Melker Thelin – McKeen's Hockey

WORLD JUNIORS GOLD MEDAL GAME: Team USA gets a date with destiny

Kyle Watson — Sun, 05 Jan 2025 14:37:42 +0000

KANATA, ONTARIO - JANUARY 4: USAÕs Ryan Leonard #9 gets tangled up with Czechia's Jakub Fibigr #7 during Semifinal Round action at the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship at Canadian Tire Centre on January 4, 2025 in Kanata, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Andr Ringuette/IIHF)

OTTAWA — Team USA has a chance to make history, and Finland wants to display their "lion mentality" to the world. That's what stake today.

With a chance to become the first American team in World Juniors history to defend their gold medal, the only thing that stands in the way for David Carle's men is a Finnish group with fire in their eyes.

The 2025 World Juniors gold medal game marks the second time the two nations have met in the finals. In 2019 a late goal from Kappo Kakko led the Finns over Jack Hughes and the Americans in Vancouver.

This edition of Team USA are focused on their own path

Despite Michael Hrabal's best efforts, a vintage Gabriel Perreault and Ryan Leonard performance carried Team USA to a 4-1 win over Czechia in the semifinals.

You can see why the Washington Capitals were ready to try playing Leonard in the NHL this year. He plays every game like it's the gold medal game.

Watch him battle to get this puck to Perreault on the opening goal:

Gabe Perreault opens the scoring for Team USA after an amazing pass from Ryan Leonard!!!#WorldJuniors pic.twitter.com/JkQvZDCNuJ

— TSN (@TSN_Sports) January 5, 2025

Perreault returned the favour, setting up Leonard with 4:27 left to put a dagger in the heart of the Czechs — but it was 13th forward Cole Eiserman who scored the game-winner. It was a textbook finish from the USNTDP's all-time leading goal scorer:

Cole Eiserman SNIPES it!!!!

USA up 2-1#WorldJuniors pic.twitter.com/g4NbR8gnvT

— TSN (@TSN_Sports) January 5, 2025

The New York Islanders 2024 first-round pick is thriving in a limited role, coming up with timely scoring for head coach David Carle. Deployed mostly on the powerplay, Eiserman could be compared to a designated hitter in baseball.

"We don't win these games without him," said Carle after the win. "I can't say enough good things about the way he's handled it.

This was the USA's most complete victory in Ottawa so far. The top guys were clicking, they had timely penalty kills and Augustine recovered from letting in a weak tying goal. It's easy to get swept up in clichés in a major junior hockey press conference, but the Americans truly rely on all four lines (and Eiserman) to score. It's a top-to-bottom effort.

"Everyone's playing hard and embracing their role," explained defenceman Zeev Buium. "That was our message going into the tournament."

Eiserman insists he's not just helping his team on the scoresheet.

"[I want to do] whatever I can to help the team win, be a good person, a good teammate, a leader," said the 18-year-old. "That's something I've taken pride in this tournament, to try and let the guys know I'm there for them no matter what."

The Boston University freshman, playing at his first World Juniors, is one of many players who have stepped seamlessly into this group. The returning players, like Buium, Leonard, and Perreault are all finding another gear as the tournament closes.

Carle has maintained a positive environment for his team by getting the pressure out of the way early. He made sure they were aware of what would be on the line in Ottawa months ago:

"That was our first meeting in the summer, we spoke pretty honestly about the fact that our country had never [won gold in back-to-back tournaments,]" he said.

Addressing the elephant in the room well in advance, Carle's group has become a well-oiled machine with a razor's edge. They enter the final as a formidable force that will be heavily favourited.

"If we were thinking big picture, we wouldn't be here."

Finland remains a fixture in the World Juniors' medal round

Earlier in the day, Benjamin Rautainen scored the overtime winner as the Finns showed enough fight to defeat their rivals, Sweden, 4-3.

It's Team Finland's twelfth appearance in the gold medal game and the fourth in the last 12 tournaments. It's also worth noting that only Finland, USA and Canada won gold during that span.

It wasn't exactly a highlight-reel play — a trick shot that deceived Swedish netminder Melker Thelin.

"I didn't see it go in, but then I saw the bench," said goalie Petteri Rimpinen, who turned aside 43 shots in the win. "[Emil] Pieniniemi jumped on me and I almost cried in that moment, it was so awesome."

Finland's game-winning goal was a 'no-looker' on the power play#WorldJuniors pic.twitter.com/tUrHhPw8lf

— TSN (@TSN_Sports) January 4, 2025

"I think the goal means a lot for the team, for our whole country," said Finnish captain Aron Kiviharju.

