2026 U-18 World Championship: Cullen, Lin higlight top standouts from final day of round robin
Denmark 1, Sweden 10
Sweden avoided any potential scenario involving them heading to the relegation game by beating Denmark 10-1 on Monday.
Both teams will advance to the quarterfinal, with Germany being the Group B team playing in the relegation match on Wednesday.
It was a huge victory for Sweden, who lost 9-1 to the United States in one of Sweden’s worst games in tournament history. But with four goals on its first four recorded shots, it had to feel good for the Tre Kronor today. Elton Hermansson and Nils Bartholdsson scored a goal each in the first minute, with Alexander Command and Wiggo Sorensson each adding goals by the 11:54 mark.
Noah Hulsig would go on to score the lone Danish goal late in the first period, beating Kevin Tornblom with a nice shot up high. From there, though, the Swedes kept pushing. Mikael Kim and Bosse Meijer each tallied a goal in the second, while Hermansson nabbed his second at 43:54. Marcus Nordmark scored a pair of goals, while Command would nab another to help finish off the day.
Denmark
#3 Lucas Kjelgaard, D: It was a rough night for everyone on the Danish side. But Kjelgaard was the only defender I thought could keep up with the Swedes today. He’s a good skater who plays with a ton of skill. Kjelgaard hasn’t produced much at this event, but has generally looked solid in a two-way role. He already has some pro experience, which doesn’t hurt, either.
Sweden
#11 Alexander Command, C: This was my favorite performance from Command at this event. He scored a goal, added an assist and had a great night in the faceoff dot. Command is the perfect middleman for Hermansson and Marcus Nordmark because he takes the defensive responsibility especially seriously, allowing his wingers to fly a bit more freely. This was a productive game for him overall, though, and it felt like he just couldn’t do anything wrong at either end of the ice. A potential first-round pick, for sure.
#12 Marcus Nordmark, LW: Nordmark couldn’t let his teammates have all the fun. He set up the seventh marker, scored a beautiful goal to make it 9-1 and then added one on the power play to make it 10-1. Sure, the game was completely out of reach already at that point, but he displayed his high-end skill. I still wish we’d see more from Nordmark in a two-way capacity, but few players can pull off the moves he does consistently.
#17 Elton Hermansson, RW: Hermansson came to play today. He’s one of the most skilled forwards in this tournament, no question about it. But after two off games for him, he needed a big start. So, how about scoring on the first shift of the game, adding another in the third and registering four assists? It felt like the reset yesterday did wonders for him, as Hermansson’s confidence shone through today. He’s one of the best at getting the puck into dangerous scoring lanes, and I love his shot, too.
#22 Wiggo Sörensson, C: Sörensson has really boosted his draft stock the past week. He entered the game with a pair of points, but has generally been very impressive in a two-way role. Playing on Sweden’s top line today, he showed off his quick footwork and hands to score the 4-0 goal to truly put today’s contest out of reach. Sörensson does a good job of picking up rebounds, but he also has a strong wrist shot, too. He has had a good year with Sweden’s U-18 team, but this tournament has been a coming-out party for him. Sörensson has played essentially ever level of junior hockey possible this season, and scouts have really started to come around on him in recent months. I could see him going in the third round.
#23 Bosse Meijer, C (2027): The 2027 prospect played his best game of the tournament today. He had a couple of quality chances, and it led to a shorthanded goal in the second period. I like him on the penalty kill because he closes gaps very quickly and isn’t afraid to get in the way of shots. He’s a speedy, two-way forward who plays a smart, calculated game, and he’s no slouch as a shooter, either. Sweden will hope to see more performances like that moving forward.
Canada 7, Finland 0
In what was supposed to be one of the premier events of the U-18 World Championship, Canada easily dismantled Finland 7-0 to move into second place in Group A.
Canada will play Sweden in the quarterfinal, while the Finns will meet up with Czechia. The Canadians have now shut out their opponents in the past three games after losing 2-1 to Slovakia in the tournament opener.
Canada scored four goals in the first period to put the game completely out of reach. Adam Valentini and Mathis Preston both scored, while Beckett Hamilton had a pair to make it 4-0. Preston would add a second early in the third period before Dima Zhilkin and Ryan Lin added markers late in the game to finish off the night.
