2026 World Juniors: Top standouts from Day 4
MINNEAPOLIS, ST. PAUL, Minn. – A pair of blowouts was aided by a couple of tight games in the middle of the day to cap off action on Day 4.
Canada had the biggest victory, beating Denmark 9-1 to stay in first in Group B. Sweden started the day with a massive 8-1 win over Germany, to keep them atop Group A. USA, meanwhile, needed a second-half comeback to beat Slovakia 6-5, while Czechia beat Finland 2-1 in overtime off the heels of one of the best goals of the tournament.
Here’s a look at the top performers from Minnesota on Monday:
Sweden 8, Germany 1
Sweden has improved to a 3-0 record in Group A thanks to their most convincing victory yet – an 8-1 performance against Germany.
The Swedes will now challenge for the top spot in the group when they face the United States on New Year’s Eve, while Germany will look to avoid the relegation game when they face Switzerland on Tuesday.
The game started close, with both teams scoring on their opening shots. Anton Frondell scored his first of two goals at 1:45, while Elias Pul took advantage of a poor giveaway by the Swedes to make it 1-1 at 7:04. Viggo Bjorck would go on a scoring rampage in the second, scoring twice, while Jack Berglund and Felix Ohrqvist helped put the game out of reach. Frondell, Berglund and Liam Danielsson would cap off the game with goals in the third period to finish off a dominant effort.
Germany
#7 Carlos Handel, D (Montreal Canadiens): I really, really like Handel. I keep putting him in these because it feels like he’s playing on a whole other level than the rest of the German defenders. He led the team in shots, and I imagine he was near the top in poke checks and blocked shots, as well. Handel looks so much better with the puck than I remember him a year ago.
#10 Maxim Schafer, RW (Washington Capitals): I really like Schafer, so I was surprised to see him do so little early in this tournament. That all changed today, though – he looked a bit more physical. Schafer assisted on Germany’s first-period goal, with him winning a battle near the neutral zone before setting up the pass. He was one of the few German forwards who I thought handled defensive responsibilities quite well – especially as the game started to get out of hand.
Sweden
#1 Herman Liv, G: Sweden’s goaltending was a bit of a question mark heading into the tournament, but it’s been their biggest strength so far. Love Harenstam held the fort down in the first two games, and I thought he looked great today. He rarely let a rebound back in front of the net – he kept directing it away out of trouble. His glove hand definitely works, too. Liv received the loudest cheers from the many Swedish fans in attendance – they appreciate everything Herman’s dad, Stefan, accomplished.
#4 Leo Sahlin Wallenius, D (San Jose Sharks): Sahlin Wallenius had two primary assists today to help the Swedes pull ahead. I preferred Alfons Freij early in this tournament, but LSW looked much more like his confident, dominant self with the puck. He doesn’t make many mistakes with the puck and does an excellent job of controlling the blueline on the power play.
#5 Sascha Boumedienne, D (Winnipeg Jets): Boumedienne played well enough the past two games, but hadn’t gotten on the scoresheet. That changed today with an excellent two-assist showing. He can be a bit frustrating with the puck because his decision-making is questionable. But he pulls off enough high-risk, high-reward plays to get excited about him.
#16 Anton Frondell, RW (Chicago Blackhawks): After a quieter showing against Switzerland, Frondell bounced back with a big effort tonight. He scored on Sweden’s first shot of the game, firing a blast past German keeper Linus Viellard to open the afternoon. He then tallied a second goal from the same spot to make it 6-1 in the third period. Frondell is still Sweden’s top shot generator, and while better defensive units will likely do a better job of containing him, he’s doing an excellent job of getting to his office – the right faceoff dot.
#21 Viggo Björck, C (2026 NHL Draft): Björck has been the top 2026 NHL Draft prospect in this tournament, bar none. He has an excellent shot, allowing him to score twice today. He likes the open space on the power play because his shot is deceptive, and he has the patience of a saint when he’s not under direct pressure. Björck keeps getting better with every game.
