Canes Prospects Shine At World Juniors

RALEIGH, N.C. - The 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship came to a close on Sunday, with the United States winning gold in a thrilling overtime battle against Finland.

Canes prospects Felix Unger Sorum and Oskar Vuollet came up short in the bronze medal game with Sweden, but the tournament was wildly successful for the former.

Carolina's second-round pick in 2023, Unger Sorum led all skaters in the tournament with nine assists and finished tied for the second-most total points with 10. He was named one of Sweden's three best players of the tournament, as selected by the team, and earned praise from his potential future head coach in Carolina.

"I've seen a couple of his games, I thought he looks really good, as you would expect," said Brind'Amour about Unger Sorum prior to Sweden's semifinal game on Jan. 4. "The pro level, whether it's AHL or NHL, is a different game. You're playing against men and it's hard, and you put him back to [the junior level] where you forget that he's just a teenager, and you go 'Whoa, wait a minute [he's a] dominant teenager.' We've got a good one there, we've got to realize that it might take a little time for him just to get a little stronger. When you have the hockey sense, there's a lot of potential there."

Vuollet contributed a goal during pool play as he settled into a depth role for Sweden throughout the tournament.

The tournament was a disappointment for Canada as the hosts exited in the quarterfinal stage for the second straight year. Despite that, Carolina's 2023 first-round pick Bradly Nadeau stood out as Canada's leading goal-scorer, netting twice in five games during his first taste of international play with his home country.

Both of Nadeau's goals came in clutch fashion, leveling scores in the third period against the U.S. on New Year's Eve and Czechia in the quarterfinals, though Canada went on to lose both contests.