Spartans Porter Martone, Ryker Lee, and Shane Vansaghi battled for national pride. See how each rose (or fell) on World Juniors Day Two.
After a Day One that featured plenty of scoring across the board, Day Two of the World Juniors Hockey Championship (WJHC) swung the pendulum back toward defenses and goaltending.
Friday marked the start of the annual WJHC, a tournament featuring ten countries stocked with budding superstars aged 20 or younger, all battling for national pride on the world stage.
The United States enters the tournament as the two-time defending champion and has won three of the last six championships, a stretch matched only by Canada, which has also claimed three titles during that span.
Yesterday, we broke down the three Michigan State Spartans selected to represent their countries: Ryker Lee and Shane Vansaghi for Team USA, and Porter Martone, who is wearing the “C” for Team Canada. Martone was the lone Spartan to find the scoresheet on Day One, scoring a goal and firing five shots on net. Lee and Vansaghi combined for just one shot in the Americans’ opening contest.
Day Two brought a more controlled pace of play, with the early adrenaline settling into more sustainable hockey. Let’s take a closer look at how the three Spartans performed.
Porter Martone – Team Canada
Canada secured its second consecutive win in dramatic fashion, edging Latvia 2–1 in overtime. The Canadians had barely escaped with a 7–5 win on Day One and again found themselves pushed harder than expected early in the tournament.
For the second straight game, Martone finished third on Team Canada in ice time, logging 19:33. While he couldn’t replicate his Day One goal-scoring performance, Martone still generated offense, recording two shots on goal, both of which were stopped by the Latvian netminder. Those shots came in the first two periods, with none in the third.
Martone did not see the ice during overtime, which lasted just 44 seconds and featured only a single Canadian shift.
Team Canada now gets a much-needed day off before returning to action on Monday at 8:30 PM EST against Denmark.
Ryker Lee & Shane Vansaghi – Team USA
Team USA also improved to 2–0, defeating Switzerland 2–1 in a tightly contested matchup. All three goals in the game came during the second period.
However, only one of the two Spartans saw the ice in this contest.
In Game One, Lee was a consistent presence while Vansaghi was limited to just five minutes of ice time as the final forward on the bench. That dynamic flipped on Day Two, as Vansaghi did not appear in the game at all, and Lee became the lowest man on the depth chart.
Lee logged 9:06 of ice time over nine shifts, the fewest of any American skater. He averaged roughly three minutes per period and finished the game without a shot on goal for the second straight contest.
Given Lee’s reputation as one of the best puck handlers on the third-ranked team in the nation (MSU), it’s fair to hope for more offensive impact. At Michigan State, he regularly weaves through defenders with ease—skating through players like a ghost straight out of It's a Wonderful Life. In the World Juniors, though, Lee has appeared more reserved, focusing on playing his role rather than creating offense.
The tournament is far from over, and there’s still plenty of time for both Lee and Vansaghi to carve out meaningful roles as the games grow more intense.
Team USA will also enjoy a rest day before returning to the ice on Monday at 6:00 PM EST against Slovakia.
Back in East Lansing
Meanwhile, the Michigan State Spartans return to action tonight, skating in their first game since December 9 and opening play in the annual Great Lakes Invitational. MSU will be without its three World Juniors representatives as they continue competing for their countries.
The Spartans face Ferris State tonight at 7:00 PM EST, with the game streaming on B1G+.