2026 World Juniors: Top standouts from Slovakia vs. USA
ST. PAUL, Minn. – 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.
Here’s a look at the top performers from Monday’s battle:
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.