The medal games are on deck at the 2026 world juniors in Minnesota. For the most part, the tournament has been highly entertaining, featuring a lot of close games and enough drama to fill a television network. From a scouting perspective, we haven’t seen a tournament like this, where so many top-end draft-eligible players have had and will play such key roles with their respective countries.
After defeating Canada in the semis, if you’re curious how Czechia will match up in the final, then you will have plenty of interest in the gold medal game. If you wear your patriotism on your sleeve, then you will be pulling for Canada against Finland in the bronze.
If neither of those things floats your boat, and you're a fan of Canadian NHL teams or you have a favourite Canadian NHL team, you may want to pay attention to the medal games Monday.
A quick look at the NHL standings elicits a different scenario than what we saw last year, with five Canadian teams making the playoffs. If the post-season were to start today, the Montreal Canadiens and Edmonton Oilers would be Canada’s only participants.
What’s more is that Calgary, Vancouver and Winnipeg occupy the last three spots in the Western Conference, indicating that if they stay the course, they will all be picking in draft-lottery range. With the Central Division being so strong, the Jets are playing for one of two wild-card spots. It’s not quite as bleak for Calgary and Vancouver in the Pacific, but still tough sledding to earn a spot. It’s not much better in the East, where Ottawa and Toronto sit seventh and eighth, respectively, in the standings.
The draft board tells us Toronto’s pick is top-five protected and it could very well be in that mix. Unless things change before the draft, Ottawa must forfeit its first-round pick as a result of a botched trade before Michael Andlauer took over.
Winnipeg, Vancouver and Calgary and Montreal all own their first-rounders, with Vancouver and Calgary having one additional first-rounder based on previous trades. Edmonton’s pick was given up to San Jose in the Jake Walman deal.
In any event, here are the top draft-eligible players playing in the gold medal game.
SWEDEN
Based on play in this tournament alone, winger Ivar Stenberg has officially entered the conversation as the No. 1 draft-eligible prospect. Centre Viggo Bjorck has upped his stock tremendously and looks like he’s a top-10 projected player. On the back end, William Hakansson has handled himself well and looks like a player who should fit comfortably in the second half of the first round.
Ivar Stenberg, winger
The younger brother of former St. Louis Blues centre Otto, Ivar Stenberg has continued playing just as he has in a historic SHL season for a player his age. After a semifinal performance that saw him score a goal and add an assist in Sweden’s 4-3 shootout win, Stenberg was named one of his team’s top three players as selected by the team. He has scored three goals to go along with four assists in Sweden’s six games and has averaged 18:27 of ice time per game, fourth among Sweden’s forwards. He’s a player to watch closely because his game is so calculated. He’s never in a rush, but always seems to end up in the right spot. He takes good routes on the forecheck, stays on the right side of the puck and will go anywhere on the ice that is required to make plays. He shoots the puck hard, with accuracy and a quick release. Stenberg has exhibited an elite 200-foot game for most of this tournament.
Viggo Bjorck, centre
Bjorck has been coach Magnus Havelid’s most trusted player. He played 4:55 of the 10-minute overtime. He had at least four grade-A chances between the latter stages of the third period and overtime. Down the stretch, he took all of Sweden’s important face-offs. For the tournament, he ranks just behind Viktor Eklund’s 20:40/game with 20:21, the only two Swedish forwards over 20 minutes, and has produced seven points and a plus-4. Bjorck has taken more face-offs than any other Swedish player and has managed to win more than 54 per cent of his draws. Bjorck has a great engine; he is in perpetual motion and wants the puck on his stick in the important, pressure-packed moments. When not in possession, Bjorck is in constant pursuit of pucks and uses his small-area game and smarts to get pucks turned over. The overall body of work suggests Bjorck is one of the highest risers in the draft class despite his five-foot-10, 176-pound frame.
William Hakansson, defenceman
Hakansson is a “steady-eddie” type player, an effective player in all situations. While he isn’t projected to produce high-end offence, he has a bomb of a shot and has seen time on Sweden’s second power-play unit. His pedigree does not speak goal-scorer, however. Hakansson has also spent time on the second penalty kill, where he seems more at home. At six-foot-four, 207 pounds, he has the size, reach and body type NHL scouts admire in defencemen. He wins board battles by pinning the opposition or using his reach to dislodge pucks. At the same time, he will protect the net front, but not with a lot of meanness. Hakansson is careful about when he joins the rush, which speaks more to his defensive awareness. He makes a good first pass and his skating is good enough to transport the puck, but that’s not usually his first option. Hakanasson looks more like a complementary, second- or third-pairing defenceman.
CZECHIA
Adam Novotny, winger
It took time for Novotny to adjust to playing in the CHL with Peterborough of the OHL. Once he figured out the angles necessary to make things happen on the smaller surface, he became a much more effective player. At this tournament, his overall foot speed has been exposed. He is just one of two Czech players with an "A" rating. Novotny is not behind the play, but he’s not driving play like he does most nights in the OHL. He has a pro body and a thicker lower half that helps him along the wall and at the net front. He has not performed in those two areas of the ice as consistently at this event as he does in league play. Having said that, he leads the tournament with 31 shots and has been entrusted with over 17 minutes of ice time per game. Overall, he’s taken a slight step back for me in this tournament, but is still highly thought of in the scouting community.
