Sweden tops Slovakia in opener of 2026 World Junior Championship

Friday is the first day of the 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship, which is being held in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota.

All games on NHL Network in U.S., TSN in Canada

Day 1 games

Sweden 3, Slovakia 2 — Anton Frondell (Chicago Blackhawks) and Ivar Stenberg (2026 NHL Draft eligible) each had a goal and an assist for Sweden in its first game in Group A at Grand Casino Arena in St. Paul.

Victor Eklund (New York Islanders) scored and Love Harenstram (St. Louis Blues) made 23 saves for Sweden.

Stenberg, a projected top-five selection in the 2026 NHL Draft, finished a breakout with Eddie Genborg (Detroit Red Wings) at 16:03 of the third period for Sweden’s winning goal.

Tomas Pobezal (2026 draft eligible) and Tobias Tomik (2026 eligible) each scored and Alan Lendak (2026 draft eligible) made 29 saves for Slovakia.

Frondell gave Sweden a 1-0 lead with a power-play goal on a one-timer from the right face-off circle at 9:05 of the second period.

Eklund made it 2-0 with another power-play goal on a shot from slot off a pass from Frondell at 13:16 of the second.

Pobezal scored to pull Slovakia within 2-1 on a 5-on-3 power play with a wrist shot from the high slot at 19:55 of the second.

Sweden appeared to take a 3-1 lead 4:54 into the third period when Viggo Bjorck scored a shorthanded goal, but Slovakia successfully challenged for goalie interference when Bjorck’s skate hit the glove of Lendak as he skated through the crease.

Tomik then pulled Slovakia into a 2-2 tie on a backhand attempt from the slot at 10:55 of the third period.

Sweden’s next game will be against Switzerland on Sunday (2 p.m. ET). Slovakia’s next game will be against Germany on Saturday (2 p.m. ET).

On tap

All games on NHL Network in U.S., TSN in Canada

Denmark vs. Finland (3:30 p.m. ET) — Denmark returns to the top level of the World Juniors for the first time since 2019, but staying up won’t be easy in the Group B opener at 3M Arena at Mariucci. Finland typically plays a tight, gritty style, but this time they’ll have two of the top prospects for the 2026 draft in forward Oliver Suvanto and defenseman Juho Piiparinen. Suvanto (6-3, 207), who has seven points (two goals, five assists) in 30 games as a 17-year-old with Tappara in Liiga, the top professional league in Finland, could center one of the top two lines. His Tappara teammate, Piiparinen (6-1, 201) has three assists in 26 games and is averaging 10:42 of ice time as a 17-year-old. Finland will have 11 players back from the team that won the silver medal at the 2025 WJC, including Petteri Rimpinen, voted the best goalie of the tournament after he went 5-2-0 with a 2.34 goals-against average, .933 save percentage and one shutout while playing every second of Finland’s seven games.