2025 World Junior Summer Showcase: Mooney, Stenberg among top standouts on Day 1
The 2025 World Junior Summer Showcase kicked off on Sunday afternoon in Minnesota, with USA White and Sweden winning their respective games 5-2.
USA split its two teams in half for the games today, with Sweden and Finland icing rosters that could look similar to what we see at the World Juniors in December. The two American teams will swap opponents tomorrow on Day 2, with USA Blue facing off against Finland and Sweden taking on USA White.
USA White opened the scoring first, with Ryker Lee scoring his first of two goals on the day. But a pair of Finnish goals changed the complexion early on, with Roope Vesterinen and Jasper Kuhta making it 2-1 before the end of the first. USA would take control the rest of the way, with Teddy Stiga scoring twice, Shane Vansaghi getting his first and Lee snagging his second to make it a 5-2 game.
The second game was much quieter to start, with neither team scoring in the opening frame. The second half was much more interesting, starting with Ivar Stenberg scoring early in the second period. USA would get a pair of goals before the end of the second period, with LJ Mooney and Luke Osburn scoring to make it 2-1 USA. Sweden was the better team throughout most of the game, and they would snatch the lead back. Jack Berglund scored just after the halfway point of the third period before Stenberg scored his second of the night, beating Kam Hendrickson with a wrister on a penalty shot to restore Sweden’s advantage. Stenberg would finish the hat-trick on the empty net before Felix Öhrqvist added one to cap off the 5-2 win.
Here is a look at the top performers from Sunday’s action:
Finland 2, USA White 5
Finland
#9 Aatos Koivu, RW (Montreal Canadiens): I’ve seen better games from Koivu, but I thought his two-way game was solid. He wasn’t flashy, but he did a good job of supporting the Finnish blueline in his own zone and even had some good looks on the penalty kill. Koivu did a good job of breaking out of the zone to create a chance the other way, even if nothing really came from it. Overall, I liked Koivu’s showing.
#28 Heikki Ruohonen, C (Philadelphia Flyers): Ruohonen made a great play to make it 1-1, beating an American defender with a nice move to create a quality opportunity. The Harvard center plays with a lot of muscle, and he makes him self difficult to beat at either end of the ice. He’s not a high-end point producer, but he is a hard worker, and that’s exactly the identity the Finns typically like to chase.
USA White
#10 James Hagens, C (Boston Bruins): From the opening faceoff, I loved watching Hagens reunited with Teddy Stiga and Brodie Ziemer. Hagens can play with just about anyone, but this is a line that thrived together at the U-18 level, and Hagens and Stiga both go to Boston College. Hagens assisted on the first goal, with a great give-and-go with Ryker Lee. Stiga then assisted on the 2-2 goal, starting the play that eventually led to Stiga’s goal. Hagens did a great job of anticipating passes, winning battles and getting back to help defensively, as well.
#4 Teddy Stiga, LW (Nashville Predators): Stiga did a bit of everything in that game. He was physical, he won defensive zone faceoffs and he scored a beautiful goal to make it 2-2 before scoring the empty-netter. His energy is limitless and he’s a perfect fit alongside Hagens on USA’s top line. Stiga scored the golden goal in Ottawa back in January, but he was more of a depth player on that team. Don’t expect that to be the case when the real event kicks off.
#18 Ryker Lee, RW (Nashville Predators): It’s hard to beat a two-goal, three-point night. His first happened after he stole the puck and made an excellent passing play with Hagens. The second was a shot the Finnish keeper would love to have back, but still a solid release, nonetheless. Lee’s energy and pure strength makes him tough to contain, and this was a great showing for a bubble guy who could look to become a secondary scorer for USA.
#12 Cullen Potter, C (Calgary Flames): A quiet, yet effective game from Potter. He didn’t score, but he started the play that led to the 3-2 go-ahead goal with 17 minutes left in the contest. He was exceptional defensively and demonstrated his excellent skating ability as well. I don’t think he’s any bigger than from what we saw at the NHL draft but he played with a bit of an edge and seemed to be in the right spot at the right time often.
#38 Dakoda Rheaume-Mullen, D (Undrafted): Rheaume-Mullen was quiet with the puck, but I liked his own-zone play. The mobile, undersized defender is a great skater, and he used that to his advantage when shutting guys down on the rush. He’s not physical, but he’ll beat you with his pure positioning, like he did all game long. I don’t expect DHM to make the main team but this was a solid effort.
Sweden 1, USA Blue 2
Sweden
#15 Ivar Stenberg, LW (2026 NHL Draft): Stenberg was buzzing around the net in the first half, and he had an excellent tip to make it 1-0. He loves spending time around the crease, and he does a great job of understanding where defenseman Sascha Boumedienne wants to put the puck – just like at the U-18s. Stenberg then scored on a penalty shot, Stenberg is one of the youngest players at this tournament, and is one of the most notable 2026 draft picks, as well. Stenberg loves getting creative, and while he is on the smaller side, he has the skill to win most of his battles at this age.
#5 Sascha Boumedienne, D (Winnipeg Jets): Boumedienne was the best defenseman at the U-18 World Championship a few months ago, and he helped create the 1-0 goal with a great point shot. He took a penalty later in the game, but you could tell how much more pep Sweden played with when Boumedienne was carrying the puck up the ice. I love his shot, I like how he creates chances and I was happy to see him thrive against some of the oldest international competition he has dealt with to date.
#35 Love Harenstam, G (St. Louis Blues): I’ve had a Love-hate relationship watching Harenstam play the past few years. You’ll see the obvious skill from time to time, only for a bad goal to make you question everything. Today, though, I thought Harenstam did a good job of keeping the Americans at bay. There wasn’t much he could have done on the 1-1 or 2-1 goals, with both being perfectly placed wristers. But I liked how he was more aggressive on the top of the crease than usual, and he did a great job of redirecting shots to the perimeter.
USA
#18 LJ Mooney, RW (Montreal Canadiens): He might be small, but he packs os much skill behind the way he plays. He made an excellent heads-up pass to tie the game up at 1-1, and then proceeded to snipe home an unbelievable shot to make it 2-1 late in the second. I’ve been a Mooney fan for about three years now, and I’m happy to see the small, but skilled, winger thrive in a game like this. The Habs have a good one here.
#7 Ben Kevan, RW (New Jersey Devils): I didn’t notice Kevan much early in the game, but I really liked his second-period effort. It paid off with a great assist on the 2-1 goal, showing why scouts like his playmaking abilities. He sees the ice well, and he can play with anyone because he has the hockey sense that allows him to be dynamic and dangerous. USA Hockey seems to like him, and while I think he’ll have a tough time making the team in December, Mooney has him to thank for the go-ahead goal.
#19 Trevor Connelly, LW (Vegas Golden Knights): I’m surprised Connelly didn’t score in this one. He came so close with about three minutes left, but rang the post instead. Connelly helped set up the 1-1 goal with a solid pass in the offensive zone, his lone point of the night. From there, he had a few other good looks, showing he is willing to generate chances from just about anywhere. Connelly will be one of USA’s most important players as a returnee this winter.
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