WJC Recap - 05.01.26

Flames prospects Zayne Parekh and Cole Reschny added hardware to their collection after Canada topped Finland 6-3 to win bronze at the 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship.

Parekh also made history for most points scored by a Canadian defenceman at the tourney with a two-point performance, ending with six goals and seven assists for 13 points. His six goals also set a new high for Canadian rearguards.

The first period was a scoring frenzy, as Canada opened the scoring just over a minute in thanks to Sam O'Reilly with Finland's Arttu Valila answering two minutes later to even the score.

Braeden Cootes gave Canada the lead back a minute later to make it 2-1 but once again Finland had an answer, with Julius Miettinen capitalizing with the man advantage at 11:58 of the first frame.

Cue Zayne.

With Canada threatening on the power play late in the stanza, Parekh walked in and fired a laser at the top of the circle bardown to beat Petteri Rimpinen and regain the lead for Canada headed into the second.

With his goal in the first tying the record, Parekh would then break it after dishing the puck down low to Tij Iginla who found Porter Martone in the slot to make it 4-2 for the boys in red early in the second.

Sam O'Reilly and Finland's Heikki Ruohonen would trade markers to round out the period with Canada taking a 5-3 lead into the third, where Gavin McKenna would ice the game with an insurance marker with 6:25 left in the contest.

Parekh's 13 points lead all defencemen at the tournament, and he was good for third overall in scoring behind Michael Hage's 15 and McKenna's 14.

Cole Reschny ended the tournament with a strong showing himself with four goals and five points in seven games.