Who stood out at Canada's summer World Junior camp?

Hockey Canada sent their returning players home before the final two games of the World Junior Summer Showcase last week. That allowed the players competing for roster spots at the 2025 World Juniors in Ottawa to have the spotlight to themselves. 

Spokane Chiefs centre Berkly Catton, Oshawa Generals power forward Calum Ritchie and London Knights spark plug Denver Barkey all took advantage of the opportunity. The linemates each scored in Saturday's 5-4 shootout loss to Team USA in Plymouth, Michigan. 

"I was really happy to play with both of them," said Catton, who was selected eighth overall by the Seattle Kraken in June. "We all complemented each other in our own ways. Ritchie has the size and silk while me and Barks push the play. It was really fun."

The United States led 2-0, 3-2 and 4-3, but the Catton line kept pushing Canada back into the game. 

Catton refers to Ritchie, a first round pick of the Colorado Avalanche in 2023, as "pure silk." The 6-foot-2, 179-pound native of Oakville, Ont. scored to tie the game 4-4 late in the third period. 

"He's super smart," Barkey said. "That's why all three of us clicked together. We read off each other. He's always in the right spots."

Barkey scored to tie it up at 3-3 early in the third period. His goal came at the end of an American power play when the 19-year-old from Newmarket, Ont. corralled a loose puck and created a 2-on-0 rush with Catton. 

"Fortunate enough the guy [Logan Hensler] kind of fanned on it," the Philadelphia Flyers third-round pick in 2023 said. "I just put it to an area. I know Berks is a really good skater so I put it into an area for him to skate into and I just skated my hardest backdoor. He gave me a great pass and luckily it trickled in."

Barkey, who plays bigger than his 5-foot-9 frame would suggest, was a cut back in December at the final Hockey Canada selection camp. 

"He's a workhorse and he always seems to be in the right position," said Catton. "He'll be a guy you'll probably see on this team come December."

"There's a lot of talent," Barkey cautioned. "I'm going to have to work for everything I get, especially being a smaller guy. You got to earn everything you get." 

Catton scored on the power play to get Canada on the board early in the second period. He also made a nice pass to set up a power-play goal by Guelph Storm forward Jett Luchanko later in the middle stanza. 

"He's got a great mix of everything," Barkey observed of the 5-foot-10 Catton. 

"He's an unbelievable player," Ritchie raved. "He does everything well. He plays so hard too. He's maybe a smaller guy, but he plays so hard. It doesn't impact him at all."

Head coach Dave Cameron declined to answer questions about individual players in his final media session of the camp. Instead, he said everyone has acquitted themselves well. 

But the smiles on the faces of Catton, Ritchie and Barkey while speaking about the success of their line told the story. Now, they'll look to carry over the momentum into their respective regular seasons. The goal is to be wearing the Maple Leaf once again on Boxing Day. 

"It would mean everything," said Ritchie. "It's been a dream of mine since I was a little kid. It would be everything for me and my family."

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Brandon Wheat Kings goalie Carson Bjarnason also helped his cause on Saturday by turning aside 27 of 28 shots after entering the game in the second period. 

"I felt good," the Flyers second round pick in 2023 said. "It's just the mentality. I just go in and act like I've been playing the rest of the game."

Bjarnason finished the camp with a .908 save percentage, which was second-best among Canada's four goalies. It was an encouraging sign during a transitional period for the 6-foot-3, 202-pound native of Carberry, Man. He recently changed his stance in the net. 

"I got to use my frame a little better so that's something me and the Flyers are picking away at," Bjarnason said. "The way I played before, I was really low. I got to use my frame a little better."

Bjarnason, 19, acknowledged it's a big change. 

"He's come a long way since working with him at under-18s," said Hockey Canada goalie consultant Justin Pogge. "Kim [Dillabaugh] in Philly is a great goalie coach and he's got great points. I spoke to him before this camp about making those adjustments and just making Carson more efficient, using his  size a little bit more to his advantage. He was 185 pounds when I worked with him at under-18s and now he's a big boy. He's turning into a man and with that comes consistency and doing the right things."

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Canada decided to split both games in Plymouth between Bjarnason and Prince George Cougars break-out star Joshua Ravensbergen. 

The decision was made after Friday's 8-6 win over Finland, which saw Ravensbergen allow five goals on 16 shots in a relief effort. Canada led 8-2 in the third period, but took a series of penalties, which allowed the Finns to creep closer. 

Pogge didn't want Ravensbergen to end things on a down note so he got the start on Saturday. The youngest goalie among Canada's camp hopefuls responded by stopping 17 of 20 shots. He held his own during an early American onslaught.   

Ravensbergen finished his first career Hockey Canada camp with an .815 save percentage, but the potential is evident. 

"He went to PG and stole the starting job," Pogge, a former Cougar, noted. "I did the same thing when I was in PG. He's way far ahead of me at that time, at that age. I'm just excited to get a chance to work with him, because you hear all these rumours about this kid up in Prince George and how well he's playing and it's exciting to see him in person. He's the real deal."

At 6-foot-4, Ravensbergen was the tallest goalie at Canada's camp. The 17-year-old from North Vancouver is projected to be the top goalie selected in the next NHL draft. The key to his sparkling .931 save percentage last season was keeping a clear mind. 

"I wasn't really thinking too much," he explained. "I was just happy to make the team and just kept on playing and kept on rolling ... I tell myself, 'Don't think, just do.' Breath work is key too. Just trying your best to stay in the moment. It can be hard sometimes, but when you master that skill that’s when you play your best."

