© Michael Miller, ISI Photos / Chris Tanouye, Getty Images

Saturday was the ninth day of the World Junior Summer Showcase to help determine the rosters for the United States, Canada, Finland and Sweden at the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship, to be held in Ottawa from Dec. 26-Jan. 5.

PLYMOUTH, Mich. –– The United States’ 5-4 shootout win against Canada on the final day of the World Junior Summer Showcase featured an interesting subplot: the battle between U.S. forward James Hagens and Canada forward Porter Martone, who could be the first two players selected in the 2025 NHL Draft.

Hagens, who stands at 5-foot-10 and weighs 168 pounds, showcased his impressive playmaking skills by assisting a second-period goal by Quentin Musty of the San Jose Sharks. Although Martone, who is 6-3 and 196 pounds, didn’t score a point, he was able to exhibit some of his qualities as a high-level power forward.

Dating back to their youth hockey days when they played together on the same spring team for several years, including a tournament in Italy, the rivalry is predominantly friendly.

“Hagens, 17, spoke highly of Martone, stating, “He’s an exceptional player. Sharing the ice with him is always challenging. He has a knack for pushing you to your limits… You can’t afford to let him have the puck because he’s a playmaker. He’s both a special individual and an exceptional player.”

“Clearly, he’s an amazing player,” said 17-year-old Martone about Hagens. “You can see it with the plays he makes out there.”

Throughout the upcoming season, the two are likely to be intertwined, including the opportunity for each to participate in the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship.

“Off the ice, we’re friends, but once we don our jerseys, friendship is set aside,” said Martone. “We compete fiercely, so it’s always enjoyable to play against him.”

Musty possesses a distinctive perspective from playing in Hagens’ line at the WJSS and competing against Martone with Sudbury in the Ontario Hockey League. However, he was not prepared to step into the role of a fantasy general manager at this stage.

He said, “I sympathize with those GMs who have to make such a decision. These players are excellent. It’s enjoyable to watch them play. All we can really do is observe and appreciate their skill.”

Here are three things learned Saturday:

New skates would be great for Luchanko

One of Jett Luchanko‘s strengths is his skating, but the Canada forward impressed the Philadelphia Flyers development staff even more when they learned he was using skates that were more than two years old.

Flyers director of player development, Riley Armstrong, commented, “He seems to be just slightly floating on the ice. He shared that his skates are two years old and he dislikes wearing new ones.” Armstrong continued, “I thought to myself, ‘Wow, we need to get you in new skates. It would be amazing to see what you could potentially do.'”

“It’s quite humorous in that respect. Even with his old, worn-down skates, he’s still zipping around the ice rink effortlessly.”

Luchanko utilizes an older model of Bauer Supreme skates, as he has not yet found a suitable fit among the newer models he has tested.

“It’s really challenging to remove them,” he stated on Saturday. “I’ve experimented with numerous skates, but I have a preference for these ones, so I’m still trying. I’m hopeful that I’ll find something appealing.”

Luchanko has performed decently using his well-used skates. The adolescent, at the age of 17, managed to score a goal on Saturday. He was the top scorer for Guelph in the OHL, with a total of 74 points, made up of 20 goals and 54 assists, in 68 games. This impressive record led to his selection by the Flyers in the first round (13th pick) of the 2024 NHL Draft.

He is hoping that his search for skates will lead him to a comfortable pair, as he is uncertain about the durability of his current model.

“They’re reaching the stage of starting to break,” he said. “Ideally, I hope to find a pair and perhaps stock up on them for my entire career. That would likely be the optimal solution.”

Golden opportunity for Nadeau

Bradly Nadeau played on Canada’s top line for each of its two games at USA Hockey Arena here, including Saturday, when he and had an assist before scoring in the first round of the shootout.

Nadeau, who inked a three-year, entry-level agreement with the Carolina Hurricanes on April 7 and made his NHL debut on April 16, will get the opportunity to kick off the season with the Hurricanes. However, this likely signifies the termination of his WJC aspirations.

The 19-year-old has never participated in an international tournament for Canada, but he’s not focusing on that distant prospect.

“I’m simply going to focus on working hard and see where it leads,” he stated on Friday. “No matter where I end up, my aim is to work diligently and strive to advance to the next level.”

Nadeau, who was chosen by Carolina in the first round (No. 30) of the 2023 NHL Draft, described his only NHL game to date as a revelation. He stated that it demonstrated the level of effort he would need to put in to maintain his position with the Hurricanes.

“He stated, “When you’re with those guys, you constantly feel like you’re not doing enough. You adjust your training routine, start doing more. It was beneficial for me to experience this and see what aspects of their training I could incorporate into my own game.”

Nadeau (5-10, 161) has stated that the primary advice he’s received from the Hurricanes development staff is to increase his strength.

“I feel like I’ve made significant progress in the few months since the season ended,” he said. “However, there’s still another month and a half to go, so I’ll ensure to continue this progress.”

Pieniniemi learns from Letang

Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman prospect Emil Pieniniemi spent about three weeks during the offseason skating and training in Pittsburgh, where he kept a close watch on Penguins defenseman Kris Letang.

Pieniniemi was certainly impressed by the conditioning required for the 37-year-old to score 51 points (10 goals, 41 assists) and play all 82 games last season, which was his 18th in the NHL.

“I just observed him exercising,” said the 19-year-old. “Despite being significantly older than me, he’s still performing his tasks incredibly well.”

Pieniniemi, who measures 6-2 and weighs 170 pounds, was a third-round selection of the Penguins in the 2023 draft, taken 91st overall. He acknowledges that he needs to build strength to improve his game as he progresses. While his time in Pittsburgh has allowed him to gain some strength, he admits there is still plenty of work ahead.

“Finland coach Lauri Mikkola said that he’s done a considerable amount of physical work to improve his defense. Mikkola acknowledged that while he often handles situations well, he still lacks a bit of power. However, his defensive skills are definitely improving,”

Pieniniemi contributed an assist in Finland’s 5-3 victory over Sweden on Saturday and has accumulated three points (two goals, one assist) in the four games he’s played at the WJSS. He’s currently on the verge of deciding where he will play this season – either with Karpat in Finland’s Liiga, or with the Ontario Hockey League’s Kingston, who chose him as the No. 10 pick in the 2023 Canadian Hockey League import draft.

It would be beneficial for him to adapt to North American-sized rinks before reaching the NHL, but equally advantageous would be remaining at home and participating in the top men’s league there.

“He said, “I believe the OHL would be beneficial for me, and the same applies for Finland. So, that’s a tough choice.””