2026 World Juniors: Top Standouts from Canada vs. Sweden pre-tournament game

KITCHENER, Ont. – It wasn’t a high-scoring affair, but Wednesday night’s battle between Canada and Sweden gave fans in Kitchener a potential glimpse into what the gold-medal game could look like.

In the end, Canada won the game 2-1, with Brady Martin scoring both goals off of passes from top 2026 NHL Draft prospect Gavin McKenna. Fellow 2026 prospect, Viggo Björck, had the lone goal for Sweden, converting on a two-man advantage in the second period.

The two teams will meet again on Saturday in London, Ontario, before both flying to Minnesota shortly after.

Here’s a look at the top performers from both teams on Wednesday night:

Canada

#30 Carter George, G (Los Angeles Kings): George didn’t face a heavy workload, but he had some high-quality saves throughout. He didn’t give many poor rebounds and he seemed very confident with his blocker. His speed has always been a standout trait about his game, and he’s as flexible as you’ll find.

#5 Carson Carels, D (2026 NHL Draft): Carels feels like a lock right now. He played all situations for Canada, and nearly scored a goal on a great individual play in the third period. Carels usually plays close to 30 minutes a night, so today had to have felt like a cakewalk for him. His poise, hockey sense, and pure athleticism were impressive tonight.

#10 Cameron Reid, D (Nashville Predators): While Jackson Smith struggled with the puck, his primary D partner, Reid, did not. Outside of one ugly giveaway in the first, Reid was one of the better disk distributors. He also often won puck battles due to his footwork and ability to adjust his paths on the fly.

#13 Ethan MacKenzie, D (Undrafted): MacKenzie was one of the bubble players heading into the tournament, but he looked really solid tonight. While some others were getting a bit loosey-goosey with the puck, MacKenzie rarely made a mistake with the puck on his stick. He did a good job of slowing things down and controlling the pace of play in his zone.

#9 Gavin McKenna, LW (2026 NHL Draft): Not many players can compete with McKenna’s skill. His hands are so quick, allowing him to break through the middle of the ice. I think we were actually the least impactful forward on his line, but I liked how he continuously got the puck where it needed to be. Overall, you can’t complain about a two-assist effort – this felt like a better performance than anything we saw a year ago.

#28 Brady Martin, RW (Nashville Predators): Martin was buzzing in the first period, making himself impossible to contain. He then found open ice and fired home the 1-0 goal, blasting a hard shot to get his team moving. I like how competitive he gets – he was so lethal at the U-18 World Championship because nobody could contain him. I don’t expect Martin to live on the first line, but he proved he can handle the opportunity.

#29 Michael Hage, C (Montreal Canadiens): What a workhorse. Hage was not only one of the most noticeable players with the puck, but he was one of Canada’s top physical players away from it, too. He worked his tail off at both ends of the ice and was involved along the boards as often as anyone. Michael Misa will be Canada’s No. 1 center, but Hage is the perfect option as the No. 2.

Sweden

#1 Herman Liv, G (Undrafted): Liv had to deal with plenty of quality chances from Canada, and he delivered. The 1-0 Canadian goal was a quality chance, but then he battled hard the rest of the night. I thought he did a good job of staying square to the shooter and tracking pucks through traffic. Liv will likely battle Love Harenstam for the starter’s gig, but efforts like this – the ones where he rarely bobbled a shot – will go far.

#4 Leo Sahlin Wallenius, D (San Jose Sharks): LSW had a handful of high-end defensive reads tonight, especially in the first period. The Canadians struggled to deal with his footwork, and he kept forcing opponents to the perimeter. I expect him to be Sweden’s power-play quarterback once the games start counting.

#12 Milton Gastrin, C (Washington Capitals): I continue to love his game. He doesn’t lose many faceoffs, but he also brings a strong 200-foot effort to every shift. He’s good defensively and can be difficult to contain around the net. I expect Gastrin to continue being an underrated two-way threat.

#21 Viggo Björck, C (2026 NHL Draft): I really loved his energy tonight. It felt like he was always outracing opponents and putting himself into scoring lanes. It paid off with the 1-1 goal, using the extra space on the power play to his advantage. I’m surprised he didn’t have another goal, honestly.

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