It all came to a close today/yesterday. This meant things capped off at a reasonable hour and I could finally write about just two games. Let’s knock ’em out and do some final reflections on what we learned about some of the personalities involved in this tournament’s proceedings.

Bronze medal game: Sweden 6–3 USA

The easy standout for the USA here was Matthew Lansing (Waterloo Black Hawks, 2025 NHL Entry Draft eligible). His immediate imprint on the game was made by being in the right time and place to pick up the garbage and open the scoring, which was later supplemented by a fantastic end-to-end rush that he finished in emphatic fashion. Carter Murphy (Youngstown Phantoms, 2025 NHL Entry Draft eligible) also jumped off the page by being an absolute wrecking ball, as well as for his involvement in the attack which resulted in the first Lansing goal, earning him an assist. There were a fair amount of things the USA did right in this game, but they did make mistakes, not to the point of absolute self-sabotage but to where they were inhibitors to themselves. The power play jumped out in this regard: Seeing them finish with double digit SOGs on the man advantage but nothing to show for it made sense as their cycle wasn’t creating quality looks, nor was it doing anything to increase the pace of place. The shots were effectively all empty calories. Were there just a bit more from that unit, the result might’ve been different.

Sweden, meanwhile, had their depth scoring finally click when it meant playing for a medal. After a quiet tournament, Eric Nilson (Djurgårdens IF, 2025 NHL Entry Draft eligible) which included some fortune which ended Ryan Cameron’s night in between the pipes for the USA and an empty-netter, but also featured a legitimate snipe and clear results of his engagement in the offensive zone, which also yielded an assist for a four-point night. Eddie Genborg (Linköping HC, 2025 NHL Entry Draft eligible), typically establishing himself as a bruiser and with today being no different, also made his presence known via two assists. We never really saw this Sweden group fulfilling its full potential, with its top line doing most of the heavy lifting. However, with the talent on this squad coming together at the last hurdle, it made sense to see them walk home with a medal when all was said and done.

Gold medal game: Canada 2–1 Czech Republic

Things sort of fell together for Caleb Desnoyers here tonight on the grandest stage. He had an exceptional tournament wherein he was exhibiting the utility of his playing style and overall profile with his hands, vision, and passing, and his first goal of the tournament tonight would stand as the golden goal when all was said and done. If he didn’t shine through in the impression he made to that point, he hopefully did by then. Matthew Schaefer also had another game in which he just had dominant shifts; he may not have registered a point, but he did press the issue on Czechia as often as possible and made things hard for them (one particular coast-to-coast play still stands out in my memory), while being as reliable in fundamental roles as possible. There’s a lot of season upcoming, but I think he enters the year as the firm conversation leader for the D1 spot and a top three talent for 2025. Others at his position will have to do a lot to catch up to him, if it is at all possible.

While this tournament did not end the way that was envisioned by Adam Benák, he did remind us of the extent of his capabilities on special teams. He put in some phenomenal PK work tonight and tallied an assist on the six-on-four (yielded by a goalie pull and a penalty called on Desnoyers for hooking) in the dying seconds and was an important part of the persistence and sustained efforts of the pulled goalie unit, which did everything they could to erase the deficit but ultimately got on the board just a bit too late to change the outcome. His name is etched in greatness at this tournament now as its all-time leading point scorer as a result of consistent form and gamebreaker ability. If someone were to dub him the most skilled player of the 2025 NHL Entry Draft class, I wouldn’t bat an eye.

For one last reflection on the gold medalists, a lot was asked of two specific players on Canada and they rose to the occasion and then some. Schaefer was appointed captain of this squad as he was for the triumphant Canada White team in the most recent WHC-17, capturing gold at both while also being a key component to Canada’s success here and at the World U18’s. This places him, Desnoyers, and Jack Ivankovic (who had some terrific saves tonight, as the Czechs had some serious Grade A’s) in a special category that only those three can claim. Schaefer, an embodiment of the best and most dominant kind of TWD, is also an exceptional leader. He is truly one-of-one as is, not even getting into the backstory which one has to assume had a massive tempering effect on him. I am truly, passionately rooting for his success.

I also have to emphasize yet again how happy I was and am to see how Cole Reschny handled his promotion to the top forward unit. I knew that he was capable of handling the demands of playing on this stage and that this tournament would be a success for him. However, we saw so many dimensions to this well-rounded player. He finished tied with Émile Guité for the team lead in points at 7, did phenomenally on the draw (especially in high pressure situations), did well winning puck battles, and showed some of the tenacity he possesses and can use. There might still be some ambiguity as to where he lands in round one in 2025, but he’ll make teams that pass on him regret it.

In addition to providing a valuable look at some 2026-e’s, this stood as the most significant showcase for the coming NHL Entry Draft class. This was a great reminder, and perhaps even a cementing, of the depth that exists in this class. I am certain that we will look back on this as the pronouncement of many future successful NHL careers. While that is visible for a number of players across several teams, including all medaling squads, perhaps nowhere will it be more apparent than amongst this Canada team, who are clearly a terrific generation of talent. This is only the beginning of their paths.