Key Takeaways
- Canada is a heavy favourite to win against Denmark in their third round-robin game at the World Junior Championship.
- Canada is looking to make it three straight victories to begin the tournament after wins over Czechia and Latvia.
- The team trails Finland for the Group B lead but can still finish atop the group with regulation wins in their final two games.
- Canada will face Finland on New Year’s Eve in a game that could decide the group winner headed into the knockout stage.
- The team needs to take care of business against Denmark, who they handled easily in pre-tournament action, but can’t take them lightly given the close games they’ve had so far.
Introduction to the Upcoming Game
Canada is set to face Denmark in their third round-robin game at the World Junior Championship on Monday in Minneapolis. The Canadians are looking to make it three straight victories to begin the tournament after wins over Czechia on Boxing Day and an overtime triumph against Latvia on the weekend. The game will be broadcast live on TSN1, TSN4, TSN.ca, and the TSN App, with pre-game coverage beginning 30 minutes prior on TSN4. Canada is a heavy favourite to win against Denmark, but they can’t take them lightly given the close games they’ve had so far in the tournament.
Previous Games and Performance
Despite their two wins, it hasn’t exactly been smooth sailing at the World Juniors for Dale Hunter’s team. Canada trailed in the second period and needed four third-period goals to hold off Czechia for a 7-5 win in their wild opener. In their second game against Latvia, Canada led late into the third period before conceding a late equalizer, forcing overtime. However, they managed to pull off a 2-1 overtime victory thanks to a nifty cross-ice pass from Gavin McKenna to Michael Hage. Canada forward Michael Misa acknowledged that while they’ve won two games so far, they can’t take Denmark lightly despite the pre-tournament rout.
Importance of the Game
The game against Denmark is crucial for Canada, as they look to take care of business and set themselves up for a potential group-winning matchup against Finland on New Year’s Eve. Canada trails Finland for the Group B lead, but they can still finish atop the group with regulation wins in their final two games. The team needs to focus on the task at hand and not look past Denmark, who has dropped both games to begin the tournament. As Misa said, "We can’t look at our pre-tournament game and think it’s going to be easy. We can’t underestimate anyone. We have to go in there with a fresh mindset and find a way to win."
Denmark’s Performance So Far
Denmark has had a tough start to the tournament, dropping both games to Finland and Czechia. They lost 6-2 to Finland on December 26 and 7-2 to Czechia a day later. Despite their struggles, Canada can’t take them lightly, given the close games they’ve had so far in the tournament. The Danes will be looking to pull off an upset and get their first win of the tournament, and Canada needs to be prepared to face a determined opponent.
Other Games and Broadcast Information
Canada-Denmark is one of four World Junior games taking place on Monday. Germany will battle Sweden to get things started at 1pm ET/10am PT, followed by Finland and Czechia at 3:30pm ET/12:30pm PT. The United States will then play Slovakia at 6pm ET/3pm PT prior to Canada’s game. Fans can watch every game of the 2026 World Junior Championship live on TSN, TSN.ca, and the TSN App. With the tournament heating up, fans can expect exciting matchups and intense competition as the teams battle it out for a spot in the knockout stage.