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2026 IIHF World Junior Championship

Finland Shuts Out Latvia 8-0 In 2026 World Juniors Championships

Finland Shuts Out Latvia 8-0 In 2026 World Juniors Championships

As the 2026 World Juniors Championship continues, Finland asserted pure dominance as they defeated Latvia, 8-0. Here is the recap and scoring details!

Dec 29, 2025 by Madelyn Mendoza
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The third day of action from the 2026 World Juniors Championships is complete and the final match of the day saw absolute dominance on the ice. 

As Finland took on Latvia with puck drop at 3:30 PM CT/ 4:30 PM ET, the team of Finland solidified an impressive 8-0 victory. 

It would be all gas and no brakes for Finland as they quickly score three goals in the opening period of play. The team would later go on to score multiple goals in the next two periods to follow. 

As Finland ended the day with eight goals, the team would also lead shots on goal 41-7 as Latvia struggled to get things going on the ice. 

Emil Hemming was the leading scorer for Finland with two goals. Matais Vanhanen had two assists on the night as well as Niklas Nykyri. 

Finland will be back on the ice on Dec. 29 to take on Czechia. Latvia will be back on the ice on Dec. 30 to take on Denmark. 

Relive all of the in-game and scoring action down below! 

End Of Regulation, Finland Wins! 3rd Period - 60:00

Latvia 0, Finland 8 

The final minutes have ran out and as time expires, Finland will walk away with their heads held high and a major win under their belts. 

Finland will successfully shutout Latvia, 8-0. 

Finland Is Unstoppable! 3rd Period - 50:31

Latvia 0, Finland 8 

Finland is on a roll and it seems like everything is going right for this team as the eighth goal of the night finds the inside of the net. 

Lasse Boelius fins the score as he is assisted by Ruohonen and Saarelainen. 

2 More Penalty Minutes For Finland! 3rd Period - 46:35

Latvia 0, Finland 7 

Quickly after the seventh goal finds it's way in to the net, Finland picks up two penalty minutes. 

Kasper Pikkarainen gets two minutes for slashing. 

7th Goal For Finland! 3rd Period - 45:35

Latvia 0, Finland 7 

The third period is off to a hot start as Finland cashes in luck number seven to the back of the net. 

Heikki Ruohonen scores the goal. He is assisted by Juho Piiparinen and Niklas Nykyri. 

Finland Cashes In 6th Goal! 3rd Period - 42:51

Latvia 0, Finland 6

Just as fast as the third period started, Finland still continues to dominate as they pick up their sixth goal. 

Roope Vesterinen puts the puck in the net. He is assisted by Niklas Nykyri and Jasper Kuhta. 

Start of Third Period! 3rd Period - 40:00

Latvia 0, Finland 5 

The final period of regulation is here! As Finland still holds a commanding 5-0 lead, Latvia will have to have a stand out period to try and force this one to overtime. 

Finland currently leads shots on goal, 27-4. 

End Of Second Period! 2nd Period - 40:00

Latvia 0, Finland 5

The end of the second period is here and as the teams head to intermission, Finland is still all gas and no brakes. 

The third period is coming up soon. Will Latvia come back? Stay tuned to find out!

5th Goal For Finland! 2nd Period - 34:06

Latvia 0, Finland 5 

Team Finland is on fire! The dominance has never been a question in this game! Finland tacks on their fifth goal of the game. 

Joona Saarelainen knocks the puck in. He is assisted by Heikki Ruohonen and Lasse Boelius. 

Finland Picks Up First Penalty Minutes! 2nd Period - 27:46

Latvia 0, Finland 4 

Finland has been doing all of the right things in this contest against Latvia. However the team has just picked up their first penalty minutes. 

Joona Saarelainen picks up two minutes for cross-checking. 

Finland Finds Fourth Goal! 2nd Period - 21:37

Latvia 0, Finland 4 

The Finland team is on a roll! The team has picked up their fourth goal of the day! 

Emil Hemming finds his second goal of the day! He is assisted by Matias Vanhanen and Aron Kiviharju. 

Back To Back Penalty Minutes For Latvia! 2nd Period - 20:29 & 20:48 

Latvia 0, Finland 3 

Just after the start of the second period, Latvia picks up four penalty minutes almost back to back. 

Harijs Cjunskis picks up two minutes for holding and Daniels Serkins picks up two minutes for tripping. 

Start of Second Period! 2nd Period - 20:00

Latvia 0, Finland 3

The start of the second period is here. 

Final score update from Sweden and Switzerland. Sweden takes down Switzerland, 4-2.

End of First Period! 1st Period - 20:00

Latvia 0, Finland 3 

The first period has come and gone! Finland has a commanding 3-0 lead but there is still a lot of hockey left to play! 

