After nearly a week of group stage play, the 2026 World Juniors quarterfinals were set on Dec. 31 and Canada takes the main stage in the primetime spot on Friday night, Jan. 2 to take on Team Slovakia in a single-elimination tournament battle.
Canada and Slovakia take over 3M Arena at Mariucci in Minneapolis, MN for three periods of the best junior hockey play in the world. Puck drop is at 8:30 p.m. ET and will take place as USA and Finland wrap up their match just up the road at Grand Casino Arena in St. Paul, MN.
Canada is fighting back after missing out on a medal each year since winning the Gold back-to-back in 2022 and 2023. Canada won their last game of the preliminary round, defeating Finland 7-4 in a high-scoring shootout that required contributions from names all across their star-studded lineup.
Canada and Slovakia battle it out in the World Juniors quarterfinals on Friday, Jan. 2. Follow live updates and watch scoring highlights here on FloHockey.
Canada vs Slovakia World Juniors Live Updates And Highlights
Refresh to see the latest live updates, scoring highlights, and more information on Canada vs Slovakia in the 2026 World Juniors quarterfinals round.Â
Last update: 7:19 p.m. ET
Cole Hutson’s Record-Breaking Return
USA’s first goal against Finland came from a beauty by Cole Hutson. His goal places him as Team USA’s all-time leading scorer among defensemen in the World Juniors.
Cole Hutson (WSH) is now USA Hockey’s all-time leading scorer among defensemen at the World Junior Championship with 15 points.
— Chris Peters (@chrismpeters) January 3, 2026
2026 NHL Draft Prospects To Watch At World Juniors
Gavin McKenna, Ivar Stenberg and more: Chris Peters shared his top draft prospects to watch at the 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship. Read the full write-up here.
A few players he listed from tonight’s game:
- Gavin McKenna, LW, Canada
- Keaton Verhoeff, RHD, Canada
- Tomas Chrenko, C, Slovakia
- Adam Nemec, C/W, Slovakia
Here’s what Chris had to say about Tomas Chrenko:
“Chrenko has been getting some first-round love from various outlets this year as he puts up impressive numbers in Slovakia’s top pro league. He has 17 points in 27 games, which is a pace that has been beaten only by Marian Hossa and Marian Gaborik in their draft years among forwards in that league. Slovakia doesn’t have great chances in the tournament, but Chrenko helps them level the playing field some.”
How to Watch Canada vs Slovakia Hockey World Juniors In Canada, US
All games during 2026 World Juniors tournament will be broadcast live on the NHL Network for viewers in the US.Â
The network will air live game telecasts of the World Junior Championships plus analysis, highlights, and interviews about the tournament.
If you live in Canada, you can watch each game on TSN.
You can also follow along on FloHockey for the latest news throughout the tournament.
When Is The Canada vs Slovakia World Juniors Game?
The puck drops in 3M Arena at Mariucci, the home of the Golden Gophers in Minneapolis, MN, at 8:30 p.m. ET. You can follow live updates right here throughout the evening.
The 2026 World Junior Championship Bracket And Standings So Far
Here is the quarterfinal schedule for Jan. 2.
- 2:00 p.m. ET Sweden vs. Latvia
- 4:30 p.m. ET Czechia vs. Switzerland
- 6:00 p.m. ET USA vs. Finland
- 8:30 p.m. ET Canada vs. Slovakia
World Juniors 2026 Standings
Here are the group stage standings.
