Canada tops Finland 6-3 to claim bronze at world junior hockey championship

Author and hockey historian Liam Maguire says Canada's performance in the bronze medal game was one of 'a team that really wanted to win.'

SAINT PAUL — Zayne Parekh had a goal and an assist to set a new record for points by a Canadian defenceman at a world junior hockey championship as the country salvaged a bronze medal with a 6-3 victory over Finland on Monday.

Gavin McKenna scored and added three assists for Canada, which was bounced by Czechia less than 24 hours earlier in the semifinals. Sam O’Reilly, with two, Braeden Cootes and Porter Martone provided the rest of the offence. Carter George made 32 saves.

Michael Hage had four assists in a contest that lacked energy and intensity.

Parekh, who’s played 11 times for the NHL’s Calgary Flames this season, finished with 13 points in six contests at these world juniors. Bryan McCabe (1995) and Alex Pietrangelo (2008) previously held the record for points by a Canadian blueliner at a men’s under-20 tournament with 12.

Canada was left heartbroken after falling 6-4 to Czechia on Sunday — the third straight year that opponent has crushed the country’s gold-medal dreams following quarterfinal exits in both 2024 and 2025.

Heikki Ruohonen, with a goal and an assist, Arttu Valila and Julius Miettinen replied for Finland. Petteri Rimpinen made 28 stops after his nation lost 4-3 to Sweden in a dramatic Sunday shootout with a spot in the final on the line.

Canada, which has won a record 20 gold medals after last topping the field at the 2023 event in Halifax, claimed bronze for just the sixth time. The powerhouse hadn’t played in the third-place game since 2014 and last won it in 2012.

Czechia and Sweden were set to battle in the title game later Monday at Grand Casino Arena — the first podium showdown to not involve either Canada or the United States since 2016.

O’Reilly opened the scoring 70 seconds into Monday’s first period after taking a pass from Hage on a 2-on-1 in front of a small crowd inside the home of the NHL’s Minnesota Wild.

Valila got that one back for Finland, which lost last year’s final to the Americans in overtime in Ottawa, at 3:23 before Cootes fired home from the slot to restore Canada’s lead at 4:57.

The Finns got back level at 11:58 when Miettinen beat George on a man advantage. But Parekh scored on Canada’s white-hot power play — 10-for-20 entering Monday — when he ripped an effort past Rimpinen with 1:19 remaining in the period.

Canadian defenceman Kashawn Aitcheson then rocked Max Westergard off the ensuing faceoff with a huge hit that sent the Finnish forward to the locker room.

Martone made it 4-2 at 1:47 of the second on a Tij Iginla feed and a Parekh assist for the defence scoring record. O’Reilly pushed the lead to three with his second of the game on another power play at 5:27.

Ruohonen snuck a shot past George, who lost Canada’s net for the quarters and semis to Jack Ivankovic, to make it 5-3 at 14:18.

McKenna picked up his fourth point of the game at 13:35 of the third when he scored with Rimpinen out of position, with Hage getting a fourth assist.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 5, 2026

Joshua Clipperton, The Canadian Press