MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. – Even though the pre-game favorites won every bout on Saturday, none of them came easy.
One-goal games. Late-game pushes. Scoring might have been hard to come by tonight (for seven of the eight teams), but it still created some solid hockey.
Here’s a breakdown of every game, and who stood out the most:
Slovakia 4, Germany 1
After nearly pulling off an upset against Sweden, Slovakia earned its first win of the tournament, beating Germany 4-1 on Saturday.
The Germans are now 0-2 and are the favorite to reach the relegation round in Group A.
2026 NHL Draft prospect Tomas Chrenko scored all three goals for the Slovaks, with two coming on the man advantage. Dustin Willhoft would use his speed to make it 3-1 late in the game, but it proved to be a little bit too late as Adam Belusko sealed the deal with the empty-netter. Detroit Red Wings prospect Michal Pradel, meanwhile, made 34 saves for the victory.
Germany
#1 Linus Vieillard, G: That was an excellent game for Vieillard, who was basically the only reason this game wasn’t worse for Germany. He was tracking pucks well through traffic, and held his own on the penalty kill. He was great at 5-on-5 too, giving the Slovaks little to shoot at. Even though it’s been a tough tournament for Germany, both goalies have played well so far.
#22 Timo Kose, RW: Kose has had a pair of good games for the Germans. He was best in the second period, when his four-shot effort helped give the Germans a bit of life. Kose has a good shot, and he’s willing to shoot from anywhere. Germany will just need more from the rest of the scoring group if they’re going to have a chance.
Slovakia
#1 Michal Pradel, G (Detroit Red Wings): Pradel only needed to make three saves in the first period – but he had to be lights out the rest of the way. The Germans kept pressuring him in the final two periods but he kept everything in check. The Slovaks don’t have a deep team, but if Pradel can hold his own, they’ll be in good shape. Pradel, in my opinion, is one of the most underrated goalies in this tournament.
#26 Luka Radivojevic, D: After missing Slovakia’s opening game due to illness, Radivojevic re-joined the lineup and gave the Slovaks an immediate boost. He controlled the pace of play from the point, using his high-end mobility to create scoring opportunities. He wasn’t awarded an assist on the opening goal, but he was the one who made it happen after avoiding a pair of attacking Germans before getting the puck towards the net. Radivojevic did get an assist on the third Slovak goal, however. Overall, he is Slovakia’s most crucial blueliner by a mile.
#15 Andreas Strakka, LW: Strakka was on Slovakia’s fourth line, but he didn’t play like he was. He made a great play to help set up the 2-0 goal, and had a couple of quality looks in the first frame himself. Strakka is great on the power play, and he loves to generate scoring chances. He’s not the most rounded player by any means, but he gives it his all when the puck is on his stick.
#21 Adam Nemec, LW (2026 NHL Draft): Nemec had a pair of assists on Slovakia’s first two goals. His chemistry with Chrenko – a fellow draft prospect – was undeniable. Nemec makes smart, quick passes and he has the raw strength to battle hard in front of the net. This was a much more noticeable effort from him today.
#29 Tomas Chrenko, C (2026 NHL Draft): All Chrenko does is impress internationally. He scored twice on the power play and once at 5-on-5 to complete a hat-trick before the end of the second period. Chrenko shines when you give him open ice, and while his 200-foot game needs work, his offensive zone awareness is as good as you’ll find on a team like the Slovaks.
Canada 2, Latvia 1 (OT)
After Latvia pulled off an unbelievable upset a year ago, they looked to do the same against Canada in their opening game of the tournament.
In the end, Canada came away with the 2-1 overtime victory, but the Latvians proved they can play a pesky game and make life difficult for one of the perceived powerhouses.
Canada opened the scoring in the second period – albeit controversially. Martins Klaucans was ejected from the game for hitting Zayne Parekh in the head – but further replays showed that it was far from the principal point of contact. On the ensuing five-minute power play, Calgary Flames prospect Cole Reschny managed to break the deadlock.
The intensity ramped up in the third, with Latvia putting on the pressure early. But Canada kept them pinned in their own zone in the second half, forcing the Latvians to get a bit desperate. Nils Maurins was excellent the rest of the way, keeping a perfect record at 5-on-5. That proved crucial, as Latvia scored with 1:58 left in regulation from Rudolfs Berzkalns to tie the game and force overtime. This time, though, Canada wouldn’t back down, with Michael Hage scoring a one-timer to win the game and get revenge for the loss a year ago.
