Sweden opens 2026 World Juniors with 3-2 win over Slovakia in tournament opener

CALGARY — Sweden opened the 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship with a 3–2 victory over Slovakia on Boxing Day, earning three points in the standings in the tournament’s opening game.

The matchup marked the first game of the 2026 World Juniors, officially getting the tournament underway in Minneapolis–Saint Paul. Sweden collected the win in a closely contested opener, while Slovakia left without points.

Anton Frondell was named Player of the Game for Sweden.

Following Sweden’s opener, the Day 1 schedule continued with Denmark and Finland taking the ice, followed later by Germany against the United States. The opening-day slate concludes with Canada facing Czechia.

The tournament opens with significant representation from the Canadian Hockey League. According to the CHL, 79 past and present CHL players are competing at the 2026 World Junior Championship, tying the all-time tournament record first set in 2013.

Of those 79 players, 65 are currently active in the WHL, OHL, and QMJHL, accounting for more than 25 percent of the tournament’s overall player pool. The CHL is the only development league represented across nine of the tournament’s 10 participating nations. Canada leads all countries with 24 past and present CHL players, followed by Czechia with a record 17, while Germany features nine and Latvia and Slovakia each bring eight.

The 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship runs from Dec. 26, 2025, to Jan. 5, 2026, with games played in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota.