Day 1 of the 2026 World Juniors is in the books and with it came both some surprising and some unsurprising results, including Slovakia keeping it close with Sweden and Finland running away with the win against Denmark.
Day 2 of the preliminary round will once again feature four games on the schedule. First, Germany and Slovakia will do battle at the Grand Casino Arena at 1:00 PM CST. Then, Group B action will resume as Latvia will play Canada in what will be a rematch of the 2025 World Juniors game that saw Latvia stun Canada in group play. That match will take place at the 3M Arena at 3:30 CST.
The late-afternoon will see the United States continue their three-peat quest as they take on Switzerland in what will be the Swiss' first game of the tournament after having Boxing Day off. That game will take place at the Grand Casino Arena and will come with a 5:00 PM CST puck drop. To wrap up the day's action, Czechia will take on the top division-returnees Denmark; puck drop at the 3M Arena is set for 7:30 PM CST.
Germany vs. Slovakia
This is a game that the Slovaks absolutely have to have.
Despite putting in a strong effort against Sweden, simple mistakes and penalties cost Slovakia several times, particularly in the second period. They'll need to rectify those mistakes quickly if they are to avoid the upset against a German squad that will be looking to utilize its forward talent as a means to produce scoring chances.
I think Germany can make this a contest if they can do what Sweden did to success: force Slovakia into making simple mistakes and see if they can keep the pressure up on offence. Getting a few goals will help with regard to the latter strategy, and I think the Germans can at least force overtime in this contest. However, even with the simple mistakes in mind, Slovakia showed they're a tough side to break down, and they should get the win here even if doing so requires more than sixty minutes.
The pick: Slovakia 3, Germany 2
Latvia vs. Canada
In last year's edition of the World Juniors, Latvia pulled off a stunning upset of the Canadian team, winning 3-2 in a shootout courtesy of a goaltending masterclass from Linards Feldberg.
This year, expect Canada to use this rematch as a means to continue their quest to re-establish themselves as one of the top dogs in junior hockey.
But if Canada is to get themselves the win here, they need to score early and often in order to take an outstanding goaltending performance from Latvia out of the question. Last year, the Latvians were able to play a strong game defensively and keep Canada off the scoresheet for the entire first period of play; a strong third period would ensure that Latvia would force overtime.
If Canada can score at least twice in the opening frame, they could take away any foothold Latvia could have in this game as a result. I see the Canadians doing just that and earning their revenge for last year's matchup with Latvia.
The pick: Canada 5, Latvia 1
United States vs. Switzerland
Like with Germany the day before, the key for Switzerland to stay relatively competitive against the United States will be to try and get some scoring chances.
That responsibility will undoubtedly start with Lars Steiner, who is averaging about a point per game with the QMJHL's Rouyn-Noranda Huskies. If the Swiss forward can even play to half the level that he does at the club level, he should be able to help Switzerland at least get a couple goals out of this game.
If Switzerland can take away the United States' rush attacks and force the Americans to try and break the Swiss down via an increased offensive zone presence, then this could end up being a close game. At the end of the day, the Americans should walk away with the win, but don't be surprised if the Swiss can get within two late in the third.
The pick: United States 4, Switzerland 2
Czechia vs. Denmark
Denmark's second game back in the top division might look a lot like their first: surviving. The Danes' game against Czechia is the second of three against tournament contenders; the first saw Denmark take on Finland to open the tournament, and the final game against such opposition will come on Monday against Canada.
Considering that Czechia has relied on the defensive side of the game at times over the past few tournaments, the Danes could be able to consistently push forward and try to find some scoring opportunities in this game.
I could see a determined and attacking-minded Danish side making an impact, but Czechia should be able to do enough on their part to ensure the victory.
The pick: Czechia 4, Denmark 1