2026 World Juniors: Top standouts from Finland vs. USA pre-tournament game

The United States has finished the pre-tournament portion of the 2026 World Junior Championship with a perfect 2-0 record after beating Finland 3-1 on Tuesday night.

USA will meet up with Germany on Dec. 26, with Finland hoping to start things off strong against Denmark.

The Finns managed to open the scoring, with Heikki Ruohonen tipping in an Aatos Koivu feed to make it 1-0. But goals to Will Horcoff and Max Plante – two of the NCAA’s most dangerous forwards – gave the Americans the advantage. Finland tried to score late, but Luke Osburn’s empty-netter ultimately sealed the deal for USA.

Here is a look at the top performers from Tuesday night:

Steven Ellis

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Lines for USA vs. Finland. Game is at 7:00 PM ET. Stream on USAHockeyTV.com. #WorldJuniors

10:59 PM · Dec 23, 2025

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Finland

#30 Petteri Rimpinen, G (Los Angeles Kings): Rimpinen was busy tonight, making a handful of high-end stops in the second half. The reigning top goaltender has quick leg work, often kicking pucks away out of danger with ease. It feels like he has a more active glove hand than he did a year ago, giving shooters less room to beat him up high.

#25 Lasse Boelius, D (Anaheim Ducks): Boelius was on Finland’s fourth D pairing, but I really liked his game. He did a good job of forcing opponents to the perimeter, resulting in very few dangerous opportunities when he was in his zone. Boelius blocked a few shots and was generally doing something positive when he was on the ice.

#26 Oliver Suvanto, C (2026 NHL Draft): Suvanto was Finland’s top center, taking over for Julius Miettinen, who sat for the night. Suvanto played a strong game through the middle, allowing his linemates Emil Hemming and Matias Vanhanen to have more open ice. He proved to be a bit too difficult for the Americans to deal with at times. Finland isn’t deep, but Suvanto could step up in a big way over the next week and a half.

#28 Heikki Ruohonen, C (Philadelphia Flyers): Ruohonen scored to open the game, but I liked his play away from the puck the most. He kept moving and chasing after opponents, winning individual battles and generating chances with his footwork. Is it me, or is he much, much quicker than he was a year ago? Regardless, I thought he was Finland’s best forward.

USA

#30 Caleb Heil, G (Tampa Bay Lightning): Nick Kempf might have entered the tournament as the favorite to get the starter’s gig, but Heil looked solid in the first period. He only faced 10 shots, and allowed a bit of a strange one. But overall, he seemed poised and tracked pucks quite well. Heil is coming off a gold medal at the World Junior A Challenge, so USA Hockey knows what he’s capable of. That 1-0 goal was unlucky, but it was good to see him bounce back quickly.

#2 Luke Osburn, D (Buffalo Sabres): That’s another great game out of Osburn. He made a great play to get the puck on net for the 1-1 goal, and then he broke up two quality chances from the Finns early in the second period. It feels like he makes smart, calculated decisions with the puck on a regular basis, and he has the defensive awareness to shut a top line down. He was my favorite American defender during the pre-tournament – the empty-netter at the end wasn’t bad, either.

#44 Cole Hutson, D (Washington Capitals): It felt like Hutson was shot out of a cannon at times, outworking and outskating just about anyone. As usual, he was aggressive in the offensive zone, carrying the puck and trying to create opportunities whenever possible. It already looks like he’s playing up a gear compared to last year – and he was the tournament’s top scorer in Ottawa.

#24 Will Horcoff, LW (Pittsburgh Penguins): After scoring twice against Germany, Horcoff looked great again today with a good first-period goal. He does an excellent job of rushing to the net and using his big frame to bully opponents. He also has quick hands, something that very few players his size manage to replicate. Horcoff likely has played his way onto the top line with James Hagens and Brodie Ziemer for good.

#26 Max Plante, C (Detroit Red Wings): Plante sat out the first game against Germany (frankly, they didn’t need him), but he came out flying on Tuesday. He scored the second goal of the night, faking a pass before firing the shot between the legs of Rimpinen. His patience with the puck has paid dividends in the NCAA – he’s the top scorer in college this season. Plante will be the perfect No. 2 center on this team, playing in all situations.

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