Well neither of the these teams want to be here, so…here we are. Welcome to another cheery edition of World Junior Championship predictions, with us here at Last Word On Hockey. Team Canada and Team Finland will duel it out for the Bronze Medal. So, let’s touch on how we got here, and what to expect in Monday’s game.
2026 World Junior Championship Bronze Medal Game Predictions With Canada vs Finland
Time: 4:30 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST), 1:30 Pacific
How to Watch TV: TSN, NHL Network
Location: The home of the NHL’s Minnesota Wild, the Grand Casino Arena (formerly the Xcel Energy Center), in St. Paul, Minnesota.
If you were with us for the preliminary game predictions, we did give some of this information. However, let’s recap as we have reached the end of the 2026 World Junior Championship predictions. Canada remains the class of the World Junior tournament all time, and shouldn’t let a loss with less than 75 seconds on the scoreboard diminish their spirit in the grand scheme of things. Their 20 titles leads the way, as we wrap up this, the 50th edition of the World Juniors. They are looking for their first medal since 2023. Furthermore, Canada maintains a steady edge over Finland. Their all-time record is 28-9-6 (with Finland taking the edge 1-0 in games decided by overtime or shootout). Meanwhile, Finland has captured seven Bronze Medals in the tournament’s history. Both teams want this game.
The Story for Team Finland
We will start with one disappointing story, you know, since they are in the Bronze Medal game, after all. It has been a tough tournament for Aatos Koivu. Moreover, this included being sat, after a costly mistake in the New Year’s Eve game versus Canada. He hasn’t played in either of Finland’s two playoff games. Hopefully he has been able to learn some tough lessons from watching.
Finland's top three players of the tournament, as selected by their federation:
– Petteri Rimpinen (LAK)
– Aron Kiviharju (MIN)
– Oliver Suvanto (2026)— Scott Wheeler (@scottcwheeler) January 5, 2026
Now, for some positives from the Finland camp in the tournament. One player who had a big tournament was Aron Kiviharju. In addition, he is a hometown favourite of sorts, as he is a Minnesota Wild prospect. The undersized defender captained the Finnish squad, and had five assists in five games, to this point.
Another player who stood out was Oliver Suvanto. The 2026 draft-eligible player did nothing to diminish his draft stock. He never had a big tournament offensively, with just two goals in six games. In contrast, he played a steady game for Finland, a very good attribute to carry for a young player at this tournament.
Canada Will Have to Wait for its Redemption
For Canada, a couple of players that have boosted their stock include Gavin McKenna and Zayne Parekh. Heading into action today, Parekh is tied for the tournament lead in points (11). He’s tied with Vojtech Cihar (Czechia) and fellow Canadian, Michael Hage, for the scoring lead. Meanwhile, McKenna is right there with them, at ten points.
Both Parekh and McKenna showed they can be offensive leaders. That was on a Canadian roster loaded with offensive players. This will lead to good things down the road for the two of them. For McKenna, that is as he heads into the 2026 NHL Entry Draft. Furthermore, it will help Parekh as he embarks on his NHL journey with the Calgary Flames organization.
Canada's top three players of the tournament, as selected by their federation:
Tij Iginla (UTA)
Zayne Parekh (CGY)
Sam O'Reilly (TBL)— Scott Wheeler (@scottcwheeler) January 5, 2026
It is tough to know what head coach Dale Hunter does in net. Carter George had the start against Finland in the preliminary round game. However, Canada had been riding Jack Ivankovic in the playoff round games. Perhaps it is a reset for George, and giving him a second chance at redemption.
George already had the showdown against his fellow Los Angeles King prospect. In net, Petteri Rimpinen has really shone bright for his Finnish side. He almost single-handedly willed his team to the shootout victory yesterday against Sweden. However, it wasn’t to be, and he will look to backstop Finland against Canada.
We will add our disclaimer to please check social media for the latest roster news. For Canada, Brady Martin was unable to finish last night’s semi-final game. Don’t expect him to go if he isn’t 100%.
Prediction
We can’t quite justify going against Canada for this one. Their high-end skill is simply too strong, and should be able to win the matchup game against the Finns. Now, there’s not a lot of separation, as we have seen with the top teams. Rimpinen could very easily steal this one for Finland. Especially so, if Canada has a let down.
Prediction: Canada 4 – Finland 3
Main Photo Credit: David Reginek-USA TODAY Sports
Please play responsibly, check for your local rules and age restrictions; some jurisdictions require ages 21+. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER.
