2026 IIHF World Junior Championship – Semi-Finals (Jan. 4th, 2026)

The semi-finals delivered two intense, back‑and‑forth battles, with Sweden and Czechia emerging victorious to set up a gold‑medal showdown. It marks the first time in 13 years that one of Canada, the USA or Finland will not claim the tournament’s top prize. Canada and Finland will now meet in a New Year’s Eve rematch for bronze. Here’s a full recap of the semi-final action.

 

Canada vs. Czechia

Final: 6 (CZE) – 4 (CAN)

For the third consecutive tournament, Czechia scored the decisive goal in the final minutes to eliminate Canada. The loss sends Canada to the bronze-medal game against Finland this afternoon (4:00 pm EST), while the Czechs will face Sweden for gold tonight (8:30 pm EST).

As they had in every game of the tournament, Canada opened the scoring. Late in the first period, Czechia took the game’s first penalty and paid the price. Michael Misa (Saginaw Spirit) found a loose puck in the crease and slid it across to Tij Iginla, who jammed it home from the blue paint to give Canada the lead.

But just as they did on Boxing Day, the Czechs responded quickly. Maximilian Curran pounced on a rebound and slipped it under the pad of goaltender Jack Ivankovic (Brampton Steelheads), who was making his second straight start. 

Brady Martin (Soo Greyhounds) had an awkward fall on a reverse hit along the boards and was visibly in significant discomfort. He left the game and did not return. 

For the Czechs, the momentum carried into the second period, where sustained pressure in the Canadian zone led to Ivankovic losing his stick and the go-ahead goal. Max Psenicka floated a backhand saucer pass to Adam Titlbach in the slot, who snapped it home. 

Despite continued Czech pressure and a shaky Canadian defensive effort, the deficit remained one goal. Canada capitalized on a 5-on-3 opportunity when Zayne Parekh (Saginaw Spirit) wired home the tying goal.

ZAYNE PAREKH WITH HIS TEAM-LEADING FIFTH GOAL OF THE #WORLDJUNIORS! WE'RE TIED AT TWO APIECE! 😤 pic.twitter.com/TQevVdowLO

— TSN (@TSN_Sports) January 5, 2026

Canada nearly reclaimed the lead moments later as Michael Hage picked off the puck at his own blue line and raced in alone before being hooked, earning a penalty shot. Hage made a strong move on Michal Orsulak but was tripped, resulting in a rare redo. He attempted the same move on the second try but was stopped.

In the final minute of the second, another Canadian neutral-zone turnover proved costly. Off an odd-man rush, Curran fired a cross-ice pass to Adam Benak (Brantford Bulldogs), who snapped a low shot past Ivankovic with 42.8 seconds remaining in the frame to restore Czechia’s lead.

Czechia regains the lead after an Canada turnover at centre ice! #WorldJuniors pic.twitter.com/HC06zJKYSQ

— TSN (@TSN_Sports) January 5, 2026

Canada once again surged to start the third period, tying the game early as Cole Reschny powered his way to the net uncontested and buried the equalizer.

But Czechia answered yet again. Vojtech Cihar drove hard to the net and roofed a shot to make it 4-3.

The tension rose as penalties piled up. Gavin McKenna took a cross‑checking minor, then on the ensuing power play, Czechia was called for too many players. But just when it appeared Canada had caught a break, Misa was assessed a delay‑of‑game penalty for playing the puck with his hand on the faceoff, creating a 4‑on‑3 Czech power play. 

Ivankovic continued to stand tall, and his efforts were rewarded late when Canada tied the game again. A Harrison Brunicke shot reached the crease, where captain Porter Martone (Brampton Steelheads) knocked it home with three minutes left in regulation to make it 4-4.

But Czechia had one more response. With just over a minute remaining, Curran’s shot deflected off Misa’s skate and then off Tomas Poletin before finding the empty net. The play was reviewed for a potential kicking motion, but the goal stood as a legal deflection.

Cihar added an empty-net goal to seal the 6-4 victory.

In the end, Poletin’s late marker capped a deserved win for Czechia, sending them to the gold-medal game for the second time in four years, and eliminating Canada for the third straight year. 

