The 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship is reaching its climax with the semi-final matchups set to take place on January 4, 2026, at St. Paul's Grand Casino Arena. The winners will advance to the gold medal game, while the losers will compete for the bronze medal on January 5, 2026.

The first semi-final features a classic Nordic rivalry between Sweden and Finland. Puck drop is scheduled for 4:30 PM Eastern Standard Time. This matchup is a rematch from the 2025 tournament where Finland prevailed over Sweden 4-3 in overtime. Sweden is seeking to end a gold-medal drought that stretches back to 2012, while Finland is looking for their first gold since 2019. Throughout the preliminary round, Sweden showcased their dominance, securing a perfect record of four wins and outscoring opponents 21-8. Key players for Sweden include captain Jack Berglund and Anton Frondell, both with seven points each. Finland will rely on their goalie, Petteri Rimpinen, named the best goalie in the 2025 tournament.

The second semi-final pits Canada against Czechia. The game is scheduled for 8:30 PM Eastern Standard Time. Canada aims to win their first gold medal since 2023. Czechia, on the other hand, is seeking their first gold since 2001. In the past two years, Czechia has eliminated Canada in the quarter-finals. The tournament opened with Canada securing a 7-5 victory over Czechia. Watch out for Czechia's Vojtech Cihar, who currently leads the tournament with nine points. Canada will rely on Zayne Parekh, Gavin McKenna, and Michael Hage, who each have eight points.

All games will be broadcast live on NHL Network in the United States, and TSN and RDS in Canada.