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World Junior Championship roundup: Czechia tops Canada, reaches final
Will play for gold medal on Monday against Sweden, which edges Finland
The 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship, which is being held in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, resumes with the semifinals on Sunday. The championship and third-place game are Monday.
All games on NHL Network in U.S., TSN in Canada
Czechia 6, Canada 4: Tomas Poletin (New York Islanders) scored with 1:14 remaining in the third period to help Czechia advance to the gold-medal game against Sweden at Grand Casino Arena in St. Paul on Monday (8:30 p.m. ET; NHLN, TSN).
Poletin was battling at the net front with Canada forward Michael Misa (San Jose Sharks) when a shot by Czechia forward Maxmilian Curran (Colorado Avalanche) deflected off his skate and into the net for a 5-4 lead.
World Juniors 2026 semifinals: Czechs knock out Canada again, Swedish draft eligibles stand out
The Czechs bounced the Canadians for a third straight year in the elimination round at the World Juniors. Christopher Katsarov / The Canadian Press via AP
ST. PAUL, Minn. — The stage is set for the medal games at the 2026 World Juniors following Sunday’s two excellent semifinals, highlighted by a thrilling Sweden-Finland overtime game that needed an eight-round shootout and the Czechs bouncing the Canadians for a third straight year in the elimination round.
Here are The Athletic’s daily takeaways and standouts from prospects writers Corey Pronman and Scott Wheeler.
Sweden’s two draft-eligible forwards, Bjorck and Stenberg, have arguably been among the best and most consistent players for the team in this tournament. In the semifinal against Finland, they were both leaned on excessively and came up big. Stenberg made a lot of creative plays and drove offense at even strength. Bjorck also created a lot while competing very hard and being a major factor all over the ice. He also had four (4), not a typo, breakaways in the overtime period, although he didn’t convert. Bjorck’s excellent tournament has cemented his name in the conversation as a lottery pick, and Stenberg hasn’t hurt himself when it comes to the No. 1 pick debate. — Pronman
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Czechia wins sets up world junior final vs. Sweden
ST. PAUL, Minn. — Tomas Poletin scored on a deflection off his skate with 1:14 left and Czechia beat Canada 6-4 on Sunday night to advance to face Sweden in the first all-European world junior hockey final since 2016.
Earlier, Anton Frondell scored in the eighth round of a shootout to give Sweden a 4-3 victory over Finland. The final is Monday night.
In the last all-European final, Finland beat Russia 4-3 in overtime in Helsinki in 2016. Czechia and Sweden are each trying to win their third title. Czechia won in 2000 and 2001, and Sweden in 1981 and 2012.
Poletin scored 1:27 after Porter Martone tied it for 20-time champion Canada.
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