2025 World Juniors Roundup: Everything that happened on Day 2
Latvia pulls off upset of the ages over Canada
Latvia has pulled off one of the biggest upsets in World Junior Championship history, beating Canada 3-2 in the shootout.
It was the first time Latvia has ever beat Canada at the World Juniors. It was also the first time out of five meetings that Canada didn’t score at least five goals, and the second time where they didn’t score at least 10.
Canada’s Jett Luchanko killed the deadlock midway through the second period when he scored on a shorthanded breakaway opportunity. From there, the two goalies stood tall, with Linards Feldbergs shutting down Canada whenever they tried to throw something at him.
Latvia kept in it, hanging in until the very end. At 53:18 on the power play, Washington Capitals prospect Eriks Mateiko took a feed from Bruno Osmanis and scored to make it 1-1, ending Canada’s shutout effort.
But with 5:38 left to go, Canada got back in front. On the power play, Easton Cowan found Calum Ritchie all alone, and the Colorado Avalanche prospect blasted a shot past Feldbergs to make it 2-1.
But it still wasn’t done. With time running out, Peteris Bulans scored through traffic, beating a screened Jack Ivankovic to force overtime – and, eventually, a shootout. It took a while, but Mateiko would finish the game with a goal on his second attempt to secure the victory.
It was a tough game by Canada’s standards, who struggled to find chemistry and execute on tape-to-tape passes. More importantly, though, was the fact that top defenseman and 2025 NHL Draft prospect Matthew Schaefer was forced to leave the game with a suspected arm injury early in the first period. He never returned to the ice.
Here’s a look at the top performers from Friday night’s action:
Canada
#21 Calum Ritchie, C (Colorado Avalanche): Coach Dave Cameron relied on Ritchie’s NHL experience to lead the way in the third. He was given so many chances to convert and didn’t lose many 1-on-1 battles anywhere on the ice. The Avalanche prospect was snakebitten a bit – and his linemates couldn’t convert on the chances – until he eventually did in the third period. His blast on the power play gave Canada the lead, but it didn’t pay off in the end.
#12 Jett Luchanko, C (Philadelphia Flyers): Luchanko scored the 1-0 goal on what can essentially be boiled down to a workman-like effort. He pushed the issue and created the breakaway before beating Feldbergs with a great deke. Luchanko then had a few chances in the third to bring the energy and while he couldn’t convert again, I thought he was one of Canada’s more consistent forwards.
#6 Tanner Molendyk, D (Nashville Predators): Molendyk didn’t do a whole lot offensively, but I liked his game defensively. He was easily the most mobile defender Canada had and was promoted to the top power-play unit once Schaefer went down with an injury. I liked him best in the third period, especially one shift about eight minutes in when he broke up three Latvian rushes in a 30-second span. Look for Molendyk to be counted on even more if Schaefer is out any longer.
Latvia
#29 Linards Feldbergs, G (Undrafted): Fifty-four saves. Wow. Feldbergs was absolutely dialed in today, putting on an absolute clinic in net. Feldbergs was great on cross-ice passes and was excellent on his feet, too. The Sherbrooke Phoenix goaltender has never served as a starter at any major international tournament but with the way he played against Canada, you have to think they’ll ride him for the important matchup against Germany later in the tournament. Just truly a tremendous effort.
#22 Valdis Dommers, RW (Undrafted): Dommers laid his life on the line every time the Latvians found themselves on the penalty kill. He had three blocks on one kill in the first and another two in the second period. Sure, he was bruised and battered, but his commitment to keeping the puck away from Feldbergs was commendable.
#9 Eriks Mateiko, C (Washington Capitals): With a goal in regulation and then the shootout winner, you couldn’t have asked for a better night for Mateiko. The big center came up clutch when he needed to to capitalize on the upset. Welcome to Lavian hockey folk lore history.
Finland edges Germany 3-1
After losing in the tournament opener against Canada, Finland managed to get their first victory after beating Germany 3-1 on Friday.
Both teams will get the day off on Saturday before returning on Sunday. The Finns will meet up with the United States in the earlier game at 2:30 PM ET, while Germany will take on Canada at 7:30 PM ET.
The Finns had plenty of close looks early in the first, but they finally capitalized at 17:30. Emil Pieniniemi would make no mistake after some great puck movement between Konsta Helenius and Aron Kiviharju.
The Finns would double up the lead at 25:10. Jesse Nurmi, Tuomas Uronen and Arttu Alasiurua made some solid passes on an odd-man rush, with Alasiurua finishing the play off. But two minutes later, the Germans got on the board. Clemens Sager would convert on a feed from Julius Sumpf to make it 2-1, keeping the game close.
Germany was the better team in the third, forcing Finnish goaltender Petteri Rimpinen to work extra hard. Fortunately for the Finns, their undrafted goaltender stood on his head, helping to secure the victory. An empty-netter from Jesse Kiiskinen with 1:17 left helped seal the deal for the Finns, who got the much-needed three points.
