USA's Ryan Leonard named world junior MVP

United States captain Ryan Leonard was named MVP for the 2025 world juniors Sunday after helping lead his country to a second consecutive gold medal.

Leonard notched five goals and five assists in the tournament, including two helpers in a 4-3 win over Finland to seal the championship.

The Washington Capitals prospect and current Boston College forward also won gold with the United States in 2024. He was widely expected to dominate the tournament and did so anchoring Team USA's top line alongside collegiate teammates Gabe Perreault and James Hagens.

Leonard was also named the tournament's best forward and made the media All-Star team.

2025 world junior All-Star selections

* - Also named best at position

Cole Hutson made a strong case for MVP, becoming the first defenseman ever to lead the tournament in scoring (11 points), according to Flo Hockey's Chris Peters. He scored a key equalizer in Sunday's game after Team USA trailed 3-1 early.

Axel Sandin-Pellikka earned top defenseman honors in consecutive tournaments. The Detroit Red Wings prospect notched 10 points in seven games, though Sweden failed to reach the podium after losing to Czechia in the bronze-medal game.

Jakub Stancl of the St. Louis Blues led Czechia's third-place squad with 10 points.

Petteri Rimpinen was a key reason Finland won silver. The undrafted netminder crafted a .933 save percentage for the tournament and stopped 79 of 86 shots between the semifinal and final.