After being shut out in two consecutive games, New York Rangers prospect Gabe Perreault recorded three assists on Thursday, aiding the United States in securing a spot in the semifinals of the 2025 World Junior Championship with a 7-2 victory over Switzerland.
Perreault contributed to all three U.S. goals scored in the second period, increasing their lead to 7-1. The 19-year-old forward has amassed seven points (two goals, five assists) in five games for the U.S., after helping the team clinch the gold medal at the 2024 WJC with a total of 10 points (three goals, seven assists) across seven games.
A first-round pick (No. 23 overall) by the Rangers in the 2023 NHL Draft, Perreault demonstrated his reputation as a skilled forward with exceptional on-ice vision and awareness. Former Rangers goalie and U.S. general manager John Vanbiesbrouck highlighted Perreault’s team spirit and playmaking ability last summer, suggesting he has the potential to become a world-class player.
Perreault’s first assist involved a power-play rush, where he executed a backhand pass to defenseman Zeev Buium, resulting in a quick goal at 7:45 of the second period. Later, he and James Hagens completed a flawless give-and-go to score at 15:03, further increasing the lead to 6-1. Just over a minute later, Perreault set up Ryan Leonard for another power-play goal, making it 7-1.
In 15:56 of ice time against Switzerland, Perreault led his team with three points but did not register any shots on goal. He finished the game with a plus-two rating and won two thirds of his face-offs.
Drew Fortescue, a third-round Rangers pick in 2023, played a consistently effective game on defense, logging 16:20 of ice time without any points. Together with Perreault, he also contributed to the U.S. gold medal victory at the 2024 World Juniors.
Rico Gredig, a sixth-round selection by the Rangers in 2024, did not score for Switzerland, recording two shots on goal, a minus-two rating, and winning just 33 percent of his face-offs in nearly 16 minutes of play.
In other tournament news, top-ranked Sweden advanced to the semifinals by defeating Latvia 3-2. Sweden will face the lowest-seeded remaining team, while the United States will match up against the other quarterfinal winner, potentially setting the stage for a rematch with Finland, which previously defeated the U.S. 4-3 in overtime during the preliminary round.
