Czechia vs Canada Preview & Prediction | 2026 World Junior Ice Hockey Championship | Group Stage

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An exciting first group game for both Czechia and Canada when taking into account the players set to be on show in this encounter.

Kick-off date/time:

How to watch on TV: UK – Not televised / USA – NHL Network / Canada – TSN/RDS

How to watch online: UK – Cannot be streamed / USA – NHL Network via subscriptions for fuboTV, DirectTV, SlingTV or ESPN+ / Canada – TSN streaming platforms

Czechia vs Canada prediction

Czechia reached the semi-finals last year and even went on and secured a bronze medal following a statement victory against Sweden in a shootout. Their route to the semi-finals saw them stun Canada in the last eight, winning 4-3 and the Canadians will no doubt be out for revenge here in Minneapolis.

Both these two teams can call upon some of the most exciting young talent in the sport. For Czechia, you have Radim Mrtka, taken at number nine overall by the Buffalo Sabres in the 2025 NHL draft. For Canada though, plenty of eyes will be trained upon the likes of Michael Misa (second overall pick), Caleb Desnoyers (fourth overall pick) and Porter Martone (sixth overall pick). They’ve such an exciting team on paper and now it’s about putting it into practice on the ice for head coach Dave Cameron.

A close game may well be on the cards between these two nations and it would be no surprise if overtime was required to determine a winner. In the end though, back Canada to narrowly edge out Czechia and take their revenge.

Czechia vs Canada tip: Canada to win