(Points) W-OTW-OTL-L
Group A
- Sweden (12) 4-0-0-0
- USA (9) 3-0-0-1
- Switzerland (6) 2-0-0-2
- Slovakia (3) 1-0-0-1
- Germany (0) 0-0-0-4
Group B
- Canada (11) 3-1-0-0
- Czechia (8) 2-1-0-1
- Finland (7) 2-0-1-1
- Latvia (4) 1-0-1-2
- Denmark (0) 0-0-0-4
2026 World Juniors Scores So Far
It’s been an exciting first weekend of the 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship in Minneapolis and St. Paul, MN. Here are the scores so far:
Friday, Dec. 26
- Sweden 3 – 2 Slovakia
- Finland 6 – 2 Denmark
- USA 6 – 3 Germany
- Canada 7 – 5 Czechia
Saturday, Dec. 27
- Slovakia 4 – 1 Germany
- Canada 2 – 1 Latvia (OT)
- USA 2 -1 Switzerland
- Czechia 7 – 2 Denmark
Sunday, Dec. 28
- Sweden 4 – 2 Switzerland
- Finland 8 – 0 Latvia
Monday, Dec. 29
- Sweden 8 – 1 Germany
- Czechia 2 – 1 Finland (OT)
- USA 6 – 5 Slovakia
- Canada 9 – 1 Denmark
Tuesday, Dec. 30
- Switzerland 4 – 0 Germany
- Latvia 6 – 3 Denmark
Wednesday, Dec. 31
- Switzerland 3 – 2 Slovakia
- Czechia 4 – 2 Latvia
- Sweden 6 – 3 USA
- Canada 7 – 4 Finland
Friday, Jan. 2Canada World Juniors Roster 2026Forwards
- Carter Bear, LW/C, Everett Silvertips (DET)
- Cole Beaudoin, C, Barrie Colts (UTA)
- Braeden Cootes, C/RW, Seattle Thunderbirds (VAN)
- Caleb Desnoyers, C, Moncton Wildcats (UTA)
- Liam Greentree, RW, Windsor Spitfires (LAK)
- Michael Hage, C, Michigan (MTL)
- Tij Iginla, LW, Kelowna Rockets (UTA)
- Jett Luchanko, C, Brantford Bulldogs (PHI)
- Brady Martin, C, Soo Greyhounds (NSH)
- Porter Martone, RW, Michigan State (PHI)
- Gavin McKenna, LW, Penn State (2026)
- Michael Misa, C/LW, San Jose Barracuda (SJS)
- Sam O’Reilly, C/RW, London Knights (TBL)
- Cole Reschny, C/LW, North Dakota (CGY)
Defense
- Kashawn Aitcheson, D, Barrie Colts (NYI)
- Harrison Brunicke, D, Pittsburgh Penguins (PIT)
- Carson Carels, D, Prince George Cougars (2026)
- Ben Danford, D, Brantford Bulldogs (TOR)
- Ethan MacKenzie, D, Edmonton Oil Kings
- Zayne Parekh, D, Calgary Flames (CGY)
- Cameron Reid, D, Kitchener Rangers (NSH)
- Keaton Verhoeff, D, North Dakota (2026)
Goalies
- Carter George, G, Owen Sound Attack (LAK)
- Jack Ivankovic, G, Michigan (NSH)
- Joshua Ravensbergen, G, Prince George Cougars (SJS)
2026 World Juniors Quarterfinal ScheduleFriday, January 2
- 12:30 p.m. ET – Germany vs. Denmark
- 2:00 p.m. ET Sweden vs. Latvia
- 4:30 p.m. ET Czechia vs. Switzerland
- 6:00 p.m. ET USA vs. Finland
- 8:30 p.m. ET Canada vs. Slovakia
2026 World Juniors Medal Round Schedule, Semifinals and FinalSunday, January 4
- 4:30 p.m. ET – Semifinals Game 1
- 8:30 p.m. ET – Semifinals Game 2
Monday, January 5
- 4:30 p.m. ET – Bronze Medal Game
- 8:30 p.m. ET – Gold Medal Game
IIHF World Juniors Hockey: Past Champions
Here’s who won the Gold at the IIHF World Junior Championship since 2000.
- 2025: United States
- 2024: United States
- 2023: Canada
- 2022: Canada
- 2021: United States
- 2020: Canada
- 2019: Finland
- 2018: Canada
- 2017: United StatesÂ
- 2016: Finland
- 2015: Canada
- 2014: Finland
- 2013: United StatesÂ
- 2012: Sweden
- 2011: Russia
- 2010: United States
- 2009: Canada
- 2008: Canada
- 2007: Canada
- 2006: CanadaÂ
- 2005: Canada
- 2004: United States
- 2003: Russia
- 2002: Russia
- 2001: Czech Republic
- 2000: Czech Republic
2026 World Junior Championship Teams
View the list of teams, by group, for the 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship.
Group A
- USA
- Germany
- Switzerland
- Sweden
- Slovakia
Group B
- Canada
- Czechia
- Latvia
- Denmark
- Finland
Follow FloHockey’s Coverage Of The 2026 World Junior Championship
FloHockey will be on site for complete coverage of the 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship in St. Paul and Minneapolis, Minnesota. You can expect game-by-game coverage of both Team USA and Team Canada from FloHockey’s experts, interviews with key players and coaches and much more. Follow FloHockey’s WJC coverage here.
NHL Prospect Coverage On FloHockey
The best, and most complete, coverage of the NHL minor league hockey and NHL Draft is found on FloHockey. Don’t miss the latest new prospect guides, rankings and more from Chris Peters and the FloHockey staff.
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