Ravensbergen, who works with goalie guru Lyle Mast, views Boston Bruins star Jeremy Swayman as a role model. 

"I like how he moves," Ravensbergen said. "He's really good positionally. Just a fun goalie to watch." 

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Scott Ratzlaff served as Canada's third goalie at the World Juniors last year. He didn't play, but the experience being in Gothenburg, Sweden helped. The 19-year-old from tiny Irma, Alta. is feeling more mature now.   

"Just more poised," the Seattle Thunderbird said of his evolution. "Those big games, the nerves can really get to you if you're not mentally ready for that. So, just learning to reset after goals and not get too high after we score or too low. Just trying to stay neutral."  

Ratzlaff led the way at the summer camp with a .950 save percentage in two appearances before being sent home. 

"He's a guy that competes," said Pogge. "He works hard. He had a great attitude at the World Juniors last year and I'm hoping he has a great start and we can bring him back again."

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TSN Director of Scouting Craig Button is tabbing Carter George of the Owen Sound Attack as Canada's likely go-to guy at the World Juniors. 

"George is unflappable," Button said. "At this point in time, based on what he's done in the past and what I think his capabilities are, I think he's best positioned."

George posted a .915 save percentage in backstopping Canada to gold at the recent under-18 World Championship. The 18-year-old from Thunder Bay, Ont. also has a gold medal from the Hlinka Gretzky Cup on his resume. 

"George stepped into the Hlinka Gretzky tournament in the summer of 2023 and led them right to the gold medal," Button said. "He was brilliant. Then he goes over to the u-18 Worlds and leads them again to a gold medal. It's one thing to be able to play at this level, but to understand the challenges and then perform and deliver? That's what Carter's done."

"I feel like pressure is something you put on yourself," the Los Angeles Kings second round pick explained. "I think you can just block it out easily and just worry about the controllable things ... Just got to live in the moment and do what you can do."

George is focused on becoming a bit faster this summer so he can be more efficient with his movements. He finished the summer camp with an .862 save percentage in two appearances.

"He's calm," said Pogge. "He's cool and collected. He's got everything working for him ... He's just such a great kid. I can't say enough about him."

There's no guarantee that Canada's goalies at the World Juniors will all come from the group at the summer camp. Samuel St-Hilaire wasn't invited to the summer meetings last year before starting the season strong with the Sherbrooke Phoenix and earning a ticket to Sweden. 

"There's guys that can hop out of nowhere," Pogge said. "You have to have an open mind and you can't be locked in. You got to see who's playing consistently good, you know, not just portions of the season, and someone who can make those big saves in the tournament."

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Team USA centre James Hagens picked up an assist in Saturday's game and earned a good review from head coach David Carle. 

"His best game just from a crispness perspective and making finishing plays," Carle said. "When he attacks in he gets a goalie to freeze and that's the type of player he is. He can set people up with open nets and really good chances. It was his best performance of the camp."

Hagens made it clear he was looking for a measure of revenge after Canada beat USA in the gold-medal game at the under-18 Worlds. 

"A lot of emotions out there," the 17-year-old Boston College freshman said. "Being able to come out with a win here, it meant a lot. It meant more than a game."

"It feels a little good to kind of get something back," agreed linemate Cole Eiserman. "Obviously it's not the end goal of the World Junior tournament, but it definitely feels good."

The camp served as a good springboard for Hagens ahead of a pressure-packed season. Button currently has Hagens as the No. 1 prospect in the 2025 NHL draft class. 

"It was a long week," Hagens said. "A lot of puck touches and stuff. I feel like it's awesome to be able to come out here over the summer and kind of get the speed of the game back under you, getting ready for the season. This camp helps that a lot with everyone here. You're going against the best guys in the world and to be able to have that mid-summer, there's nothing better." 

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Tanner Molendyk said Team Canada was upset by the way Sweden celebrated its shootout win on Wednesday in Windsor, Ont. In particular, Molendyk didn't care for the kissing motion fellow Nashville Predators prospect Felix Nilsson made toward the Canadian bench after scoring. 

We now know the other side of the story. 

"They did it first and then I just did it back," Nilsson responded. "I did it back. It's not a big deal."

Nilsson said a Canadian player directed a kissing motion at the Swedish bench after Carson Rehkopf scored to tie the game late in the third period. 

Otto Stenberg stared down the Canadian bench after scoring his own shootout goal. Nilsson explained that Stenberg had been slashed on the back of the leg during the game, which inspired his icy glare.  

"We are two great teams playing each other and emotions come out," Nilsson said. "I don't know what to say, like, I think some guys made it a bigger deal than it was. Like, it was just a celebration."

Sweden also beat Canada in the preliminary round of the 2024 World Juniors. The teams will start the 2025 event in different groups. 

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Team Canada lines in Saturday's game:

Nadeau - Heidt - Cristall
Spence - Beaudoin - Martone
Barkey - Catton - Ritchie
Iginla - Luchanko - Sennecke 

Dickinson - Gibson
Chadwick - Yakemchuk 
Mynio - Parekh

Ravensbergen
Bjarnason

Team USA lines in Saturday's game: 

Musty - Hagens - Eiserman
Plante - Pelosi - Ziemer 
Swanson - Terrance - Powell 
Hendrickson - Svoboda - Spellacy 

Hutson - Emery 
Fischer - Hensler
Schulz - Minnetian 
Ralph - Kleber 

Slukynsky
Kempf