OTTAWA -- After four days of practices, two red-white scrimmages and two games against a team of USports All-Stars, Team Canada has named its roster for the 2025 World Juniors in Ottawa.
After taking in the camp, here are my complete notes on all 32 players who participated.
D Cameron Allen (Washington Capitals): Allen really struggled. He looks strong and sturdy but still very, very hectic at this level. Sloppy turnovers in the neutral zone and defensive zone. Passes that aren't tape-to-tape. Bobbles. Shifts hemmed in. He was better at skating pucks up ice than moving them but he really fought it from an execution standpoint in both games. When they were caught out there against USports, he was normally on the ice. I think people make too much of a fuss about guys who don't get invited to camp and the actual gaps between them, but he was the one player that had me thinking "And they couldn't have had Carter Yakemchuk here?"
F Denver Barkey (Philadelphia Flyers): Barkey was one of the standouts of the red-white scrimmages for me and got Team Red on the board in the first session and the second one (one of which was short-handed). In a setting that I felt was pretty low pace/low energy, he was playing with intention and giddy up, he was going to the net, he was tracking pucks. I know he was disappointed not to make last year's team after an excellent camp in which he did everything he could and was still one of the final cuts, so this must've been doubly hard. He didn't stand out in the second USports game (he had an assist in the first one and played with good hustle) and that might've done it.
F Andrew Cristall (Washington Capitals): I thought Cristall played with good jump throughout and was owed more on the scoresheet, particularly in the second game (he had a secondary assist on the 5-2 goal against USports but it was his effort play and low-to-high pass to Beckett Sennecke that made the play, and he had several chances of his own and others he set up that just didn't go in after a very productive summer showcase in August). He made some nifty passes to the inside. He made some effort plays defensively. He finished his checks and won inside positioning in some battles. Canada's depth at left wing is strong and he's a top-six or power-play guy only in this setting, but he would have been on my team.
F Riley Heidt (Minnesota Wild): There were signs in the summer that they weren't in love with Heidt at the summer showcase and then he turned the puck over in the defensive zone on USports' 1-0 goal in the first game and was relatively quiet the rest of the way and that was that. He had a couple of looks, including a real good one on a two-on-one from Sennecke that he just didn't capitalize on.
D Zayne Parekh (Calgary Flames): I thought Parekh really struggled in battles with the bigger, heavier USports players in front of the net/in the corners, and he turned some pucks over. He needed to be one of the top D in camp to make the team after being a late invite and he just wasn't at his best. His outlets were clean throughout camp, he scored Red's second goal in the second scrimmage.
F Beckett Sennecke (Anaheim Ducks): Sennecke was a late add to camp and Hockey Canada staff talked about wanting to see him play good defense and carve out a niche. They know he's got elite skill and a unique size-talent package, but they obviously had questions about his play away from the puck. I thought his red-white scrimmage was a bit of a mixed bag as well. He set up Berkly Catton in a nice give-and-go for the first goal of camp and made some plays but he also turned over a couple of pucks in bad spots, one of which led to a goal. I liked his work rate in the first USports game and he was rewarded: jumping on a turnover to feed Carson Rehkopf backdoor for Canada's first goal. He made some plays off the rush. He was one of the only guys creating against USports in the first game and had two assists in it. But he also lost some battles and while he made some plays in the second game he probably needed to be a standout again to force their hands. I liked his camp, though.
G Scott Ratzlaff (Buffalo Sabres): Ratzlaff had the worst numbers coming in and despite being a returnee was going to have to earn a job. Then he fought it a little in the first USports game and gave up a couple of goals he would have liked back (one blocker side and another after misplaying the puck). He stopped all 14 shots he faced in the second game but after going 10/14 in the first game his .857 save percentage was the lowest of the bunch (he technically gave up five goals in the first game, too, because he surrendered the overtime goal as well). He made some nice scrambled saves in the second game but it was probably decided at that point, especially when Jack Ivankovic also played really well on the final day of camp (and can come back the next two years).
