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

Canada and Sweden have finished their two-game pre-tournament series in Ontario with one win apiece, with the Swedes taking a 4-2 victory on Saturday night at the Canada Life Centre in London.

Both teams will finish their pre-tournament action in Minnesota, with Canada playing Denmark on Dec. 23 and Sweden meeting Switzerland the same day.

The Swedes got the scoring going in the first period in a very peculiar way. Gavin McKenna’s own-goal empty-netter forced Canada to the back burner late in the first period, ending a frame that was dominated by the Tre Kronor. A pair of second-period goals by Tij Iginla and Braeden Cootes gave the Canadians some life, though, with Sweden needing nearly 15 minutes to register their first shot.

Sweden came alive in the second, though. Jack Berglund managed to score a shorthanded goal early in the frame, before Ivar Stenberg restored Sweden’s advantage with their first 5-on-5 goal of the pre-tournament. Canada’s power play continued to struggle, with Berglund scoring a second goal to finish the game 4-2.

Here’s a look at the top performers from Saturday evening:

Steven Ellis

@SEllisHockey

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Lines for Canada vs. Sweden. Puck drop a little after 7 PM ET on TSN. Yes, I know there are no logos for Misa, Brunicke or Parekh. I don't put the logos there. #WorldJuniors

11:00 PM · Dec 20, 2025

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Canada

#4 Harrison Brunicke, D (Pittsburgh Penguins): Brunicke isn’t flashy, but you could tell why he played in the NHL this year. He’s smart, poised, and can shut plays down as well as anyone on Canada. Brunicke rarely gets caught flat-footed and does a good job of forcing opponents to the perimeter. He was especially impressive in the second period tonight.

#5 Carson Carels, D (2026 NHL Draft): Carels kept things calm, cool and collected. I love him as Canada’s seventh defenseman – he rarely makes a mistake with the puck, and he can play just about any role needed. I don’t expect him to start the tournament by playing too much, but he’ll likely force his way up the lineup with how rock-steady he is in his zone.

#11 Tij Iginla, LW (Utah Mammoth): Iginla scored Canada’s first goal of the night, but it was his play in the attacking zone all night that caught my attention. He did an excellent job of keeping the puck in the attacking zone and throwing everything possible at the net. Iginla’s speed, skill, size and versatility is going to cause issues for opponents.

#28 Brady Martin, RW (Nashville Predators): Martin has been Canada’s best forward through two games, no doubt about it. His chemistry with Michael Hage has been impressive, and after swapping McKenna for Tij Iginla, those two kept finding each other, as well. Martin can play with just about anyone, but he also out-battles just about anyone with ease.

Sweden

#30 Love Härenstam, G (St. Louis Blues): Härenstam wasn’t tested too much early in the first, but had to be perfect in the second period. He allowed a pair of goals, but it could have easily been 4-1 after 40 if it wasn’t for how he kept square to the shooters and never gave up on an opportunity. There wasn’t much more he could have done on the goals against.

#4 Leo Sahlin Wallenius, D (San Jose Sharks): Sahlin Wallenius had to be busy in the second period, and he held his own. There weren’t many times he got beaten in 1-on-1 situations. His stability and smart puck decisions made him Sweden’s top blueliner through two games, and he’ll need to continue if the Swedes are going to finally go the distance this year.

#15 Ivar Stenberg, LW (2026 NHL Draft): The Swedes definitely needed an extra shooter on Wednesday – Stenberg gave them that today. He fired a few quality chances and eventually scored to make it 3-2 with just over half of the third period to go. It was a well-deserved reward for a forward who generated energy every time he hit the ice.

#17 Valter Lindberg, LW (Undrafted): There’s nothing flashy about Lindberg’s game. Instead, I like how he blocks shots, chases after pucks and then has the energy to rush the puck into the offensive zone. He’s small, but his energy is a good boost in the bottom six.

#26 Jack Berglund, C (Philadelphia Flyers): I swear I wrote his name down before his shorthanded goal. He is a physical beast, winning so many battles along the boards. Then, he did a good job of outracing McKenna and Zayne Parekh to score shorthanded in the third, giving Sweden some momentum. He then capped the game off with a second goal, stealing the puck from Gavin McKenna before throwing it into the empty cage. I really like his game – he’s tough to contain.

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