ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Tomas Poletin scored on a deflection with 1:14 left and Czechia beat Canada 6-4 on Sunday night to advance to face Sweden in the first all-European final in the world junior hockey tournament since 2016.

Earlier, Anton Frondell scored in the eighth round of a shootout to give Sweden a 4-3 victory over Finland. The final is Monday night.

kAmx? E96 =2DE 2==\tFC@A62? 7:?2=[ u:?=2?5 362E #FDD:2 c\b 😕 @G6CE:>6 😕 w6=D:?<: 😕 a_`e] rK649:2 2?5 $H656? 2C6 6249 ECJ:?8 E@ H:? E96:C E9:C5 E:E=6] rK649:2 H@? 😕 a___ 2?5 a__`[ 2?5 $H656? 😕 `hg` 2?5 a_`a]k^Am

kAm!@=6E:? D4@C65 `iaf 27E6C !@CE6C |2CE@?6 E:65 :E 7@C a_\E:>6 492>A:@? r2?252] rK649:2 6=:>:?2E65 r2?252 7@C E96 E9:C5 DEC2:89E J62C] %96 rK649 362E E96 r2?25:2?D 😕 E96 BF2CE6C7:?2=D E96 AC6G:@FD EH@ J62CD]k^Am

kAm’@;E649 r:92C D4@C65 EH:46 7@C rK649:2[ 2?5 |2I>:=:2? rFCC2?[ p52> %:E=3249 2?5 p52> q6?2< 2=D@ D4@C65] |:492= ~CDF=2< >256 a_ D2G6D]k^Am

kAm%:; x8:?=2[ +2J?6 !2C6<9 2?5 r@=6 #6D49?J 25565 8@2=D 7@C r2?252[ 2?5 y24< xG2?<@G:4 DE@AA65 b` D9@ED]k^Am

kAmr2?252’D |:4926= w286 72:=65 @? 2 A6?2=EJ D9@E H:E9 `ide =67E 😕 D64@?5 A6C:@5 27E6C 86EE:?8 2 D64@?5 492?46 H96? ~CDF=2< EC:AA65 9:> @? E96 7:CDE ECJ] %96 &?:G6CD:EJ @7 |:49:82? A=2J6C — H9@ 62C=:6C 7:C65 E9C66 D9@ED @77 A@DED — EC:65 E96 D2>6 >@G6 2?5 =@DE 4@?EC@= 2D 96 EC:65 E@ >@G6 E96 AF4< E@ E96 C:89E]k^Am

kAm$H656? 2G6?865 2 c\b @G6CE:>6 =@DD E@ u:?=2?5 😕 E96 D6>:7:?2=D =2DE J62C 😕 ~EE2H2[ ~?E2C:@]k^Am

kAmuC@?56== — 5C27E65 E9:C5 @G6C2== 3J r9:428@ =2DE DF>>6C — AFE 2 HC:DE D9@E E9C@F89 !6EE6C: #:>A:?6?VD A25D 27E6C 72:=:?8 @? 9:D 7:CDE EH@ 2EE6>AED 😕 E96 E:63C62<6C] w:D 7:CDE 2EE6>AE 9:E 3@E9 A@DED]k^Am

kAm“x 3=24<65 @FE[” uC@?56== D2:5] “xE H2D 2? 2>2K:?8 766=:?8 … 92AAJ E96 =2DE @?6 H6?E :?]”k^Am

kAm$H656? DFCG:G65 2 A@H6C A=2J 😕 E96 `_\>:?FE6[ b\@?\b @G6CE:>6 27E6C ‘:88@ q;@C< — H9@ >:DD65 @? E9C66 ~% 3C62<2H2JD — H2D 42==65 7@C D=2D9:?8 H:E9 ai_b =67E]k^Am

kAm“%9:D 82>6[ :E H2D 4C2KJ[ =@?8 82>6[ E:89E[ @G6CE:>6[ 6G6CJE9:?8] yFDE @?6 8@2= 2?5 E96? :E’D @G6C[Q uC@?56== D2:5] Q*@F =@G6 E@ A=2J E9@D6 82>6D]”k^Am

kAm{:?FD tC: DE@AA65 bb D9@ED] pEE6 y@<:[ y2AD6C zF9E2 2?5 2?5 y@@?2 $22C6=2:?6? 4@F?E6C65 7@C u:?=2?5] #:>A:?6? >256 ah D2G6D]k^Am

kAm$22C6=2:?6? E:65 :E 2E b 7C@> 4=@D6 C2?86 H:E9 didh =67E 😕 E96 E9:C5]k^Am

kAmu:?=2?5 2?5 r2?252 H:== >66E 😕 E96 E9:C5\A=246 82>6]k^Am

kAm~? uC:52J ?:89E 😕 E96 BF2CE6C7:?2=D[ u:?=2?5 362E E96 EH@\E:>6 5676?5:?8 492>A:@? &?:E65 $E2E6D c\b 😕 @G6CE:>6]k^Am

k9C ^m

kAmp! DA@CEDi k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^DA@CEDQm9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^DA@CEDk^2mk^Am

Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.