By USA Hockey, 07/30/25, 7:45PM EDT
MINNEAPOLIS – The fourth day of games at the 2025 World Junior Summer Showcase were played here today at Ridder Arena, as Sweden defeated the U.S., 6-3, while Finland won a 6-3 decision over Canada.
The event serves as an evaluation for athletes seeking to make their respective national teams for the 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship, set for Dec. 26, 2025, through Jan. 5, 2026, in Minneapolis and Saint Paul, Minnesota.
Below are recaps from the two games.
Jack Berglund opened the scoring with 8:34 to play in the first frame, as he batted home a bouncing puck after a centering pass from Liam Danielsson. Leo Sahlin Wallenius extended Sweden’s lead to two with 2:59 left in the period on a shot from the top of the right faceoff circle.
The U.S. got on the board 3:22 into the second stanza, as Cullen Potter (Minneapolis, Minn.) found the back of the net on the power play after a cross-ice pass from Ryker Lee (Wilmette, Ill.). Sweden responded with a power-play goal of its own 1:57 later off the stick of Berglund.
Will Horcoff (Birmingham, Mich.) made it a 3-2 game as he tapped in a rebound chance following a shot from Lee to give the U.S. its second power-play tally of the game with 3:20 to play in the period.
Eric Nilson scored following a cross-crease feed from Sahlin Wallenius 1:17 after Team USA’s second goal to take a 4-2 advantage into the third.
James Hagens (Hauppauge, N.Y.) cut the deficit to one with his team’s third power-play goal of the game just 1:46 into the third period, as he beat Swedish netminder Liv Herman on a wraparound shot.
Sweden regained the two-goal lead 7:24 into the frame as Valter Lindberg powered a rebound chance home, while Linus Eriksson scored an empty-net goal to account for the 6-3 final.
U.S. goaltender Nick Kempf (Morton Grove, Ill.) finished the game with 33 saves. Finland outshot Team USA 39-27.
Porter Martone opened the scoring for Canada at 6:55 of the first, as he capitalized on a breakaway chance following a pass from Kashawn Aitcheson.
Finland responded 1:32 later, as Atte Joki fired a one-timer past Canadian netminder Carter George. Onni Kalto gave Finland its first lead of the game with 7:57 left in the period, as he wristed a shot home from the bottom of the right faceoff circle.
Aatus Koivu doubled the Finnish lead on the power play 1:27 later, blasting a one-timer from the top of the left circle past George.
Kalto scored a shorthanded goal at 6:23 of the middle stanza, as he tapped in a pass from Benjamin Pietilä for his second of the game.
Koivu added his second of the game :28 into the third period as he wristed a shot from the slot home to give Finland a 5-1 advantage.
Michael Hage scored Canada’s second of the game with 11:30 left in regulation as he gathered a bouncing puck and tucked it past Finnish netminder Kim Saarinen.
Jasper Kuhta found the back of the net with a shot through traffic on the power play with 5:40 remaining to extend Finland’s lead to four. Canada’s Cole Beaudoin scored on a one-timer after a pass from Cole Reschny to account for the 6-3 final.
Games Continue Friday
Game action in the World Junior Summer Showcase resumes Friday (Aug. 1) as Canada faces Sweden at 1:00 p.m. CT, while the U.S. takes on Finland at 4:30 p.m. CT. Tickets are available online here. All games from the WJSS are streamed live and on-demand on USAHockeyTV.com.
Tag(s): News WJSS Men's World Juniors Home 2025 IIHF WJC