In a wild and entertaining New Year's Eve clash, Canada outlasted Finland 7-4 to claim first place in Group B. The Canadians will face Slovakia in Friday's quarter-finals, while the Finns will battle the defending champion Americans.

For Canada, Cole Beaudoin scored twice, including the second-period winner, and added an assist. Brady Martin also had two goals. Zayne Parekh added a goal and two assists. The 19-year-old Parekh, who has appeared in 12 games with the Calgary Flames, leads all World Junior defencemen with four goals and eight points.

"It's huge for us to get that win," said Martin. "For us to move into the quarters being the first seed is huge."

"It's everything you dream of," added Parekh. "I've always wanted to play in this tournament. Fortunately I got the chance this year, and I just want to contribute and win."

Under coach Dale Hunter, Canada, the all-time leader with 20 championships, is vying for its first gold medal since 2023. The Finns, with five championships, last won gold in 2019.

Looking ahead to the quarter-finals, Finnish coach Lauri Mikkola said: "The U.S. is the same kind of team as Canada. They are turning the game very fast. We can't lose so many pucks in the neutral zone and at the offensive blue line. We have to play more deep and stay on the puck."
 

For Mikkola's boys, Roope Vesterinen picked up a goal and an assist versus the U.S., while Matias Vanhanen recorded two helpers.

Canada outshot Finland 32-18.

It felt hard to believe that this was a showdown between Finland’s Petteri Rimpinen – last year’s Best Goalie en route to the silver medal – and Canada’s Carter George, who led the 2025 tournament with two shutouts. Why? The game started off with virtually every shot going in. It was relentless goal-trading.

First, Parekh flew into the Finnish zone and beat Rimpinen on the short side at 1:13 with Canada’s first shot on goal.

Julius Miettinen – wearing Finland’s “C” with regular captain Aron Kiviharju out (although expected to return versus the U.S.) – answered back at 3:54. He skated to the net and accepted a slick pass from Vanhanen, his partner in crime with the WHL’s Everett Silvertips, before roofing the puck home.

Just 32 seconds later, Canada regained the lead. Michael Hage centered the puck from the goal to an onrushing Martin, and he made no mistake.

The Finns made it 2-2 at 5:40. George let out a fat rebound off his blocker and Oliver Suvanto banged it into the gaping cage.

Finnish forward Onni Kalto was sent off for a big hit on the end boards that left defenceman Ben Danford shaken up. The Canadian power play took just 12 seconds to cash in. Hage slid it on net and Martin was there on the doorstep to convert at 10:40.

Once again, Finland had an answer. On a 5-on-4, Lasse Boelius’s centre point blast sailed past George to make it 3-3 at 12:59. Hunter challenged the play for goaltender interference, but the play stood upon review.

First-period shots were 8-8 as the goalies' save percentages took a beating.

Things settled down a bit in the middle frame. Canada had the better of the play as the Finns wasted time in the sin bin. On the first Canadian power play, Hage dinged one off the post. But during the second one, Tij Iginla scored on a breakaway at 9:35 to make it 4-3.

"We've gotta be better with the puck, get it deep and just wear them down," Miettinen said. "They want to change the game momentum quickly, and that doesn't work for us."

Rimpinen got some payback when he stoned Hage on a breakaway shortly afterwards. However, Beaudoin gave Canada its first two-goal lead when he banged in a loose puck at 17:05.

Parekh hailed Beaudoin's energy line: "They play the right way all over the ice, and it's a gritty group. They're hard skill, and they're doing a great job of that. It's fun to watch them playing, and it's big for us, because we need that line going."

Just 35 seconds later, the Finns drew within one again. A gritty forecheck turned the puck over and Vesterinen sniped it past George unassisted.

In the third period, Beaudoin barged to the net to convert a nice feed from Sam O'Reilly for a 6-4 edge at 8:20.

The Finns battled on, pulling their goalie for the extra attacker, but Beaudoin got the puck to O'Reilly for the empty-netter with 1:04 left.

Canada has dominated Finland head-to-head in recent years, winning all seven meetings in the 2020s, including the 2022 gold medal game (3-2 on Kent Johnson's sudden-death winner). The last Finnish victory over Canada was 2-1 in the 2019 quarter-finals in Vancouver, as Toni Utunen's overtime goal eliminated the hosts.