Czechia secured a spot in the World Junior Hockey Championship final by defeating Canada 6-4 on March 31, 2024, in St. Paul, Minnesota. With just 1:14 remaining in the game, Tomas Poletin scored after a deflection off his skate, sealing the victory for the Czechs. They will face Sweden in the championship match, marking the first all-European final since 2016.
Earlier in the day, Sweden triumphed over Finland 4-3 in a shootout, with Anton Frondell scoring the decisive goal in the eighth round. The final will take place on Monday night, adding an exciting chapter to this year’s tournament. In the last all-European final, Finland edged out Russia 4-3 in overtime in Helsinki in 2016.
Both Czechia and Sweden aim to secure their third World Junior title. Czechia previously won in 2000 and 2001, while Sweden claimed victory in 1981 and 2012.
The game against Canada was a testament to Czechia’s resilience. They eliminated the reigning champions for the third consecutive year, having bested them in the quarterfinals in the previous two tournaments. Vaclav Nestrasil, a player from the University of Massachusetts and a first-round pick by the Chicago Blackhawks, expressed the team’s motivation to win, stating, “Obviously we wanted this win, because you heard them in the media… We wanted to keep their ego down, and we did that. I think we were better.”
Czechia showcased an impressive offensive performance, with Vojtech Cihar scoring twice and additional goals from Maxmilian Curran, Adam Titlbach, and Adam Benak. Michal Orsulak made 20 saves in goal, demonstrating solid defensive play throughout the match.
Canada’s efforts included goals from Tij Iginla, Zayne Parekh, and Cole Reschny. However, they faced challenges, including a missed penalty shot by Michael Hage with 1:56 left in the second period, after being tripped by Orsulak on the first attempt. Hage reflected on the missed opportunity, stating, “I had an empty net, and he tripped me. I just thought he bit so hard I’d try the same thing.”
In the second semifinal, Sweden avenged their previous year’s semifinal loss to Finland. Frondell, drafted third overall by Chicago, broke the deadlock in the shootout after failing on two earlier attempts. His first shot struck both posts, but he ultimately succeeded with a wrist shot that slipped through Finnish goalkeeper Petteri Rimpinen‘s pads. “I blacked out,” Frondell said. “It was an amazing feeling… happy the last one went in.”
The game featured a tense overtime period, where Sweden managed to survive a power play after Viggo Bjork was penalized for slashing. Sweden’s regulation goals came from Linus Eriksson, Ivar Stenberg, and Eddie Genborg, while Finland’s response included goals from Atte Joki, Jasper Kuhta, and Joona Saarelainen. Rimpinen recorded 29 saves for Finland.
Looking ahead, Canada will compete against Finland in the third-place game, with McKenna acknowledging the challenge: “Very tough, but doing it for Canada. We’ve got to regroup to be ready.”
The excitement builds as the World Junior Championship final approaches, promising a thrilling matchup between Czechia and Sweden.
