After two exciting and tightly contested semi-finals, the 2026 World Junior Championship has reached its final day. While Sweden and Czechia will meet in the gold medal game, Canada and Finland will look to earn bronze when they match up against each other.
Bronze Medal Game- Canada vs Finland (4:30 p.m.)
How Canada Got Here:
- Dec. 26- 7-5 win vs Czechia
- Dec. 27- 2-1 overtime win vs Latvia
- Dec. 29- 9-1 win vs Denmark
- Dec. 31- 7-4 win vs Finland
- Jan. 2, 2026- 7-1 vs Slovakia
- Jan. 4, 2026- 6-4 loss vs Czechia
Canada reached the quarterfinals for the first time in three tournaments this year, but was beaten by Czechia again and sent to the bronze medal game (Czechia has knocked Canada out of the tournament the prior two years). In their loss to the Czechs, the Canadians were unable to handle the forechecking and pressure that Czechia applied, leading to goaltender Jack Ivankovic (Nashville Predators) being challenged often throughout the game.
Offensively, they were strong again, but could not beat Czechia’s netminder, Michal Orsulak, when they really needed to at the end of the game. They scored two power-play goals and will need to succeed on the man advantage again if they want to beat Finland for the second time in the tournament and earn a bronze medal. Defenseman Zayne Parekh (Calgary Flames) is looking to tally the most points by a Canadian defenseman in a single WJC, sitting one point shy of tying the record of 12 points.
How Finland Got Here:
- Dec. 26- 6-2 win vs Denmark
- Dec. 28- 8-0 win vs Latvia
- Dec. 29- 2-1 overtime loss vs Czechia
- Dec. 31- 7-4 loss vs Canada
- Jan. 2, 2026- 4-3 overtime win vs United States
- Jan. 4, 2026- 4-3 shootout loss vs Sweden
The Finns fell just short of making a return to the gold medal game, dropping their semi-final game to Sweden in an eight-round shootout. While the loss is disappointing for Finland, they still have a chance to spoil Canada’s tournament and keep them from earning a medal. In their loss to the Canadians on Dec. 31, Finland was heavily outplayed and will certainly be looking to get their revenge. Goaltender Petteri Rimpinen (Los Angeles Kings) will be looking to bounce back from a few down games (including the first loss to Canada). Rimpinen has not necessarily looked like the goaltender he was last year, who earned top goaltender honors.
Offensively, the Finns have been led by Heikki Ruohonen (Philadelphia Flyers), Jasper Kuhta, and Lasse Boelius (Anaheim Ducks). The matchup between the two teams will again be a tightly contested one and could end up a high-scoring affair.
Favorite: Canada
Players to Watch: Zayne Parekh (Canada), Gavin McKenna (Canada), Heikki Ruohonen (Finland), Joona Saarelainen (Finland)
Gold Medal Game- Sweden vs Czechia (8:30 p.m.)
How Sweden Got Here:
- Dec. 26- 3-2 win vs Slovakia
- Dec. 28- 4-2 win vs Switzerland
- Dec. 29- 8-1 win vs Germany
- Dec. 31- 6-3 win vs United States
- Jan. 2, 2026- 6-3 win vs Latvia
- Jan. 4, 2026- 4-3 shootout win vs Finland
Sweden returns to the gold medal for the first time since the 2024 tournament, and they are looking for their first tournament win since 2012. They enter the matchup against Czechia undefeated and have been led by a deep roster. Everyone knew that they had the talent up front to make a run at gold this year, but what has surprised is the goaltending they have gotten. Love Härenstam (St. Louis Blues) has been rock solid in the crease for the Swedes and will need to be again against Czechia. Offensively, Sweden has been led by three players with eight points, including Anton Frondell (Chicago Blackhawks), while projected top-five 2026 Draft prospect, Ivar Stenberg, has seven.
Related: Guide to the 2026 World Junior Championship
How Czechia Got Here:
- Dec. 26- 7-5 loss vs Canada
- Dec. 27- 7-2 win vs Denmark
- Dec. 29- 2-1 overtime win vs Finland
- Dec. 31- 4-2 win vs Latvia
- Jan. 2, 2026- 6-2 win vs Switzerland
- Jan. 4, 2026- 6-4 win vs Canada
As mentioned earlier, Czechia created a ton of problems for Canada in the semi-finals with their forecheck and speed, and they will need to do so again in the gold medal game to keep the talented Swedish roster on its toes. The Czechs are looking to win the tournament for the first time since 2001, when Pavel Brendl helped lead them to gold, and have the all-around roster to do so. They have been led by Vojtěch Čihař (Los Angeles Kings), Petr Sikora (Washington Capitals), and Tomáš Galvas. Galvas has the potential to end up earning the tournament’s top defenseman award if he has yet another strong showing against Sweden.
This game will likely be a back-and-forth contest that could be a bit higher-scoring. There will be plenty of pace and offense in this game. It very well could come down to whose netminder makes the saves when it really matters.
Favorite: Sweden
Players to Watch: Love Härenstam (Sweden), Ivar Stenberg (Sweden), Tomáš Galvas (Czechia), Matyas Marik (Czechia)
Exciting End to the Tournament
While Canada and Finland are surely disappointed not to be playing for gold this year, there is still plenty to play for in the bronze medal game. For Czechia and Sweden, they are looking to end their lengthy gold drought, and their matchup will be a great one to watch. This is the last chance for many of the players on the four teams playing today to represent their countries at the World Juniors, and they will undoubtedly be looking to leave it all on the ice.
