Through two full days of hockey in Minnesota, the 2026 World Junior Championship (WJC) heads into its third day. There are only two games on the slate, but both feature teams looking to pull off upsets against powerhouse nations.
Sweden vs Switzerland (2 p.m.)
Sweden: 3 Takeaways From Sweden’s 3-2 Win Over Slovakia
Switzerland: Players to Watch
Coming off their tournament-opening win over Slovakia on Dec. 26, the Swedes will look to build off that as they take on Switzerland. Sweden rode their top players, Anton Frondell (Chicago Blackhawks), Ivar Stenberg, and Viktor Eklund (New York Islanders) to a 3-2 win over the Slovaks. Playing against a Switzerland team that lacks top-end skill, Sweden should see the rest of their lineup perk up offensively.
Keeping an eye on the backend of the ice to see who steps up will be interesting after seeing players like Axel Sandin-Pellikka (Detroit Red Wings) and Theo Lindstein (Vancouver Canucks) age out of the tournament. In their first game of the tournament, the Swedish defense did not chip in on the scoresheet, but they should have the opportunity against Switzerland.
Switzerland gave the United States a lot tougher game than many expected on Dec. 27, hanging in with the two-time reigning tournament champions until the final horn. They did end up losing 2-1, but their play raised eyebrows among many. While they do not have the overall talent or skill that Sweden does, they showed against the Americans that their team defense can slow down a high-powered offense.
At their end of the ice, they will need to keep forcing the play to the outside of the zone and keep Sweden out of the high-danger areas. Christian Kirsch (San Jose Sharks) had a stellar game in net for the Swiss against the United States, and if he is in net again, he will need to replicate that performance if his team wants to have a chance at pulling off the upset over Sweden. Kirsch rode a strong start in his first season in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) with the Kitchener Rangers. He was one of the Rangers’ picks in the 2025 Canadian Hockey League (CHL) Import Draft. If he is not the starting netminder, it will be Elijah Neuenschwander (Anaheim Ducks), who was on last year’s Switzerland team at the tournament.
Favorite: Sweden
Players to Watch: Ivar Stenberg (Sweden), Sascha Boumedienne (Sweden), Jonah Neuenschwander (Switzerland), Basile Sansonnens (Switzerland)
Finland vs Latvia ( 4:30 p.m.)
Finland: 4 Takeaways From Finland’s 6-2 Win Over Denmark
Latvia: Players to Watch
After breaking out with six goals against Denmark in their first game of the tournament, the Finns will take on a feisty Latvian team. Much like Switzerland, Latvia does not have the top-end talent to beat teams in a high-scoring affair, but they do play a strong defensive game to keep itself in games. Finland does have the roster to put up the offense to win a game like this, with players like Emil Hemming (Dallas Stars), Kasper Pikkarinen (New Jersey Devils), and Aatos Koivu (Montreal Canadiens).
Related: Guide to the 2026 World Junior Championship
They did take advantage of the two power play opportunities they had against Slovakia, and continuing to do so against Latvia will be a tougher challenge. Latvia has no problem getting into shooting lanes and blocking shots to keep power plays at bay, as they showed against Canada. After seeing the likes of Jesse Kiiskinen (Detroit Red Wings) and Konsta Helenius (Buffalo Sabres) not on the roster this year, it is good to see the Finns have some of their returners pick up their production through at least one game. This will need to continue throughout the tournament, including today against Latvia.
The upset-minded Latvia team almost pulled off their second win over Canada in as many years in their first tournament game on Dec. 27. They did end up losing to the Canadians in overtime, but proved that last year was no fluke. As mentioned before, the Latvian style of play is not going to be flashy, as they play at their own pace when they do have the puck, and they are about as tough as they come to play against defensively. Every player seems to have bought into putting the team first when it comes to putting their bodies on the line to block shots and make hits.
They will need to do that against Finland, while also staying out of the penalty box. In their loss to Canada, goaltender Nils Maurins was rock-solid, and if he is in the net, he will need to play at that level again.
Favorite: Finland
Players to Watch: Roope Vesterinen (Finland), Oliver Suvanto (Finland), Alberts Šmits (Latvia), Aatos Koivu (Finland)
Will There Be an Upset on A Slow Day?
With both games seeing two teams who have the firepower that should help lead them to wins against inferior teams, could there be one, or even two, upsets on the horizon on a slow day at the WJC? It is possible, especially seeing how both Switzerland and Latvia play as a team, to overcome the lack of high-end skill. In a seven-game series, would these two teams beat Sweden or Finland? Probably not, but in a one-game showdown, anything is possible, and anyone can be beaten. Even though there are only two games today, they both will be worth watching carefully.