"I've never seen anyone score a goal as big as he did tonight," he added. "Thank god he did for us."

Before the tournament, this wasn't a highly regarded Finnish squad. The nation has earned its reputation as a year-in-year-out contender but beyond Konsta Helenius, this group lacks blue-chip prospects. They were knocked out of the previous two editions of the U18s worlds at the quarterfinal stage.

Kiviharju, who was once regarded as the top prospect in the 2024 NHL Draft before an ACL injury curtailed his draft-eligible campaign, says his team plays better with a chip on their shoulder.

"I think everyone knows each other well. Both groups have gone through some adversity: The 05s lost in Switzerland against Slovakia and last year the 06s lost in their home tournament against Sweden," explained the 18-year-old.

"We kind of have that revenge mindset in every game: we feel we have something to prove. That feeds us every day, to be the best we can as a team."

Rimpinen said his team decided to embrace the idea of being underdogs before they arrived in Ottawa.

"Nobody believed in us before the tournament, so this is great. Now we can just focus on winning."

After the game, Lizz Child of FloHockey asked Rimpinen about his necklace of a lion's head.

The netminder explained it bears the team's logo — Team Finland are known as Leijonat or "The Lions."

"That's the mentality for me. Lion mentality" explained the 18-year-old, who was passed over in last summer's NHL Draft.

They may have begun the tournament as underdogs, but now Finland can become the kings of the jungle.

Parting Notes

Trey Augustine became the winningest American goalie in tournament history with his 11th-career WJC victory
Zeev Buium played 28:34 in the Americans' win
Buffalo Sabres prospect Konsta Helenius recorded an assist on all four Finnish goals
Heading into the final day, there is a five-way tie for the tournament-scoring lead
- Jakub Stancl (CZE) - 6 GP, 6 G, 9 PTS
- Dalibor Dvorsky (SVK) - 5 GP, 5 G, 9 PTS
- Axel Sandin-Pelikka (SWE) - 6 GP, 4 G, 9 PTS
- Gabe Perreault (USA) - 6 GP, 3 G, 9 PTS
- Cole Hutson (USA) - 6 GP, 2 G, 9 PTS
Petteri Rimpinen leads all goaltenders at the tournament with a .940 SV% on 215 shots
The best players of each team (selected by coaches)
- Canada
  - G Carter George (LAK)
  - D Tanner Molendyk (NSH)
  - F Brayden Yager (WPG)
- Czechia
  - G Michael Hrabal (UTAH)
  - F Petr Sikora (WSH)
  - Vojtech Husinecky
- Finland
  - G Petteri Rimpinen (DY+1)
  - F Konsta Helenius (BUF)
  - F Jesse Kiiskinen (DET)
- Germany
  - F Julius Sumpf (DY+2)
  - D Carlos Handel (2026)
  - G Linus Viellard
- Kazakhstan
  - Aslan Zhussupbekov
  - Kirill Lyapunov
  - Vladimir Nikitin
- Latvia
  - G Linus Feldbergs (DY+2)
  - F Eriks Mateiko (WSH)
  - D Peteris Bulans (DY+2_
- Switzerland
  - F Leo Braillard (DY+2)
  - F Simon Meier (DY+2)
  - F Andro Kaderli (DY+2)
- Slovakia
  - F Dalibor Dvorsky (STL)
  - F Roman Kukumberg (DY+2)
  - D Luka Radivojevic (2025)
- Sweden
  - D Axel Sandin-Pelikka (DET)
  - F David Edstrom (NSH)
  - F Felix Undger Sorum (CAR)
- USA
  - D Cole Hutson (WSH)
  - F Danny Nelson (NYI)
  - Ryan Leonard (WSH)

2025 WORLD JUNIORS: Team Preview – Team Sweden

Felix Robbins — Tue, 24 Dec 2024 16:00:18 +0000

Sweden made it all the way to the finals last year in Göteborg before running into the unbeaten, unstoppable force that was Team USA. While it was their best result since 2018, silver leaves a bitter taste when you have the chance for gold.

This struggle to get over the hump is nothing new. They haven’t won the gold at the U20 WJC tournament since 2012, which was somewhat seen as a Cinderella run propelled by strong team play and a heroic 9 goals from Max Friberg. That’s not for lack of talent or effort – Sweden almost always brings a star (or future star)-studded cast and typically makes it to the medal rounds. It’s just that last hurdle that seems to be the most daunting.

