Canada thumps Slovakia 7-1 at world juniors to book semifinal date with Czechia

By Canadian Press on January 2, 2026.

MINNEAPOLIS — Canada will play for a medal at the world junior hockey championship.

Cole Reschny sparked a five-goal barrage in the first period to help his country cruise past Slovakia 7-1 in the quarterfinals of the men’s under-20 tournament Friday.

Michael Misa, Sam O’Reilly, Porter Martone and Cole Beaudoin each had a goal and an assist for the Canadians, while Tij Iginla and Brady Martin also scored. Jack Ivankovic made 21 saves. Zayne Parehk and Keaton Verhoeff added two assists apiece.

Jan Chovan replied for the overmatched Slovaks. Michal Pradel allowed three goals on 11 shots before getting pulled. Alan Lendak finished with 26 stops in relief.

Canada will meet Czechia, the country that crushed its dreams in the quarters the last two years, on semifinal Sunday in nearby St. Paul, Minn. Sweden has a date with rivals Finland, which bounced the host United States in overtime earlier Friday, in the other matchup for a spot in Monday’s championship game.

The Canadians, who defeated the Czechs 7-5 on Boxing Day, won a knockout-round contest at the annual showcase for the first time since capturing a record 20th gold medal in 2023 — a victory that was followed by a pair of disastrous quarterfinal exits, including 12 months ago in Ottawa.

Canada, which needed a spine-tingling OT winner from Connor Bedard and goaltending heroics from Thomas Milic to beat Slovakia 4-3 in the quarters in Halifax three years ago on the way to its last podium-topping finish, pressed the gas pedal after a hard-hitting start.

Reschny, a Calgary Flames prospect, buried a rebound to get things going at 13:58 and Iginla snapped a shot Pradel could only wave at 44 seconds later for a 2-0 lead.

Misa then wheeled into the slot and ripped a shot home at 16:11 to end the Slovak starter’s night at 3M Arena on the University of Minnesota campus.

O’Reilly shovelled a loose puck past Lendak on the first attempt he faced at 17:03 before Martin finished off a beautiful passing play on a man advantage in the period’s dying seconds as Canada, which topped Group B with 11 of a possible 12 points in the preliminary round, scored five times in five minutes 49 seconds of action.

Ivankovic got the start ahead of Carter George, who had the worst save percentage among qualifying goaltenders with a .884 mark in his three victories entering Friday. Ivankovic started for just the third time in his career at the world juniors after getting the crease against Latvia on Dec. 27 and last year in Ottawa.

Canada, which entered with 16 victories and a tie against the Slovaks all-time at the world juniors with a 90-20 combined score, made it 6-0 at 9:31 of the second when Martone fired off the rush and Beaudoin added the team’s seventh 1:10 later.

Chovan spoiled Ivankovic’s shutout bid at 16:50 before there was some chippiness at the end of the period with the game well in hand for the Canadians before the teams played a clean third.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 2, 2026.

Joshua Clipperton, The Canadian Press