FRISCO, Texas – Boston University freshman defenseman Sascha Boumedienne has made the most of his time away from campus at the 2025 IIHF Men’s World Under-18 Championship. The 18-year-old blueliner has broken the single-tournament record for points by a defenseman. He is up to 14 points in the tournament after recording two assists in the first two periods of Sweden's quarterfinal against Finland.

• Subscribe to FloHockey to watch elite college and junior hockey all year long
• What You Need To Know About The Men's World Under-18 Championship
• FloHockey's 2025 NHL Draft Coverage

The record was previously co-held by Ryan Murphy, who had 13 points for Team Canada in 2011, and USA’s Cole Hutson, who had 13 last year. Hutson, who is currently BU teammates with Boumedienne, actually has the career scoring record for defensemen at this tournament with 25 points as he also had 12 points at the event as a U17 player.

Making the feat more impressive for Boumedienne is that he broke the record in five games. He will still play two more at this tournament and can put some distance between himself and the field. Boumedienne has 13 assists so far in the event, also a record for defensemen.

Among the other players that Boumedienne passed on his way to securing the record are current NHLers Matt Dumba and Miro Heiskanen, who each had 12 points in their respective U18s.

Boumedienne has been impressive in terms of his production, but one thing that historians may point out is that there have been a lot of records being broken at this tournament in the last few years. The absence of Russia has made it so top teams have fewer difficult games and there are opportunities to put up massive points against weaker opponents. It’s a fair counterpoint.

Three players including James Hagens, who had 22 points at the last U18 Worlds, had outproduced the previous record for points in a single tournament. It's a factor, but it's still impressive to see these numbers. Sweden has been one of the best teams in the tournament and Boumedienne has been one of that squad's most important players.

Boumedienne had an astonishing six points in Sweden’s tournament opener against Switzerland, a team that will play in the relegation game at this tournament. 

Something else to consider is how much Sweden has relied on Boumedienne. He is by far their No. 1 defenseman and is being played in all situations. He is averaging 31 shifts per game and has averaged a tournament-high 24:43 per game. His next closest teammate has averaged over four minutes fewer per game.

Boumedienne is expected to land somewhere in the later first round of the 2025 NHL Draft. His skating is a separating factor more than anything else, as he’s one of the most mobile blueliners in the class. His north-south speed is a big factor, but he’s also strong in multi-directional skating with high-end edges and the ability to get out of trouble quickly.

Scouts you’ll talk to around the tournament will question his overall hockey sense, which is a fair criticism as he doesn’t always make great puck decisions and defensive reads can be sub-optimal. That said, he is showing improvement in many facets of his game, including in his own end.

The Swedish rearguard played a lot with countryman Tom Willander at Boston University, something Boumedienne credits for helping him really learn the game more at the college level. Willander is a first-round pick of the Vancouver Canucks and was one of the best defensemen in the country this season.

There is a lot to like about Boumedienne and the record he just broke certainly does not hurt his resume for being picked highly in the draft. If this is the last impression he leaves on NHL scouts, it’s a pretty good one.

NHL Prospect Coverage On FloHockey

The best, and most complete, coverage of the NHL minor league hockey and NHL Draft is found on FloHockey. Don't miss the latest new prospect guides, rankings and more from Chris Peters and the FloHockey staff.

Watch the AHL, ECHL, USHL, And More On FloHockey

FloHockey is the streaming home to some of the best hockey leagues in North America, including the ECHL and more. Check out the broadcast schedule to watch more hockey.

Join The Hockey Conversation On FloHockey Social

• Follow us on Twitter @FloHockey
• Follow us on Instagram @flohockey
• Follow us on TikTok @flohockeytv
• Watch us on YouTube
• Like us on Facebook