F Matthew Wood (Nashville Predators): Wood has been a very productive college player across three seasons (not just for his age but leading his teams), was a top scorer for Canada at U18 worlds, and even had some nice moments after starting as kind of a 12th/13th forward on last year's World Junior team. He's got a pretty unique profile with his combination of shooting, skill, length, power-play value and ability to play both wings. But his lack of pace was really noticeable this week and I think put him in the small group of returnees who weren't locks coming in. I thought he looked slow in camp, and he doesn't play super sturdy or hard either (even when he tries to). He nearly handcuffed Ratzlaff off the rush in the first game and then scored the game-winning 2-1 goal on the power play in the second game but he was also just OK otherwise and the goal was too little too late. You could see on his face postgame that he knew, too.
Note: Carolina Hurricanes first-rounder and Chicago Wolves forward Bradly Nadeau did not participate in camp and will now join the team for pre-tournament play.
D Beau Akey (Edmonton Oilers): Akey looked good in the four-on-four and three-on-three portions of the scrimmage, scoring and really showcasing his skating. It was notable that he got to sit the first USports games because it felt coming into camp like the biggest competitions were going to be for the second and third spots on the right side after Oliver Bonk, especially after Harrison Brunicke fractured his wrist and wasn't quite going to be cleared for contact in time. He wasn't a standout in camp by any stretch but he played well enough and he'll be their third righty after Bonk and Andrew Gibson.
F Cole Beaudoin (Utah Hockey Club): Beaudoin was injured blocking a shot in the first practice of camp and after trying to continue had to leave. He went to the hospital for X-rays but they came back negative and while he missed the red-white scrimmages the swelling camp down in time for him to return for the two USports games. He was noticeable on the forecheck, and the cycle, and for his physicality in both games as well, setting the tone. His heaviness and motor will be valuable as Canada's likely fourth-line centre.
G Carson Bjarnason (Philadelphia Flyers): Bjarnason was 6/8 in Game 1 against USports and 12/13 in Game 2 but one of the goals in the first game came after his teammate high-sticked him and the other was on a jam play off a Heidt turnover. 18/21 (.857). He made a couple of nice stretch saves, played well in the second game in particular, and has a strong body of work this season with Brandon. He might end up being the starter.
D Oliver Bonk (Philadelphia Flyers): Bonk was a lock and was fine without being a standout. He's this team's top righty and could play in all situations with his unique ability to play the bumper on the power play. He had a couple of big blocks and took a big hit and didn't get hurt, which is all Hockey Canada was probably hoping for.
F Mathieu Cataford (Vegas Golden Knights): Cataford began the camp in a non-contact yellow jersey after getting injured in his last game with Rimouski against Chicoutimi. He looked like he was all right skating by himself and it was by all accounts a minor injury (sounds like he just tweaked his knee) but he sat the red-white scrimmages. I liked him against USports, though. He's a strong kid and skater who works, can carry pucks or chase them, will track back and can play all three positions. They like him as an up-and-down-the-lineup guy. He's also excellent in the faceoff circle and can chip in on draws even if they play him on the wing.
F Berkly Catton (Seattle Thunderbirds): Catton made a number of plays in the red-white scrimmage and the first game against USports (he made the play that set up Porter Martone's game-tying 2-2 goal and was the only player who scored in the shootout), and it was no surprise that he was scratched for the last game. His blend of speed and skill have made him a standout with this age group for Hockey Canada and he should be an important part of this team's top six even as an 18-year-old. He got to the guts of the ice and also made plays out wide. He supported play well off the puck defensively, which has been a focus of his this year.
F Easton Cowan (Toronto Maple Leafs): Cowan was held out of the red-white scrimmages and the USports games as a precaution after taking a hard hit in his last game with London against Oshawa. He looked like himself to my eye in his skills sessions though and I think the expectation is that he'll participate in the pre-tournament schedule over the next 10 days. Cowan's going to be a key piece for this team.
