Day 2 at the 2026 World Juniors was another busy four-game slate that included a couple of tighter-than-expected games for Team Canada and Team USA.
Here are The Athletic’s daily takeaways and standouts from prospects writers Corey Pronman and Scott Wheeler.
Slovakia defeated Germany 4-1 on a natural hat trick to start the game from top 2026 prospect Tomas Chrenko, who also led the game with nine shots on goal.
Latvia played Canada to overtime for a second year in a row, with Cole Reschny (CGY) scoring Canada’s lone goal in regulation and Michael Hage (MTL) winning it in overtime. Jack Ivankovic (NSH) made 26 saves.
USA defeated Switzerland 2-1, but the loss of No. 1 defenseman Cole Hutson (WSH), who was stretchered off the ice after taking a shot to the back of his neck, looms largest for the Americans.
Czechia beat Denmark 7-2. Vaclav Nestrasil (CHI), Adam Jiricek (STL), Adam Novotny (2026), Petr Sikora (WSH) and Tomas Galvas each had multi-point games for the Czechs.
Questions for Team Canada following Day 2 (again)
Saturday’s game against Latvia was a near mirror image of last year’s game. It was Dec. 27 (again). Ivankovic was in the Canadian net (again). Canada was playing its second game of the tournament on the tail end of a back-to-back (again). Latvia was playing its first game of the tournament (again). It was 0-0 after 20 (again) and 1-0 Canada after 40 (again). And Latvia scored late to force overtime (again).
Last year, even though Canada lost 3-2 in a shootout, it still registered 57 shots on goal. On Saturday afternoon, that number was 19 fewer.
For a second consecutive game, I didn’t like Canada’s top line of Tij Iginla (UTA), Michael Misa (SJS) and Porter Martone (PHI), who I’d bet are broken up for their next game, against Denmark on Tuesday. It’s becoming clear that Canada’s bottom six lacks a playmaker or two, as well. Returnees Cole Beaudoin (UTA) and Jett Luchanko (PHI) haven’t created anything, Canada isn’t playing low-pace Kings prospect Liam Greentree already (a repeat of U18s, which raises questions as to why they brought him), and Sam O’Reilly (TBL) and Reschny have been solid on special teams but aren’t generating much at five-on-five (I do think Utah prospect Caleb Desnoyers has been decent in his minutes). I’m surprised, after the way that group looked Friday, that we didn’t see Team Canada register and dress Carter Bear (DET), especially given that it was an afternoon back-to-back. Canada’s blue line still looks disorganized, too, and I’d expect Keaton Verhoeff (2026) to get into the lineup against Denmark.
I thought Ivankovic played well and Hage (MTL) was again Canada’s most consistent player offensively (before he scored in overtime), but through two games, there aren’t many players Team Canada can be feeling confident are playing their best.
Canada’s lone regulation goal Saturday was on a five-minute power play. You don’t get to pat yourself on the back when you don’t score against Latvia at five-on-five, even if this is a competitive Latvian team, and even if you hit a couple of posts along the way (which both Nashville’s Brady Martin and Iginla did). Last year, Canada could make the case that goaltender Linards Feldbergs stood on his head. It didn’t feel as if Latvian goalie Nils Maurins did that Saturday. — Wheeler
COLE RESCHNY PUTS CANADA ON THE BOARD WITH THE POWER PLAY GOAL! 🔥 #WorldJuniors pic.twitter.com/yUwvReEqAt
— TSN (@TSN_Sports) December 27, 2025
Latvia is competitive (also again)
Let’s look back at Latvia’s results at the last few World Juniors, shall we?
It went to the quarterfinals for the first time ever as a federation at the summer tournament in Edmonton in 2022, where frankly, it was one of the stories of the event, beating Czechia and losing to Slovakia in overtime. It then took Switzerland to a shootout, went into a third period tied with USA, and played close games with Finland and Slovakia in Halifax before beating Austria twice in the relegation round in 2023. It then went back to the quarterfinals in Gothenburg in 2024, beating Germany decisively 6-2. That all crescendoed with a third quarterfinal appearance in four years last year in Ottawa, where it beat Canada and Germany and played close with Sweden to the final minute of its quarterfinal.
So far this year, it has lost 3-1 to Slovakia in pre-tournament, 3-2 to Czechia in overtime in pre-tournament and now 2-1 to Canada in overtime, taking a point off the Canadians in consecutive games.
This is a big deal and speaks to a larger trend of competitiveness among second-tier European nations that used to get trounced at this event. It can feel like Canada’s the only team that this has been happening to, but the reality is that Latvia has been playing everyone close for a few years now, and it has gone from having one or two fringe late-round picks to having a handful of legit prospects each year.
Alberts Smits led Saturday’s game in time on ice at nearly 24 minutes and is one of the best NHL prospects in this year’s tournament. Muskegon Lumberjacks forward Rudolfs Berzkalns scored the team’s goal and is going to get drafted in 2026. So is Olivers Murnieks. Towering 6-foot-6 Shattuck forward Roberts Naudins is already intriguing scouts for 2027, too.
All of this is positive for international hockey and the sport at large. — Wheeler
DEJA VU FOR CANADA! 😬 Rudolfs Berzkalns levels the score for Latvia! It’s 1-1 with under two minutes left in the final frame! 🇱🇻 #WorldJuniors pic.twitter.com/AXi5TSCDY0
— TSN (@TSN_Sports) December 28, 2025
USA offense dries up
The injury to Hutson, a top defenseman in last year’s event who needed to be stretchered off the ice in the second period, looms large for Team USA. Even with him on the ice for four periods and off it for two, the U.S. has struggled to generate consistent scoring chances against Germany and Switzerland, with its tougher games around the corner.
Top-10 pick James Hagens (BOS) has looked very average. He buzzes around with his skating well, but he hasn’t created enough plays or gotten to the net to create offense. Top collegiate scorers Will Horcoff (PIT), Max Plante (DET) and Cole Eiserman (NYI) have struggled to get things going, too. In fact, USA’s best forward arguably has been the late addition to the team in Will Zellers (BOS). He has displayed legit touch and vision with the puck, factoring in on most of USA’s offense to date.
Just Zellers doing Zellers things 🤯#WorldJuniors pic.twitter.com/Rlq4Yf5eFU
— USA Hockey (@usahockey) December 28, 2025
Without Hutson, USA has also struggled to get the puck up to its forwards. Luke Osburn (BUF) and Chase Reid (2026) were asked to play major roles they likely didn’t expect a few days ago in terms of their ice time. They are good players, and Reid is super talented, but it’s questionable if they can lead a blue line on a team with gold medal aspirations. — Pronman
Day 3 schedule
Here’s your schedule for a quieter two-game Dec. 28:
Sweden vs. Switzerland in St. Paul at 1 p.m. (CT)Finland vs. Latvia in Minneapolis at 3:30 p.m. (CT)