Welcome to the last day of 2024, also known as the last day of preliminary play for the 2025 IIHF Mens’ World Junior Championships. Unlike in some past years, there is quite a bit of drama left in the group stage as today’s games could determine the top three seeds in Group A. Group B is a little more straight forward, but the top seed is still waiting to be determined as well.
Despite both Team Canada and Team USA suffering a loss, their New Year’s Eve match-up will determine the overall top seed of Group A. Whichever team wins will finish at the top. The loser could still finish with the second seed, or drop all the way to the third seed if Latvia pulls off an upset of Finland in the other Group A game. Don’t scoff at the possibility as the Latvians are the ones responsible for the Canadian’s loss, a 3-2 shootout victory in the host country’s second game.
All four of the teams mentioned will be advancing to the next stage as the fifth team, Germany, has just one point in pool play after completing their four games. It’s a different story in Group B where all five teams have a chance to advance. Sweden and Czechia stand atop the division with 9 points and will be playing for the top seeding tonight. Slovakia has played their four games, and with 5 points will also advance. That leaves Kazakhstan and Sweden, who face off against each other as well, fighting for the last spot. Win and they get in, lose and they face Germany with relegation to the Division I-A on the line.
So there is a lot to be decided today. Teams want the higher seeds as it means they will face a lower seed in the next round:
- 1A vs. 4B
- 1B vs. 4A
- 2A vs. 3B
- 2B vs. 3A
As for the Lightning prospects. Both Ethan Gauthier (Team Canada) and Joona Saarelainen (Team Finland) are advancing. Unfortunately, they haven’t had much impact in the overall success of their teams so far. Gauthier has yet to record a point in three games, playing mostly on the third or fourth lines. It looks like he’ll be on the fourth line again tonight with Flyers prospect Jett Luchanko and Mathieu Cataford, a third-round pick for the Vegas Golden Knights.
As for Saarelainen, the 18-year-old had an assist in Finland’s victory over the United States, but only played 6 minutes in a game that went to overtime, and played just over three minutes in their prior game.
While they haven’t made quite the impact they had hoped for prior to the tournament, there is still plenty of time left for them to win international glory. If nothing else, it’s a good learning experience for the young players.
