The 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship has reached its fever pitch, with the semi-final matchups set to ignite the ice at St. Paul's Grand Casino Arena on January 4, 2026. Four hockey powerhouses—Sweden, Finland, Canada, and Czechia—remain in contention for the coveted gold medal, promising a day of thrilling action and intense competition.
The first semi-final pits Nordic rivals Sweden and Finland against each other at 4:30 PM EST. This matchup is a rematch from the 2025 tournament, where Finland prevailed 4-3 in overtime. Finland has enjoyed more success in recent World Juniors, with three golds, two silvers, and a bronze since 2014, while Sweden hasn't won gold since 2012. Sweden is eager to end their gold-medal drought. The Swedes were dominant in the preliminary round, winning all four games and outscoring opponents 21-8. Key players for Sweden include Jack Berglund, Anton Frondell, and defenseman Alfons Freij. Goaltender Love Härenstam has also been solid. Finland is coming off an emotional 4-3 overtime victory against the United States in the quarter-finals. Goalie Petteri Rimpinen, named the best goalie of the 2025 tournament, will need to be at his best against Sweden's potent offense. The Finns will also need to improve their penalty kill against Sweden's strong power play.
The second semi-final features Canada and Czechia at 8:30 PM EST. While Canada has historically dominated Czechia at the World Juniors, Czechia has eliminated Canada in the quarter-finals in both 2024 and 2025. Canada and Czechia opened the 2026 tournament with a back-and-forth affair, with Canada winning 7-5. Canada finished the preliminary round atop Group B with a tournament-leading 25 goals. Zayne Parekh has been a standout player for Canada. Goaltender Jack Ivankovic leads all goalies with a 0.99 GAA and .959 SV%. Czechia's offense has been less potent than other teams in the semi-finals, but they dispatched Switzerland 6-2 in the quarter-final. Vojtech Cihar leads the tournament with nine points, but several Canadians are close behind.
These semi-final matchups promise high-stakes, edge-of-your-seat hockey as each team vies for a spot in the gold medal game.
