The 2025 version of the U17 World Challenge continues today with two quarterfinal matchups. Canada White takes on Finland at 3:30 pm AST, with Canada Red and Sweden playing at 7:30 AST.
By virtue of their first-place group finishes, Team Czechia and Team USA each are exempt from playing in the quarters, and will compete in tomorrow’s semifinals. However, true to the world-wide talent on display at this tournament, parity is the name of the game here. Despite its first-place group finish, Czechia fell in overtime to Sweden 3-2 on Tuesday. Also, while it was the lone unbeaten team in the preliminary rounds, Team USA was pushed to a shootout in both of their games (Finland & Canada Red) before emerging victorious.
Tuesday’s standouts were Canada Red’s 6’5″ forward Alexis Joseph of QMJHL Saint John (5 points on 1 goal and 4 assists) & WHL Seattle’s Brock Cripps (1 goal, excellent puck-moving D-man), Sweden forward Loui Karlsson (1 goal, 1 assist for 5 points in two games), Czechia D-man Lukas Kachir (slightly undersized but shifty, great hands, raw speed), and Team USA forward Carter Meyer (4 points on 2 goals and 2 assists).
In addition to the standout players mentioned above, I’d like to recognize Team USA goaltender Eli Winters. Although Canada Red scored five times (including four times in the 3rd period to erase a three-goal deficit), Winters made 47 saves, many on grade A scoring chances. He also stopped 7 of 8 shootout attempts. In short, Winters was the reason the Americans ultimately prevailed.