Sweden U20 vs USA White U20

USA White — playing its second of two split-squad games before merging with USA Blue — opened the scoring when defenceman Carter Amico found the net early in the first period. Sweden's Milton Gastrin (St. Louis Blues) responded at 16:19 to level the score, but the Americans answered in quick succession. Jacob Kvasnicka restored the lead with a sharp-angle release, and Chase Reid (Seattle Kraken) converted on the power play to make it 3-1 after the opening frame.

The second period saw both sides trade power-play goals. Sammy Nelson pushed USA White ahead 4-2, only for Carolina Hurricanes draftee Filip Ekberg to pull one back for Sweden on the man advantage, sending the teams to the second intermission at 4-2.

Jack Murtagh (Philadelphia Flyers) extended the lead to 5-3 early in the third period with a slick spin move in front, finishing a three-point night. Vegas Golden Knights prospect Jakob Ihs Wozniak gave Sweden brief hope at 5-3, but Mason West answered to restore the three-goal cushion. Viktor Klingsell (Winnipeg Jets) scored with under a minute remaining to make it 6-4, but the comeback fell short.

Period scores: 1–3, 1–1, 2–2.

USA White's three-goal first period set the tone. After Gastrin tied it 1–1, the Americans scored twice in quick succession — Kvasnicka's release and Reid's power-play strike — to seize control before Sweden could build any sustained momentum. The Swedes never got within one goal the rest of the night.

Jack Murtagh, LW, USA White (Philadelphia Flyers) — One goal and two assists, including the pivotal third-period marker. The Flyers' second-round pick showed quick hands and a nose for the net, strengthening his case for the final World Junior roster.

Chase Reid, D, USA White (Seattle Kraken) — A goal and strong quarterbacking of the power play. Reid's patience with the puck and heavy shot created traffic in front of Swedish goaltender Melker Goos.

Filip Ekberg, LW, Sweden (Carolina Hurricanes) — Scored Sweden's second goal on the power play with a quick release. The 2025 U18 standout was one of Sweden's most dangerous forwards all night.

Jakob Ihs Wozniak, RW, Sweden (Vegas Golden Knights) — Scored late in the third and was among the fastest players on the ice, generating multiple quality chances.

The on-page stats show a high-scoring affair across all three periods, with the 1–3 first-period margin proving decisive. USA White's power play delivered three goals — a key edge given Sweden also scored once with the man advantage. The 10 combined goals continue a trend in this rivalry: all eight meetings since 2016 have produced over 2.5 goals, and both teams have scored in every single fixture. The 6–4 result also keeps the head-to-head series perfectly balanced at four wins apiece.

This was the final split-squad game for USA before the team merges into a single roster for the remainder of the Summer Showcase. USA White entered the tournament with a 4–1 loss to Finland on Day 1, meaning this bounce-back win was critical for individual players looking to earn a spot on the merged roster. Sweden, meanwhile, fell to 0–2 in the tournament after losing 6–1 to USA Blue on Day 1.

Both teams will have a practice day on July 28 before the merged USA team takes on Finland on July 29, followed by Sweden facing Canada on the same day.

USA White answered its opening-day disappointment with a complete performance, attacking early and maintaining pressure on the power play. For Sweden, defensive lapses in the first period proved costly against a fast, opportunistic American side. The individual performances — particularly from Murtagh, Reid, and Ekberg — gave evaluators plenty to consider ahead of the December World Junior Championship.