All-Star team and the best players of the tournament. Who was selected from the U16 category?

All-Star Team of the Tournament

Cerin Andermatt (SUI) was selected as the goaltender for the All-Star Team. He contributed to Switzerland's victory over Hungary in a wild shootout, where the team from the land of the Helvetic cross won 8–6. In the semifinals, they faced Great Britain, and Andermatt, along with his fellow goalie, kept a perfect record in a commanding 12–0 win. Switzerland then met Czechia White in the battle for fifth place. Although the Alpine team ultimately finished sixth, Andermatt delivered excellent performances throughout the tournament, finishing with a save percentage of over eighty percent.

Among the defensemen, Connor Lammi (USA) was selected after recording four points (three goals and one assist). He stood out especially in the first three games, where he scored in each. He notched an assist against Slovakia, scored once in the rout of Great Britain, and netted two goals against Czechia White, earning Best Player honors in that game. He was joined on the blue line by Martin Hruška (CZR), who tallied one point fewer than Lammi, but also made a strong impact in the early stages of the tournament. Hruška excelled in a playmaker role, assisting on goals in matches against Canada, Switzerland, and Hungary. He was later named Best Player in the semifinal clash with Slovakia.

In the forward ranks, the spotlight belonged to Slovakia’s Róbert Krajňák (SVK), the tournament’s top scorer. He recorded hat tricks against the USA, Czechia White, and Canada — the latter coming in the bronze-medal game, where his goal secured third place for Slovakia. He was joined by Ian Basilio (USA), the top-scoring American player with 13 points. While he was held pointless in the opening match against Slovakia, he went on to register at least one point in every following game. His standout performance came in the North American semifinal versus Canada, where he tallied a hat trick and two assists. In the final against Czechia Red, he added two goals and one assist, helping the USA to a silver-medal finish. The All-Star forward trio was completed by Jatan Sandhar (CAN), who had a strong performance against Hungary, scoring once and adding two assists. He also contributed a goal and an assist against Switzerland, and recorded an assist in the third-place match against Slovakia.

Best Players of the Tournament

Kristián Sklenárik (SVK) was named the Best Goalkeeper of the Tournament, playing a key role in Slovakia’s bronze-medal run. He started in every game except the one against Great Britain. After the match versus the USA, he was named Best Player, and he recorded a shutout in the game against Czechia White. His overall save percentage exceeded ninety percent. In the semifinal loss to Czechia Red, he faced 33 shots and allowed only two goals. In the tightly contested bronze-medal game against Canada, he stood out with several excellent saves.

Cayden Helwich (USA) was named the Best Defenseman of the Tournament. He was one of three American players to record a total of six points. His standout performance came in the second game, where he scored two goals and added two assists to help the United States earn their first win of the tournament, defeating Great Britain. Helwich also played a key role in helping his team reach the final, contributing a goal in the semifinal against Canada. Although the USA fell short against Czechia Red in the gold-medal game, they earned a medal for the third consecutive time—this time improving by one place to take home the silver.

Adrian Sgro (CAN), Canada’s top scorer, was selected as the Best Forward of the Tournament. He scored points in every game, starting the championship as well as possible. With two goals and one assist, he helped defeat Czechia Red 7–2 and added the same number of points in the match against Hungary. He also scored goals against Switzerland and the USA, but despite his efforts, Canada fell to the USA in the semifinal and failed to defend their gold medals. Although Sgro shined with a hat trick in the final game, Canada had to settle for the disappointing fourth place.

The tournament’s overall top scorer was Róbert Krajňák (SVK), a key player for Slovakia. He recorded three hat tricks against the USA, Czechia White, and Canada. The most valuable was likely the one against Canada, which secured Slovakia’s victory and the bronze medal. After the game against the Czech Republic, he was also named the Best Player. Slovakia’s highest-scoring game was a 17–0 rout of Great Britain, where Krajňák contributed five assists, earning him the position of the second-best Slovak playmaker.

Josef Flechtner (CZR) was named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the tournament. Alongside Jakub Kořínek, he was the leading scorer for Czechia Red. Although the championship began poorly for him and the team against Canada, coaches and teammates soon came to rely on him. He consistently earned two points per game, culminating in the final against the United States, where he responded to the opponents’ goals and helped equalize the match. He also assisted on the fourth Czech goal. After the 7–4 victory, the Czech players celebrated winning the gold medals after two years.

Best players of the tournament from left: Róbert Krajňák (Top Scorer), Adrian Sgro (Best Forward), Cayden Helwich (Best Defenseman), Josef Flechtner (MVP), Kristián Sklenárik (Best Goaltender). Photo: Vojtěch Zajíc