points. He wasn’t a difference-maker otherwise, registering two points in the other five games. He was good defensively and kept opposing players at bay, but the Finns needed more from him offensively.
Kasper Halttunen (San Jose Sharks) struggled to produce offense, but showed flashes of skill and ability to make plays in tight. The power play struggled, and a major part of it was Halttunen’s inability to get his shot off. Jesse Kiiskinen (Red Wings) was named a top-three player for Finland and deservedly so. He was always involved in the play and finished second in tournament goal scoring with six.
Aron Kiviharju (Minnesota Wild) was a little bit of everything in this tournament. A key player and the engine of the blue line, his size betrayed him at various points, particularly while defending in transition. When he had the puck, he made good decisions and created scoring opportunities. He showed flashes of skill and is clearly a top player among his peers, but he will need to develop his ability to defend more effectively and make quicker decisions to carve out an NHL career.
Finland’s moniker of “the pesky Finns” was on full display in this tournament. They were never dominant, but they never went away. Always a thorn in the side of the top teams. They are well coached, staunch defensively and benefitted from an elite goaltending performance. They can return 13 players next year, including Rimpinen, Kiviharju, Helenius and Emil Hemming (Dallas Stars), making them an immediate contender, especially with USA, Canada and Sweden drawing into the other preliminary group for 2026.
Canada
Canada … where do we even begin? There is a lot to unpack here from the poor team construction to the tone-deaf news conferences to undisciplined penalties. It wasn’t unpredictable, as evidenced by this excerpt from my tournament preview:
“Canada’s issue has never been talent, it has been getting in its own way. Whether it’s undisciplined penalties, shaky goaltending, head-scratching coaching decisions or ill-timed turnovers, Canada will need everyone pulling the rope in the same direction to get back on top of the podium.”
Yes, apart from shaky goaltending, all of those things occurred. Carter George (Los Angeles Kings) was outstanding for Canada, especially given how the tournament went; in fact, they may have finished fourth in their group if not for his shutout performance against Finland. The only thing that went right for Canada at this tournament was the goaltending. In recent years, there have been questions about Canada’s goaltending and whether it was good enough to win gold. The goaltending was the only thing worthy of a medal at this tournament. Luckily for Canada, both George and Jack Ivankovic (2025) can return next year.
It was very apparent that this team was undisciplined. They were the most penalized team in the tournament by a wide margin, and were shorthanded for nearly a period worth of game time on multiple occasions. That is no way to win a hockey tournament at the international level.
While the coaching staff owns some of the blame for instilling a style that lends itself to physicality instead of puck possession, the nature and frequency of the penalties were egregious. Unnecessary hits, poor sticks, lazy grabs and slashes that are always called to a tighter standard in international play. That standard was not applied more harshly to Canada; Canada played a style that lent itself to physical penalties and when they became frustrated, turned into undisciplined stick work. Canada did not concede a goal at 5-on-5 until the quarterfinal against Czechia.
The team’s lack of discipline cost it points against Latvia and the United States, which ultimately led to a tougher medal-round path. It was only fitting that Czechia scored the game winner on a late power play because of an overzealous, physical penalty.
Canada should never have been in that position. Playing a physical style in a tournament when you have the depth of talent to out-skill teams is a galaxy brain approach. A quick rundown of the poor decisions:
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Leaving the likes of Beckett Sennecke (Anaheim Ducks), Andrew Cristall (Capitals), Michael Misa (2025), Zayne Parekh (Calgary Flames) and Carter Yakemchuk (Ottawa Senators) at home
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Refusing to pair Brampton teammates Carson Rehkopf (Kraken) and Porter Martone (2025) together
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Playing Gavin McKenna (2026) in a lesser role, when he was one of the only players generating dangerous chances
Each of those decisions fits the bill of Dave Cameron hockey: physical, forecheck and grind over speed, skill and scoring. For the first time in tournament history, Canada did not have a player in the top 30 in points. For reference, the top German, Latvian and Kazakhstani finished with more points than the top Canadian.
