Canada and Czechia meet in one of the most anticipated elimination match-ups of the 2026 World Juniors.
Canada has a chance to overcome Czechia, the team that ended their last two World Juniors chances early in the quarterfinal round.
Now with a 7-1 quarterfinals victory over Slovakia in the rearview mirror, the likes of Gavin McKenna, Porter Martone, Tij Iginla, and the rest of Canada’s squad firing on all cylinders—they meet again.
In 2026’s rematch, only one will emerge victorious in this semifinal round game on Sunday, Jan. 4 at Grand Casino Arena in St. Paul, MN.
The winner will play Sweden, who defeated Finland in round seven of a shootout after a thrilling three periods and overtime to earn their spot in the gold medal game.
The two teams faced off last week in the preliminary round in which Canada took the win after a tense, high-scoring game on Boxing Day, 7-5.
Czechia’s Vojtech Cihar (LAK) leads the team’s scoring in the tournament with two goals and a WJC-leading seven assists.
Read live updates and watch scoring highlights for the 2026 World Juniors semifinal between Canada and Czechia. Follow along on FloHockey.
Canada vs Czechia World Juniors Semifinals Live Updates
Refresh the page to view the latest live updates, scoring highlights, and more info for Canada vs Czechia in the World Juniors semifinal on Sunday, Jan. 4.
Last update: 7:43 p.m. ET
ECHL Goalie Fight Tonight
ECHL action is streaming live on FloHockey all season long—including every goalie fight.
🚨🚨 GOALIE FIGHT. GOALIE FIGHT. 🚨🚨 @SCStingrays | @GSOGargoyles #ECHL #SCStingrays #RaysIt #CarvedInStone pic.twitter.com/VuoRL8zlHN
— FloHockey (@FloHockey) January 4, 2026Sweden Beats Finland In Shootout: Frondell (CHI) Scores Game Winner
R.R. Ellis has been covering the heavyweight battle between Sweden and Finland that took more than 6 rounds of shootouts. Click here to read the game recap and watch scoring highlights.
ANTON FRONDELL WINS IT FOR SWEDEN IN SHOOTOUT! THEY’RE GOING TO THE GOLD MEDAL GAME! 🙌 #WorldJuniors pic.twitter.com/p6lr0z5l6F
— TSN (@TSN_Sports) January 5, 2026Team Czechia Projected Line-up Vs. Canada
Here’s the official line-up.
Forwards
Vaclav Nestrasil (CHI) – Vojtech Cihar (LAK) – Petr Sikora (WSH)
Maxmilian Curran (COL) – Adam Benak (MIN) – Tomas Poletin (NYI)
Adam Titlbach – Adam Novotny (2026) – Stepan Hoch (UTA)
Matej Kubiesa – Samuel Drancak – Jiri Klima
Danny Chludil
Defense
Adam Jiricek (STL) – Jakub Fibigr (SEA)
Radim Mrtka – Tomas Galvas
Matyas Man – Max Psenicka (UTA)
Vladimir Dravecky (2026)
Goalies
Matyas Marik
Michal Orsulak
Team Canada Projected Lineup Vs. Czechia Forwards
Tij Iginla (UTA) – Michael Misa (SJS) – Porter Martone (PHI)
Gavin McKenna (2026) – Michael Hage (MTL) – Brady Martin (NSH)
Caleb Desnoyers (UTA) – Cole Beaudoin (UTA) – Sam O’Reilly (TBL)
Cole Reschny (CGY) – Braeden Cootes (VAN) – Jett Luchanko (PHI)
Defense
Cameron Reid (NSH) – Zayne Parekh (CGY)
Ethan MacKenzie – Harrison Brunicke (PIT)
Kashawn Aitcheson (NYI) – Ben Danford (TOR)
Carson Carels (2026) – Keaton Verhoeff (2026)
Goalies
Jack Ivankovic (NSH)
Carter George (LAK)
Scratches: Carter Bear (DET), Liam Greentree (LAK), Joshua Ravensbergen (SJS)
How to Watch Canada vs Czechia 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.
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 Czechia World Juniors Game?
The puck drops at Grand Casino Arena at 8:30 p.m. ET on Sunday, Jan. 4. You can follow live updates right here throughout the evening.
Canada Meets Czechia In Semifinal At The World Juniors: What To Watch For
Canada will square off with Czechia in a World Juniors playoff game for the fifth straight tournament.
Chris Peters breaks down what to watch for. Click here to read his full writeup.
2026 World Juniors Medal Round Schedule, Semifinals and FinalSunday, January 44:30 p.m. ET – Sweden vs Finland8:30 p.m. ET – Canada vs CzechiaMonday, January 54:30 p.m. ET – Bronze Medal Game8:30 p.m. ET – Gold Medal Game2026 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, CanadaKeaton Verhoeff, RHD, CanadaCarson Carels, LHD, CanadaAdam Novotný, LW, CzechiaVladimír Dravecký, RHD, Czechia
Here’s what he had to say about Verhoeff:
“Verhoeff may end up as Canada’s eighth defenseman, which isn’t a huge slight considering Canada has a very veteran and experienced group on its right side. Meanhwile, Verhoeff is going to be among the younger players to patrol a blue line if he gets into game action. I’m not sure the WJC will have an outsized impact on his draft stock due to what we expect is a more limited role. Canada did not yet register the 17-year-old North Dakota freshman on its roster ahead of its opening game.”
