The medal round for the 2026 World Junior Hockey Championship is set to begin with some intriguing quarterfinal matchups on Friday. Team Canada and Team Sweden enter the medal round as top seeds after winning their groups in the preliminary round.

Hear’s a look at who will be facing off against each other in the quarters, including some notes on each team:

Canada (1B) vs. Slovakia (3A)

Canada’s top line of Gavin McKenna – Michael Hage – Brady Martin has carried the bulk of the offense. McKenna and Hage are tied for the tournament scoring lead with eight points each, followed closely by Martin, with seven points.

Everyone recognizes McKenna is an elite offensive talent and one of the top three prospects for the draft, but there have been questions about his off-puck effort and defensive-zone commitment. He’s been better than average defensively this week and his overall effort has been consistent. His offensive upside easily wins out when he’s at least average in those other key categories.

Hage (Montreal Canadiens) has been Canada’s top forward.He drives play in transition, rips pucks from the weak side on the power play and makes himself noticeable every time he’s on the ice. I appreciate how hard he has competed every time his number is called.

Martin (Nashville Predators) attacks every shift like it’s his last. His combination of power and skill stands out among his peer group.Teams go on deep playoff runs with players like Martin on their roster.

Zayne Parekh is a interesting player to watch. For every turnover he makes,he responds with a tape-to-tape long-range outlet pass or going bar-down for a goal off his elite release. He makes me shake my head with confusion but also brings me out of my seat with his undeniable skill.

Parekh is tied with Hage and McKenna for the scoring lead and is a massive part of the reason Canada has the top-ranked power play in the tournament (54 per cent).

It was nice to see Cole Beaudoin (Utah Mammoth) score two goals against the Finns. Canada will require more secondary offence from its forward group in the medal round and a big (six-foot-two, 213-pound) power forward like Beaudoin has the ability to wear down opponents and score timely goals.

Watching Sam O’reilly leads me to project his future role with the Tampa Bay Lightning as similar to that of current Lightning center Anthony Cirelli. O’Reilly is a relentless competitor who produces better than secondary offence without sacrificing defensive detail. Coaches love these kinds of prospects. O’Reilly can be deployed in all situations, blocks shots on the penalty kill and pushes opponents off the puck with his physicality along the boards and in front of the net. He’s averaged over 18 minutes per game in the tournament, with almost all of his ice time coming against top-six opponents and on the penalty kill, while contributing one goal and three assists with a plus-5.

USA Faces Challenges at World Juniors, But Gains Key Reinforcements

The American team has looked unorganized during key stretches and suffered a decisive loss to Sweden.However,they’re poised to receive a significant boost with the return of Cole Hutson,an elite defenseman,who is ready to play after recovering from a neck injury sustained against Switzerland.

Draft-eligible defenseman Chase Reid (Soo Greyhounds, OHL) continues to stand out. He’s a key player in all situations, quarterbacking the American power play. Reid has two goals and two assists, consistently battling hard defensively.

The Colorado Avalanche boast the NHL’s most potent offence, and their prospect, Will Zellers, is making a name for himself at the tournament. zellers is historically a shooter first, and that’s been evident here. He had 10 goals and five assists at North Dakota (NCAA) before the tournament, following a stellar season with Green Bay in the USHL (44 goals, 27 assists). Zellers leads the Americans in scoring with five goals and two assists.

James Hagens (Boston Bruins) is having a strong week for the Americans. he consistently plays over 20 minutes per game, primarily on even strength and the power play. The team will depend on Hagens to drive their offense.