Round-robin play is officially in the rearview mirror, and the 2026 World Junior Championship has arrived at the do-or-die stage.

After a well-earned off day, all 10 nations returned to the ice on Friday with elimination looming. With games stacked back-to-back, it was a full slate of high-stakes hockey as teams fought to keep their tournaments alive.

The day opened with a pivotal relegation matchup between Germany and Denmark. Once a best-of-three series, the relegation round has been condensed into a single-elimination game, making the stakes immediate.

Germany wasted little time asserting control. David Lewandowski struck early, and the Germans never looked back, cruising to an 8–4 victory to retain their spot in the top division for 2027.

Meanwhile, Denmark will be relegated to Division IA for the 2027 tournament. Their spot in the top pool will be taken by Norway, who earned promotion after being relegated in 2024.

Next up was Group A winner Sweden, facing a familiar thorn in the form of Latvia. And the Swedes wasted no time — literally.

Just 10 seconds into the game, Anton Frondell redirected a smart keep-in past the Latvian netminder to open the scoring. It was the first of two goals for Frondell on the afternoon.

Latvia pushed back and kept things competitive early, but Sweden’s depth proved too much to overcome. The Swedes pulled away for a 6–3 win to secure a spot in the semifinals.

For Canucks prospect Wilson Björck, it was another game spent out of the lineup. He has dressed for just one contest during the tournament, logging 4:35 of ice time.

Immediately following was Switzerland and Basile Sansonnens, taking on Group B’s second-place finisher, Czechia.

The Swiss opened the scoring just four minutes in and carried a 1–0 lead into the first intermission. From there, however, the Czechs took over. A dominant second period flipped they he game on its head, and Czechia skated away with a 6–2 victory.

Sansonnens finished the game minus-2 while logging 17:15 of ice time. With Switzerland eliminated, he wraps up the tournament with a goal, a primary assist, a minus-1 rating, and four shots on goal while averaging 17:33 across five games.

For a seventh-round long shot playing professionally in Switzerland, Sansonnens was noticeable throughout. His competitiveness, physical presence, and mobility stood out, and his stock within the Canucks’ prospect pool continues to trend upward.

All eyes were on the host Americans, winners of back-to-back gold medals.

After a scoreless opening period, the U.S. opened the scoring with Cole Hutson netting his first of the tournament after missing time with a head injury. The Americans carried a 2–1 lead into the third before Finland flipped the script, scoring twice in under a minute to jump ahead.

The U.S. responded late to force overtime, but Finland delivered the final blow, securing a 4–3 victory and sending the hosts home early.

Canada left no doubt in the nightcap.

Jumping out to a 5–0 lead after the first period, the Canadians never let up, adding two more goals in the second en route to a dominant 7–1 victory and a semifinal berth.

Braeden Cootes remained in his fourth-line role, but finished with a tournament-high 11:03 minutes of ice time with two shots on net.

The semifinal matchups are set and will begin immediately on Sunday, January 4.

Sweden vs. Finland — 1:30 pm PT

Canada vs. Czechia — 5:30 pm PT

Czechia has had Canada’s number in recent tournaments, knocking them out in each of the past two tournaments. With a spot in the gold medal game on the line, the rematch sets the stage for another high-stakes chapter.