By USA Hockey, 07/28/25, 9:15PM EDT
MINNEAPOLIS – The second day of games at the 2025 World Junior Summer Showcase were played here today at Ridder Arena, as Finland defeated USA Blue, 3-2, while USA White dropped a 4-3 decision to Sweden.
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.
Finland’s Aatos Koivu scored a power-play goal 2:29 into the opening frame on a one-timer from the left circle.
U.S. netminder Kam Hendrickson (Chanhassen, Minn.) made a stellar glove stop with 11:07 left in the first, as he denied a Finnish power-play chance. He followed up with a cross-crease save 20 seconds later to keep his team within one.
Cole McKinney (Lake Forest, Ill.) tied the game on a sharp-angle shot 3:35 into the second period following a feed from Henry Brzustewicz (Washington, Mich.).
Jack Parsons (Cortland, N.Y.), U.S. goaltender, reacted quickly after a shot hit the post, shutting the door on the follow-up chance with 4:04 left in the period to keep the game tied.
Roope Vesterinen regained the lead for Finland at 3:47 of the third as he flicked a wrist shot over Parson’s glove from the left faceoff circle.
Kamil Bednarik (Elmhurst, Ill.) found an equalizer just six seconds into a power-play opportunity at 4:28, deflecting a shot from Luke Osburn (Plymouth, Mich.) past Finnish netminder Patrik Kerkola.
Koivu added his second power-play goal of the game with 7:24 left in regulation to give Finland a 3-2 advantage, which held through the end of the game.
Hendrickson and Parsons combined for 24 saves. Finland outshot the U.S. 27-24.
Sweden opened the scoring 1:45 into the game as Alexander Zetterberg found the back of the net on a wrist shot from the slot.
Jacob Kvasnicka (Wayzata, Minn.) tied the game at 9:33 as he tapped a centering feed from Dakoda Rheaume-Mullen (Northville, Mich.) past Swedish netminder Liv Herman.
U.S. goaltender Caleb Heil (Victoria, Minn./Madison Capitols) made a stellar pad stop, sliding across his crease to deny a Swedish opportunity with 5:02 to play in the first.
Will Horcoff (Birmingham, Mich.) gave the U.S. its first lead of the game 4:45 into the second as he redirected a shot from Tanner Henricks (Mission Viejo, Calif.) home on the power play.
The U.S. nearly doubled its lead 5:35 into the frame, but a trio of opportunities were denied by Herman.
Sweden tied the game at 11:38 when Filip Ekberg found the back of the net on a wrist shot from the left faceoff circle.
Brodie Ziemer (Hutchinson, Minn.) scored 1:01 into the third, tapping a pass from James Hagens (Hauppauge, N.Y.) home to give the U.S. a 3-2 advantage.
Liam Danielsson scored on a one-timer after a cross-ice pass with 4:49 left in regulation to tie the game before Felix Öhrqvist scored the game-winning goal with :09 left to play on a wrist shot that snuck through U.S. netminder Patrick Quinlan (Kennett Square, Pa.).
Heil and Quinlan combined for 29 saves. Both teams recorded 33 shots.
Games Continue Tomorrow
Game action in the World Junior Summer Showcase resumes tomorrow (July 29) as Canada White takes on Canada Red 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