2025 World Juniors: Canada/USA fight highlights Dec. 31 storylines

Steven Ellis
Steven Ellis(sellishockey)
Dec 31, 2024, 01:30 EST
Easton Cowan and James Hagens (Steven Ellis/The Nation Network)
Credit: Steven Ellis/The Nation Network

OTTAWA – And it’s all down to this.

It’s the final day of the preliminary round of the 2025 World Junior Championship, with eight of the 10 teams looking to finish things off on the right foot. We’ve got top spot up for grabs in both groups, while one team from Group B will be missing the playoffs entirely and focusing ahead on their relegation round battle against Germany.

Here’s a look at the top storylines for Tuesday:

1. New Year’s Eve clash of titans

Canada vs. the United States. New Year’s Eve. Is there anything better than this? The North American giants haven’t had a Dec. 31 battle in quite some time, so there’s no shortage of excitement in the Canadian capital. A full crowd is expected in Kanata to help say goodbye to 2024 and finish the round-robin in style.

Both teams have struggled over the last few games. Canada lost Latvia and didn’t look overly inspiring against Germany. Scoring has been a problem for this team, having to rely on goaltender Carter George to carry the load in a way Canada typically doesn’t need their goaltenders to do.

The United States also struggled against Germany and didn’t really take control against a tired Latvian team until the third period. A loss to Finland didn’t help, making many question if Trey Augustine still had what it took to be the tournament’s top goaltender.

The top spot in Group A is on the line, so get ready for a showdown.

2. Czechia vs. Sweden for Group B supremacy

Canada and the United States might have stolen all the hype, but this Group A matchup is just as important. Both teams have perfect 3-0 records with very few flaws between them.

Czechia has been the more dangerous team, scoring 23 goals and allowing just five through three games. Sweden isn’t far behind, but they haven’t had a double-digit victory like Czechia did when they beat Kazakhstan 14-2. On paper, Sweden looks like the better group – plus, their U-18 team has won medals the past two years. Czechia, though, has a better top line, and goaltender Michael Hrabal is playing some excellent hockey, too.

The winner of this one will hold the top seed and will face either Finland or Latvia in the quarterfinal. The loser will play the winner of the matchup between those two teams tomorrow, so there’s a lot on the line. Look for this to be one of the best games of the entire tournament.

3. Figuring out the final relegation round team

Kazakhstan vs. Switzerland won’t get many headlines in the hockey world, but the result is still very important. Germany will play on the relegation round, and the weight loser of this match to find out who will be playing for a spot in Minnesota next year.

Both squads are riding highs of some sort. Switzerland had a mega third period against Sweden, trailing 7-2 at one point before making it 7-5 thanks to a rock-solid power play. Kazakhstan, meanwhile, stole a point against Slovakia after scoring two shorthanded goals on a five-minute penalty kill in the third period on Monday.

In reality, it feels like two teams have tried everything they can to lose. That’s especially true for Switzerland, who saw their men’s senior team take home silver at the World Championship in May. The youth team has had trouble scoring all tournament long, and while they might have the edge against Kazakhstan, they have to be at least a bit nervous on Tuesday.

Tuesday Schedule

Kazakhstan vs. Switzerland: 12:00 PM ET
Finland vs. Latvia: 2:30 PM ET
Sweden vs. Czechia: 5:00 PM ET
Canada vs. USA: 8:00 PM ET

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