Canada Beats Czechia 7-5 in World Junior Opener

Canada defeated Czechia 7-5 on Friday night to open the 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship at 3M Arena on the University of Minnesota campus in Minneapolis. The victory came in a high-scoring affair marked by a frantic third period, where Canada erupted for four goals to overcome a late deficit and secure the win in Group B play.

The game began with Canada taking an early lead at 13:53 of the first period. Martin Brady converted a centering pass from Gavin McKenna in front of the net to beat Czechia goaltender Michal Orsulak, giving the Canadians a 1-0 edge. Czechia responded quickly, tying the score at 17:01 when Tomas Poletin tipped in a point shot. Just 37 seconds later, Michael Hage restored Canada's advantage, firing a shot past Orsulak after receiving a pass from Brady, making it 2-1.

The second period saw the teams trade momentum. Vojtech Cihar evened the score at 2-2 at 4:02 by tipping a shot near the crease during a delayed penalty. Czechia then seized its first lead at 12:13 when Petr Sikora finished a setup from Cihar, putting the Czechs ahead 3-2. Canada fought back late in the frame, as Zayne Parekh tied the game at 3-3 with 3:02 remaining. Parekh wristed a shot...