Canada
#1 Gavin Betts, G: Betts wasn’t too busy in this one, but he was very important early in the second. The Finns made sure to keep him busy early after the terrible start, but Betts stayed strong, including on a few odd-man rushes. Canada’s goaltending hasn’t had to be spectacular at this event, but Betts was sharp when asked of in this game and should own the crease heading into the playoffs.
#4 Ryan Lin, D: Lin is just so smooth. He doesn’t need to have major multi-point efforts to be effective. But with a goal and two assists today, it definitely didn’t hurt. Lin made an excellent pass on the 4-0 goal today, but he also broke up a few decent chances from the Finns on 2-on-1s midway through. That goal in the third period? Beautiful. Lin isn’t big, but his speed and hockey sense should allow him to go in the top 15 of the draft. I simply love his game – he’s so skilled, and he’s fearless.
#8 Callum Croskery, D: Croskery had a pair of assists in the first period and made some excellent defensive plays in the second. It felt like he was playing with the most confidence we’ve seen from him in Slovakia. His gap control was excellent, and his two-way play also seemed to have awakened Verhoeff’s game, too. Scouts are a bit mixed about Croskery’s play, but nobody will deny his raw talent or puck skills.
#20 Keaton Verhoeff, D: It was a quiet start to the tournament, but Verhoeff looked great today. He had a pair of primary assists, and was the driving force behind both plays coming together. Verhoeff is a potential top five prospect this year who came down after spending the year playing against older competition in the NCAA. It took a bit for him to fully find his groove, but he has arrived at the right time for the Canadians.
#14 Mathis Preston, RW: Preston’s strong tournament continues. He had a pair of goals today, including an absolute blister of a shot to make it 5-0. He doesn’t waste much time with the puck on his stick, but he also exploits open ice as well as anyone on this Canadian team. Preston’s draft stock fell this year, but he has absolutely elevated his game to a higher level over the past week.
#21 Beckett Hamilton, RW: Damn, what a game! Hamilton has been on Canada’s fourth line the whole tournament, but he made the most of his ice time with a two-goal performance today. He’s an energy-line forward who plays a fearless game. He scored earlier in the tournament, but today felt more like what Red Deer Rebels fans have come to know from him. Don’t give Hamilton space – he’s got a dangerous shot. I could see him going in the second round.
Finland
#29 Luca Santala, RW (2027): It felt like Santala was one of the few Finnish forwards who brought any form of skill to the game today. He had a few decent looks in this one, but just couldn’t capitalize. He’s a strong forward who plays with a ton of skill, and he’s been very productive over the past week. Finland will be looking for him to generate quality chances in the quarterfinal.
Germany 2, USA 10
Germany needed to beat the United States in any fashion to earn a spot in the quarterfinal. Instead, they allowed six goals in the first period as the United States pulled out to a 10-2 victory.
USA finished Group B with 10 points, good for first. They’ll face Latvia in the quarterfinal, while Germany will battle Norway in the relegation game to kick off Wednesday’s action. The losing team will be replaced by Switzerland for 2027.
Jamie Glance, Wyatt Cullen (twice), Mikey Berchild, Sammy Nelson and Lukas Zajic all scored in the first, while Casey Mutryn added one in the second. Nelson, Berchild and Zajic would all score second goals, while Tobias Krestan and Luis Becker each had a goal for the Germans.
Germany
#12 Luis Becker, RW: Becker had a quiet tournament before today, but scored the second German goal on the power play. He’s a skilled forward who likes getting shots on net, but just hadn’t had many dangerous opportunities before today. The goal came a little too late for it to matter, but Becker was at least noticeable the whole game and was well deserving of that goal.
USA
#7 Wyatt Cullen, LW: Cullen scored twice in the first period and set up another. He took the foot off the pedal a bit in the second, but there wasn’t much more he needed to prove. Cullen has been USA’s best player outside of maybe Glance this week, with Cullen’s two-way game being tremendous. He’s such a slick passer, and his hands are remarkably quick, too – that 6-1 goal was one of the best of the tournament.
#9 Sammy Nelson, C: Nelson had a pair of goals in this one. His chemistry with Casey Mutryn was noticeable from the get-go, with Nelson wasting no time firing quick shots in the back of the net. It’s been a strong tournament for him overall, which isn’t surprising given he had a big year with the U-18 club. He’s strong away from the puck, which helps.
#11 Mikey Berchild, RW: Berchild finished the night with a two-goal, three-point effort. A potential second-round pick, Berchild has never lacked skill. He’s small, but he makes up for it with quick hands and the desire to get the puck into scoring lanes every time he possibly can. Berchild is up to six points through four games, which isn’t surprising given he was one of the USNTDP’s most productive players this year.
