A look at which WHLers had standout performances at the 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship.
The 2026 World Juniors is underway and features plenty of talent from the WHL. Every day, THN's WHL team will be highlighting standout performances from the tournament. Here are the WHL standouts from December 26, 2025.
Game Results:
Sweden 3, Czechia 2
Finland 6, Denmark 2
USA 6, Germany 3
Canada 7, Czechia 5
Dustin Willhöft- Saskatoon Blades/Germany
Dustin Willhöft kicked off his 2026 World Juniors with a multi-point effort. The Saskatoon Blades forward recorded two assists in 18:20 of ice time for Germany. Willhöft was voted Player of the Game for the Germans, who fell 6-3 to the Americans.
Tomas Poletin- Kelowna Rockets/Czechia
Tomas Poletin had a game to remember for Czechia. The Kelowna Rockets forward scored twice and was named Player of the Game for Czechia. Poletin has proven he can score this season in the WHL and is now having similar success at the international level.
Ethan MacKenzie- Edmonton Oil Kings/Canada
What a night for Ethan MacKenzie. The Edmonton Oil Kings scored the game-winner for Canada while also adding two assists against Czechia. Ultimately, MacKenzie silenced some of his doubters on Friday as he played a significant role in Canada's victory.
December 27 Schedule:
Slovakia vs Germany: 11:00 am PT
Latvia vs Canada: 1:30 pm PT
USA vs Switzerland: 3:00 pm PT
Denmark vs Czechia: 5:30 pm PT
Make sure you bookmark THN's WHL site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. This article originally appeared on The Hockey News.
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