2026 U-17 World Challenge: Schultz, Trupiano highlight top standouts from Day 3
OAKVILLE, Ont. – The preliminary round of the U-17 World Hockey Challenge is complete, with USA and Czechia securing semifinal berths for Friday evening.
The Americans kicked off Tuesday with a massive 13-1 victory over Finland. The Finns were never really in this one, with USA scoring four goals in the first 10 minutes. Jack Trupiano led the way with three goals and six points, while Maverick McKinnon and Carter Morris had three points apiece. Joey Cullen, Deverin Warner, Brooks Suter, Will LoSauro, Dean Stevens, Drew Daley and Kellen Paetsch also scored tonight, while Colby Arnold stopped 20 of the 21 shots sent his way to help secure the lopsided result.
Canada White didn’t want to finish the round robin without a win, so they pumped Sweden 7-2 to close out the day. Pelle Ytfeldt and Sven Zetterberg had the goals for Sweden in a game that was actually much closer than the final tally might suggest. Madden Daneault led the way with four points, while Maddox Schultz and Jacob McKinnon had three each. Kane Cloutier had a pair of goals, while Jace Voortman and Max Brien had one each to give Canada their first victory of the week.
The quarterfinal schedule on Thursday will be:
Canada Red vs. Sweden: 3:30 PM ET
Canada White vs. Finland: 7:30 PM ET
Here’s a look at the top performers from Tuesday’s two-game slate at Sixteen Mile Sports Complex:
Finland 1, USA 13
Finland
#29 Hannu Packalen, RW: Hard to like anything out of the Finns today, but Packalen was one of the few forwards who seemed to do anything offensively today. He was the top player two nights ago, mostly firing shots from high-danger chances. Packalen didn’t have nearly as many today but he was able to break past the defenders a few times to fire wristers on net.
USA
#43 Drew Daley, D: A good showing out of Daley, as expected. The high-end defender plays a strong two-way game, and it led to him scoring tonight. He has a nice shot, quick hands and reads plays well under pressure. Daley is one of the better skaters on USA – just when you think you’ve got him beat, he finds another gear at the last second. Daley might not be a high-end offensive threat, but he’s got the two-way ability to be an effective all-around defender one day.
#44 Brooks Suter, D: This was my favorite showing out of Suter this year. The son of former NHLer Ryan Suter is known more for his defensive game (duh), but he’s also a solid skater. He gets into the right spot to break up plays quite frequently while rarely making mistakes under pressure. He’s small, but he’s physically capable of flattening anyone who gets near him. I like Suter’s general hockey sense, too.
#33 Jack Trupiano, RW: Trupiano has the best shot at this tournament. He has obliterated goaltenders all year long, and he was rewarded a hat-trick and three assists. Trupiano spends so much time in the slot, looking for passes and opportunities to trick defenders. He’s not the most rounded player, but there’s no player I’d rather have in front of the net with the game on the line than Trupiano. I loved how lethal he was at all times in the attacking zone.
#34 Joey Cullen, C: Cullen is a talent you have to see in person to truly appreciate. He’s such a wizard with the puck, beating opponents frequently in 1-on-1 situations with ease. His effort on the 3-0 goal was incredible – he had to beat like four players to make it happen, but the puck look magnetized to his stick. Cullen a reliable two-way forward at this age, and he’s physically stronger than his brother, Wyatt, already. His skating, as expected, given his family, is already so high end. Cullen is a top-five prospect for 2028 in my book.
#46 Carter Morris, LW: Morris had a big three-point performance in arguably his most impactful game of the season. The Anchorage, Alaska native loves to attack the play at all costs, and he doesn’t give defenders much time to read what he’s going to do. He’s always moving and grooving and looking for every opportunity to create something. Morris’ game isn’t anything special defensively but that (should) come with experience. For now, I like him in his role alongside Cullen and Deverin Warner.
