For the third straight year at World Juniors, Canada and Czechia will meet after the preliminary-round stage for the semifinal matchup on Sunday, January 4.

Canada vs Czechia semifinal will be a rematch of the opening night of the tournament that saw Canada get a thrilling 7-5 win.

The World Juniors have officially been around since the 1970s, giving hockey fans the chance to see the next wave of talent perform on the big stage. From stars of yesteryear like Wayne Gretzky and Peter Forsberg, to the likes of Sidney Crosby, Connor Bedard and Connor McDavid, NHL greats - past and present - have competed in the tournament.

Brady Martin, drafted No. 5 overall in 2025 by the Nashville Predators, was injured playing for Canada at the World Junior Championships on Jan. 4.

Czechia has defeated Canada in the medal round in three straight World Juniors, after victories in the quarterfinals of the 2024 and 2025 WJC.

Canada faces Slovakia in the World Juniors quarterfinals as the undefeated Canadians look to extend their dominant winning run.

Sweden did it. They're golden at the World Junior Championship for the first time since 2012, with Czechia and Canada completing the podium. These eight players stood out the most on medal day.

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.