Canada Vs Czechia Headline WJHC Quarterfinals

The quarterfinals for the 2025 World Junior Championship are set, and all eyes will be on the highly anticipated matchup between Canada and Czechia. It’s a rematch of last year’s thrilling showdown, where Czechia scored in the final minute to eliminate Canada. Will this year’s quarterfinals deliver more upsets? Here’s how the matchups shape up.

Sweden Vs Latvia

Sweden has not won the World Junior Championship since 2012 but enters the quarterfinals as the top team in the entire tournament. They remain the only undefeated club and look to stay that way against Latvia. They are desperate to win the championship, as they have dominated the 2025 tournament.

That said, Latvia cannot be taken lightly as they have already beaten Canada this year. Goaltender Linards Feldbergs will need to stay strong for Latvia as he will face a lot of shots against Sweden. Washington Capitals prospect Eriks Mateiko must continue his scoring touch for Latvia to compete in this game.

Sweden’s team captain, Axel Sandin-Pellikka, is tied for the tournament lead in points after the preliminary games.

USA Vs Switzerland

The United States is coming off a massive win against Canada in the last game of the preliminary round. That game decided who would finish first in Group A, and it was a clinic run by the U.S. squad. Goaltender Trey Augustine was the player of the game for Team USA as he made an impressive 38 saves to lead them to victory. Cole Hutson is also tied for the lead in points after preliminary play. His edge work sets him apart from everyone else, as he is one of the best skaters in the tournament.

Switzerland will have their work cut out for them. They have struggled this year, with their only win coming against Kazakhstan. A bright side for them is that their last two games have been much better. Scoring five against Sweden for a total of eight goals in two games. In the first two games of the tournament, Switzerland only scored twice, so the increase in offense is a great thing to see.

Finland Vs Slovakia

Finland and Slovakia are expected to deliver one of the closest matchups in today’s quarterfinals. Both teams enter the round on a high note, coming off victories with their offenses clicking. Slovakian forward Dalibor Dvorsky is tied for third in tournament scoring after a standout performance against Kazakhstan. The St. Louis Blues prospect, competing in his fourth World Junior Championship, is determined to lead his team to the semifinals.

Finland has found its stride after a slow start, going scoreless in the first 70 minutes of the tournament. Since being shut out by Canada, they have won three straight games and remain the only team to defeat the United States. Goaltender Petteri Rimpinen has been a difference-maker, arguably the tournament’s best netminder, delivering clutch saves when his team has needed them most.

Canada Vs Czechia

This rematch will be an exciting one to watch. Czech forward Jakub Stancl scored with just eleven seconds remaining in last year’s quarterfinal to eliminate Canada. It was a shocking result, as Canada played at a much better rate last year. However, in this year’s tournament, the opposite can be said. Team Canada lacked enthusiasm and tried to make too many individual efforts.

Porter Martone will be back in the lineup today, as Dave Cameron reported. Martone will be a first-round pick in the upcoming NHL Entry Draft. He supplies an excellent scoring touch that Team Canada desperately needs. With twenty-one goals in just twenty-six games, he is on pace to shatter his career high of thirty-three in the OHL. It will be interesting to see how much Martone plays in today’s do-or-die game. Dave Cameron has not given him much of a chance so far.

Who do you think will move on to the semifinals? Quarterfinal action gets underway at 12:00 EST, with Sweden taking on Latvia.

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