Canada
#1 Jack Ivankovic, G (Nashville Predators): After a bit of a chaotic night in net for Carter George on Friday, Ivankovic had a much calmer experience today. The Latvians kept pressing, but Ivankovic continued to turn pucks away with his quick footwork. He was absolutely dialed in during the third, especially as Latvia started to ramp up the pressure again.
#2 Kashawn Aitcheson, D (New York Islanders): Aitcheson made it his mission to hit everyone in sight, especially in the first period. He’s a punishing player who makes life difficult for whoever wants to rush toward the net. His bread and butter is keeping players to the perimeter, and Latvia struggled to get themselves to the middle of the ice as a result.
#23 Sam O’Reilly, RW (Tampa Bay Lightning): You have to hand it to O’Reilly. He probably heard the nepotism criticism, given that his OHL coach is Dale Hunter. But he has been Canada’s best bottom-six forward the past two games, using his speed and relentless attack to win battles. He even nearly scored a shorthanded goal in the second. He’s Canada’s top penalty killer, and I’ve been more impressed with his game at this event than I expected I would be.
#29 Michael Hage, C (Montreal Canadiens): Hage was downright terrible in the faceoff dot. But he was one of Canada’s most noticeable players all night long, and he earned the game-winning goal after taking a great one-timer a minute into overtime. He had a couple of excellent passes that didn’t result in anything because a Canadian player in front was tied up. But his ability to get the puck into danger was better than just about anyone else on this team – again.
Latvia
#30 Nils Maurins, G: Goaltending was a big reason why the Latvians went on their miracle run a year ago, and Maurins kept the spirit alive. He made 24 saves in the opening two periods alone, giving his team a fighting chance heading into the third. There wasn’t much he could have done on Canada’s power-play goal in the second – he was heavily screened. Beyond that, Maurins played excellently – he kept his team in it.
#23 Alberts Smits, D (2026 NHL Draft): Smits was tasked with playing heavy minutes, and he delivered. He was easily the most intelligent and toughest defenseman on the ice for the Latvians, pushing back whenever the Canadians tried to play through the middle. Smits also led the Latvians with three shots in the second period – he was doing everything possible to keep his team involved.
#11 Dmitrijs Dilevka, LW: Admittedly, I didn’t know much about Dmitrijs Dilevka before today. I definitely do now. The 19-year-old was Latvia’s best forward tonight, bar none. He was winning most of his races to the puck, was pressuring the Canadians to make mistakes and he also got his stick in a few dangerous areas. Overall, he was one of the only true shot generators up front for Latvia.
USA 2, Switzerland 1
The United States improved to 2-0 in Group A with a 2-1 victory over Switzerland on Saturday night.
An injury to Washington Capitals prospect Cole Hutson in the second period seemed to have hampered the overall pace of the game. The American defender blocked a shot with his head during the second period, which resulted in him being stretchered off the ice and taken to the hospital for further evaluation.
The game itself was much closer than expected. Neither team scored in the first, with Will Zellers breaking the deadlock at 21:12. Basile Sansonnens would tie it up 11 minutes later before Will Zellers ultimately scored the game-winning goal two minutes after that. Goaltenders Nick Kempf and Christian Kirsch were perfect the rest of the way, with the Americans claiming victory on home ice.
Switzerland
#65 Christian Kirsch, G (San Jose Sharks): Kirsch was going to have to be excellent for the Swiss to have a chance tonight, and he delivered. He wasn’t overly busy, but he still had plenty of quality chances in tight that he turned away from a motivated American offense. Kirsch has left me wanting so much more quite often in the past, but his first-period effort alone was enough to keep his team engaged.
#13 Basile Sansonnens, D (Vancouver Canucks): Where did that performance come from? Sansonnens entered the tournament after a zero-point performance a year ago, and he has no goals in 31 games in Switzerland’s top league. Yet, somehow, he seemed significantly more engaged tonight than we’ve ever seen from him. He scored his first IIHF goal with a perfectly placed bardown snipe in the second period, and he was arguably Switzerland’s best own-zone defender, too.
#15 Lars Steiner, C (2026 NHL draft): Switzerland is going to rely heavily on Steiner the rest of the way. He nearly scored in the final minute, hitting the post on an otherwise perfectly placed shot. Steiner is a skilled forward who can beat you with speed and his deceptive release, but he just couldn’t beat Kempf tonight. Regardless, it was a noticeable effort for a guy trying to crack the first round of the NHL Draft.
United States
#31 Nick Kempf, G (Washington Capitals): Kempf didn’t face a ton of rubber, but when the opposition is pushing hard, you need to stay alert. That’s why Kempf’s third-period play was important – the Swiss were getting chances, and he looked sharp. We’ll likely see him take over the starter’s gig the rest of the way, but it’ll only get harder from here.
