GOTHEBURG, SWEDEN – The quarterfinals of the 2024 IIHF World Junior Championship are set to take place on Tuesday, January 2nd in Gothenburg. The United States and Sweden finished in first place in their respective groups, giving the American team the overall No. 1 seed heading into the medal round.
The teams that win their quarterfinal matches will advance to the semifinals, where they will be reseeded, with the top teams playing the remaining lowest seeds, and so on. All semi-finals and medal games will be played in Gothenburg Scandinavia.
This year’s quarter-finals will feature six teams who should feel they have a legitimate chance of winning gold. Even Finland, who suffered a crushing defeat to Germany in the preliminary round, have no intention of giving up at this stage of the tournament. They will get a chance to prove it against a newly confident Slovak side who won three of the first four games of the tournament.
In preparation for each QF matchup, FloHockey provides a quick analysis of each quarterfinal, featuring NHL prospects and plenty of drama. The first match of the day begins with Slovakia vs Finland.
2024 World Junior Quarterfinal Match Schedule
Slovakia vs. Finland, 6 a.m. ET (Frolundaborg)
Canada vs. Czech Republic, 8:30 a.m. ET (Scandinavium)
USA vs. Latvia, 11 a.m. ET (Frolundabor)
Sweden vs. Switzerland, 1:30 PM ET (Scandinavium)
No. 2B Slovakia (3-0-0-1) vs. No. 3A Finland (1-1-0-2)
In theory, this is the most intriguing matchup of the quarterfinals, featuring two teams who have experienced some great moments in the tournament. Finland won in a penalty shootout against hosts Sweden in the final game of the qualifying round, while Slovakia scored 19 goals against rival Czech Republic on the first day of the tournament, ranking third among all teams. Both teams have structure, skill and players known for stepping up in key moments.
Slovakia has experience and perhaps deeper skills. Finland has plenty of size up front and plenty of players who can find goal when needed. Neither team is perfect defensively, but both teams have goaltenders they can rely on in key moments.
Slovakia will likely have the advantage in net, as Green Bay Gamblers goaltender Adam Gajan (CHI) is one of the best starters in the tournament so far. He is undefeated in three games and is resting for the medal round against the United States, but has a save percentage of .934 while taking an average of 30 shots per game. He also nearly stole the game from Canada in last year’s quarterfinals before a Connor Bedard effort in OT.
The Slovak team is missing two of the best players in their age group in Juraj Slavkovski and Simon Nemec. Despite this, they still have depth and will look to players like Philippe Messard (MTL), Dalibor Dvorski (STL) and Samuel Honczek (CGY) to contribute offensively. are doing.
Finland were one of the most disappointing teams in the tournament, but they showed their mettle in a penalty shootout win against Sweden and had to come back late to force an OT and penalty shootout. They haven’t been able to score effectively, but this game proved they might just be coming into their own.
The Finns will also have to make decisions online. Niklas Kokko (Southeast Asia) appeared to be the team’s de facto starter, but Noah Valli performed well in his two starts, winning both. Heading into the single-elimination phase of the tournament, things get a little more interesting.
Key players to watch for Slovakia vs Finland quarterfinals
Maxim Strubak, D, Slovakia (BUF): Strubak is going to play a ton of minutes in this game. The highly skilled forwards Slovakia has at its disposal will be crucial against Finland, but it may be Stovak’s ability to defend and put the puck on the ice that matters most. I wouldn’t be shocked to see him on the ice for 27-28 minutes, depending on how the game plays out. He is by far the most reliable defenseman on this team and was the team’s mainstay last year. The Michigan State Spartans look like different players when they’re playing for their country.
Jere Lasila, C, Finland: The undrafted Finnish captain played a big game against Sweden and made some important plays. His effort level is never an issue and he can play a solid defensive game. Slovakia has a very high attack power, so Finland will need team defense to slow them down. Lasila is one of the players who can create that atmosphere. He also has five points in the tournament so far, ranking second on the team.
Captain Jere Lasila sets up and gives away the power play. @leijonat Lead 🇫🇮🚨 #World Junior #latinfin pic.twitter.com/qvwhMIY85S
— IIHF (@IIHFHockey) December 29, 2023
prediction
Slovakia 4, Finland 2
2024 World Junior Ice Hockey Championship Quarterfinals
The quarterfinals will begin on January 2, 2024, with four games beginning at 6 a.m. ET, with the final game scheduled for 1:30 p.m.
2024 World Junior Ice Hockey Championship Semi-Finals
The semifinals begin on January 4th, with games beginning at 6 a.m. ET and ending at 1:30 p.m.
2024 World Junior Ice Hockey Championship Finals
The IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship bronze medal match begins January 5th at 9 a.m. ET.
The Gold Medal Game will be held at 1:30 PM ET.
2023-2024 World Junior Stream
The World Junior Championship will be broadcast on NHL Network in the United States. Select games will be available on ESPN+.
World Junior Hockey on TSN in Canada
In Canada, the event will be televised on TSN and streamed on TSN+.