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World Juniors Day 2 Three Stars: Wahlberg, Mateiko and Feldbergs
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Photo credit: Sergei Belski-USA TODAY Sports
Jeff Middleton
Dec 28, 2024, 11:00 ESTUpdated: Dec 28, 2024, 11:30 EST
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While the first part of the second day of the World Junior Championships got off to a slower start, the backend of the game slate was as exciting as ever, including a game that will go down in history as one of the greatest upsets in tournament history.
So here are my three stars from day two of the round-robin portion of this now-even-more-interesting World Juniors.

Third Star: Anton Wahlberg

After defeating Team Slovakia on day one of the tournament, Team Sweden had a little bit easier a challenge against the recently promoted Team Kazakhstan.
Team Sweden started the game off, firing on all cylinders, scoring five goals in the first period. However, they scored only three goals following that in the final forty minutes, leading them to an 8-1 victory. And while the Swedes only got an assist from Buffalo Sabres 2023 second-round pick Anton Wahlberg through the first four goals, he registered three more points on the final four goals, with two goals and an assist.
Here’s his perfectly placed first goal:
And here’s his other perfectly placed goal to the glove side once again and on the power-play:
The 6-foot-3 Swedish centerman showed off why he was drafted so high by the Sabres with two quick releases and some strong playmaking through the first half of the game. Wahlberg now sits with four points in two games after going scoreless against Slovakia.

Second Star: Eriks Mateiko

The biggest and best game of the night was the bout between Team Canada and Team Latvia. After just surviving relegation last year (and a 10-0 defeat to Canada in the round-robin), Latvia was back fighting to prove themselves at the highest level. And they sure did with the help of two key players, the first of which was Erika Mateiko, a third-round draft pick by the Washington Capitals in 2023.
After a 0-0 first period, the Canadians found their way onto the scoresheet, thanks to Jett Luchanko in the second. But it was late in the third when the real show started, and it was thanks to a great play Mateiko finished off in the offensive zone.
Not only did Mateiko contribute during the regulation period in such a dramatic way in a crucial moment, but he also scored the game-winning shootout goal to seal the victory for Latvia.
In the end, this game was arguably the biggest upset in World Juniors history. Had it not been for an incredible effort elsewhere, Mateiko would have been the number one star, considering his contributions to the victory.

First Star: Linards Feldbergs

55 saves on 57 shots.
What else is there to say?
The effort from Linards Findbergs against Team Canada was nothing short of heroic. Time after time he made incredible saves against a Canadian team chock full of offensive talent. He only faced 12 shots through the first 20 minutes, but in the final 40 minutes, he saw 39, including 21 in the second period, compared to four for his own squad.
In the final couple of minutes of the game, the Canadians attacked, the Latvians defended, and Feldbergs made save after save, as in the sequence below.
His incredible performance was capped off by a perfect showing in the shootout. He survived the first three rounds and saved every shot for the next five rounds, leading his team to victory.
Anyone can appreciate the joy the Latvians showed following the goal. It’s simply because they’re kids playing the game they love for the first time on a national stage and take pride in playing for their country. After seeing 57 shots, Feldbergs deserved to celebrate a win for his country and my first star of the day.

Honorable mentions: Any non-Canadian fan who watched the Canada-Latvia game

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