St. Paul, MN – In a stunning upset, Finland defeated the United States 4-3 in overtime in the quarterfinal round of the 2026 World Junior Championship. Arttu Valila scored the game-winning goal at 2:11 of the extra frame, sending the defending champion Americans home without a chance to medal. The loss is a crushing blow for the United States, who had won the previous two World Junior tournaments.

The game was a rematch of last year's championship final and a back-and-forth affair that could have gone either way. After a scoreless first period, Cole Hutson, returning from injury, put the U.S. on the board first in the second period. Finland responded, with Heikki Ruohonen tying the game. Cole Eiserman then scored a power-play goal to give the U.S. a 2-1 lead heading into the third.

Finland rallied in the third period, with Leo Tuuva and Joona Saarelainen scoring just over a minute apart to give Finland a 3-2 lead. With less than two minutes remaining, Ryker Lee scored to tie the game and force overtime. However, Valila's goal in overtime sealed the victory for Finland. He beat Nick Kempf with a snapshot.

The Finnish team displayed resilience and structure throughout the game, capitalizing on key opportunities. Their strong goaltending and disciplined defense were also crucial in protecting their lead. Petteri Rimpinen was in net for Finland.

Despite the loss, Cole Hutson had a strong performance for the United States, scoring a goal and an assist in his return. Hutson became Team USA's all-time leading scorer among defensemen at the World Juniors with 15 points.

"The real tournament starts now," U.S. head coach Bob Motzko had said before the game. However, the Americans could not overcome a determined Finnish team.

Finland now advances to the semi-finals, joining Sweden and Czechia. They will face the winner of another quarterfinal matchup. The United States, meanwhile, is eliminated from medal contention.