#17 Jamie Glance, C (2027): What a game for the 2027 prospect. Despite being one of the youngest players on this team, he’s a key playdriver who does a bit of everything. He has quick hands, a great release and fantastic hockey IQ. He scored the opening goal at 1:25, and then tallied assists on both of Cullen’s goals. Glance has been one of USA’s top players over the past week, and shouldn’t have to wait long to get drafted in 2027.
#19 Lucas Zajic, RW: Zajic had 11 goals all season with the U-18 squad, but had three today. He’s known more for his toughness, energy and willing to grind all over the ice. Today, though, he pushed the needle around the net and scored on three of the four shots he took. This was easily the most effective game I have ever seen from Zajic.
#26 Victor Plante, LW: Plante had a quiet few days, but answered back in a big way with two helpers today. He’s a speedy, skilled forward trying to make a big enough impact to get selected on Day 1 of the NHL Draft. Today felt like more of a normal performance for him as he found many open spaces and forced the German defenders to back peddle a bit too much.
Latvia 2, Slovakia 5
In the lone competitive game of the day, Slovakia managed to finish with a 5-2 victory to clinch top spot in Group A.
The Slovaks will play Denmark in one quarterfinal on Wednesday, while the Latvians will take on the United States after the Americans won Group B.
Slovakia scored twice on the power play early, making it seem like a blowout was coming. Lucian Bernat and Adam Goljer added one each, only for Latvia’s Kristers Obuks to cut the advantage in half just before the end of the first period.
The two teams traded chances the rest of the way, but there was no doubt that Slovakia was the better team, for the most part. That was amplified in the first five minutes of the third, with Goljer adding a second goal and Timothy Kazda adding one himself, resulting in four power-play goals for the Slovak attackers. Stefans Rots would score with just over three minutes left to give Latvia some life late, but Sebastian Brath scored on the empty-netter to seal the deal.
Latvia
#14 Olivers Murnieks, C: Murnieks has put himself back on the map with this tournament. He was Latvia’s best player through the preliminary round, and I’m not sure it’s close. The smart two-way forward produced a point-per-game during the round robin, but he also was Latvia’s best defensive forward while breaking up a boatload of plays along the way. I’m starting to get re-interested in his game again.
#22 Stefans Rots, RW: Every time Rots hit the ice, he seemed engaged. Between his consistent physical play and the nice move that led to the 4-2 goal, Rots kept himself involved in this one. Rots plays an energetic game, and he also has the size to push over anyone at this level. It was a strong effort in what has been a good tournament for the 17-year-old.
Slovakia
#22 Adam Goljer, D: After a rough game against Finland, this was a much better showing for the potential first-rounder. I’m a fan, so I was disappointed in his own-zone struggles against the Finns. Today, though, he scored a power-play goal and then the insurance marker in the third to give the Slovaks the win. There’s some solid upside here – he’s a difference-maker on a team like this, and has some real offensive skill. He still needs to figure out how to limit mistakes under pressure, but today’s effort was good.
#19 Timothy Kazda, RW (2027): Scouts are watching Kazda very, very closely. With his third-period goal, he’s now up to four goals through four games. Not bad for a winger who’s not available until 2027, huh? He’s been so electric around the net and it feels like every shot he gets on net is a quality chance. What a night for the Boston College commit.
#25 Samuel Sramaty, LW: A three-point night? Hell yeah. Few forwards have boosted their draft stock as much as Sramaty over the past few days. He’s been excellent as a playmaker, and he’s especially dangerous on the man advantage. I’ve loved his effort every single night because you can tell he plays with a ton of skill and high-end hockey IQ.
2026 IIHF U-18 World Championship Playoff Schedule
Quarterfinals (Wednesday, April 29)
4:00 AM ET: Germany vs. Norway (Relegation)
6:00 AM ET: Czechia vs. Finland
8:00 AM ET: Canada vs. Sweden
10:00 AM ET: Latvia vs. USA
12:00 PM ET: Denmark vs. Slovakia
Semifinals (Friday, May 1)
9:00 AM ET: Semifinal 1
1:00 PM ET: Semifinal 2
Finals (Saturday, May 2)
9:00 AM ET: Bronze Medal Game
1:00 PM ET: Gold Medal Game