2026 World Juniors: Top standouts from Denmark vs. Latvia
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. – Latvia has advanced to the quarterfinal for the fourth time in five years after beating Denmark 6-3 on Tuesday.
With the loss, the Danes will play in the relegation game against Germany on January 2, while Latvia will await its quarterfinal opponent.
The game was dominated mainly by the Latvians, with Denmark struggling to stay out of the box. Krisjanis Sarts scored the lone goal in the first period before watching his team explode for three in the second. Alberts Smits – one of the top 2026 NHL Draft prospects – had a solid two-goal performance, while Antons Macijevskis tallied one for himself late in the second.
Denmark would get goals from Oliver Larsen, William Bundgaard and Anton Linde, but additional goals from Bruno Osmanis and Markuss Sieradzkis ultimately put the game away for Latvia.
Here’s a look at the top performers from the lone game at 3M Arena:
Denmark
#1 Anton Wilde, G: The Danes were heavily out-chanced in this one, and if it wasn’t for Wilde’s 13 saves in the first period, the game could have been an absolute disaster. The Danes just looked exhausted from the get-go after losing to Canada, and Wilde was busy as a result. I thought his glove hand looked a bit better tonight than in one of the first two starts, helping give Denmark a legit chance to win.
#19 William Bundgaard, RW: Bundgaard was one of the few Danes who seemed to do anything dangerous with the puck. He scored on a nice shot to cut Latvia’s advantage in the second period, and then he was leaned on in the closing minutes as the Danes needed to score three goals to tie it. I’ve liked his play since the start of the pre-tournament – he’s just involved.
Latvia
#10 Harijs Cjunskis, D: I really liked Cjunskis’ game, especially early. He was Smits’ defense partner, but I thought he was the better of the two defensively today, especially early. He also took a handful of shots, although he came up short on the scoresheet. Still, it was a solid defensive effort from him.
#23 Alberts Smits, D (2026 NHL Draft): Looks like he got the Daily Faceoff bump. Tuesday’s game started a bit wonky for him, but a pair of second-period goals helped lift Latvia to the victory. I’m not sure what he said to wake himself up after the first intermission, but he was much more engaged and started making smarter defensive decisions. Given Latvia’s lack of offensive weapons, Smits had to be great – and delivered.
#14 Olivers Murnieks, C (2026 NHL Draft): I really soured on Murnieks’ draft stock this year but this was his best game of the tournament. He was one of the most physical forwards at all times, winning so many battles both in front of the net and along the boards. He also had a few high-end chances in the slot that didn’t pay off. I didn’t notice him much before tonight, but I loved how noticeable he was in the offensive zone.
#19 Bruno Osmanis, RW: Osmanis is as close to a playdriver as you’ll find on a team like this. Osmanis helped set up the 1-0 goal after a great pass to the point, and then he started the play that led to the 2-0 power-play goal. Osmanis then scored to make it 5-2 on the power play in the second period. He’s not the fastest skater, but he makes up for it with what he does with the stick instead.