2026 World Juniors: Top standouts for Sweden vs. USA
Sweden has taken top spot in Group A and will play Latvia in one of the quarterfinals on Friday after beating the United States 6-3 on Wednesday.
The Americans finished second in the group and will take on either Finland or Czechia, depending on Finland’s result against Canada later tonight.
The Swedes scored first, with Casper Juustovaara tallying his first World Junior goal at 9:17. The floodgates opened in the second, though, with Eddie Genborg and Lucas Pettersson scoring twice each. Chase Reid and Will Zellers both scored for the Americans, but they found themselves trailing big time heading into the final stanza.
USA made a goalie switch heading into the third, swapping out 2026 NHL Draft prospect Brady Knowling for Washington Capitals prospect Nick Kempf. At first, the momentum swapped hands, and Teddy Stiga was able to score on the power play to make it 5-1. But four minutes later, after two Americans were sent to the box, Ivar Stenberg would add Sweden’s sixth goal to double Sweden’s advantage.
Here’s a look at the top performers on Wednesday night:
Sweden
#30 Love Harenstam, G (St. Louis Blues): There wasn’t much Harenstam could have done on the 3-1 goal – he was diving all over the place and making some huge stops from a determined American squad. For my money, Harenstam has been the best goaltender in the tournament, and I think he’ll be crucial for Sweden down the stretch. I’ve liked him before only to be burned, but I can’t recall him playing a calmer, athletic game than what we’ve been seeing from him here.
#11 Lucas Pettersson, LW (Anaheim Ducks): Where did he come from? It felt like a ho-hum tourney from him until today, where he scored twice. That includes a beautiful shot to make it 4-1 while playing down a man in the latter stages of the second. He continually took up space and was Sweden’s best penalty killer today.
#23 Liam Danielsson, LW: How about that? A two-assist night for the 13th forward. That gives him five points now in three games, which is remarkable given ice time has been seriously hard for him to come by. You can tell he’s playing motivated hockey, while online discussions about his inclusion on the team have been mixed. He’s looking good now, though.
#25 Eddie Genborg, RW (Detroit Red Wings): Genborg was my favorite Swede throughout most of the tournament. He’s a hard-hitting power forward who crashes the net and plays at full force, all the time. Genborg has an excellent shot, and while I wish he had used it a bit more in other games. But that power-play goal helped spark the Swedes, and he then contributed the 5-1 goal to really silence the American crowd.
#26 Jack Berglund, C (Philadelphia Flyers): It’s hard to beat a three-point night. He was Sweden’s third-line center today and I thought that proved to be a matchup issue for the Americans. He’s a big body, and while he isn’t quick, he does a good job of getting hard, accurate passes where they need to be. Berglund is having an excellent tournament – I’m a fan.
USA
#25 Chase Reid, D (2026 NHL Draft): Reid has gradually improved with every single game, with some scouts considering him to be the best draft-eligible defenseman in Minnesota right now. His ability to fake a shot before finding a perfect passing lane is unmatched on this American blueline while Cole Hutson is out. Reid was one of the USA’s top defenders against Slovakia, and he was again today as he continues to earn more ice time and opportunities.
#24 Will Horcoff, LW (Pittsburgh Penguins): The Swedes didn’t have a ton of power on their back end, so Horcoff was able to have some fun tonight. He created havoc in front of the Swedish net, and it helped result in the first American goaltender. Horcoff is as good of a net-front presence as you’ll find at this tournament because he has the skill to be more than just a big guy crashing the crease.
#74 Brodie Ziemer, RW (Buffalo Sabres): Ziemer had a pair of assists in the second period to help start USA’s attack – just like he did against the Slovaks. His open-ice awareness is what made him dangerous in his draft year and what makes me a big fan of his game. He works as hard as anyone, and he seems to elevate his game when the Americans need him the most.