“This is a tough one,’ said Head Coach Dale Hunter (London Knights), following the loss. “We came back on them a couple of times, kept battling, and it was one of those games where the last team to score was going to win. Sometimes you have to give the other team credit; Czechia was good tonight, and their goalie was good. We have a medal to play for tomorrow. It’s an honour to play in the bronze medal game, and we’ve got an opportunity to end on a win.”

 

OHL Player Game Stats:

* denotes player who has not played an OHL game in the 2025-26 season

Canada

• Porter Martone (Brampton Steelheads)* – 1G
• Zayne Parekh (Saginaw Spirit)* – 1G (Named one of Canada’s three Players of the Tournament)
• Sam O’Reilly (London Knights) – 1A (Named one of Canada’s three Players of the Tournament)
• Michael Misa (Brampton Steelheads)* – 1A
• Jett Luchanko (Brantford Bulldogs) – 1A
• Kashawn Aitcheson (Barrie Colts) – 1A
• Jack Ivankovic (Brampton Steelheads)* – 31 SVS

 

Czechia

• Adam Benak (Brantford Bulldogs) – 1G, 2A
• Adam Jiricek (Brantford Bulldogs) – (Named one of Czechia’s three Players of the Tournament)

 

Sweden vs. Finland

Final/SO: 4 (SWE) – 3 (FIN)

After a thrilling contest that required both overtime and a shootout, third-overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft Anton Frondell sealed the win, scoring the shootout winner as Sweden edged Finland 4–3 in the first semi-final of the day. The victory served as redemption for the Swedes, who fell 4–3 in overtime to Finland in the 2025 semi-finals in Ottawa.

Finland, which had already rallied from multiple deficits in its quarter-final victory over the United States, mounted another comeback effort in this matchup, but this time, it wasn’t enough.

Sweden opened the scoring just 36 seconds in, as their top line struck early. On the rush, Eriksson took a feed from Frondell and snapped a wrister past Petteri Rimpinen, marking yet another game at the tournament where the first shot found the back of the net. Finland responded later in the period when Atte Joki fired a shot through traffic to even the score.

Early in the second period, Ivar Stenberg restored Sweden’s lead with an extra attacker on the ice during a delayed penalty. Just 50 seconds later, Jasper Kuhta (Ottawa 67’s) tied the game again on a bizarre sequence. During a net-front scramble, Kuhta sent the puck off the glass, and as Alfons Freij attempted to bat it away mid-air, the Swedish defender inadvertently knocked the puck in off his goaltender’s back.

WHAT?! Sweden accidentally taps in the rebound in to give Finland the game-tying goal 😬 #WorldJuniors pic.twitter.com/2kK9TyHWrN

— TSN (@TSN_Sports) January 4, 2026

Eddie Genborg put Sweden back in front, throwing the puck from behind the goal line where it deflected off the side of the net and Rimpinen’s skate before crossing the line. Finland answered once more, with Joona Saarelainen scoring in the final six minutes of regulation to knot the game at three and force overtime.

In the 10-minute extra frame, Sweden’s Viggo Bjorck was denied on three breakaways before taking a late slashing penalty, giving Finland a power play for the final two minutes. Aron Kiviharju rang a shot off the crossbar, but the Finns were unable to capitalize.

The game ultimately went to a sudden-death shootout, which stretched to seven rounds. With the chance to end it, Frondell slipped the puck five-hole on Rimpinen, sending Sweden to the gold medal game against Czechia (8:30 pm EST). Finland will face Canada in the bronze medal matchup (4:00 pm EST).

ANTON FRONDELL WINS IT FOR SWEDEN IN SHOOTOUT! THEY'RE GOING TO THE GOLD MEDAL GAME! 🙌 #WorldJuniors pic.twitter.com/p6lr0z5l6F

— TSN (@TSN_Sports) January 5, 2026

 

OHL Player Game Stats:

Finland

• Jasper Kuhta (Ottawa 67’s) – 1G

 

Gold Medal Matchup

• Sweden vs. Czechia (8:30 pm EST)

 

Bronze Medal Matchup:

• Canada vs. Finland (4:00 pm EST)

 

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