In a pair of fantastic semifinal games, Sweden and Czechia emerged victorious to earn spots in the gold-medal game at the 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship in Minnesota, set for Monday, Jan. 5 at 7:30 p.m. CT/8:30 p.m. ET. Finland and Canada will play for bronze at 3:30 p.m. CT/4:30 p.m. ET.
 

In another tightly contested matchup between Sweden and Finland, Dubuque Fighting Saints alum, Harvard freshman, and Philadelphia Flyers prospect Heikki Ruohonen assisted on Finland’s game-tying goal with less than six minutes left in regulation to send the game into overtime, and eventually a shootout. Youngstown Phantoms alum, Boston University sophomore defenseman, and Winnipeg Jets prospect Sascha Boumedienne logged 28:24 of time on ice, tied second-most among any skater in the game, to help Sweden to victory.
 

Similar to the Sweden-Finland matchup, neither team could establish much separation in the semifinal. The Czechs led on three separate occasions before scoring the eventual game-winner with 1:14 left in regulation and adding an empty netter less than one minute later. Chicago Steel alum, University of Michigan sophomore forward, and Montreal Canadiens prospect Michael Hage had two assists and six shots for the Canadians. Hage’s 11 points are tied for the most among any skater in the tournament.
 

2025 Clark Cup champion with the Muskegon Lumberjacks, Chicago Blackhawks first-round pick, and University of Massachusetts freshman forward Vaclav Nestrasil assisted on the goal that made it 4-3 for Czechia, while Youngstown Phantoms alum and Minnesota Wild prospect Adam Benák had one goal and two assists in the win that punched Czechia’s ticket to the gold-medal game.
 

About the USHL

The United States Hockey League (USHL) and its 16 teams are committed to being the world's leading junior hockey league. This season, more than 50% of NCAA Division I men's hockey players and nearly 25% of NHL players have USHL experience. The USHL has developed more than 285 direct NHL Draft picks since 2020, and eight of the last 10 Hobey Baker Award winners, including Macklin Celebrini (Chicago Steel).

Elevated through the recently announced Declaration of Excellence with the NHL and USA Hockey, the league's player-first approach, including a 2:1 practice-to-game ratio and a schedule with 92% of games played on weekends, provides its players with the optimal environment for athletic and personal growth, creating pathways for the next generation of stars like Auston Matthews (NTDP), Kyle Connor (Youngstown Phantoms), Jeremy Swayman (Sioux Falls Stampede), and Johnny Gaudreau (Dubuque Fighting Saints).