Hilary Knight on final Olympics
4x Olympic hockey medalist Hilary Knight shares her mindset ahead of her fifth and final Olympics, celebrating her journey and Team USA’s strength.
Sports Seriously
The USA’s quarterfinal ouster means the world junior hockey championship will have a new champion for the first time since 2023.
Will it be Finland, which eliminated the American team in overtime on Jan. 2? Or Canada, which won in 2023? Or will unbeaten Sweden (2012) or Czechia (2001) end long droughts?
The next step for determining that is the semifinals on Sunday, Jan. 4. Sweden will face rival Finland and Canada and Czechia will face off in what is becoming a big rivalry.
The Czechs have ousted Canada in the playoffs the past two years and Canada knocked off Czechia in the 2023 final. Canada won the team’s preliminary round meeting but forgot to do a handshake line and Porter Martone patted a Czech player on the behind after he scored an empty net goal.
Here’s what to know about Sunday’s world junior championships semifinals, including how to watch:
It’s an own goal as the puck comes off the glass and Swedish defenseman Alfons Freij puts it in off his goaltender as he tries to clear. Finland’s Jasper Kuhta get credit for the goal. Sweden 2, Finland 2
Draft-eligible Ivar Stenberg scores through a screen on a delayed penalty. Sweden 2, Finland 1
Score is tied 1-1.
The start of the game was nearly disastrous for Finland. Goalie Petteri Rimpinen misplayed a puck for a Sweden goal at 36 seconds. Then Sweden went on a power play 16 seconds later. Finland killed that off and settled down. They got a tying goal with 3:34 left in the period. Finland-Sweden games tend to be tight, and that’s the case again. Finland leads in shots, 11-7.
Atte Joki takes a pass atop the right faceoff circle, gets into better position and beats a screened Love Harenstam for the tying goal. Sweden 1, Finland 1
Felix Carell is called for delay of game for putting the puck over the glass. Sweden kills it off. Finland gets two shots and lead 8-4 in shots for the game.
Casper Juustovaara is called for slashing. Sweden kills it off.
Heikki Ruohonen is called for tripping at 52 seconds. Finland gets a big kill, allowing no shots.
Linus Eriksson flips a shot toward the net and it goes in at 36 seconds as Petteri Rimpinen appears to misplay it. Sweden 1, Finland 0
Sweden’s Lucas Pettersson is missing the game because he’s ill.
It’s Sweden’s Love Harenstam vs. Finland’s Petteri Rimpinen in net.
What channel is Sweden vs. Finland and Canada vs. Czechia world juniors hockey semifinals today?
TV channel:Â NHL Network
Livestream: Fubo, which offers a free trial to new subscribers, or Sling TV.
Watch world junior championships on Fubo
What time are Sweden vs. Finland and Canada vs. Czechia world juniors hockey semifinals today?
Date:Â Sunday, Jan. 4
Time:Â 4:30 p.m. ET and 8:30 p.m. ET (3:30 and 7:30 local time)
The Sweden-Finland game is scheduled to start at 4:30 p.m. ET and Canada-Czechia will start at 8:30 p.m. ET at the Grand Casino Arena in Saint Paul, Minnesota, the home of the Minnesota Wild.
World juniors hockey semifinals: How to watch, stream
Time:Â 4:30 p.m. ET and 8:30 p.m. ET on Sunday, Jan. 4
Location:Â Grand Casino Arena (Saint Paul, Minnesota)
TV:Â NHL Network
Streaming: Fubo and certain levels of Sling TV carry NHL Network.
World junior championships semifinals today
Jan. 4
All times p.m. ET
Sweden’s power play is connecting at 45% in the tournament, second only to Canada (47%).
Blackhawks No. 3 overall pick Anton Frondell has five goals and seven points. Forward Jack Berglund (Flyers) and defenseman Alfons Freij (Jets) also have seven points. Forward Ivar Stenberg is expected to be a top draft pick in June. He has two goals and five points at the tournament.
Forward Heikki Ruohonen (Flyers) has two goals and six points. So does defenseman Lasse Boelius (Ducks). Finnish goalie Petteri Rimpinen (Kings) has played every minute of the tournament.
Sweden and Finland played in the 2025 semifinal, and Finland skated off with a 4-3 overtime victory. Benjamin Rautiainen scored the winner from a bad angle on the power play. Konsta Helenius, a Buffalo Sabres first-round pick, had four assists in the game.