2026 U-18 World Championship: Wilde, Nelson highlight top standouts from Day 3
Friday’s action at the 2026 U-18 World Championship wasn’t high scoring – but the two winners won’t mind.
The United States and Finland each snagged wins on Friday, shutting down Denmark and Latvia, respectively. It was a goaltending showcase, with quality scoring chances in tight proving to be tough to come by.
Here’s a look at the top performers from Slovakia on Day 3:
Denmark 0, USA 2
The Americans came out with a 2-0 shutout victory on Friday, but that wasn’t the most interesting part of this game.
Instead, it was the unbelievable 52-save performance from Danish goaltender Anton Wilde. Considered to be a potential late-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, Wilde was absolutely electric in a game that would have been a blowout without his brilliance in net.
Mikey Berchild and Dayne Beuker scored the two goals against, while Latvia failed to get anything done at the other end, as the Americans snagged their first victory of the tournament. Luke Carrithers, meanwhile, stopped all nine shots sent his way for the shutout for the United States.
The United States will be back in action for a big bout against Sweden on Saturday, while Latvia will return to action against Norway on Sunday.
Denmark
#1 Anton Wilde, G: Wilde made a whopping 16 saves in a completely one-sided first period. He was the only reason this game wasn’t a blowout from the get-go. It’s nice to see Wilde having a strong tournament after a rough showing at the World Juniors. Today, though, was as impressive a goaltending performance as you’ll find at this level. Many feel Wilde is a future Danish goaltending star, capable of leading the team at the World Championship sooner rather than later. As long as he’s playing with confidence, he’ll have a shot to make it happen.
USA
#9 Sammy Nelson, C (2027): Nelson was everywhere in this one. He was one of USA’s top shot generators, but he was also electric in the faceoff dot. The Americans continually peppered Wilde with opportunities, and Nelson was at the forefront of that attack. It felt like Nelson’s most rounded performance of the tournament so far. He’s not eligible until the 2027 NHL Draft, but his skill, strength and hockey sense should allow him to go on Day 1.
#17 Jamie Glance, RW (2027): Glance had seven shots in the first two periods, but nothing to show for it. His energy was tremendous, but he just couldn’t figure out a way to capitalize. Still, I love his game, and feel he has been USA’s top player through two games. He’s been USA’s most impressive forward in most of my viewings as a whole this year, so I can’t wait to see how high he goes in 2027.
Finland 2, Latvia 0
Finland
#28 Roni Kuukasjarvi, D (2027): Kuukasjarvi scored a highlight-reel goal in this one and then nearly added another two in the first period. It’s like he completely came to life after that first goal, so it was nice to see. Scouts gave him solid reviews after watching him in the Finnish U-20 league, and they loved him a year ago when he couldn’t stop producing with the U-16 team. He’s definitely in the conversation to go early next year.
#29 Luca Santala, RW (2027): Do the Finns have a star on their hands? Santala is up to four goals and five points through two games now and has easily been the tournament’s early MVP. He’s been exceptionally productive at both the U-17 and U-18 levels this year and even looked good playing against U-20 competition as a 16-year-old. I love his shot, which he put on full display to make it 2-0 today.
Latvia
#30 Patriks Plūmiņš, G: Plūmiņš was excellent in this one. Both goals against in the opening 40 minutes were great plays. Instead, Plūmiņš kept his head up, tracked shots well and continued to keep his team in this one. Plūmiņš is a big 6-foot-3 goaltender with plenty of international experience thsi year, and, for the most part, has looked good. Scouts think there’s the potential for a team to take a chance on the mobile goalie late in the draft.
#14 Olivers Murnieks, C: Murnieks did a good job of clearing the crease and keeping Finland’s attackers occupied around the Latvian net. This is his third U-18s, and an extra important one for him after a difficult campaign in the QMJHL. He was Latvia’s best player today, but it wasn’t enough to get Latvia into a chance to win. Regardless, he’s a talented player who has consistency issues. On this Latvia team, though, he’s extremely important.
2026 IIHF U-18 Men’s World Championship Round Robin Standings
Group A
| Rank | Team | GP | Points |
| 1. | Slovakia | 2 | 6 |
| 2. | Finland | 2 | 6 |
| 3. | Canada | 2 | 3 |
| 4. | Latvia | 2 | 0 |
| 5. | Norway | 2 | 0 |
Group B
| Rank | Team | GP | Points |
| 1. | Czechia | 2 | 5 |
| 2. | USA | 2 | 4 |
| 3. | Sweden | 2 | 3 |
| 4. | Denmark | 2 | 3 |
| 5. | Germany | 2 | 0 |
2026 IIHF U-18 Men’s World Championship Round Robin Schedule
| Date | Time (ET) | Matchup | Location |
| Sat. April 25 | 6:00 AM | Germany vs. Czechia | Bratislava |
| 8:00 AM | Norway vs. Canada | Trenčín | |
| 10:00 AM | Sweden vs. USA | Bratislava | |
| 12:00 PM | Slovakia vs. Finland | Trenčín | |
| Sun. April 26 | 10:00 AM | Czechia vs. Denmark | Bratislava |
| 12:00 PM | Latvia vs. Norway | Trenčín | |
| Mon. April 27 | 6:00 AM | Denmark vs. Sweden | Bratislava |
| 8:00 AM | Finland vs. Canada | Trenčín | |
| 10:00 AM | USA vs. Germany | Bratislava | |
| 12:00 PM | Latvia vs. Slovakia | Trenčín |