Kraken prospects are lighting up the World Juniors! See who's driving their teams to the semifinals and what's next.
The semifinals round of the 2026 World Junior Championship is set. On January 4th, Finland will face off against Sweden and Canada will meet Czechia. The Kraken have prospects on three of the four semifinal teams.
Julius Miettinen has 1 goal and 2 assists in 4 games played for Team Finland. He was credited with the secondary assist on the overtime winner that sent Finland to the semifinal round, eliminating two-time gold-winning Team USA. Goaltender Kim Saarinen is also rostered for Team Finland, but he has not yet been called upon to play.
For Czechia, defenceman Jakub Fibigr has contributed 1 goal and 1 assist, and is +2 for the tournament. Both points came in the last ten minutes of Czechia's quarterfinal round against Switzerland, with Fibigr's goal landing as the final punch in the 6-2 victory.
Loke Krantz has played a smaller role in Sweden's success. While other Kraken prospects are making their second appearances in the tournament, this is Krantz's first. The 18-year-old has not played as many minutes, and has not accumulated any points. His last go at international competition was in the U17 tournament in 2023-24 where he had 2 goals and 1 assist in 4 games played. There is still time for him to make an impact.
The semifinals round will take place on January 4th. Finland vs. Sweden at 1:30 pacific, and Canada vs. Czechia at 5:30 pacific.
Category: General Sports
