Canada avenged their stunning defeat from last year with a narrow 2-1 overtime victory against Latvia at the 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship in Minnesota. Michael Hage scored the decisive goal on a power play just 44 seconds into overtime, securing the win for Canada.
The game was a hard-fought battle, with Latvia proving to be a resilient opponent. Last year, Latvia upset Canada with a 3-2 shootout victory, marking their first-ever win against the hockey powerhouse in five meetings. This year, the plucky Latvians nearly repeated the feat, pushing Canada to the brink once again.
The first period was scoreless, with both teams displaying physicality and blocking shots. Latvia came out strong, generating energy and earning the first power play. Canada struggled to find their rhythm, and the Latvians gained confidence as the period progressed.
Early in the second period, Canada received a five-minute power play after Martins Klaucans was assessed a major penalty for an illegal check to the head on Zayne Parekh. Cole Reschny capitalized on the opportunity, scoring Canada's first goal of the game at 2:22. Reschny took a pass from Gavin McKenna and fired the puck past Latvian goalie Nils Maurins. Despite further chances, Canada was unable to extend their lead during the power play. Later in the period, Ben Danford received a double-minor for high-sticking, but Canada successfully killed off the penalty.
As the third period progressed, Brady Martin almost doubled Canada's lead with a shot that hit the crossbar. With less than two minutes remaining in regulation, Rudolfs Berzkalns scored a late equalizer for Latvia, tying the game 1-1 and sending it to overtime. Berzkalns banged in a rebound from Krisjanis Jarns' shot, sparking a jubilant celebration among the Latvian team.
Late in the third, Roberts Naudins of Latvia was penalized for delay of game after flipping the puck over the glass in his own zone with 51 seconds remaining. This gave Canada a crucial power play opportunity to end the game in regulation. However, the Latvians demonstrated heroic shot-blocking and managed to kill off the penalty, forcing the game into overtime.
Canada began overtime with a 4-on-3 power play. Gavin McKenna passed the puck to Michael Hage, who scored the game-winning goal with a one-timer from the left face-off circle. Hage's goal secured the 2-1 victory for Canada and allowed them to avoid another upset at the hands of Latvia.
Jack Ivankovic, Canada's second-string goalie, made 26 saves in the game, securing the win. Nils Maurins, the Latvian goalie, had an excellent World Junior debut, stopping 36 shots.
With the win, Canada now leads Group B with five points. Canada's next game is against Denmark on Monday, followed by a match against Finland on New Year's Eve. Latvia will face Finland on Sunday.
