Day 1 Recap: Czechia and Finland Upend Both Canadian Teams at the U17 World Challenge

OAKVILLE — Opening day at the 2026 U17 World Challenge went to the Europeans. Dominik Zelezny's hat trick powered Czechia past Canada White in the afternoon, and Sami Sinkko stood on his head that night as Finland beat a Canada Red team that outshot it by 17. Here's how both games unfolded, and who stood out.

Zelezny's hat trick powers Czechia past Canada White, 6-4

Canada White came out flying in the opener of the 2026 U17 World Challenge, but Dominik Zelezny took over the middle frame. He scored three goals as Czechia came back for a 6-4 win at Sixteen Mile Sports Complex on Sunday.

Canada took a 2-0 lead in the first period. At 15:37 left, Madden Daneault finished a 2-on-1 on a perfect feed from Jace Voortman, with Holden Wouters getting the second assist. Defenceman Adrian Sgro then made it 2-0 at 10:29 left. Maddox Schultz stepped wide around a defender and faked a shot to pull the goalie, then slid it across for an easy tap-in.

The second period belonged to Czechia. Zelezny ripped one home at 12:23 left, and Jakub Hladik tied it 18 seconds later on the rebound of a Marek Domkar shot off the crossbar. Zelezny then struck shorthanded, going to the backhand after a Canadian turnover at the offensive blue line, to put Czechia ahead. Lucas Andrejko made it 4-2, and Zelezny finished his hat trick on the power play with a low, far-post wrister at 1:37 left.

“We need to be better,” Schultz said of the second period. “We talked about it in the room. It’s just non-negotiable that we have a period like that. Like I said, going back to the full 60, we need to play the full 60 next game, and for others to come. I think it’s good that we rallied really well. Get a good night’s rest, and hopefully we’re back out tomorrow. We’re going to be better."

Schultz pulled Canada within two on an early third-period power-play goal, from Voortman and Sgro. After Marek Sedlacek restored the three-goal lead in a goal-mouth collision, Jacob McKinnon banged in his own rebound at 3:35 left. Canada got no closer.

Canada outshot Czechia 21-8 in the third, but Czechia held a 42-37 edge overall after a lopsided 22-5 second period. Matyas Novotny made 33 saves for Czechia; Dylan Mingo stopped 36 for Canada White.

Standouts
Dominik Zelezny (CZE): three goals, very smooth hands and the body position to shield pucks at speed.
Maddox Schultz (CAN): a goal and two assists. A powerful lower body lets him protect the puck well above his size, and his edges were elite.
Matyas Michalek (CZE): a mobile defenceman with shifty feet who walked the line and kept getting pucks through traffic on the power play.
Madden Daneault (CAN): a goal and two assists, finishing the 2-on-1 that opened the scoring and setting up two more.
Jace Voortman (CAN): two assists, including the feed on Daneault's opener, plus a high-IQ pass from in front of the net when he could have shot.
Lucas Andrejko (CZE): a goal and two assists.

Sinkko stands tall as Finland handles Canada Red, 5-1

Canada Red outshot Finland 43-26 on Sunday night, but couldn't solve Sami Sinkko. The Finnish goalie made 42 saves in a 5-1 Finland win.

Asked if he’d ever been that busy in a game, Sinkko said: “Maybe in Finland, about U12, but that’s not real hockey. This is real hockey.”

Canada controlled long stretches of play from the opening shift. Liam Pue led the attack with repeated shots from the top of the left circle, and Kash Kwajah was dangerous on the forecheck all night. Finland opened the scoring on the power play at 6:23 left in the first, when Hannu Packalen finished a Wallin–Nurmi play and celebrated toward the crowd.

Joose Lahtinen made it 2-0 early in the second, finishing a tic-tac-toe sequence by burying the puck from the slot after Nathan Boulanger stopped Jose Tiilikainen at the side of the net. Lucas Matheson finally beat Sinkko with a power-play point blast with 24 seconds left in the period, from Tanner Adams and Reid Nicol.

“Some games you get that puck luck, and some games the puck luck isn’t there,” said Pue, Canada Red’s captain. “That could have been the case today. And that goalie also played a hell of a game.”

Any comeback ended 60 seconds into the third. Packalen's harmless-looking shot from the corner squeaked through Boulanger, and Valtti Maenpaa poked home the loose puck. Robin Tenhunen added a power-play goal off Jesper Torkell's feed, Finland's second of the night in four chances, and Elias Oksanen scored into the empty net. Canada's Landon Roulston and Maenpaa drew 10-minute misconducts after an altercation in the final seconds.

Pue said the shot total gives Canada something to build on heading into its next game against the United States. “We had enough shots to win a hockey game,” he said. “If we do that same thing tomorrow, I think the puck will go in the back of the net, and it should turn our way.”

Standouts
Sami Sinkko (FIN): 42 saves on 43 (.977), including a glove save on a 5-on-3 and a reflex stop in the slot on Kwajah.
Hannu Packalen (FIN): a goal, two assists and a snapshot off the post. He was dangerous every time he had the puck.
Jesper Torkell (FIN): relentless effort, a key keep-in at the blue line and the setup on the 4-1 goal.
Liam Pue (CAN): Canada's most persistent shooter, and he created chances with his forecheck and net drives.
Kash Kwajah (CAN): dangerous on the forecheck all night; set up Adams from behind the net on the first shift and kept getting looks in tight, but Sinkko robbed him with a toe save, a blocker save and a reflex stop in the slot.
Zaac Charbonneau (CAN): high-end speed and poise under pressure; buzzing all night and a constant threat off the rush.

Full scouting reports at PuckBunker.com