Canada beats Finland to win bronze at 2026 World Juniors
ST. PAUL, Minn. – Canada has won bronze at the World Junior Championship for the first time since 2012, beating Finland 6-3 on Monday evening at the Grand Casino Arena in Minnesota.
It marks Canada’s sixth bronze medal in team history, and their first medal since taking home gold in 2023. The Finns, meanwhile, failed to get a medal after securing silver last winter.
For those looking for another chaotic start between these two teams, they got their wish. Sam O’Reilly scored on Canada’s first shot at 1:10, only for Finland to do the same just two minutes later. The two teams traded goals, with Braden Cootes and Zayne Parekh scoring for Canada, while Julius Miettinen added one for the Finns to help the first period finish 3-2.
The second period was still busy, with Canada building a bit of a gap. Porter Martone and Sam O’Reilly each tallied goals within the first six minutes of the frame, only for Heikki Ruohonen to answer back to give Finland some life. The Finns couldn’t keep Carter George busy in the third and it bit them in the rear end, with Gavin McKenna registering his first goal and fourth point of the night to finish the game.
Here’s a look at the top performers from the bronze medal game:
Canada
#19 Zayne Parekh, D (Calgary Flames): With his 13th point of the tournament, Parekh set a record for most points at a World Juniors by a Canadian defenseman. Parekh was the team’s top defenseman in every single game by a far, far, far margin and is a big reason why the Canadians were so dominant on the man advantage. Few players match his natural skill, regardless of position. I hope he goes back to the NHL and the Flames let him flourish.
#9 Gavin McKenna, LW (2026 NHL Draft): McKenna had three assists and a goal for a huge four-point night. It’s like he heard all the detractors saying he’s been invisible, and then made it his mission to finish as the tournament’s top scorer. Scouts wish McKenna had shot more during this tournament, but he made up for it by being one of Canada’s top puck distributors instead.
#23 Sam O’Reilly, RW (Tampa Bay Lightning): O’Reilly was thrust onto Canada’s second line for this game after Brady Martin went down with an injury. It paid off, with O’Reilly scoring on Canada’s first shot of the game and then adding another goal in the second. That was one heck of a tournament for a guy most expected to play a depth role.
#29 Michael Hage, C (Montreal Canadiens): Hage was Canada’s fastest skater, especially early on. He clearly came to play, and he was rewarded with primary assists in the opening frame alone. Hage added two more to continue his reign as the tournament’s top scorer. Hage is smart, built strong and loves exploiting open space. Today was yet another tremendous showing for him, which, mentally, had to feel good after missing on the dual penalty shots last night.
Finland
#12 Joona Saarelainen, LW (Tampa Bay Lightning): I loved Saarelainen’s speed. He uses it to blast through the middle, and he even drew a penalty early in the third after trying to outrace Ethan MacKenzie. He’s not big but he can blow past both defenders and then get himself into a scoring lane. Saarelainen was one of Finland’s most dangerous shooters early on in thsi game and then nearly scored a beautiful goal at the halfway point in the third.
#29 Jasper Kuhta, C: Kuhta is getting drafted, no question about it. He had a nice secondary assist on the the 2-2 power-play goal and then spent the rest of the game getting to the net and taking George’s eyesight away. Kuhta is a strong forward who doesn’t get pushed around easy, and it felt like he really helped establish himself as a draft prospect in Minnesota.
#28 Heikki Ruohonen, C (Philadelphia Flyers): Ruohonen was Finland’s MVP, no question about it. He had a goal and an assist today in yet another geat performance from him. Add in the strong two-way play and, honestly, you could argue that he was a top 10 player overall over the past week and a half. Ruohonen rarely lost a battle, it seemed like.