Tomas Galvas, defenceman
Galvas has passed through two NHL drafts, but he has been Czechia’s best defenceman. In a second-pairing role, he has played more than 20 minutes per game and has put up nine points, tops among defencemen on his team. By NHL standards, he is on the smaller side at five-foot-10, 165 pounds, but he plays with the heart of a lion. He is fearless while defending and is a smart play killer in neutral ice, utilizing first-step quickness and anticipation to turn back opponents. Galvas is extremely confident with the puck and has the poise to wait out oncoming defenders when pure deception is not an option. He plays the game with great pace and he is a threat as a second-layer player on the rush. I don’t think he will be passed over again at the next draft, based on his play in this tournament.
Scouting notes on the bronze-medal game, as provided by Jason Bukala:
The bronze medal match-up between Team Canada and Finland will test the morale and motivation for both teams and there are several draft-eligible prospects who have an opportunity to leave one final impression on the scouting community with a solid effort.
Canada defeated Finland in the round-robin 7-4. The Finns are a proud group who will, no doubt, empty the tank and give Canada all it can handle in their quest for a bronze medal.
CANADA
Gavin McKenna, winger
McKenna has produced three goals and seven assists, with all of his goals coming in Canada’s 9-1 victory over Denmark in the preliminary round. He’s been deployed on the top line and worked well alongside centre Michael Hage (Montreal Canadiens) and Brady Martin (Nashville Predators). On balance, the line has been Canada’s most consistent in the offensive zone and especially dangerous on the power play.
Martin was injured in the semifinal game versus the Czechs and is unlikely to play against Finland. McKenna, for his part, received a misconduct for “abuse of official” at the end of the semifinal game, so I’m monitoring if he is eligible to play or will be suspended for the bronze-medal game.
My opinion on McKenna’s performance at the tournament is complex. There’s no doubt he has top-line NHL upside as a point producer but he continues to leave me wanting more secondary push back in the trenches. I don’t expect him to be overly physical but more speed, tenacity and an active stick that could lead to turnovers and better defensive detail is required at times.
Carson Carels, defenceman
Carels has played four games for Team Canada and been paired with fellow draft-eligible defenceman Keaton Verhoeff in the medal round. The six-foot-two, 194-pounder projects as a two-way, potential top-pairing, NHL defenceman. He skates very well and pushes back physically.
As the games have ramped up at the tournament, Carels has struggled with his timing. He needs to close quicker/gap-up to take away time and space for his opponents and move pucks more efficiently. I have a great deal of confidence in Carels' overall trajectory, however, and strongly believe the youngster will be better for the experience of playing for Canada. Carels has produced one assist and been deployed primarily at even strength and spot duty on the penalty kill.
Keaton Verhoeff, defenceman
Verhoeff didn’t dress for Canada’s first two games and, like Carels, has played a total of four games in the tournament. The six-foot-four, 212-pound right-shot defenceman has produced three assists. The bulk of his ice time has also come at even strength.
Verhoeff projects as a two-way defenceman who has the ability to contribute at least secondary offence. His execution with the puck has ranged at times but it has nothing to do with his hockey sense or overall skill set. He simply needs time to mature and make adjustments to the speed and tenacity of games at this level. Verhoeff passes the puck hard and accurately, and has the legs to join the rush and work off the cycle in the offensive zone. He also possesses a heavy, accurate shot that can beat goalies from long range.
FINLAND
Juho Piiparinen, defenceman
Piiparinen is a young, right-shot defenceman who has also dressed for four games in the tournament. He’s a big body, two-way defender with better-than-average skating ability and overall puck skill. There have been times he needed to move pucks more quickly and play marginally faster in small areas at the tournament but he has a presence.
Piiparinen is listed at six-foot-two, 203 pounds. Almost all of his shifts have come at even strength. He’s rarely deployed on Finland’s special teams. Piiparinen has contributed one assist.
Oliver Suvanto, forward
Suvanto is a power-forward prospect who stands six-foot-three, 205 pounds and plays even bigger than his listed size. He’s very difficult to move off pucks along the wall and creates problems for opponents when he stations himself around the crease, screening goalies and looking to cash in on loose pucks.
Suvanto is deployed at even strength and the power play for Finland. He’s an adequate skater who has secondary scoring upside. His power game opens up space for teammates and makes him a very useful and intriguing draft prospect overall.
Matias Vanhanen, forward
Vanhanen went through the draft last year but he was very young for the class. His birthday lands on Sept. 11, which made him eligible by only four days. He’s a diminutive playmaker who is arguably the top passer of any forward in the tournament.
Vanhanen has contributed six assists. He’s deployed in a variety of roles and works off his strong side to distribute pucks on Finland’s power play. At five-foot-10, 170 pounds, he needs to add strength and explosiveness to his frame. When he gets stronger, paired with his offensive skill, Vanhanen could be an intriguing middle-of-the-lineup NHL prospect in time.