Finland Is On Fire! 1st Period - 19:16

Latvia 0, Finland 3 

With just a few seconds left until the end of the opening period, Finland finds their third goal of the day.

Max Westergard scores the goal! he is assisted by Niklas Nykyri and Julius Miettinen. 

Finland Goes Up Two Goals! 1st Period - 14:19

Latvia 0, Finland 2

Just like that Finland is up by two goals! 

Jasper Kuhta find the back of the net for Finland. He is assisted by Max Westergard. 

Latvia Picks Up Penalty Minutes! 1st Period - 4:36

Latvia 0, Finland 1 

Just shortly after Finland took a 1-0 jump, Latvia ia awarded their first penalty minutes of the contest. 

Oskars Briedis gets two minutes for delay of game. 

Finland On The Board! 1st Period - 4:11

Latvia 0, Finland 1 

In the early minutes of the first period, Finland strikes first! 

Emil Hemming scores for Finland. He is assisted by Matias Vanhenen. 

Puck Drop! 1st Period - 0:00

Latvia 0, Finland 0 

Action is underway for Latvia and Finland. 

Mikus Vecvanags is in goal for Latvia and Petteri Rimpinen is in goal for Finland. 

15 Minutes Til Puck Drop

Just fifteen minutes to go until the final match of the day at the 2026 World Juniors! 

We've got a score update from Sweden and Switzerland. it still is tight as Sweden currently leads 3-2 as the third period looms on the horizon! 

Latvia Lineup

Goalkeepers

  • 1, Mikus Vecvanags
  • 30, Nils Maurins

Defensemen

  • 2, Krisjanis Sarts
  • 6, Martins Vitols
  • 10, Harijs Cjunskis
  • 15, Darels Uljanskis
  • 21, Krists Retenais
  • 23, Alberts Smits
  • 26, Oskars Briedis

Forwards

  • 7, Rudolfs Berzkalns
  • 8, Martins Klaucans
  • 11, Dmitrijs Dilevka
  • 14, Olivers Murnieks
  • 16, Roberts Polis
  • 17, Kristers Ansons
  • 18, Roberts Naudins
  • 19, Bruno Osmanis
  • 20, Kristians Utnans
  • 22, Antons Macijevskis
  • 24, Daniels Serkins
  • 27, Markuss Sieradzkis
  • 28, Karlis Flugins

Finland Lineup

Goalkeepers

  • 1, Kim Saarinen
  • 30, Petteri Rimpinen

Defensemen

  • 2, Mitja Jokinen
  • 4, Niklas Nykyri
  • 6, Juho Piiparinen
  • 7, Daniel Nieminen
  • 13, Veeti Vaisanen
  • 25, Lasse Boelius
  • 33, Aron Kiviharju

Forwards

  • 10, Roope Vesterinen
  • 12, Joona Saarelainen
  • 15, Aatos Koivu
  • 20, Kasper Pikkarainen
  • 21, Max Westergard
  • 22, Emil Hemming
  • 23, Leo Tuuva
  • 27, Julius Miettinen
  • 28, Heikki Ruohonen
  • 29, Jasper Kuhta
  • 35, Atte Joki
  • 37, Matias Vanhanen
  • 38, Oliver Suvanto

One Hour To Puck Drop!

Just one hour to puck drop in this contest between Latvia and Finland! Lineups are coming soon! Stay excited hockey fans!  

Tight Contest In Sweden Vs. Switzerland

Latvia vs. Finland isn't the only contest happening on Day 3 of the 2026 World Junior Championships. 

Sweden and Switzerland are in a tight contest as it's tied up at 1-1. 

World Juniors Quick Facts

Here are the answers to some frequently asked World Juniors questions:

Who Won World Juniors 2025

The USA won the 2025 World Junior Championship, their second consecutive title. Team USA beat Finland 4-3 in the final after the game entered overtime.

Where Are The World Juniors This Year

This year, the United States is hosting the World Juniors in St. Paul and Minneapolis, Minn. Group A have been playing games in the Grand Casino Arena and Group B have played games in the 3M Arena at Mariucci.

2027 World Juniors Location

The 2027 World Juniors will be held in Alberta, Canada.

Where To Watch World Juniors

The World Juniors streams live on the NHL Network in the United States.

