Jason La Rose
GAME NOTES: CANADA VS. LATVIA (DEC. 27)
After a wild start to the preliminary round, Canada’s National Junior Team gets right back to action at the 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship when it takes on Latvia in a Minneapolis matinee on Saturday.
Last Game
Canada got off to a winning start Friday night, scoring four goals in the third period to beat Czechia 7-5 in a Group B thriller. Zayne Parekh scored twice for the Canadians, who had leads of 1-0, 2-1 and 4-3 and erased a 3-2 deficit before goals 2:40 apart from Tij Iginla and Ethan MacKenzie early in the final frame finally earned them the three points. MacKenzie and Michael Hage led the offensive charge with a goal and two assists apiece.
The Latvians last saw game action on Monday, when they closed out their pre-tournament schedule with a 3-1 loss to Slovakia in Bemidji, Minnesota. Markuss Sieradzkis opened the scoring on a power play just before the midway mark of the first period, but that would be it for offence. Nils Roberts Maurins went the distance between the pipes for Latvia, making 26 saves.
Last Meeting
Canadian fans don’t need to be reminded of this one. A year ago to the day, Latvia shocked Canada 3-2 in a shootout in front of home fans in Ottawa. Jett Luchanko opened the scoring early in the second period and Calum Ritchie put the Canadians ahead with 5:38 left, but the Latvians battled back and triumphed in an eight-round shootout. Jack Ivankovic became the first 17-year-old Canadian goaltender to start a game since Jimmy Waite in 1987, making 24 saves in regulation and overtime before stopping seven of eight in the shootout.
What to Watch
Parekh reached the 30-goal plateau in each of the last two seasons with the Saginaw Spirit. The only other defenceman in OHL history to achieve that feat? That would be some guy named Bobby Orr. So… not bad company to be in. The Nobleton, Ontario, product showed off those offensive skills against the Czechs, sniping a pair of goals with picture-perfect wrist shots— first to bring Canada even late in the second period and again to temporarily give it the lead early in the third. And let’s stay on the blue line for one more. MacKenzie has twice been passed over in the NHL Draft, but the West Kelowna, B.C., native looked right at home in Canada’s first-round-heavy lineup, helping set up Iginla for the go-ahead goal before burying the eventual game-winner less than three minutes later.
Latvia returns a ton of experience from the team that dropped a one-goal heartbreaker to Sweden in the quarterfinals last year, with 12 players back. That includes four players who played as 16-year-olds in Ottawa: Rudolfs Berzkalns, Martins Klaucans, Olivers Murnieks and Roberts Naudins. Although they combined for just a goal and four assists in five games (and all but a single helper came from Murnieks), the quartet will be leaned upon to lead the offence in Minnesota. Not among that group is arguably the most notable Latvian to watch—6-foot-3 defenceman Alberts Smits, who is pegged as a potential top-10 pick in the 2026 NHL Draft. Smits, who just turned 18 on Dec. 2, has been terrific with Jukerit in the Liiga, the top men’s league in Finland, recording 12 points (6-6—12) in 29 games.
Be There Next Year!
The holiday hockey tradition returns to Canadian ice a year from now when Edmonton and Red Deer host the 2027 IIHF World Junior Championship. Fans interested in ticket packages can register until Jan. 6 for the Priority Ticket Draw at HockeyCanada.ca/PriorityDraw.
A Look Back
Prior to the shootout stunner in Ottawa, Canada has controlled the head-to-head history, outscoring the Latvians 41-4 in four wins.
The first-ever matchup, at the 2010 World Juniors in Saskatchewan, provided the most fireworks; in the Boxing Day opener in Saskatoon, Gabriel Bourque tied the Canadian single-game scoring record with seven points (3-4—7), Brandon Kozun added five (2-3—5), and Jordan Eberle, Patrice Cormier, Nazem Kadri and Luke Adam provided two goals apiece in a 16-0 win.
All-time record: Canada leads 4-1 (0-1 in OT/SO) Canada goals: 43 Latvia goals: 7