2025 World Junior Summer Showcase: Koivu, Nilson among standouts on Day 5
A pair of blowouts highlighted the penultimate day of the 2025 World Junior Summer Showcase in Minnesota, with Sweden and Finland taking home convincing victories over Canada and the United States, respectively.
Sweden and Finland will play in the “unofficial” final at 1:00 PM CT on Saturday. Canada and the United States will look to finish on a high note in the 4:30 PM CT game later that day.
It was an ugly game for Canada, who was undisciplined throughout the entire night. It might have been Canada’s “B” squad, but Sweden still took full advantage of all of Canada’s mistakes in their own zone. They started to improve in the third period, but the score was already too far out of reach at that point, as the Swedes cruised to an 8-4 victory.
The Finns kept their hot play flowing, beating the Americans 6-3. The United States made some moves late in the game to show some muscle, but the Finns took advantage of the power play, scoring three times to secure the win.
Here is a look at the top performers on Friday afternoon:
Canada 4, Sweden 8
Canada
#16 Sascha Boisvert, LW (Chicago Blackhawks): Boisvert had a solid two-point performance tonight. He is a skilled distributor who plays well under pressure and rarely gives the puck away. I liked his direct chemistry with Hage – it felt like they kept finding each other quite easily all game long. We’ll see if Boisvert makes it to the main team in a few months, but he has enough skill and hockey sense to be in the conversation.
#15 Michael Hage, RW (Montreal Canadiens): Hage was a bit quieter in the first half, but he was one of the few Canadians who continued to give it his all even when the game got out of hand. His goal to close out the game was really nice, but I really liked his chemistry with Boisvert the most. Hage is a lock to make the team, in my opinion. He’s just so stable, smart and committed to two-way dominance.
#26 Cole Reschny, C (Calgary Flames): We couldn’t leave anyone from the top line off this list. Rescny played a smart, calculated game and his goal was a perfectly placed wrister. While I wouldn’t call him a lock to make this team, Hockey Canada loves how good he has been internationally the last couple years. I’ve liked his tournament so far.
Sweden
#19 Eric Nilson, C (Anaheim Ducks): Nilson had two goals today in his best tournament performance. he has gotten better with every single game, and despite wearing a bubble after getting hit up high a couple of days ago, he clearly was no worse for wear. I have always liked him because I think he’s really smart and it was nice to see the flash today.
#26 Jack Berglund, C (Philadelphia Flyers): Berglund has been one of Sweden’s best players from the get-go. He has consistently displayed aggression at both ends of the ice. He doesn’t waste opportunities in front of the net and I think he likes to get physical, too. Berglund is a lock for the main team in a few months.
#9 Victor Johansson, D (Toronto Maple Leafs): I’ve watched a lot of VJ over the last two years and it feels like he is coming into his own as a legit prospect. He has grown a few inches over the past year, and he has also learned to be more assertive. His offensive game has really blossomed at this tournament, and it should allow him to play a big role when the main event comes around in December.
#25 Eric Genborg, LW (Detroit Red Wings): Genborg loves to make a ruckus, that’s what he did today. he had two points, including a goal where he tipped a point shot in perfectly. He’s a strong forward who defenseman seem to struggle to clear from the crease. Players like that will always find roles because even when they’re not scoring, they’re difficult to play against. Scoring the odd goal doesn’t hurt, though.
#23 Liam Danielsson, RW (Undrafted): One of the few undrafted Swedes in the lineup, Danielsson has been one of his team’s top players this week. He had a goal and an assist today while being an immovable object in the offensive zone. He’s not big, but he moves around very well, making him slippery to catch.
Finland vs. USA
Finland
#9 Aatos Koivu, RW (Montreal Canadiens): They don’t hand out awards for this tournament, but Koivu has easily been the MVP. He had two goals today, and his ability to drive into the slot to create chances all week long has made him incredibly dangerous. Koivu wastes no time getting his shot off, and he’s always in the right spot at the right time.
#7 Daniel Nieminen, D (Nashville Predators): I’m really glad the Predators took a chance on Nieminen at the 2025 NHL Draft because I’m a true believer in his game. He does a great job of reading scoring chances and getting the puck where it needs to be. He had four assists today, helping to drive the play better than any other defenseman. He’s a returning player after a solid showing in Ottawa back in the Winter.
#16 Matias Vanhanen, LW (Undrafted): Vanhanen was kind of unstoppable today. he had four assists, including three on the power play. He loved to play on the goal line, using his defense as passing partners to generate offerings from out there. He’s an undrafted prospect who I imagine is turning some heads the way he has played in Minnesota this week.
#15 Jasper Kuhta, C (Undrafted): Don’t give Kuhta space to shoot, because he’ll score. The forward had a pair today, and probably could have had a hat-trick with the way things were looking. Kuhta works as hard as anyone to get his opportunities and he was rewarded in what has been a decent tournament for him.
USA
#5 EJ Emery, D (New York Rangers): Emery is one of the best shutdown Defenders in this tournament, but it was nice to see him make a great long-range pass on USA’s first goal. He doesn’t get a ton of points during a season, but he knows how to get the puck where it needs to be. Add in some great defensive zone plays in a game with few to come by on the American blueline and he has to be pleased with his play.
#18 LJ Mooney, RW (Montreal Canadiens): There wasn’t a single player in this game who showed more confidence with a puck than Mooney. The small but skilled forward scored a goal today and nearly had another on the power play. I like how much power he packs into a small frame, and he clearly knows how to make things happen when uncontested by the faceoff dots. I think he’s got a legit shot to make the main team in December.
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