How to Watch IIHF World Junior Championships Quarterfinals | Channel, Stream, Preview
On Wednesday, the quarterfinals of the IIHF World Junior Championship get underway. Only four teams will walk away with a ticket to the semifinals, as some potential upsets are on the way.
- Watch the Junior WC on DirecTV Stream
FINLAND vs. GERMANY
- Where: Rogers Place (Edmonton, Alberta)
- Time: 12:00 PM ET
- Channel: NHL Network
- Current: DirecTV Stream, FuboTV, Sling
Finland enters the quarters after finishing second in Group A. Although they won their first three games, some with more pizzazz than others, they ultimately fell to the host Canadians in Tuesday’s preliminary final, losing 6-3. Although they showed some struggles in net, the offense was definitely there for the Finns. The team scored 22 goals in their first four games, led by Joakim Kemell and Aatu Raty. Both players finished second in the group stage with nine points each.
Germany proved to be quite the pest in the opening stages. After losing their first match against the USA, they bounced back with wins over Austria and Switzerland to secure a place in the quarter-finals. In their final match of the preliminary round against Sweden, the Germans did not let the favored Swedes get the better of them, but were only outscored 30-22 and lost in a 4-2 decision. Goalkeeper Florian Bugl will need a stellar performance if Germany is to have any chance of reaching the semifinals for the first time in the program’s history.
SWEDEN vs LATVIA
- Where: Rogers Place (Edmonton, Alberta)
- Time: 3:30 p.m. ET
- Channel: NHL Network
- Current: DirecTV Stream, FuboTV, Sling
As usual, Sweden entered the WJC with much fanfare and expectations. Despite finishing second in Group B behind the USA, they did not look like the overwhelming Swedes many are used to seeing. Apart from beating Austria 6-0, Sweden could only win 3-2 over the Swiss and finished the group stage with a 4-2 victory over Germany. While they have talent up and down their lineup, they will need highly touted prospects Fabian Lysell, Simon Edvinsson and others to step up if they want to bring home a medal.
Arguably the biggest surprise of the tournament, Latvia, who only entered the World Juniors due to the IIHF’s ban on Russian teams, have made it to the quarterfinals for the first time ever. After significant losses at the hands of Canada and Finland. Latvia secured a point in a penalty shootout loss to Slovakia. Then they pulled off a major upset, beating the Czech Republic in their final group stage match. The regulation win not only gave Latvia their first win at the tournament since 2012, or their first quarter-final berth, but it also gave them third place in Group A.
- Watch the Junior WC on DirecTV Stream
CANADA vs. SWITZERLAND
- Where: Rogers Place (Edmonton, Alberta)
- Time: 7 p.m. ET
- Channel: NHL Network
- Current: DirecTV Stream, FuboTV, Sling
Canada ran through Group A, rather in a ho-hum fashion. The host nation hardly trailed in their four victories, with the team scoring a total of 27 goals, the most of any team in the group stage. They were led by the two young stars in Mason McTavish and Connor Bedard. McTavish, off the back of his six-point performance against the Slovaks, finished the preliminary round with 13 points, while 16-year-old Bedard had three goals and four assists. The pressure is certainly on Canada, who haven’t won gold on home ice since 2015.
Switzerland will definitely have a tough time dealing with the Canadians. They moved into the fourth and final spot in Group B thanks to a win against Austria on Tuesday. Despite having a close battle with Germany last week, the Swiss have not been anywhere near as dangerous as they have been in previous tournaments. If they are to have any chance of pulling off the upset, they will need the likes of Attilio Biasca and Dario Allenspach to come up big.
US vs. CZECH REPUBLIC
- Where: Rogers Place (Edmonton, Alberta)
- Time: 10:30 p.m. ET
- Channel: NHL Network
- Current: DirecTV Stream, FuboTV, Sling
Defending junior world champion USA looks strong entering the medal round. They made it through the group stage, and their 3-2 win against Sweden in the final in the opening round proved to be their only real challenge. Led by Matthew Coronato and Carter Mazur, the Americans scored 22 goals over their first four wins, taking the top spot in Group B. Mazur and Coronato each had six points, while University of Michigan product Thomas Bordeleau finished tied for fourth with seven points.
The Czech Republic is tasked with not only taking on the powerful American team, but also trying to bounce back from the disappointment of losing to Latvia in their final match of the preliminary round. The loss sent the Czechs to fourth place in Group A. While the depth certainly isn’t there compared to the Americans, the Czech Republic has a couple of top players, including captain Jan Mysak and defenseman David Jiricek.