#26 Jack Berglund, C (Philadelphia Flyers): Berglund was buzzing around the net throughout this game and eventually was rewarded with a second-period goal and another in the dying seconds of the game He does a good job of getting himself in front of the net to push guys around and use his big frame to make life difficult for Viellard. Berglund was great in the pre-tournament, but I thought he was just fine in the first two games in Minnesota. Today, though, he was one of the few Swedish forwards who could consistently create chances in tight.
Czechia 2, Finland 1 (OT)
It was an excellent game, as everyone expected – and in the end, Czechia pulled off a 2-1 overtime victory over Finland.
A major penalty to Veeti Vaisanen on his first shift of the game changed everything for the Finns. Matei Kubiesa scored with just 1:52 off the board. It felt like the Czechs would hold on to win the game in regulation. But with 19 seconds left, Emil Hemming managed to beat Michal Orsulak to end his shutout.
That meant the game required overtime, with both teams trading quality chances. But with just over a minute left, Adam Jiricek continued his reign of terror, beating Petteri Rimpinen to win the game 2-1 with an incredible between-the-legs goal.
Czechia
#30 Michal Orsulak, G: Orsulak didn’t have to do much early – he faced just five shots in the first half of the game. But the Finns started to pile on the pressure in the third, and Orsulak held his own for 59 minutes. Given how rough the first game against Canada went, especially glove side, it had to be huge for his confidence as he looks to be Czechia’s No. 1 the rest of the way.
#5 Adam Jiricek, D (St. Louis Blues): Top defenseman? Sure. But he’s also making a case to be the tournament MVP. He has been so, so good for the Czechs in every single game, making some of the best passes you’ll find. That between-the-legs goal to win the game? Insanity.
#23 Tomas Galvas, D: Galvas might be the best player at this tournament. So few players can move with the puck as he does. He’s so smooth, smart and creative and continues to find ways to get pucks through traffic and into dangerous areas. Galvas is undersized, which has led to him getting passed over twice. But with the way he’s playing right now, it’s hard to ignore the Lane Hutson comparisons.
#11 Matej Kubiesa, LW: Kubiesa scored the only goal, but then he also had two other decent chances in the first period on the power play. As a fourth-liner, you don’t expect much. But I thought he did a good job of rushing after guys and breaking up plays. The goal doesn’t hurt, either.
#15 Vojtech Cihar, C (Los Angeles Kings): Another strong showing. He had a couple of decent looks and I thought he brought a ton of speed to his game. In my opinion, Cihar has been one of Czechia’s top players throughout the entire tournament – just engaged, no matter what. He didn’t score today, but he still looked great, which included an assist on the game-winner.
Finland
#30 Petteri Rimpinen, G (Los Angeles Kings): Rimpinen had to be perfect right out of the gate, and although he allowed a goal early, he was a huge reason why the Czechs didn’t skate away with it early. Showtime has shown a tendency to rise to the occasion when the going gets tough, and he faced double the shots in the first half of the game than he had to deal with all of Monday. That can be hard to adjust to, but Rimpinen was a one-man highlight reel early on.
#4 Niklas Nykyri, D: The Finns had just four shots in the first period – Nykyri had three of them. He also killed part of that five-minute major and did a lot more than you’d expect from a so-called seventh defender. He had a few good looks from the point against Latvia, showing a much-improved release from what we’ve seen from him in previous national team events.
#28 Heikki Ruohonen, C (Philadelphia Flyers): Ruohonen has been one of Finland’s better forwards through three games, especially late in that bout against the Danes. Today, he was the only forward who backchecked hard the entire game. The Finns just had nothing going for them with the puck for the most part, and spent most of the game grinding hard in their own zone. Ruohonen kept looking for chances, and he eventually nabbed an assist on the 1-1 goal.
USA 6, Slovakia 5
It was one of the wildest games of the 2026 World Junior Championship – and in the end, the United States pulled off a 6-5 comeback victory over Slovakia.
The United States will enter Wednesday’s round-robin finale tied with Sweden for top spot in Group A. A win in any fashion for the Americans will earn them top spot in the group heading into the crossover playoff round.
The Slovaks took a shocking 2-0 advantage into the first period. It started at 8:53, when Tobias Pitka scored on a great release on the rush. Then, Tomas Chrenko – the power-play master – tallied one while standing alone near one of the faceoff dots, making no mistake on his shot against Caleb Heil.