#52 Cameron Evans, LW: Evans is USA’s smallest forward at 5-foot-7, but the captain puts in a full effort every single night. The highly skilled forward skates exceptionally well and isn’t afraid to get physical, even with a smaller frame. He can still struggle going up against bigger blueliners (something that isn’t too crazy of an issue right now), but he mostly makes up for it with his footwork. Evans has a long road to getting drafted in 2028, but I still like him.
Canada White 7, Sweden 2
Canada White
#31 Zachary Lainesse, G (2029): The Swedes had some good lucks through the middle portion of the game, but Lainesse’s steadiness really helped Canada skate away with this one. The Rouyn-Noranda Huskies netminder has had some tough outings to start his major junior career, but he moves very well and has excellent rebound control. He rarely allowed a shot to get back into a high-danger spot, and his only goal allowed was a power-play marker. Lainesse’s play tonight likely secured himself the starter’s gig for the playoffs.
#2 Adrian Sgro, D: It was another strong outing for Sgro, who has quickly become my favorite Canadian defender between the two teams. He takes a ton of punishment, but he also runs the power play, can block shots and get the puck where it needs to be with little difficulty. Sgro isn’t big, but he has the footwork to evade attackers and get himself out of trouble.
#9 Kane Cloutier, C: Cloutier took a penalty that led to Sweden tying the game up in the first. But something clicked after that – he scored twice to give the Canadians a commanding 4-1 lead. He was zooming and making moves in the attacking zone that we hadn’t seen from him prior to tonight, while also watching him win just about every single individual board battle. I’ve watched a lot of Cloutier over the past two years, but I’m not sure I’ve seen him command attention and dominate a shift like he did today.
#14 Jace Voortman, RW: Voortman was everywhere, both physically and offensively. He scored the fifth Canadian goal, but he also got himself tangled in just about every battle around both nets. Voortman is more of a bully than a lover – he’s willing to sacrifice his own safety just to win a 1-on-1. He has played with a variety of linemates throughout this tournament but has consistently been one of Canada’s top players. He might lack high-end offensive upside, but he moves, thinks the game well and is always involved in some way.
#19 Maddox Schultz, C: Holy bleepin bleep. Schultz had about 15 shot attempts in this one, but nothing will beat the incredible play that led to the 6-1 goal. Late in a shift, he managed to still stop a flying puck from leaving the zone before feeding Daneault to the right of the Swedish net. Schultz finished the night with a goal and three points in truly one of the best all-around performances I’ve ever seen at this tournament. Seriously, from the defensive play to the hand-eye and the quality chances, Schultz was EVERYWHERE tonight.
#21 Madden Daneault, RW (2029): Schultz was the one making the most magic tonight, but it was Daneault who led the way with a four-point effort. He’s a master at getting himself in the right spot at the right time, all the time. The top 2029 NHL Draft prospect is such a slick skater, but he’s also such a dominant player on the puck. He has an excellent one-touch release and he’s absolutely money in the slot. He’s having one hell of a week.
#26 Jacob McKinnon, LW (2029): McKinnon had a goal in Canada White’s first game, and then he followed it up with a three-point effort today. Schultz and Daneault did most of the high-danger magic, but McKinnon was the one battling hard along the boards to win battles, push opponents away and create quality chances. McKinnon is a small winger, but he’s mobile and generates a ton of opportunities from the perimeter without getting himself in danger.
Sweden
#14 Oliver Hammerman, LW: Not only is Hammerman’s name awesome, but his board play is, too. He knows his role and sticks to it – he’s there to play with speed and energy. He’s 5-foot-8 but he actually isn’t afraid to get rough and battle in front of the net. He didn’t have anything to show for on the scoreboard, but I thought he had some good chances, especially early.
#15 Isak Alvudd, LW: Alvudd is an excellent skater who plays an exceptionally smart game. He rarely makes a bad pass, and he has a nice shot release, too. Alvudd can rush the puck up the ice with little difficulty, although he does struggle physically. He didn’t score today, but I still thought he had an all-around solid effort.
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