2026 World Juniors: Top standouts from Czechia vs. Switzerland quarterfinal game

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. – Czechia is off to the quarterfinal after a 6-2 comeback victory over Switzerland on Friday.

Czechia will await its quarterfinal opponent following the conclusion of the two other quarterfinals on Friday.

The Swiss found themselves with a 2-1 advantage prior to the halfway point of the game. Leon Muggli and Jamiro Reber each tallied markers, only to be split by Tomas Galvas. Unfortunately for the pre-game underdogs, Switzerland fell apart in the second, with Samuel Drancak, Adam Jiricek, Petr Sikora, Jiri Klima and Jakub Fibigr all contributing goals in the 6-2 victory.

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

Czechia

#5 Adam Jiricek, D (St. Louis Blues): What else can I say? Jiricek is going for the MVP title. The Blues prospect had two goals to help lift the Czechs in front. His skating is top-notch, and his poise and hockey sense with the puck look NHL-quality already. Seriously, every time I’ve watched him for Czechia, I have believed he could step into St. Louis’ lineup immediately. That goal he scored to win the game was pretty.

#23 Tomas Galvas, D: Galvas continues to make a case to get drafted in his third year of eligibility. He’s up to eight points through five games as he looks to do what Cole Hutson did a year ago and lead the tournament in scoring. Galvas has been the best draft-eligible prospect in this tournament, no question.

#11 Matej Kubiesa, LW: I’m not sure there have been more impactful fourth-liners at this tournament. Every pass he makes seems to make it somewhere dangerous, and he shoots a lot, too. It feels like he never loses a battle through the middle, and he connects with whoever he wants. I loved his assist on the 2-2 goal, and he did it again on the 5-2 marker.

#15 Vojtech Cihar, LW (Los Angeles Kings): Cihar remains Czechia’s most impressive forward. He had the primary assist on the 4-2 goal, and then he transitioned into more of an energy guy who outworked everyone. Cihar isn’t big, but he’s built strong and mentally tough, and he seems to thrive in high-energy games.

#21 Jiri Klima, RW: How about a nice three-point game out of the fourth-liner? I hadn’t noticed him much in this tournament beyond an assist against Denmark, but his passes never seemed to miss the mark today. That’s the type of scoring depth the Czechs need if they’re going to win the tournament.

#24 Adam Novotny, LW (2026 NHL Draft): Novotny had his best game today. It felt like he used his size and mobility to win puck battles. He didn’t score, but he won most of his individual battles. Two scouts I talked to here today thought he was Czechia’s best forward – sometimes, it’s not the offense, but it’s the two-way play that shines.

Switzerland

#7 Basile Sansonnens, D (Vancouver Canucks): I really liked Sansonnens’ tournament. He’s big, takes up space, and has a great reach. I love how Sansonnens forces opponents to the outside – he doesn’t give you much space to work with. The Canucks prospect has impressed me over the past few years, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he had a solid career as a third-pair defender.

#19 Jonah Neuenschwander, C (2027 NHL Draft): After a slow start to the tournament, Switzerland’s first-line center was finally rewarded for his effort. He made a great pass to Reber on the 2-1 power-play goal, flicking it over Michal Orsulak’s goal stick while under pressure. It felt like he moved a bit quicker and with intent today – my biggest concern with him before was that he didn’t seem too involved away from the puck.

#62 Mike Aeschlimann, LW: Especially early, I thought Aeschlimann was Switzerland’s hardest-working player today. He continuously stole the puck on backchecks and won most of his footraces thanks to his high-end speed. There isn’t much flash to his game, but he does a fantastic job at regaining possession when he really needs it.

#89 Kimi Koerber, RW: Koerber makes it his mission to block everything sent his way. He had a pair of goals early in the tournament, but today, his defensive game was more on display. In the first period alone, it felt like he broke up about three quality plays the Czechs had around the crease. Overall, I liked his tournament.