D Sam Dickinson (San Jose Sharks): Dickinson's camp was just fine but he was solid in the first game (there were some bad passes/shifts hemmed in in the second game but I thought he got better as it went on). He defended the rush well and showed his skating a couple of times. His blend of size, skating, man-to-man defending and the season he's having put him on the team.
F Ethan Gauthier (Tampa Bay Lightning): Gauthier played hard, finished his checks, scored off the rush to give Canada its first lead against USports 3-2 and was excellent on the forecheck all camp. He has an identity, he plays to it and he's the right kind of bottom-sixer for an event like this.
G Carter George (Los Angeles Kings): George seemed to be getting frozen in drills on the first day a little and then when the puck dropped on the two USports games I thought he was really good. He stopped 17/18 across his two half games and the only goal he gave up was high-glove on a breakaway in three-on-three overtime. He was impressive in the shootouts too. He'd be my starter.
F Tanner Howe (Pittsburgh Penguins): I thought Howe was really good in the red-white scrimmages, playing with energy when others weren't. He was then in the scratches group for the first USports game, which is always a positive sign (the guys who sit are normally the locks or those with an inside track). Hockey Canada has always had time for Howe. They also hinted all week that they were disappointed by the competitiveness of last year's team, which lost in the quarterfinal. There aren't many players in these age groups more competitive than Howe and they clearly feel he can help them with their identity and play up and down their lineup. He made a nice little play off the wall to Yager on the 1-0 goal in his USports game, too.
G Jack Ivankovic (2025 NHL Draft): Ivankovic faced the most shots across the two games and finished 27/29 (9/10 in the first game and 18/19 in the second) for a .931 save percentage. When he puts that Canada jersey on he always seems to deliver. He got beat on a backdoor play to Brampton Steelheads teammate Carson Rehkopf for the lone goal he gave up in the first game and then misplayed a puck and gave it to USports on the only goal he gave up on Friday. I thought he was excellent on Friday otherwise and made several big saves down low. I think he's probably the third goalie at the moment but he's got two more years of eligibility still.
F Jett Luchanko (Philadelphia Flyers): I actually thought Luchanko was unnoticeable in both the red-white scrimmages and the first game against USports before Hockey Canada gave him the day off for the second game. Hockey Canada likes his skating, two-way conscience and reliability down the middle and his NHL experience was always going to put him on this year's team. He was good for them at U18 Worlds in the spring, too.
F Porter Martone (2025 NHL Draft): Martone scored the 2-0 goal for Team White in the first red-white scrimmage, broke up some plays against USports with a good stick/keeping his feet moving off the puck, and scored the 2-2 goal against USports in the first game going to the net. He was a front-runner to make the team coming in and that was all Canada needed to see. They view him as a guy who can play on any of their four lines and he's got a proven Hockey Canada track record as a player and leader.
F Gavin McKenna (2026 NHL Draft): When Connor Bedard made Team Canada in his 16-year-old season he wasn't a lock coming in and had to score a hat trick against USports to secure his spot. It never felt like McKenna was in the same situation this week. They played him on their first line in the first USports game and sat him for the second. Through the scrimmages and the one game he played, he was one of the only Canadian forwards who was noticeable in transition and on multiple shifts where they couldn't clear the zone and just did it himself with his skating. He also made some plays off of the perimeter, entered through the middle third, and showed a really good stick defensively, taking back and lifting a lot of pucks. He's going to be a top-six winger for this team as a double underager.
F Luca Pinelli (Columbus Blue Jackets): Pinelli had a good camp. He supported play. He made a couple of plays. He scored a three-on-three goal with a nice mid-net shot. He worked. He had good energy and kept his feet moving. He set up Matthew Wood on the power play to give Canada the 2-1 lead in the third period of the second game. He doesn't have pedigree or cachet of most of the rest of the roster but Pinelli's an effective energy player with skill in this setting.
