photo: Tim Austen/IIHF
The 25th edition of the Men’s U18 World Championship is in the books, so let’s take a look back at how the teams and players performed, and what we can take away from each team as the junior season comes to an end for these players.
Canada (gold)/It never gets old
Another incredible tournament from Canada, which didn’t lose a game and trailed for all of 14:19 in the entire tournament (against the Czechs). They led the tournament in goals scored, had the best goalie, finished with two shutouts, and led the event in scoring from defenders (12 goals). They won back-to-back for the first time at the U18 with a roster that didn’t start to take shape until April 12.
Sweden (silver)/Consistently great
The Swedes led the tournament in scoring…until the gold-medal game. They built momentum and came to the finals with confidence, and then ran into a locomotive called Canada. Nevertheless, they improved on their bronze from last year and won a medal for the seventh year running. Many of their players will be selected in the opening rounds of the NHL draft next month.
United States (bronze)/Disappointing, but a medal all the same
The hosts got a medal, just not the colour they had been aiming for. But the last game for many players in the NTDP was a victory all the same. They rallied to defeat Sweden in impressive fashion in the preliminary round, and then in the semi-finals fell just short to a more determined team that insisted all along they could go all the way. Nevertheless, the Americans brought many a future star to the event and finished on the podium.
Slovakia (4th)/Impressive, but just short
Heartbreak for a third straight year as Slovakia finished fourth again, their third bronze-medal-game loss in a row. But their ability to get to this game speaks to their pride and determination. They are on the cusp of reaching the podium. This year, they rallied from 1-0 and 3-2 down to force overtime, before losing to the U.S. in the third-place game.
Finland (5th)/Looking for more
The Finns have won only one medal since 2019 (bronze, 2022), and this year ended with a not-very-close 7-2 loss to Sweden in the quarter-finals. In fact, the only games they won were against Norway and Latvia. As well, all but two players on the roster are 2007-born, meaning they will have to create a new team pretty much from scratch next year.
Germany (6th)/Up, but not back down
Having just been promoted from Division I-A, the Germans were supposed to be the easy mark. That was not the case. They announced their return with a sparkling, 4-3 overtime win over Czechia and earned a berth in the playoffs with a dramatic 5-4 win over Switzerland. They almost rallied from 3-0 to Slovakia in the quarters, falling just short, 3-2. But theirs was a strong performance that bodes well for 2026.
Czechia (7th)/Close, very close
The Czechs gave Canada all they could handle in the quarter-finals, taking the favourites to overtime after being unable to hold leads of 1-0 and 2-1. In the end, though, they won only one of five games, 4-2 over Switzerland, and have to be disappointed in their play. There are four possible returnees for next year.
Latvia (8th)/Establishing top-10 credentials
They also won only once in five tries, but the fact they qualified for the playoffs for the fourth straight year (and fifth in six) is a marked improvement for the program. The Latvians seem now to have firmly established themselves as a top-10 U18 team, and that alone will have great impact on the World Junior and World Championship teams in the coming years.
Norway (9th)/Wow!
After scoring only four goals in four games of the round robin, relegation seemed inevitable when they faced Switzerland for 9th place. Yet, improbably, they scored five more in the most important game of the event, defeating the Swiss, 5-4, and qualifying for the top pool next year. A remarkable result after losing all four games to start.
Switzerland (10th)/Stunning, shocking
What a stunning reversal of fortune. Favoured in the relegation game, they lost to Norway and will play in I-A for the first time since 2006. They lost all five games by a cumulative score of 34-13. The Swiss had trouble scoring and, worse, they had a tough time keeping the puck out of their own net, allowing the most goals in the tournament.
Canada (gold)/It never gets old
Another incredible tournament from Canada, which didn’t lose a game and trailed for all of 14:19 in the entire tournament (against the Czechs). They led the tournament in goals scored, had the best goalie, finished with two shutouts, and led the event in scoring from defenders (12 goals). They won back-to-back for the first time at the U18 with a roster that didn’t start to take shape until April 12.
Sweden (silver)/Consistently great
The Swedes led the tournament in scoring…until the gold-medal game. They built momentum and came to the finals with confidence, and then ran into a locomotive called Canada. Nevertheless, they improved on their bronze from last year and won a medal for the seventh year running. Many of their players will be selected in the opening rounds of the NHL draft next month.
United States (bronze)/Disappointing, but a medal all the same
The hosts got a medal, just not the colour they had been aiming for. But the last game for many players in the NTDP was a victory all the same. They rallied to defeat Sweden in impressive fashion in the preliminary round, and then in the semi-finals fell just short to a more determined team that insisted all along they could go all the way. Nevertheless, the Americans brought many a future star to the event and finished on the podium.
Slovakia (4th)/Impressive, but just short
Heartbreak for a third straight year as Slovakia finished fourth again, their third bronze-medal-game loss in a row. But their ability to get to this game speaks to their pride and determination. They are on the cusp of reaching the podium. This year, they rallied from 1-0 and 3-2 down to force overtime, before losing to the U.S. in the third-place game.
Finland (5th)/Looking for more
The Finns have won only one medal since 2019 (bronze, 2022), and this year ended with a not-very-close 7-2 loss to Sweden in the quarter-finals. In fact, the only games they won were against Norway and Latvia. As well, all but two players on the roster are 2007-born, meaning they will have to create a new team pretty much from scratch next year.
Germany (6th)/Up, but not back down
Having just been promoted from Division I-A, the Germans were supposed to be the easy mark. That was not the case. They announced their return with a sparkling, 4-3 overtime win over Czechia and earned a berth in the playoffs with a dramatic 5-4 win over Switzerland. They almost rallied from 3-0 to Slovakia in the quarters, falling just short, 3-2. But theirs was a strong performance that bodes well for 2026.
Czechia (7th)/Close, very close
The Czechs gave Canada all they could handle in the quarter-finals, taking the favourites to overtime after being unable to hold leads of 1-0 and 2-1. In the end, though, they won only one of five games, 4-2 over Switzerland, and have to be disappointed in their play. There are four possible returnees for next year.
Latvia (8th)/Establishing top-10 credentials
They also won only once in five tries, but the fact they qualified for the playoffs for the fourth straight year (and fifth in six) is a marked improvement for the program. The Latvians seem now to have firmly established themselves as a top-10 U18 team, and that alone will have great impact on the World Junior and World Championship teams in the coming years.
Norway (9th)/Wow!
After scoring only four goals in four games of the round robin, relegation seemed inevitable when they faced Switzerland for 9th place. Yet, improbably, they scored five more in the most important game of the event, defeating the Swiss, 5-4, and qualifying for the top pool next year. A remarkable result after losing all four games to start.
Switzerland (10th)/Stunning, shocking
What a stunning reversal of fortune. Favoured in the relegation game, they lost to Norway and will play in I-A for the first time since 2006. They lost all five games by a cumulative score of 34-13. The Swiss had trouble scoring and, worse, they had a tough time keeping the puck out of their own net, allowing the most goals in the tournament.