Canada looked disjointed for much of the tournament, which made the decision to skip practices a peculiar one. They lamented poor special teams, inability to develop chemistry and lack of finish on multiple occasions. Practice affords teams the opportunity to work on all those things, and failing that, putting players together with established chemistry (Rehkopf-Martone), playing players in their natural power-play positions (Oliver Bonk) may speed that process along. Cameron opted to do none of that, and by the time he moved McKenna to the top line, it was too late.
Canada’s lack of discipline was their ultimate undoing, but these players were not set up to succeed from the outset. Poor team-building approach, poor lineup construction, lack of practice and awful in-game management; everyone from the skaters (the goalies were great) to coaches and management had a hand in an utterly unacceptable performance on home soil.
United States
In contrast to Canada, we look to the gold medalists. It was a tremendous performance by the Americans to win back-to-back gold medals for the first time in their history.
13 and 21 with us every step of the way. ❤️ #WorldJuniors pic.twitter.com/Ct7WKUr0w2
— USA Hockey (@usahockey) January 6, 2025
Trey Augustine (Red Wings) started slowly and was not the best goaltender in the tournament, but he held strong when necessary and provided one more save in the final game. He was steady, made key saves and showed flashes of why Detroit believes he could be their future starter.
The Americans got exactly what they needed out of their all-Boston College top line. There was no need to reinvent the wheel or try various chemistry experiments with other players. David Carle ran the BC trio of Gabe Perreault (New York Rangers), Ryan Leonard (Capitals) and James Hagens (2025) out from start to finish, and was rewarded with an MVP performance from Leonard and key plays from Hagens and Perreault at pivotal points in the medal round. Those three combined for 29 points and finished as three of the top eight point scorers in the tournament. When they got going, their opponents had little hope of keeping them from scoring.
Outside of the top line, Cole Hutson (Capitals) was outstanding on defense, leading the tournament in scoring. He was critical to the Americans owning the top power play in the tournament and consistently created scoring chances. He averaged nearly two points per game through the tournament and didn’t give back anything defensively. It was an MVP-caliber performance from the second-round pick.
Zeev Buium (Wild) returned, and while his point production was not eye-popping, his primary assist on the golden goal will be shown on his career highlight reel. A 100-foot, tape-to-tape pass to spring Teddy Stiga (Nashville Predators) in overtime. He was impactful, winning his minutes and making subtle plays that stifled opponents and allowed the Americans to strike quickly in transition.
The offensive horses on the back end showed up on both sides of the puck. They were so good, they were rarely in the defensive zone and thus, spent little time defending. When you can dictate the game from the back end the way Buium and Hutson did, it makes life a lot easier on the rest of the team.
Danny Nelson (New York Islanders) was named a top player for the United States, and deservedly so. The returnee was outstanding in an elevated role, scoring key goals, hemming opponents in and becoming a go-to guy for Carle in tight situations.
A second Islander prospect, Cole Eiserman, had quite the performance. Slotted in the 13th forward role, he scored critical power-play goals when called upon. The luxury of loading a team with skilled players is that the 13th forward can own an NHL-level release and be a key part of the game plan, regardless of how often he sees the ice. Carle pushed all the right buttons with Eiserman and was rewarded with game-breaking plays at critical points throughout the tournament.
Carle has cemented himself as the best young coach in the game with back-to-back championships at the World Juniors and two NCAA titles, all by the age of 35. He was already garnering serious NHL interest, and that will only increase as he continues to have success.
The Americans put together the best team, and their coaching staff was able to maximize the abilities of every player on the squad. When you do that, you get golden goals from unsung heroes such as Teddy Stiga, who has been lauded as “the type of guy you win with” since entering the U.S. program. Carle knows how to push the buttons, and he has multiple championships at collegiate and international levels to back it up.