OTTAWA — Axel Sandin Pellikka stole the show on Thursday as he scored a natural hat trick, leading Team Sweden to a commanding 5-2 victory against Slovakia at the opening game of the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship.
The 19-year-old, who was drafted 17th overall by the Detroit Red Wings in the 2023 NHL Draft, demonstrated why he is considered one of the standout players of the tournament. Sandin Pellikka’s performance included not only his three goals but also an assist, showcasing his all-around skills on the ice.
Although Slovakia initiated the scoring, thanks to Dalibor Dvorsky’s goal 11 minutes and 53 seconds within the first period, Sweden did not take long to respond. Dvorsky, currently leading his American Hockey League team, the Springfield Thunderbirds, with impressive stats, gave Slovakia early momentum. But it was short-lived.
Midway through the second period, Sandin Pellikka facilitated Sweden's comeback. He played a pivotal role when he assisted Rasmus Bergqvist, who leveled the game at 1-1 with his precise wrist shot.
Then, as the clock ticked down to 17:43 of the second, Sandin Pellikka netted his first goal with a powerful one-timer on the power play, sending the Swedes up 2-1. Almost immediately, he struck again, increasing the lead to 3-1 just before the end of the period.
Sandin Pellikka’s natural hat trick came to fruition at 14:01 of the third period. He took advantage of space created by his teammates, unleashing another blistering shot past Slovak goalie Samuel Urban. With just six minutes remaining, he capped his incredible performance with yet another goal, showcasing his sharpshooting skills.
Linus Eriksson added to the scoreline, making it 5-1 before Slovakia managed to find the net again with a late power-play goal from Daniel Jencko, but it was too little too late for the Slovak side.
Reflecting on the match, Dvorsky expressed confidence, stating, "We have to keep pushing, shooting at the net, and not back off. We all know Sweden is a team with a lot of skill, but, honestly, so are we. We have to improve after this game." His sentiments were echoed by Sandin Pellikka, who commented, "We have a lot of good defencemen who like to play with the puck, so it's fun we got some goals from there… We played with patience. We kept our cool. We had a lot of chances and knew pucks were going to go in soon enough, and they did."
With this victory, Sweden aims to reclaim glory, having not won the World Juniors since 2012. They will face Kazakhstan next, as both teams seek to build momentum early in the tournament. Sweden's strong showing is bolstered by nine returning players from the 2024 squad, giving them significant experience as they aim for gold.
This match was the first of many thrilling games at the World Junior Championship, which is being held at TD Place, with teams vying for the coveted title and the hopes of young stars like Sandin Pellikka and Dvorsky riding on their performances.
