Fans, like these Czech supporters, have plenty of interesting subplots to follow on the final day of the 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship.
photo: © INTERNATIONAL ICE HOCKEY FEDERATION / TIM AUSTEN
The number one question on hockey fans’ minds about the 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship is: “Will the Swedes or Czechs win the gold medal?”
Of course, fans of Canada and Finland are also keen to see if their boys can earn some consolation with a bronze medal on Monday.
But there are other intriguing subplots of varying degrees of importance to explore as our tournament comes to a dramatic close. Let’s check out five of them.
1) Top-Scoring D-Man Trend
When the U.S.’s Cole Hutson finished alone atop the scoring parade at the 2025 World Juniors (11 points), he did something no other defenceman had done before.
Sweden’s Hakan Nordin (1981, 9 points), Canada’s Carlo Colaiacovo (10 points, 2003), and the U.S.’s Erik Johnson (2007, 10 points) all tied for the points lead with various forwards.
Of course, fans of Canada and Finland are also keen to see if their boys can earn some consolation with a bronze medal on Monday.
But there are other intriguing subplots of varying degrees of importance to explore as our tournament comes to a dramatic close. Let’s check out five of them.
1) Top-Scoring D-Man Trend
When the U.S.’s Cole Hutson finished alone atop the scoring parade at the 2025 World Juniors (11 points), he did something no other defenceman had done before.
Sweden’s Hakan Nordin (1981, 9 points), Canada’s Carlo Colaiacovo (10 points, 2003), and the U.S.’s Erik Johnson (2007, 10 points) all tied for the points lead with various forwards.
However, both Canada’s Zayne Parekh (11 points) and Czechia’s Tomas Galvas (9 points) have a shot at taking sole possession of the scoring title, like Hutson, on Monday. It reflects the NHL trend of ultra-active D-men, like soon-to-be 2026 Olympians Cale Makar, Quinn Hughes, and Miro Heiskanen.
2) Road Sweet Road
When an NHL arena serves as a World Junior venue, naturally the pro stars have to get out of town for a while. And it apparently hasn’t hurt the Minnesota Wild to spend some time bonding away from Grand Casino Arena.
Riding high on the recent acquisition of Quinn Hughes from the Vancouver Canucks, the Wild have earned points in all five road games they have played during the World Juniors. Their only two blemishes are shootout losses to San Jose on New Year’s Eve (4-3) and Los Angeles on 3 January (5-4). Minnesota will aim to keep that road streak alive in a rematch with L.A. on Monday.
3) Big Day for Brantford
Brantford, Ontario is best-known in the hockey world as the birthplace of Wayne Gretzky. However, its OHL franchise – which relocated there from Hamilton starting in the 2023-24 season – is having its own moment in the spotlight as the most-represented organization among the final four teams.
2) Road Sweet Road
When an NHL arena serves as a World Junior venue, naturally the pro stars have to get out of town for a while. And it apparently hasn’t hurt the Minnesota Wild to spend some time bonding away from Grand Casino Arena.
Riding high on the recent acquisition of Quinn Hughes from the Vancouver Canucks, the Wild have earned points in all five road games they have played during the World Juniors. Their only two blemishes are shootout losses to San Jose on New Year’s Eve (4-3) and Los Angeles on 3 January (5-4). Minnesota will aim to keep that road streak alive in a rematch with L.A. on Monday.
3) Big Day for Brantford
Brantford, Ontario is best-known in the hockey world as the birthplace of Wayne Gretzky. However, its OHL franchise – which relocated there from Hamilton starting in the 2023-24 season – is having its own moment in the spotlight as the most-represented organization among the final four teams.
In Czechia’s 6-4 semi-final win over Canada, a whopping five members of the Brantford Bulldogs suited up. Even more interesting was the distribution of the skaters nationality-wise. Three Czechs (defencemen Adam Jiricek and Vladimir Dravecky and forward Adam Benak) got the better of two Canadians (defenceman Ben Danford and forward Jett Luchanko). If all five manage to win medals, Monday will indeed be a “great one” for Brantford.
4) A U.S. New-Millennium Streak Quietly Ends
Minnesota has done a fine job of hosting the 50th World Juniors. Naturally, the hosts would have been even more pleased if the American team had forged a dynasty with its third straight gold medal. But that dream sadly came to an end with Finland’s 4-3 quarter-final victory.
In the 21st century, Monday marks the first time that American players will not get medals around their necks at a home-ice World Juniors. The U.S. won the bronze medal in 2005 in Grand Forks, North Dakota, as well as in Buffalo in both 2011 and 2018.
5) Will the World Junior “Olympic Curse” Go On?
Strange but true: no active nation in this tournament has ever won both the World Juniors and the Olympics in the same year.
Of course, there is little overlap between the World Junior and Olympic rosters of most nations, even in years when the NHL has not taken part. But nonetheless, as the World Juniors are a good barometer for the current and future strength of national hockey programs, it’s weird not to see this particular double happening more often.
Only twice – in 1984 and 1992 – did the Soviet or post-Soviet states avoid the “Olympic curse.” Will either Sweden or Czechia win on Monday and go on to golden glory in Milano Cortina 2026?
Here is the full list of champions in both competitions in Olympic years:
1980: USSR (WJC), U.S. (OG)
1984: USSR (WJC), USSR (OG)
1988: Canada (WJC), USSR (OG)
1992: CIS (WJC), CIS (OG)
1994: Canada (WJC), Sweden (OG)
1998: Finland (WJC), Czechia (OG)
2002: Russia (WJC), Canada (OG)
2006: Canada (WJC), Sweden (OG)
2010: U.S. (WJC), Canada (OG)
2014: Finland (WJC), Canada (OG)
2018: Canada (WJC), OAS (OG)
2022: Canada (WJC), Finland (OG)
4) A U.S. New-Millennium Streak Quietly Ends
Minnesota has done a fine job of hosting the 50th World Juniors. Naturally, the hosts would have been even more pleased if the American team had forged a dynasty with its third straight gold medal. But that dream sadly came to an end with Finland’s 4-3 quarter-final victory.
In the 21st century, Monday marks the first time that American players will not get medals around their necks at a home-ice World Juniors. The U.S. won the bronze medal in 2005 in Grand Forks, North Dakota, as well as in Buffalo in both 2011 and 2018.
5) Will the World Junior “Olympic Curse” Go On?
Strange but true: no active nation in this tournament has ever won both the World Juniors and the Olympics in the same year.
Of course, there is little overlap between the World Junior and Olympic rosters of most nations, even in years when the NHL has not taken part. But nonetheless, as the World Juniors are a good barometer for the current and future strength of national hockey programs, it’s weird not to see this particular double happening more often.
Only twice – in 1984 and 1992 – did the Soviet or post-Soviet states avoid the “Olympic curse.” Will either Sweden or Czechia win on Monday and go on to golden glory in Milano Cortina 2026?
Here is the full list of champions in both competitions in Olympic years:
1980: USSR (WJC), U.S. (OG)
1984: USSR (WJC), USSR (OG)
1988: Canada (WJC), USSR (OG)
1992: CIS (WJC), CIS (OG)
1994: Canada (WJC), Sweden (OG)
1998: Finland (WJC), Czechia (OG)
2002: Russia (WJC), Canada (OG)
2006: Canada (WJC), Sweden (OG)
2010: U.S. (WJC), Canada (OG)
2014: Finland (WJC), Canada (OG)
2018: Canada (WJC), OAS (OG)
2022: Canada (WJC), Finland (OG)