The Americans showed a bit more life in the second period, though. AJ Spellacy and Brendan McMorrow scored a goal each, proving that the bottom line could get the job done. Adam Belusko scored a shorthanded goal between them, though, forcing the Americans to keep chasing. Ryker Lee ended up tying the game with nine minutes to go in the second period, going top shelf on Michael Pradel on the man advantage to make it 3-3.
Special teams were important on Monday, and the Slovaks would score their second power-play goal of the game to make it 4-3 with about five minutes to go in the second. This time, Michal Svrcek converted on a scramble in front, poking the puck through traffic to get his team back in front.
A late second-period goal from James Hagens proved to be a huge momentum shifter. From there, he added another just 18 seconds into the third to give USA its first advantage. Will Zellers kept his goal streak alive at 44:31, tallying a power-play goal to give the Americans the 6-4 advantage. Chrenko would score his second of the game, but it ultimately didn’t matter in the end as USA held on.
Slovakia
#1 Michal Pradel, G (Detroit Red Wings): The Slovaks were always going to need Pradel to be great if they were going to pull off a miracle, and he definitely fit the bill. The Americans kept him busy late in the first and he kept turning them away. USA eventually showed more muscle in the second period, forcing the Slovaks to get back on their heels. Still, Pradel had a strong showing overall.
#26 Luka Radivojevic, D: The Americans were targeting him throughout the game – they knew he could run the offense from the point. That didn’t stop him from setting up Chrenko’s 2-0 power-play goal, though. His mobility is the best on the Slovak blueline, and few defenders can make the high-pressure passes that he does.
#18 Samuel Murin, RW: I’ll always have time for Murin. He’s a tough dude – he loves getting in your grill and taking you off your game. He also had a couple of quality chances in the second, but ultimately didn’t get on the scoresheet. I still liked how noticeable he was in the attacking zone, despite playing in a more depth role.
#28 Tobias Pitka, C (Slovakia): I have really liked Pitka’s game for the past year or so. The Northern Michigan University forward is huge – 6-foot-4 and 225 pounds. His mobility can still be an issue at times, but what he lacks in footspeed, he makes up for it with his two-way play. I thought he was excellent against the Swedes, and his goal today – a powerful shot – was well deserved.
#29 Tomas Chrenko, C (2026 NHL Draft): Teams: stop leaving Chrenko alone. All he does is exploit open space. He had a pair of goals today, including the 6-5 goal that gave his team some life with under two minutes to go. He’s as good of a shooter as you’ll find at this tournament and he’s as good as anyone at bringing the momentum back when the Slovaks need it.
USA
#25 Chase Reid, D (2026 NHL Draft): Reid took a penalty that allowed for a Slovak goal. But he made up for it with an outstanding job of filling in for Cole Hutson as the No. 1 power-play quarterback. He had a pair of assists and started the play that ultimately led to the 6-4 goal. I love his poise with the puck, and he’s as good a passer on the point as you’ll find at this tournament.
#8 AJ Spellacy, RW (Chicago Blackhawks): You can count me in as a big Spellacy fan. He’s fearless – he doesn’t stop battling, no matter what. His ability to win individual battles is impressive, and he’s as good of a penalty killer as the United States has. Spellacy and Brendan McMorrow have shown some good chemistry together, and they converted on a shorthanded goal after Spellacy blocked a shot earlier in the sequence. He also created a turnover on the second American goal, for good measure.
#10 James Hagens, C (Boston Bruins): When USA needed him most, Hagens showed up. He scored to make it 4-4 on his fourth shot of the game, giving his country the boost they needed heading into the third period. He then scored early in the third period to give the United States its first advantage of the game – and you could see the pure excitement in his face. Hagens is USA’s top player, and this was his best game of the tournament.
#18 LJ Mooney, LW (Montreal Canadiens): This was my favorite showing from Mooney. He doesn’t get many big-moment opportunities, but he helped set up the 3-3 and 6-4 goals after showing incredible patience. When Mooney wants to get the puck somewhere, he makes it happen.