IIHJ World Juniors 2026 Standings

Group A

  1. USA — 6 pts, 2 wins, 0 losses
  2. SWE — 3 pts, 1 win, 0 losses
  3. SVK — 3 pts, 1 win, 1 loss
  4. SUI — 0 pts, 0 wins, 1 loss
  5. GER — 0 pts, 0 wins, 2 losses

Group B

  1. CAN — 5 pts, 1 win, 0 losses
  2. FIN — 3 pts, 1 win, 0 losses
  3. CZE — 3 pts, 1 win, 1 loss
  4. LAT — 1 pt, 0 wins, 0 losses
  5. DEN — 0 pts, 0 wins, 2 losses

World Juniors 2026 Scores So Far

It's been an exciting first day of the 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minn. Here are the scores so far:

Friday, Dec. 26

  • Sweden 3 - 2 Slovakia
  • Finland 6 - 2 Denmark
  • USA 6 - 3 Germany
  • Canada 7 - 5 Czechia

Saturday, Dec. 27

  • Slovakia 4 - 1 Germany
  • Canada 2 - 1 Latvia
  • Switzerland 1 - 2 USA
  • Czechia 7 - 2 Denmark

2026 World Junior Championship Schedule

View the full schedule below for the Group Stage and playoff rounds of the 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship in Minnesota. FloHockey will provide free live updates for each USA and Canada game including analysis, scoring summaries, and highlights.

Friday, December 26

  • 1:00 p.m. ET - Sweden 3 - 2 Slovakia
  • 2:30 p.m. ET - Denmark 2 - 6 Finland
  • 6:00 p.m. ET - Germany 3 - 6 USA
  • 8:30 p.m. ET - Czechia vs Canada *Live Updates*

Saturday, December 27

  • 2:00 p.m. ET - Slovakia vs Germany
  • 4:30 p.m. ET - Latvia vs Canada *Live Updates*
  • 6:00 p.m. ET - USA vs Switzerland *Live Updates*
  • 8:30 p.m. ET - Denmark vs Czechia

Sunday, December 28

  • 2:00 p.m. ET - Sweden vs Switzerland
  • 4:30 p.m. ET - Finland vs Latvia

Monday, December 29

  • 1:00 p.m. ET - Germany vs Sweden
  • 3:30 p.m. ET - Finland vs Czechia
  • 6:00 p.m. ET - Slovakia vs USA *Live Updates*
  • 8:30 p.m. ET - Canada vs Denmark *Live Updates*

Tuesday, December 30

  • 2:00 p.m. ET - Switzerland vs Germany
  • 4:30 p.m. ET - Latvia vs Denmark

Wednesday, December 31

  • 1:00 p.m. ET - Switzerland vs Slovakia
  • 3:30 p.m. ET - Czechia vs Latvia
  • 6:00 p.m. ET - USA vs Sweden *Live Updates*
  • 8:30 p.m. ET - Canada vs Finland *Live Updates*

Friday, January 2

  • 12:30 p.m. ET - Relegation Game
  • 2:00 p.m. ET - Quarterfinals Game 1
  • 4:30 p.m. ET - Quarterfinals Game 2
  • 6:00 p.m. ET - Quarterfinals Game 3
  • 8:30 p.m. ET - Quarterfinals Game 4

Sunday, January 4

  • 4:30 p.m. ET - Semifinals Game 1
  • 8:30 p.m. ET - Semifinals Game 2

Monday, January 5

  • 4:30 p.m. ET - Bronze Medal Game
  • 8:30 p.m. ET - Gold Medal Game

IIHF World Juniors Hockey: Past Champions

Here's who won the Gold at the IIHF World Junior Championship since 2000.

  • 2025: United States
  • 2024: United States
  • 2023: Canada
  • 2022: Canada
  • 2021: United States
  • 2020: Canada
  • 2019: Finland
  • 2018: Canada
  • 2017: United States 
  • 2016: Finland
  • 2015: Canada
  • 2014: Finland
  • 2013: United States 
  • 2012: Sweden
  • 2011: Russia
  • 2010: United States
  • 2009: Canada
  • 2008: Canada
  • 2007: Canada
  • 2006: Canada 
  • 2005: Canada
  • 2004: United States
  • 2003: Russia
  • 2002: Russia
  • 2001: Czech Republic
  • 2000: Czech Republic

2026 World Junior Championship Teams

View the list of teams, by group, for the 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship.

Group A

  • USA
  • Germany
  • Switzerland
  • Sweden
  • Slovakia

Group B

  • Canada
  • Czechia
  • Latvia
  • Denmark
  • Finland

Follow FloHockey's Coverage Of The 2026 World Junior Championship

FloHockey will be on site for complete coverage of the 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship in St. Paul and Minneapolis, Minnesota. You can expect game-by-game coverage of both Team USA and Team Canada from FloHockey's experts, interviews with key players and coaches and much more. Follow FloHockey's WJC coverage here.

NHL Prospect Coverage On FloHockey

The best, and most complete, coverage of the NHL minor league hockey and NHL Draft is found on FloHockey. Don't miss the latest new prospect guides, rankings and more from Chris Peters and the FloHockey staff.

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