2026 World Juniors: Top standouts from Canada vs. Czechia
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. – Mark it down as another thriller between one of junior hockey’s hottest rivalries.
Canada and Czechia met up in a rematch of the team’s two quarterfinal matchups from the past two years, with Canada beating Czechia 7-5 to cap off the opening day of the 2026 World Junior Championship.
The two teams traded chances in the first period, and Canada ultimately took a 2-1 lead into the first break. Brady Martin scored the 1-0 goal at 13:53, and then assisted on Michael Hage’s marker at 17:38. Between those, though, was Tomas Poletin’s 1-1 goal, re-directing Adam Benak’s chance in.
The Czechs came out flying in the second, outshooting Canada 11-5. At 24:02, Vojtech Cihar tipped in Benak’s shot to make it 2-2, and then Petr Sikora scored eight minutes later to give Czechia their first advantage. Canada would get one back, however, with Zayne Parekh tying the game at 37:02 with a good shot from the point.
The third period was absolutely wild, with four goals in six minutes. Parekh scored his second of the night, taking advantage of the power play at 43:49. Two minutes later, Poletin’s second of the night evened things back up. Canada scored consecutive goals from Tij Iginla and Ethan MacKenzie to give Canada some leeway – and they needed that, given Tomas Galvas would score to make it 6-5. Porter Martone would finish the night off with Canada’s seventh goal, putting it away with a minute left.
Here’s a look at the top performers from Friday night’s action:
Lines for Canada vs. Czechia. #WorldJuniors pic.twitter.com/BVEubWZn8Q
— Steven Ellis (@SEllisHockey) December 27, 2025Canada
#13 Ethan MacKenzie, D: Nobody has ever mistaken MacKenzie for an offensive defenseman. But with a goal and an assist tonight, it’s hard to find a more important game he has ever played. He’s Canada’s seventh defenseman, but he didn’t play like one today – he was excellent with the puck, and it didn’t take away from his defensive game.
#14 Ben Danford, D (Toronto Maple Leafs): Danford had a quiet pre-tournament but looked very noticeable early in this game. He broke up a pair of quality chances from the Czechs early and then created a perfect screen on the 2-1 goal. He even made up for a few personal mistakes at points in the game – he seemed a lot more active at both ends of the ice, as well.
#19 Zayne Parekh, D (Calgary Flames): Parekh seemed a bit all over the place in the first half, but he made up for it in the second half. He scored the tying goal late in the third period and then tallied the go-ahead marker early in the third. It quickly started to feel like a vintage OHL-like performance from the former Saginaw Spirit superstar – his ability to take over junior hockey games defensively is something very few have been able to match in recent years.
#28 Brady Martin, RW (Nashville Predators): What a $%^& disturber. He creates havoc in front of the net on a nightly basis and it paid off with a goal and an assist in the first period. He was one of the few Canadians who seemed to throw the Czech defenders off their game because he battled so hard and gave up nothing in front. He’s going to become a fan favorite very, very quickly for Canada.
#29 Michael Hage, C (Montreal Canadiens): Hage is an incredible competitor. He had a goal and an assist in the first period, and added a second assist in the third period for good measure. His shot on the 2-1 goal was incredible – he waited until Danford was right in front to fire off a shot. Hage has continued to get better with every game dating back to the start of the pre-tournament, and has looked like Canada’s best center overall with his ability to drive play, beat opponents physically and create quality chances.
Czechia
#5 Adam Jiricek, D (St. Louis Blues): Jiricek directly saved three sure goals in the first period alone. He was blocking shots, getting the puck out of danger and getting himself out of trouble consistently. Jiricek is so smart, physically gifted and can make up for his own mistakes with the puck. The Czechs could easily have fallen far behind in the first without his ability to get into scoring lanes to break them out.
#14 Vaclav Nestrasil, RW (Chicago Blackhawks): It’s difficult to miss a 6-foot-6 winger who can skate, but that’s Nestrasil for you. He nearly scored in the first period after breaking out of the penalty box and sending himself on a breakaway. He wasn’t able to score there, but he then had another good chance later on. I mostly liked his defensive game – he used his long reach to his advantage quite often tonight.
#15 Vojtech Cihar, LW (Los Angeles Kings): The future Kelowna Rockets forward impressed tonight, showcasing his blend of speed, hockey sense and willingness to get to the net to knock in rebounds. He had a pair of points today, with his shiftiness around the net proving to be a problem for the Canadians.
#17 Petr Sikora, C (Washington Capitals): Sikora was a big reason for Czechia’s comeback effort. He scored the go-ahead goal to make it 3-2 late in the first period, and then he helped set up Poletin for the 4-4 goal that gave the Czechs some momentum back early in the third. A few momentum-shifting plays from Sikora basically changed everything for his team.
#18 Tomas Poletin, LW (New York Islanders): Poletin had a pair of goals today, finishing as Czechia’s top player. He did as good a job as anyone at re-directing pucks toward the net, often making life miserable for the defenders in front. The Czechs don’t have a true game-breaking goal-scorer, so they’ll need some more of that out of Poletin as the tournament progresses.
#20 Adam Benak, C (Minnesota Wild): Benak is a wizard internationally for the Czechs. It never seems to matter what event it is; he shows up. The Wild prospect had a pair of assists today, helping to kickstart Czechia’s attack. He also didn’t seem afraid of the physical play along the boards, even though that’s not really his game.
SPONSORED BY bet365