Canada is one win from the championship game after sweeping its preliminary schedule at the 2026 Hlinka Gretzky Cup in Edmonton. The host team now turns to Finland in Friday’s semifinal, with a possible meeting against the United States or Slovakia waiting in the gold medal game.
Canada’s three group-stage wins gave it both momentum and confidence. The team piled up 20 goals across victories over Switzerland, Slovakia, and Sweden, and that offense has made the Canadians one of the most difficult teams in the tournament to contain.
Semifinal schedule and start times
Canada meets Finland on Friday, August 7, 2026, at Rogers Place. The semifinal winner moves on to Saturday night’s final, while the loser drops into the bronze medal game.
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5 p.m. Mountain Time
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7 p.m. Eastern Time
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4 p.m. Pacific Time
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8 p.m. Atlantic Time
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8:30 p.m. Newfoundland Time
The medal round stays in the same building, with Rogers Place hosting both games on Saturday. The bronze medal game is set for noon Mountain Time, followed by the gold medal contest later in the day.
TSN and RDS are carrying the preliminary round, semifinals, and medal games from Rogers Place.
What Canada has already shown
The Canadians arrived in the knockout stage as one of the clear favorites because of how complete their first three games looked. They opened with a 7-3 win over Switzerland, then handled Slovakia 6-1, and closed the round by beating Sweden 7-4.
That run produced a clean preliminary record and a first-place finish in Group A. It also showed that Canada can score in several different ways, whether through quick transitions, sustained zone time, or pressure around the net.
| Canada’s preliminary-round results | Score | Key note |
|---|---|---|
| vs. Switzerland | 7-3 | Liam Pue and Brock England scored twice each |
| vs. Slovakia | 6-1 | Kayden Stroeder scored two goals |
| vs. Sweden | 7-4 | Canada fired 49 shots and scored five in the first period |
The Sweden game was especially revealing. Canada jumped out fast, built a huge early lead, and still had enough finishing touch to put the game away after Sweden made its push.
Finland’s route and why the matchup matters
Finland earned its semifinal spot by taking two of three preliminary games in Group B. The Finns opened with a 5-2 comeback against Germany, lost 4-1 to the United States, and then edged Czechia 5-4 to secure second place in the group.
That path suggests a team that can survive different game states. Finland has shown it can chase a result, absorb pressure, and hang around in a tight contest long enough to make the final minutes matter.
Goaltender Samu Heikkinen is likely the most important Finnish player in the matchup. He stopped 38 shots against Czechia and entered the semifinal with a .922 save percentage, which ranked third among tournament goaltenders after the preliminary round.
Canada should control more of the puck and generate more chances, but Finland is good at making games feel smaller and more frustrating. If Heikkinen settles in early, the Canadians will need to work for rebounds, screens, and second looks instead of settling for low-danger shots.
Players who could decide the night
Canada’s attack has been spread across the roster, but a few names have stood out through the first three games.
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Maddox Schultz led Canada in points with one goal and six assists. His playmaking has made him the team’s most reliable creator.
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Liam Pue scored four goals and two assists, including a two-goal effort against Switzerland.
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Kayden Stroeder finished the preliminary round with three goals and three assists and showed up in key moments against Slovakia and Sweden.
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Landon DuPont contributed one goal and two assists while giving Canada an active blue-line presence in transition.
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Leif Oaten posted a 2.50 goals-against average and may be asked to make timely saves if the semifinal tightens up.
Schultz has been Canada’s most effective distributor, often setting up teammates before defenses can fully recover. Pue has been the main finisher, while Stroeder has added balance with his ability to score and assist in different situations.
DuPont’s value goes beyond the scoresheet. He helps move the puck out of trouble and adds a layer of offense from the back end, which matters against a Finland team likely to defend with structure and discipline.
Oaten may not face the same shot volume as in a busy group-stage game, but the chances he does see could be high quality. A few clean saves in a low-scoring stretch could swing the matchup.
What Canada needs to do to finish the job
Canada’s biggest edge is depth, but its biggest danger is giving Finland free chances through mistakes. The Canadians let Sweden back into their last preliminary game after building a 5-0 lead, and the penalty kill had to absorb pressure when the pace shifted.
That kind of drift cannot happen again. Finland is comfortable waiting for turnovers and turning them into counterattacks, so puck management through the neutral zone will matter as much as offensive-zone pressure.
Canada will also need patience. Heikkinen has already shown he can handle a heavy workload, so the key is to create traffic, attack loose pucks, and force the Finnish defense to clear repeatedly under stress.
If Canada keeps the pace up without losing structure, it should create enough chances to earn a place in the final. If it becomes careless, the semifinal could turn into a much tighter game than its raw talent suggests.
Who would wait in the final
If Canada advances, the gold medal opponent will be either the United States or Slovakia. Those two teams play the other semifinal on Friday at noon Mountain Time.
A Canada-United States final would pit the two undefeated teams from the preliminary round against each other. The Americans beat Czechia, Finland, and Germany while scoring 18 goals and allowing just six. They also arrive as the defending champions after winning the 2025 Hlinka Gretzky Cup.
A final against Slovakia would create a rematch of Tuesday’s group game, which Canada won 6-1. Kayden Stroeder scored twice in that meeting, but Slovakia still has offensive threat, led by Tomas Selic, who paced all players with eight points through the preliminary round.
Canada has the scoring depth to challenge either opponent. The top of the lineup has been productive, and the defense has added enough offense to keep pressure coming from multiple directions.
The bigger question is whether the Canadians can keep that balance for one more game. If they do, Saturday’s final will be within reach at Rogers Place.