The 2026 World Junior Championship Bracket
Here is the semifinal schedule for Jan. 4. The winners of each game move on to the Gold Medal game at 8:30 p.m. ET on Monday, Jan. 5. The losers move on to the bronze medal game earlier on Monday.
4:30 p.m. ET – Sweden vs Finland8:30 p.m. ET – Canada vs CzechiaWorld Juniors 2026 Group Stage Standings
Here are the group stage standings.
(Points) W-OTW-OTL-L
Group ASweden (12) 4-0-0-0USA (9) 3-0-0-1Switzerland (6) 2-0-0-2Slovakia (3) 1-0-0-1Germany (0) 0-0-0-4Group BCanada (11) 3-1-0-0Czechia (8) 2-1-0-1Finland (7) 2-0-1-1Latvia (4) 1-0-1-2Denmark (0) 0-0-0-42026 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. 26Sweden 3 – 2 SlovakiaFinland 6 – 2 DenmarkUSA 6 – 3 GermanyCanada 7 – 5 CzechiaSaturday, Dec. 27Slovakia 4 – 1 GermanyCanada 2 – 1 Latvia (OT)USA 2 -1 SwitzerlandCzechia 7 – 2 DenmarkSunday, Dec. 28Sweden 4 – 2 SwitzerlandFinland 8 – 0 LatviaMonday, Dec. 29Sweden 8 – 1 GermanyCzechia 2 – 1 Finland (OT)USA 6 – 5 SlovakiaCanada 9 – 1 DenmarkTuesday, Dec. 30Switzerland 4 – 0 GermanyLatvia 6 – 3 DenmarkWednesday, Dec. 31Switzerland 3 – 2 SlovakiaCzechia 4 – 2 LatviaSweden 6 – 3 USACanada 7 – 4 FinlandFriday, Jan. 2Germany 8 – 4 Denmark (Relegation)Sweden 6 – 3 LatviaCzechia 6 – 2 SwitzerlandFinland 4 – 3 USA (OT)Canada 7 – 1 SlovakiaCanada World Juniors Roster 2026ForwardsCarter 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)DefenseKashawn 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 KingsZayne Parekh, D, Calgary Flames (CGY)Cameron Reid, D, Kitchener Rangers (NSH)Keaton Verhoeff, D, North Dakota (2026)GoaliesCarter George, G, Owen Sound Attack (LAK)Jack Ivankovic, G, Michigan (NSH)Joshua Ravensbergen, G, Prince George Cougars (SJS)Czechia World Juniors Roster 2026ForwardsAdam Benak, C, Brantford Bulldogs (MIN)Vojtech Cihar, LW, Kelowna Rockets (LAK)Max Curran, C/LW, Edmonton Oil Kings (COL)Samuel Drancak, C, Red Deer RebelsStepan Hoch, LW, HC Motor Ceske Budejovice (UTA)Adam Jecho, C/RW, Edmonton Oil Kings (STL)Jiri Klima, LW, Shawinigan CataractesMatej Kubiesa, RW, HC Ocelari TrinecVaclav Nestrasil, RW, UMass (CHI)Adam Novotny, LW/RW, Peterborough Petes (2026)Tomas Poletin, LW, Kelowna Rockets (NYI) Petr Sikora, C, HC Ocelari Trinec (WSH)Adam Titlbach, C/LW, Vancouver GiantsRichard Zemlicka, F, Youngstown PhantomsDefenseVashek Blanar, D, HV71 (BOS)Vladimir Dravecky, D, Brantford Bulldogs (2026)Jakub Fibigr, D, Brampton Steelheads (SEA)Tomas Galvas, D, Bili Tygri Liberec Adam Jiricek, D, Brantford Bulldogs (STL)Matyas Man, D, Prince Albert RaidersRadim Mrtka, D, Seattle Thunderbirds (BUF)Max Psenicka, D, Portland Winterhawks (UTA)Jakub Vanacek, D, Tri-City Americans (2026)GoaliesMatyas Marik, G, HC Motor Ceske BudejoviceMichal Orsulak, G, Prince Albert RaidersJakub Milota, G, Blainville-Broisbriand Armada (NSH)IIHF World Juniors Hockey: Past Champions
Here’s who won the Gold at the IIHF World Junior Championship since 2000.
2025: United States2024: United States2023: Canada2022: Canada2021: United States2020: Canada2019: Finland2018: Canada2017: United States 2016: Finland2015: Canada2014: Finland2013: United States 2012: Sweden2011: Russia2010: United States2009: Canada2008: Canada2007: Canada2006: Canada 2005: Canada2004: United States2003: Russia2002: Russia2001: Czech Republic2000: Czech Republic2026 World Junior Championship Teams
View the list of teams, by group, for the 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship.
Group AUSAGermanySwitzerlandSwedenSlovakiaGroup BCanadaCzechiaLatviaDenmarkFinlandFollow 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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