On Tap: Day 6 of 2026 World Junior Championship

Wednesday is the sixth day of the 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship, which is being held in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota.

On Tap for Day 6

All games on NHL Network in U.S., TSN in Canada

Switzerland vs. Slovakia (1 p.m. ET) -- Tomas Chrenko, a C-rated skater on NHL Central Scouting's preliminary players to watch list, leads the tournament with five goals and is tied for second with six points for Slovakia (1-0-0-2), which is coming off a 6-5 loss to the United States on Monday. "We're not quitters," Slovakia coach Peter Fruhauf said. "The boys have huge heart, and we'll count on that heart for this game against Switzerland and, hopefully, the [quarterfinals] after." Switzerland (1-0-0-2), which avoided the relegation round with a 4-0 win against Germany on Tuesday, has scored seven goals in three games. Forward Lars Steiner (a C-rated prospect) has a goal and two assists while averaging 18:24 of ice time, defenseman Leon Muggli (Washington Capitals) has three assists while averaging a team-leading 20:52 of ice time, and goalie Christian Kirsch (San Jose Sharks) is 1-1 with a 1.01 goals-against average and .950 save percentage in two games.

Czechia vs. Latvia (3:30 p.m. ET) -- Czechia (1-1-0-1) needs a win to have a chance to finish second in Group B. Forward Vojtech Cihar (Los Angeles Kings) and defenseman Tomas Galvas (2026 NHL Draft eligible) each has two goals and four assists to lead Czechia, which is coming off a 2-1 overtime win against Finland on Monday. Defenseman Adam Jiricek (St. Louis Blues) won that game for Czechia by scoring a highlight-reel goal at 3:39 of the extra period. Latvia (1-0-1-1), which is coming off a 6-3 win against Demark on Tuesday, is fourth in Group B. Defenseman Alberts Smits, an A-rated skater on Central Scouting's preliminary players to watch list, has looked solid. The 18-year-old (6-foot-3, 205 pounds) has three points (one goal, two assists) while averaging a team-leading 24:24 of ice time. Center Rudolfs Berzkalns, a B-rated skater, has scored one goal while averaging 10:12 of ice time.

United States vs. Sweden (6 p.m. ET) -- The winner will finish in first place in Group A and play the fourth seed in Group B in the quarterfinals on Friday. "It's going to be a really intense atmosphere and a lot of people are looking forward to it. Getting the top seed is important," said forward Will Zellers (Boston Bruins), who leads the United States with four goals and six points. "We always want No. 1, there's no just making the playoffs out of the round-robin. We want to be that No. 1 seed, so that's crucial for us." The United States (3-0-0-0) has 10 players with at least one goal. Defenseman Cole Hutson (Washington Capitals) remains day to day after he was removed from the ice on a stretcher during a 2-1 win against Switzerland on Saturday after being hit in the back of the head by a puck. Forward Max Plante (Detroit Red Wings) is also day to day after missing the third period of a 6-5 win against Slovakia on Monday. Sweden (3-0-0-0), which has outscored its opposition 15-5, ranks second in the tournament on the power play (42.9 percent; 6-for-14) and fourth on the penalty kill (88.9 percent; 8-for-9). Left wing Anton Frondell (Chicago Blackhawks) leads the team with five points (three goals, two assists) and 18 shots on goal, and A-rated forwards Ivar Stenberg (one goal, two assists) and Viggo Bjorck (three goals) have also impressed. Defensively, Leo Sahlin Wallenius (Sharks) has three assists while averaging 19:37 of ice time, and Sascha Boumedienne (Winnipeg Jets) has two assists while averaging 19:34.

Canada vs. Finland (8:30 p.m. ET) -- The winner will earn the top seed in Group B and play the fourth seed in Group A in the quarterfinals on Friday. Canada (2-1-0-0) was finally able to unlock its offensive potential in a 9-1 win against Denmark on Monday. Gavin McKenna, who is the favorite to be the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, had a hat trick and leads the tournament with seven points (three goals, four assists) in three games. McKenna's linemate, Michael Hage (Montreal Canadiens), is second on the team with six points (two goals, four assists). Canada, which is looking to medal at the WJC for the first time since 2023, ranks first on the power play (50 percent; 5-for-10) and is tied with Switzerland for first on the penalty kill (100 percent; 5-for-5). Finland (2-0-1-0) has 10 players on its roster with at least three points in the tournament, including forwards Jasper Kuhta (2026 eligible) and Heikki Ruohonen (Philadelphia Flyers), who each has one goal and four assists. Defenseman Aron Kiviharju (Minnesota Wild) has been a workhorse, getting three assists and a plus-3 rating while averaging 22:19 of ice time. Goalie Petteri Rimpinen (Los Angeles Kings) has started all three games and has a 1.32 GAA and .907 save percentage.