After what many will consider the biggest upset in the World Junior Championship’s (WJC) history, Latvia’s 3-2 win over Canada in an exciting shootout victory, only two games will take place on day three of preliminary round play.
Czechia vs. Kazakhstan (1 p.m.)
Czechia: Final Roster
Kazakhstan: Final Roster
After a day off yesterday, Czechia looks to build on their tournament-opening win over Switzerland as they take on Kazakhstan. They will continue to look to Eduard Sale (Seattle Kraken) and Miroslav Holinka (Toronto Maple Leafs) upfront for their offense. Goaltender Michael Hrabal (Utah Hockey Club) was strong in the 5-1 win over the Swiss. Thanks to Hrabal’s 25 saves, the score does not indicate how well the game was actually played between the two teams.
Related: Guide to the 2025 World Junior Championship
Kazakhstan will look to keep things close, as it is once again outmatched talent-wise against the Czechs. They lost their opening game against Sweden yesterday 8-1 after giving up five goals in the first period. Another loss will likely see Kazakhstan having to beat Switzerland on Dec. 31 to try and avoid playing in the relegation game this year after earning their way back to the WJC scene with their 2024 Division 1A tournament victory.
Favorite: Czechia
Players to Watch: Vladimir Nikitin (Kazakhstan), Adam Jecho (Czechia), Jakub Dvorak (Czechia)
United States vs. Latvia (3:30 p.m)
United States: Final Roster
Latvia: Final Roster
After pulling off what could easily be the biggest upset in WJC history by beating Canada last night in a 3-2 shootout victory, Latvia faces another challenging game against the United States. If the win against Canada is any indication, the Latvians will not back down from any competition they face. Their relentlessness and hardworking mentality could cause problems for the United States.
WJC Daily Preview (The Hockey Writers)The United States is looking to build off their 10-4 win on Thursday against Germany. All eyes will be on 2025 NHL Draft top prospect James Hagens, who looks to solidify himself as the number one prospect in the draft class further. In his first WJC game, Hagens tallied two goals and two assists. Another player who could be a difference-maker in the game for the Americans is defenseman Cole Hutson, who looked a lot like his older brother, Lane, tallying five assists against Germany and looked strong from the backend of the ice for the Americans.
If Trey Augustine is in between the pipes for the Americans, he will be looking to bounce back from a bit of a shaky start to the tournament after allowing a couple of goals to the Germans that were out of character for the Detroit Red Wings prospect. Can goaltender Linards Feldbergs and Latvia ride the momentum of their win against Canada into another against the United States, or will the magic run out? It is more likely than not that the Americans will be able to handle their business and take over the number one spot in Group A.
Favorite: United States
Players to Watch: Cole Hutson (United States), James Hagens (United States), Peteris Bulans (Latvia), Linards Feldbergs (Latvia)
While There Is Limited Action, There Are Plenty of Implications
Day three only sees the two aforementioned games, but both games could have profound implications in the long run for the teams involved. For Czechia, winning against Kazakhstan will help them move closer to getting themselves into a top-four spot in Group B, while a loss for Kazakhstan moves them closer to the relegation round. For the Americans, beating Latvia would help them take a grip on the top spot in Group A, thanks to Canada’s loss to Latvia. For Latvia, the matchup has significant implications for their eventual matchup against Germany on Sunday (Dec. 29).
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