#10 James Hagens, C (Boston Bruins): We’ve definitely seen better out of Hagens, but the pass on Brodie Ziemer’s goal was nice. He was also crucial in the faceoff dot, winning the majority of his draws. I still think Hagens needs to improve, but he continues to be a positive for the Americans – his puck decision-making is still the best on this team.
#12 Will Zellers, LW (Boston Bruins): That’s another excellent performance from a guy the Americans nearly elected to keep home. He had a pair of goals on Friday night and followed it with a back-breaker in the second period to give USA some hope. Zellers is doing everything in his power to continue forcing himself up the lineup – we’ll see if the coaching staff agrees, given he’s been on the fourth line throughout.
#34 Cole Eiserman, LW (New York Islanders): Eiserman was doing everything to try and wake up the American attack in the first period. He was shut down in the second (as was most of the United States), but he still did a good job of creating opportunities all over the ice. It’s only a matter of time until he has an explosive game, right?
Czechia 7, Denmark 2
After losing 7-5 in a wild game against Canada on Friday night, Czechia bounced back to beat Denmark 7-2 on Saturday.
It was a close game early on, with the Czechs feeling the pressure. They scored first, with Vojtech Cihar scoring on the opening shot of the game. But the Danes managed to do the same three minutes later, with Penticton Vees forward Tristan Petersen beating Anton Wilde for the 1-1 goal. Matej Kubiesa and Vaclav Nestrasil would extend the Czechs’ advantage, both scoring on the power play.
When Oliver Larsen scored at 23:49, Denmark looked to be back in the game. Instead, the Czechs laid on the pressure, with Adam Jiricek, Stepan Hoch, Tomas Galvas and Richard Zemlicka all adding markers to put the game out of reach.
Both teams will be off on Sunday before returning on Dec. 29. The Czechs will kick off Group B action against Finland at 3:30 PM ET, before the Danes will look to get revenge for a 13-2 pre-tournament loss when they face Canada at 8:30 PM ET.
Czechia
#3 Max Psenicka, D (Utah Mammoth): His play won’t earn all the glimpse and glamour of someone like Adam Jiricek, but I really like Psenicka today. Most of his defensive reads were smart, calculated, and he was typically rewarded with possession. Psenicka won’t beat you with flash, but he’ll often out-think you on the rush. That was on full display today, especially early as the Danes really pressured the Czechs.
#5 Adam Jiricek, D (St. Louis Blues): Jiricek might have the early advantage for top defenseman. He was great against Canada and was excellent again tonight, registering a goal and an assist. Almost nobody can get past him without a fight, and I like how engaged he is offensively, too. Whenever the Czechs need a big momentum-changing shift, Jiricek seems to be called upon.
#14 Vaclav Nestrasil, RW (Chicago Blackhawks): Nestrasil had himself a game. He looked good against Canada, but was even better today with a goal and an assist. Nestrasil is such an imposing figure – he routinely dominates older competition in college, and it almost feels like he’s playing a step above here. Blackhawks fans: listen to the hype. Nestrasil is legit.
#15 Vojtech Cihar, C (Los Angeles Kings): That’s two solid games out of the future Kelowna Rocket. Cihar was everywhere in the first, scoring the opening goal and then helping to drive the offense on the 2-1 power-play maker. Cihar plays a relentless game – he’s energetic and always wants to win a puck battle. He wasn’t that productive in the Czech pro league, but he’s clearly playing with confidence in Minnesota.
Denmark
#1 Anton Wilde, G: I’ve been critical about Wilde early on – I thought he had a terrible pre-tournament and looked awful against Finland. But today, he really showed up. Sure, it fell apart late for Denmark, but he looked much more in control of his rebounds and handled the workload with ease. This was the most competitive hockey we’ve seen from him since the start of the pre-tournament, and he truly kept the Danes in this one as the shot clock started to go south for Denmark.
#6 Emil Jakobsen, D (2026 NHL Draft): Jakobsen is the youngest draft-eligible player in this tournament. He was the team’s most lethal defender, killing plays against some of Czechia’s biggest and most skilled forwards. He had an assist on the 1-1 goal and killed a few quality chances in front of his own net, too. Jakobsen is a mobile, offensive defenseman who, from my understanding, is earning some solid praise from scouts as a potential late-round pick.
#9 Tristan Petersen, LW: I was very impressed with Petersen today. He scored Denmark’s first goal at 5:53 after working hard to get himself into position for a good shot. Petersen is skilled, quick and has the best hockey sense of any Danish forward. Sure, Denmark lost, but Petersen’s play was promising – it feels like their forwards are starting to figure out the pace.
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