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World Juniors Day 7 Three Stars: Sumpf, Feldbergs and Jecho
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Photo credit: Sergei Belski-USA TODAY Sports
Jeff Middleton
Jan 4, 2025, 08:00 ESTUpdated: Jan 4, 2025, 02:57 EST
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The 2025 World Junior Championship group stage is officially over, and teams are being sent home after the quarterfinal match-ups (and a relegation battle).
With these even more important games beginning, big-time performances are required to keep countries in contention for the gold medal. The field was narrowed, but there was no shortage of contenders for the first three stars of the post-group stage.
So, let’s dive into day seven’s three stars before the semi-finals are underway on day eight.

Third Star: Julius Sumpf

While there may not have been as many eyes on the relegation game between Team Germany and Team Kazakhstan, that doesn’t mean the performances weren’t worth watching. This year’s tournament has been full of exciting moments, and while they aren’t Team Canada or Team Sweden, these two squads put together an exciting game for their viewers.
Team Kazakhstan was up 3-1 by three minutes into the second period, but Germany began to storm back, in parts due to the effort of one Julius Sumpf, a 19-year-old centre who is over a point per game for the Moncton Wildcats in the QMJHL.
Sumpf had a multi-point game, including these two assists on the second and third Germany goals:
Here he makes a routine play up the wall but is credited with the assist after gathering the loose puck:
However, his biggest moment of the game was when he scored the game-winning goal early in the third period, eventually helping his country avoid relegation.
Sumpf finished the tournament with seven points in five games, including a three-point performance in his team’s most important game, earning him the third star of the day.

Second Star: Linards Feldbergs

The story of these World Juniors (outside of the Team Canada selections and overall result, which I’ll touch on in just a bit) was Team Latvia’s remarkable run to the quarterfinals. Their incredible victory over the Canadians in an eight-round shootout shocked the hockey world, and it set the tone for two players on the team: Eriks Mateiko and Linards Feldbergs, who made his presence felt against Team Sweden despite Latvia’s loss.
Once again, Feldbergs put in an incredible performance against the undefeated Swedes, making 47 saves on 50 shots for a .940 save percentage.
The Latvians finished the tournament with a -110 shot differential and Feldbergs ended it with a .929 save percentage. He made saves like the one below constantly, keeping his team in games and pushing them to their best finish ever.
If he wasn’t on the radar of some college programs (or even NHL teams), Feldbergs will be now after his once-in-a-lifetime performance on the biggest U-20 stage in hockey.

First Star: Adam Jecho

The biggest game of the day was the quarterfinal match-up between Team Canada and Team Czechia, a rematch of last year’s quarterfinals. While Czechia took a 3-1 lead, the Canadians stormed back.
However, for the second year in a row, Team Canada was eliminated in the last minute of the quarterfinal game against Czechia, thanks to a rocket of a power-play goal by Edmonton Oil Kings forward and 2024 third-round pick of the St. Louis Blues, Adam Jecho.
Jecho scored the game-winning goal and assisted Jakub Stancl on Czechia’s second goal earlier in the match, setting up an exciting semi-final game between the Czechs and the Americans. Jecho’s offensive efforts through this tournament have been recognizable, and this crucial goal at that moment in the game and in front of a hostile crowd earned him the first star of the day.
Honorable Mentions: Ryan Leonard, Team USA (2 goals); James Hagens, Team USA (2 goals); Gabe Perreault, Team USA (3 assists); Petteri Rimpinen, Team Finland (33 saves on 36 shots in W over Slovakia); Jesse Nurmi, Team Finland (2 goals, 1 assist); Eriks Mateiko, Team Latvia (2 goals); Maxim Schafer, Team Germany (2 goals);

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