They had some heroic performances from the likes of Jonathan Lekkerimaki, Noah Ostlund, and goalie Hugo Hävelid. With them having aged out, Anders Lundberg and co. have had to get creative. The squad is one of the oldest rosters of the tournament, but not necessarily the most experienced. There are 5 undrafted players on the roster, as well as two players who have never represented Sweden internationally at any level before: Dennis Altörn and Rasmus Bergqvist. They’ve built a deep forward core with speed, grit, and versatility. The defensive core is mobile, physical, and can move the puck from top to bottom. The goaltending is solid from 1 to 3, which is always a plus in case something goes awry.

The roster is not without its holes. On paper, Sweden is somewhat thin down the middle. While there are a ton of talented playmakers up front, they seem to lack the goalscoring that propelled them to the finals last year. I’m not sure they have the star power they had last year, either. It’s looking like Axel Sandin-Pellikka and Otto Stenberg will have to provide the X-factor while the rest of the team backs them up, but will it be enough? To win gold in Ottawa, Sweden needs more than a deep roster. They’ll need heroism. Someone will have to emerge and play well beyond their perceived role. Who will it be?

Key Players

Axel Sandin-Pellikka

It should come as no surprise that ASP is the key player and superstar of Juniorkronora (the Swedish name for the U20 squad). He’s having a fantastic season with Skelleftea of the SHL, playing top-line minutes and leading the league in points scored by a defenceman. With Sweden, he’ll bear the same responsibilities and then some. He’s the 1D. The PP1 quarterback. A supremely mobile, gifted puck mover. A venerable triple threat on offence. The defensive zone play has taken a step. It’ll all have to come together in Ottawa. The expectations for him are sky-high, and not unfairly so. He has to be perfect. He has to tilt the ice for Sweden if they want to win the gold.

Otto Stenberg

You might not believe it based on his stat line in the SHL with Malmö this year, but this was the most obvious pick for Sweden to make. There’s something about that yellow and blue jersey that makes Stenberg go absolutely nuclear – even in his draft year with the u18 squad. With the rather disappointing year he’s had so far, one that has seen his ice time dwindling as the season has gone on, I’ll bet he’s eager to put that jersey on again. We know what Stenberg provides for Sweden internationally: high-end offensive output and point-per-game production. Heck, he put up 9 points in 7 games with an average TOI of 14 minutes last year! With this being his last year of WJC eligibility, he’ll most likely be on the 1st line and play against the biggest stars of the tournament. For Sweden to have a shot at gold, Stenberg is going to have to repeat his international heroics versus the best of the best. For Sweden’s sake, and his own.

David Edstrom

After playing a solid 3C role at last year's WJC, Edstrom is poised to take on a 1C role this year. I can’t help but feel like him assuming that role is more a matter of circumstance rather than Edstrom being “the guy”. Don’t get me wrong, Edstrom is a solid player. He’s strung together a great season as a top 6 center with Frölunda, one of the top clubs in the SHL this year. The Nashville (formerly of Vegas and San Jose) prospect is a versatile, intelligent two-way center who can handle whatever challenge is thrown at him without flinching. He can do a little bit of everything and do it well, which is always appreciated. However, he lacks a certain dynamic quality that one would typically associate with a top-line center. Against the best of the best under-twenties, he’ll have to find another gear. Whether it be lockdown defence, torrential offensive output, or both, Edstrom will need to fill the shoes he’s wearing – or Sweden may go home.

Theo Lindstein

Lindstein surprised everybody by standing out as Sweden’s most impactful blueliner in Göteborg by counting stats, posting both the highest +/- on the team and scoring the most points by any defenceman at the tournament. It was a no-brainer for Sweden to bring him back this year. Lindstein is a prime example of how successful a defenceman can be if they just keep it simple. He’s not the most exciting player to watch, but he possesses fluid 4-way mobility and makes good decisions with the puck. He’ll kill plays defensively, make a good first pass, and get some shots through from the point. His understated effect on play in all three zones is what has propelled him to the 1st pair on Brynäs IF, last year’s top HockeyAllsvenskan club and this year’s best in the SHL. Lindstein should reprise his role on the top pair for Sweden, as well as on the 1st PK unit. The St. Louis prospect will have to hope lightning strikes twice and that he can repeat his inspired performance in Ottawa.

Felix Unger Sorum

After impressing the hockey world at the Hurricanes training camp heading into the 2023-2024 season, Unger Sorum finally made the jump across the pond with a productive SHL and international season under his belt. However, after scoring just 5 points in 20 games in the AHL, the hype train has slowed down substantially and he is once again flying under the radar. Despite the growing pains, Unger Sorum is still a high-end passer and playmaker. His vision is ridiculous. What he lacks in footspeed and quickness, he makes up for in tenacity and IQ. He surprised everyone (including myself, who had him as a sleeper pick) by putting up 6 points in 7 games in very limited minutes last year for Sweden. This year, as one of the few true offensive players on the roster, he’ll have the chance to put up a whole lot more points in a much bigger role. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him on the top power-play unit either. However, with great power comes great responsibility. He’ll have to execute in his bigger role for Sweden to be able to keep up with the other powerhouses of the tournament.

