Day 2 at the 2026 World Juniors was another busy four-game slate that included a couple of tighter-than-expected games for Team Canada and Team USA.

Here are The Athletic’s daily takeaways and standouts from prospects writers Corey Pronman and Scott Wheeler.

• Slovakia defeated Germany 4-1 on a natural hat trick to start the game from top 2026 prospect Tomas Chrenko, who also led the game with nine shots on goal.
• Latvia played Canada to overtime for a second year in a row, with Cole Reschny (CGY) scoring Canada’s lone goal in regulation and Michael Hage (MTL) winning it in overtime. Jack Ivankovic (NSH) made 26 saves.
• USA defeated Switzerland 2-1, but the loss of No. 1 defenseman Cole Hutson (WSH), who was stretchered off the ice after taking a shot to the back of his neck, looms largest for the Americans.
• Czechia beat Denmark 7-2. Vaclav Nestrasil (CHI), Adam Jiricek (STL), Adam Novotny (2026), Petr Sikora (WSH) and Tomas Galvas each had multi-point games for the Czechs.

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Questions for Team Canada following Day 2 (again)

Saturday’s game against Latvia was a near mirror image of last year’s game. It was Dec. 27 (again). Ivankovic was in the Canadian net (again). Canada was playing its second game of the tournament on the tail end of a back-to-back (again). Latvia was playing its first game of the tournament (again). It was 0-0 after 20 (again) and 1-0 Canada after 40 (again). And Latvia scored late to force overtime (again).

Last year, even though Canada lost 3-2 in a shootout, it still registered 57 shots on goal. On Saturday afternoon, that number was 19 fewer.

For a second consecutive game, I didn’t like Canada’s top line of Tij Iginla (UTA), Michael Misa (SJS) and Porter Martone (PHI), who I’d bet are broken up for their next game, against Denmark on Tuesday. It’s becoming clear that Canada’s bottom six lacks a playmaker or two, as well. Returnees Cole Beaudoin (UTA) and Jett Luchanko (PHI) haven’t created anything, Canada isn’t playing low-pace Kings prospect Liam Greentree already (a repeat of U18s, which raises questions as to why they brought him), and Sam O’Reilly (TBL) and Reschny have been solid on special teams but aren’t generating much at five-on-five (I do think Utah prospect Caleb Desnoyers has been decent in his minutes). I’m surprised, after the way that group looked Friday, that we didn’t see Team Canada register and dress Carter Bear (DET), especially given that it was an afternoon back-to-back. Canada’s blue line still looks disorganized, too, and I’d expect Keaton Verhoeff (2026) to get into the lineup against Denmark.

I thought Ivankovic played well and Hage (MTL) was again Canada’s most consistent player offensively (before he scored in overtime), but through two games, there aren’t many players Team Canada can be feeling confident are playing their best.