F Carson Rehkopf (Seattle Kraken): I got the sense from talking to a couple of people pre-camp that Rehkopf wasn't necessarily a lock to make this team as a returnee. But I thought he was one of the three or four standouts of the red-white scrimmages (he scored a goal in both of them and in the shootout) and then he had a hat trick and four points in the first game against USports. His speed, his NHL release, his routes, his rush game and his ability to get open for his linemates stood out. He also supported play well and finished his checks, both of which I know Hockey Canada was looking for. I'll be interested to see where they use him in the tournament because he has traditionally played wing for Hockey Canada but he has played a lot of center with Kitchener and Brampton the last two seasons and Canada's center group is on the smaller side (he played the first USports game at center and the second at left wing). If he can continue to show them that he can play without the puck and support his linemates well then I could see them using him down the middle. His ability to play all three forward positions and do damage on the power play with his shot has obvious value.
D Andrew Gibson (Nashville Predators): Gibson looks like a man in this setting and gives the Canadian blue line and coaching staff a defender they feel they can really rely on to play. He looked solid and steady through the scrimmages and the first USports game and they gave him the day off for the final game. His skill level and execution with the puck aren't as crisp as the high-end first-round types but he's a really strong skater, he knows who he is, he defends well, he makes a good first pass and he can play with those guys.
D Tanner Molendyk (Nashville Predators): Molendyk nearly made the Predators out of camp and was the lock of all locks to make this team. He's expected to be Canada's No. 1 D in the tournament and didn't play in either of the USports games. Despite missing the start of selection camp last year due to a lower-body injury, he was going to be a top-four D on that team as an 18-year-old before breaking his wrist in pre-tournament play. He's an elite skater and one of the best players in the CHL who can influence the game in all areas (in-zone defence, getting back to pucks, breakouts, entries, lock-up rush defence, offensive zone creation, etc.) and all three zones with his mobility.
D Sawyer Mynio (Vancouver Canucks): Mynio got caught out of position a number of times, including on a couple of goals, in the scrimmages and then the first USports game, but the feeling was that they really liked him and he was on the team. I thought he should have had to play the second game, especially considering the strength of their left-shot D, but I understand why they like him. He plays hard, he's smart on both sides of the puck and he's a strong skater. He should be able to complement his partner well at this level and kill penalties for them.
D Caden Price (Seattle Kraken): I didn't have a ton of notes on Price, which is unusual for him but is probably the way he needed to show them he could play to make this team. He had good gaps in neutral ice and moved pucks. He was fine. I think he's their No. 8 defenseman at the moment.
F Calum Ritchie (Colorado Avalanche): I thought Ritchie looked good in the practice sessions and the red-white scrimmages, and it was no surprise when he was one of the forward scratches for the first USports game given his NHL time this season and his play in the OHL (where I think he's the league's best forward). He wasn't a standout but his well-rounded skill, two-way reliability, scorer's wrister and good stick are all major assets at this level. He's going to be a top-of-the-lineup player for this team. Like Rehkopf, I'll be interested to see whether they use him as a center or a winger. Hockey Canada has always used him on the wing but he's a natural center, he's reliable defensively, he's got size and he's good in the faceoff circle.
D Matthew Schaefer (2025 NHL Draft): Schaefer's transition ability is frankly incredible and it was impressive to see it on display as much at this level (the highest level of competition he has played to date in his career) as at previous ones within his age group. His skating is unbelievable and he really got on his horse in the red-white scrimmages in particular to carry pucks and join the rush. He covers so much territory and is never in a bad spot on the ice because of his ability to flow and gallop back. It's hard for draft-eligible players to make Team Canada at the World Juniors. It's even harder for draft-eligible D. It's something else altogether when you get to sit one of the USports games because you're a lock. He's nearly eligible for 2026, too. It looks like he might run one of Canada's power plays as well.
F Brayden Yager (Winnipeg Jets): Yager only played in one of the two USports games but he scored in the second red-white scrimmage and in the USports game he played. The latter was a nasty wrister off the post and in flight to open the scoring. He won battles, played with good tempo and showed good puck control, too. He'll be a top-six center for this team.