Finland blanks Latvia, heads into world junior quarterfinals with momentum

Finland closed out their preliminary round at the world junior hockey championship with a solid 3-0 victory over Latvia on Tuesday in Ottawa. Benjamin Rautiainen had a goal and an assist, while Petteri Rimpenen delivered a stellar performance in net with a 28-save shutout.

This win guaranteed Finland a top-three finish in Group A, with the possibility of moving up to second place depending on the outcome of the final game between Canada and the United States. With eight points in total, Finland secured their quarterfinal spot, while Latvia finished in fourth place and will face Sweden in the next round.

Jesse Kiiskinen and Kasper Halttunen also found the back of the net for Finland, contributing to their strong showing in the preliminary round.

In another matchup, Switzerland defeated Kazakhstan 3-1 thanks to goals from Simon Meier and Ludvig Johnson, who also added assists. Robin Antenen chipped in with a goal for the Swiss, who secured the last quarterfinal spot in Group B. Kazakhstan’s Kirill Lyapunov managed to score a goal, but it wasn’t enough to secure a victory.

Switzerland will now prepare to face the winner of Group A in the upcoming quarterfinals, while Kazakhstan will battle Germany in a relegation game with the loser being demoted to the Division I Group A tournament for 2026.

Later in the day, Sweden secured first place in Group B with a hard-fought 4-2 win over the Czech Republic. Herman Traff scored twice for Sweden, with Anton Wahlberg and Felix Unger Sorum adding to the tally. Petr Sikora and Eduard Sale managed to score for the Czech Republic, who finished in second place in the group.

With Sweden’s dominant performance in the preliminary round, they will be a team to watch as the tournament progresses. The world junior hockey championship continues to showcase thrilling matchups and top-tier talent, setting the stage for an exciting quarterfinal round.