#22 Brendan McMorrow, LW (Los Angeles Kings): McMorrow had the game of his life today. He had a good chance that led to the 2-1 goal and then scored the second American goal on the rebound. McMorrow was a bubble player heading into camp, but he plays a smart, physical game on USA’s fourth line. Today, his hard work was rewarded with the best performance of his international career.
#74 Brodie Ziemer, RW (Buffalo Sabres): Captain America came up clutch in this one. He had a pair of assists in the third period to give his country the advantage. Ziemer is a competitive forward who plays his best hockey when his team is trailing. I absolutely love how important he is to this American team.
Canada 9, Denmark 1
Canada had no issue dominating against Denmark, winning 9-1 to close out Monday’s action.
Canada will have a chance to win Group B on Wednesday night when they take on Finland, which currently sits one point behind Canada.
Canada had three goals before the Danes even registered a shot on net. It all started at 3:17, when Gavin McKenna fired home a one-timer on the power play. Then, Braeden Cootes and Zayne Parekh both scored off beautiful wrist shot goals, making it 3-0 just past the halfway mark of the first.
The Danes started the second period with a surprise goal. After Cole Beaudoin gave the puck up by the goal line, Mads Klyvo was able to get an off-angle goal on Carter George to end his shutout after two shots. Canada controlled the rest of the frame, though, with McKenna adding two more, Michael Misa and Kashawn Aitcheson scoring their first and Porter Martone snagging two to finish off the night.
Canada
#19 Zayne Parekh, D (Calgary Flames): Parekh had a solid two-point game, starting with his first-period goal. The Danes couldn’t keep up with his footwork, and he rarely got beaten in transition. Parekh’s game can be really hit or miss, especially when he gets a bit whimsical in the D zone. But few players can distribute and rush the puck with the confidence that he has.
#20 Keaton Verhoff, D (2026 NHL Draft): I know it was against Denmark, but… maybe Canada should keep Verhoeff in for another game. He looked confident, and while his positioning was a bit suspect at times, I thought he made a positive impact just about every time he hit the ice. He kept playing more and more as the game wore on and I feel like he was Canada’s best defenseman in the third period.
#7 Michael Misa, C (San Jose Sharks): Will a one-goal, three-point effort spark the rest of the tournament for him? Misa was so dominant in junior but struggled in the early stages of this tournament since coming back from injury. Today, he was flying, and almost all his passes seemed to connect. He needed that.
#8 Braeden Cootes, RW (Vancouver Canucks): Cootes finally registered his first goal of the tournament, showing that the bottom-six could contribute offensively. But beyond that, I thought he did a solid job of retrieving pucks and forcing turnovers. He’s not a playdriver on this team, but he’s an excellent support player who can be difficult to play against.
#9 Gavin McKenna, LW (2026 NHL Draft): Now that was more like it. The projected top pick in 2026 scored on the power play to open the scoring, and then continued to lay on the pressure the rest of the night. He had a five-point effort against Denmark in the pre-tournament game, but everyone was waiting for him to have an explosive night in Minneapolis. With three goals today – including a pretty one in the third – it’s safe to say he delivered.
#17 Jett Luchanko, RW (Philadelphia Flyers): I really, really liked Luchanko today. He was flying out there, and he ultimately created two quality breakaway chances today. He worked much harder than anyone else out there – he rarely lost a battle for the puck. This felt more like one of his performances a year ago, where he couldn’t be contained.
#22 Porter Martone, RW (Philadelphia Flyers): Martone made some excellent plays that turned into scoring chances in the first period and eventually got one in the back of the net in the middle stanza before adding an assist. It felt like everything he was trying all tournament long – the dekes, the offensive zone pressure – finally materialized today. That should be good for his confidence.
#28 Brady Martin, RW (Nashville Predators): It felt like a quiet three-point performance tonight compared to his own standards – maybe because he didn’t go around killing people. Still, his passing was top-notch, and he still snuck past defenders like it was nothing in the offensive zone. Besides Michael Hage, Martin has been Canada’s best forward in Minnesota.
Denmark
#35 Patrick Tiedjen, G: With all due respect to Anton Wilde, maybe Tiedjen should have started the previous games. He was excellent today, especially in the second period when the Danes couldn’t get out of their zone 90 percent of the time. It all fell apart in the end but he gave it his all – that’s all that matters.
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