Canada, Sweden and Finland
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The stage is set for the 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship. Sweden will take on Czechia in the gold-medal game at Grand Casino Arena in St. Paul, Minnesota, on Monday. Meanwhile, Finland will face Canada in the third-place game, also on Monday.
Canada was missing six NHLers, including the No. 3-ranked scorer and a defenseman who is likely going to win the Calder Trophy — and yet, they still won a bronze medal at the 2026 world junior championship in Minnesota.
Hockey Canada named 27 players to its world juniors camp roster, with Sharks, Flames and Penguins players getting loaned to the national team.
Canada defeated Slovakia 7-1 in their quarterfinal matchup at the world junior hockey championship on Friday. They'll move on to the semifinal matchup against the Czech Republic Sunday.
World Juniors scores today: Updated results, schedule for IIHF hockey games on Jan. 3, 2026 originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.