2026 World Juniors: Top standouts from Canada and Slovakia

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. – Canada’s quarterfinal curse is over following a massive 7-1 win over Slovakia on Friday night.

Canada will play Czechia in the semifinal on Sunday, serving as a rematch for Canada’s 7-5 victory to kick off the tournament. The Czechs also eliminated Canada from the past two quarterfinal games.

The Canadians took a commanding 5-0 lead into the first period. Cole Reschny, Tij Iginla, Michael Misa, Sam O’Reilly and Brady Martin put on a shooting clinic, putting the game well out of reach early. Of note, 14 Canadians registered at least one point in the frame, but not a single player had two.

The second period wasn’t as lethal as the game’s general pace started to wind down. Jan Chovan would score the lone Slovak goal, but Porter Martone and Cole Beaudoin further cemented Canada’s massive advantage.

Here’s a look at the top performers from Friday’s contest:

Canada

#19 Zayne Parekh, D (Calgary Flames): I’m not sure Parekh made a bad pass tonight. Wherever he wanted the puck, he got it there. Parekh had a pair of assists, helping to set up both the 3-0 and the 7-0 goal. Parekh hsa continued to keep himself in the MVP race, and he may have surpassed Michael Hage after today (although many think he was already ahead).

#20 Keaton Verhoeff, D (2026 NHL Draft): Verhoeff started the game with an ugly giveaway, but he made up for it with two assists. He’s one of the most offensively inclined defensemen in the 2026 draft, often firing shots through traffic in an attempt to generate a rebound. Serving on Canada’s fourth D pair, Verhoeff didn’t play a lot to start, but it felt like he was given more responsibilities in the offensive zone as the game wore on.

#7 Michael Misa, C (San Jose Sharks): This is the Misa we were expecting from the start. He seemed to be playing at a whole other level tonight – his speed, shot, and hockey sense were all on display. Misa’s lack of high-end play beyond the game against Denmark has been a serious talking point over the past week but it looked like he was shot out of a cannon today.

#9 Gavin McKenna, LW (2026 NHL Draft): McKenna’s natural skill was hard to ignore. He made a great pass on a power-play goal in the first period, with every play looking effortless. He’s incredibly smart – and, for what it’s worth, scouts have been really impressed with his 200-foot game at this tournament. There’s still some work to be done, but it feels like Canada’s coaching staff can rely on him away from the puck a bit more.

#11 Tij Iginla, LW (Utah Mammoth): Iginla had his best period of the tournament in the first. He scored off a laser beam of a shot, and nearly had a second – only for it to get blocked by Misa. He was absolutely flying tonight as he seemed to spice things up offensively early. He looked motivated as heck to win every battle, even when the game was out of reach.

#22 Porter Martone, RW (Philadelphia Flyers): Don’t look now, but Martone is challenging for Canada’s scoring lead. He had a two-point performance while also being much more involved defensively and physically. Martone has needed to be better, and he helped spark the top line’s energy in the second period as the Slovaks started to zero in on them a bit more.

#23 Sam O’Reilly, RW (Tampa Bay Lightning): O’Reilly scored the 4-0 goal after a solid effort in front, outmuscling a Slovak defender before beating Lendak blocker side. Away from the puck, I thought O’Reilly did a great job of creating lanes for his linemates, often skating through the middle to draw someone away. His smart play has given Canada a serious boost in the bottom six.

#26 Cole Beaudoin, C (Utah Mammoth): Beaudoin started the tournament as more of a depth player – he’s going to finish as one of Canada’s most important forwards. He scored a goal and added an assist while also being a menace to the Slovak blueliners. Few forwards on Canada are as lethal directly in front of the net as Beaudoin.

Slovakia

#12 Jan Chovan, C (Los Angeles Kings): I’ll throw him a bone here: Chovan might have scored a seemingly meaningless goal in the end, but it definitely helped relieve the team, which otherwise couldn’t keep up with Canada. Chovan had a very disappointing tournament with no points before tonight, so that had to feel good. The 6-foot-3 forward will be relied on heavily in Alberta next year.