Victor Eklund

After starting his draft year off with a bang, Victor has the honour of doing something his brother William never got to do: Represent his country at the biggest international junior tournament there is. While one would typically place lower expectations on a first-time draft eligible at a tournament like this, Eklund is different. Eklund has been exceptional at the HockeyAllsvenskan level, tallying 15 points in 24 games for Djurgården and playing a key role in their early success this season. Sweden will be banking on him keeping form in Ottawa. Eklund is a gamer. He’s a sparkplug. He just goes. His excellent mix of motor and skill makes him the perfect pace-pushing offensive winger for your top 6. He might end up being one of Sweden’s most important forwards when its all said and done.

Melker Thelin

Inheriting the net from a goalie who showed as fantastically as Hävelid did last year is a daunting task, but Thelin is the man for the job. The Utah prospect should be a lock as the starting netminder for Sweden given he is the only returning goalie from last year. However, I would have penciled him in regardless. A good goalie always gives his team a chance to win every night. Well, Thelin has been doing just that as the 1B in Björklöven IF’s rock-solid goalie tandem, backstopping them all the way to 2nd place in the standings. He’s cool as a cucumber in the crease. He tracks pucks well, moves efficiently, and makes himself big in the net with good positioning and fundamentals. With Sweden’s defensive depth being as strong as it is on paper, all Thelin has to do is hold down the fort and keep a cool head against some of the best young players in the world. Easier said than done, right?

Tom Willander

There seems to be a theme with Sweden’s D core. The right side moves the puck, the left side hits anything that moves. This trend continues with Willander. He’s been a great all-situations defenceman and puck distributor on the power play for Boston University this year, but he’s at his best when moving his feet and getting that puck up ice. If he’s feeling daring, he can effortlessly activate below the blue line and make some passing plays. He’s shown that he can anchor the middle pair defensively in last year’s WJC run. Since it’s unlikely that he will jump ASP in the depth chart, I have him penciled into the same spot this year. He’ll have to be just as sharp, with the key difference being that he’ll have more freedom to move pucks and provide offence from the blue line since he’ll most likely be attached to someone more defensively inclined.

Linus Eriksson

I was surprised to see Eriksson’s name on the final roster for Sweden, but it was a welcome surprise. Sweden needs all the help down the middle they can get. After captaining the U18 WJC roster last year, Eriksson hasn’t gotten off to the start he’s wanted to this season. The Florida prospect missed a good chunk of September/October with injury and has been gradually getting himself up to speed with Djurgården in the HockeyAllsvenskan. Presumably, he will be 100% good to go once the tournament starts. Sweden will need his smarts, his leadership, and his strong two-way game at center – and you can’t go wrong with more playmaking prowess in the lineup either. Eriksson should feature on both the PK and the PP in some capacity, which helps deepen Sweden’s roster substantially.

Felix Nilsson

Despite going 43rd overall in one of the deepest draft classes in recent memory, Felix Nilsson is arguably one of the most underrated forwards to come out of Sweden since his draft year. This is further highlighted by the fact that he has never represented Sweden at the WJC at any age – until now. One could say that Nilsson has been a bit of a late bloomer. The Nashville prospect has put together a great season with the SHL’s Rögle BK, racking up 12 points in 20 games, all the while playing around 16 minutes a night and practically running the 1st powerplay unit. Nilsson is a speedy playmaking forward who just seems to do everything right out on the ice. Equal parts intelligence and hard work on both sides of the puck. He’ll most likely be the 3rd, maybe even the 2nd line center for Sweden.

Sleeper Player

Oskar Vuollet

The forward core that Sweden has brought with them to Ottawa is heavy on playmakers and energy guys. Don’t get me wrong, you need those kinds of guys. However, they’re not too deep down the middle and, with the gaping hole that Lekkerimaki left, they’re even thinner on finishers. If there is one player on this team who can absolutely rip the puck, and who could be poised to take on a bigger-than-anticipated role, it’s Oskar Vuollet. The Hurricanes prospect got off to a white-hot start to his SHL year, scoring 4 goals and 2 assists in October before promptly cooling off. Despite the drop-off in scoring, Vuollet has other ways of sticking in the lineup by being an active and energetic forechecker. With all the playmaking talent on the roster, Vuollet’s ability to put the puck in the net is something that could decide games, even Sweden’s tournament life on the whole.