Here’s a look at the top performers from Friday:
Finland
#33 Aron Kiviharju, D (Minnesota Wild): Kiviharju was Finland’s best defender, playing the two-way game we know he’s capable of. His awareness and patience with the puck allowed him to set up the 1-0 Finland goal after awaiting a two-play German attack near the blue line. When he’s on his game, Kiviharju is one of the best playmaking defenders you’ll find at a tournament like this. I also thought he held his own physically and had good gap control, too.
#29 Arttu Alasiurua, LW (Undrafted): Alasiurua had a fantastic first half, showing a good mix of speed and toughness. He nearly scored twice in the second and had a couple of good hits, too. Everything came together when he scored the 2-0 goal in the second, finishing off a great passing play between Tuomas Uronen, Jesse Nurmi and himself. The double undrafted forward had a rough opening game, being on the ice for all three of Canada’s 5-on-5 goals. But today’s effort saw a strong, rejuvenated winger looking to prove something.
#30 Petteri Rimpinen, G (Undrafted): The 2-1 German goal was one Rimpinen would probably like to have back, but he didn’t look tired whatsoever after playing against Canada yesterday. He made a big left pad save that could have ended badly near the end of the second to keep the Finns in front. That’s the type of goaltending Finland needs, especially as their offense seems to have dried up completely.
Germany
#10 Timo Ruckdaschel, LW (Undrafted): Ruckdaschel was Germany’s hardest-working player for the second straight game. His speed and competitiveness make him dangerous because he can beat you from just about anywhere. He also has nice hands, although simplifying his game could do him wonders. Still, I’ve liked his game since the pre-tournament because the effort is always there.
#29 Linus Viellard, G (Undrafted): Viellard had some oopsie-daisy moments earlier in the game, but once he got comfortable handling shots from just about everywhere, he started to really dial himself in. Viellard is an athletic goalie who moves quickly and fluently, but he can make a last-second reaction when needed. Viellard had no chance on the first goal, but I still liked how he stayed with the play as the Finns rolled in their moving screens.
#26 Julius Sumpf, C (Undrafted): Germany’s No. 1 center was the team’s best puck distributor tonight. He assisted on the 2-1 goal with a great feed and had a few decent looks on the power play himself, too. Sumpf is a strong, competitive forward who scouts are interested in as a potential bottom-six forward. He’s defensively responsible and is a battler – and Germany needs someone who can bring the energy like he can.
Slovakia gets late goal to beat Switzerland 2-1
In one of the most competitive games of the tournament so far, Slovakia managed to beat Switzerland 2-1 to open the day’s action at TD Place.
It was an important win for Slovakia, who fell 5-2 to Sweden on Thursday. The win gives them a leg up to make the quarterfinal, while Switzerland’s most important game will be their Dec. 31 fight with Kazakhstan – a game that will likely decide who avoids the relegation round.
Daniel Jencko scored the lone goal of the first period, knocking in a Luka Radivojevic point shot. Switzerland would get one back in the second after Eric Schneller left the penalty box and converted on a feed from Jamiro Reber. It looked like the game would go to overtime, but Jan Chovan took advantage of a bad giveaway from Leon Muggli to win the game 2-1 with around three minutes left on the clock.
Here’s who stood out on Friday afternoon:
Slovakia
#26 Luka Radivojevic, D (2025 NHL Draft): Radivojevic’s point shot led to the 1-0 goal for Slovakia – an excellent release. But I liked how he waited long enough to get the open space near the blueline before getting it on the net. I also like how much speed he brought from the blueline and he was generally smart around his own net, too.
#30 Samuel Urban, G (Undrafted): It’s hard to go back-to-back in a short tournament like this, especially given the result against Sweden. I thought he looked excellent today, especially early in the game when the Swiss seemed to have all the momentum. That’s two great starts in a row, although the game against Sweden ultimately fell apart. Regardless, the Slovaks have to feel confident in him as the tournament wears on.
#25 Jan Chovan, LW (2025 NHL Draft): Slovakia’s 13th forward came up big for them today, scoring the game-winning goal. He only had four shifts in the first two periods combined but he generated a quality chance early and was buzzing with his fresh legs late. If you’re not going to play much, you might as well make the most of your opportunities.
Switzerland
#1 Christian Kirsch, G (San Jose Sharks): Kirsch kept the Swiss in this one, making 27 stops. That includes nine in the first period and 10 in the second as Slovakia looked for creative ways to generate offense. He’s Switzerland’s starting goalie, and while this result fell short of what the Swiss were hoping for, we should be expected to see him most of the way going forward.
#25 Basile Sansonnens, D (Vancouver Canucks): I’ve been impressed with Sansonnens’ performance early on in the tournament – he’s been Switzerland’s most consistent defender. The Canucks’ seventh-rounder takes up space and skates well, often proving to be a nuisance on the rush. He doesn’t have much offense to his game, but he did a good job of drawing opponents away from the net and allowing Kirsch to have a clear view of the puck.
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