How to Watch the IIHF Men’s Under-18 World Championship Quarterfinals: Switzerland v. USA, Latvia v. Canada and more | Channel, Stream, Preview

Generic Hockey Puck

An NHL hockey puck is seen on a face-off dot during the third period of an NHL hockey game between the Boston Bruins and the Pittsburgh Penguins Saturday, April 16, 2022, in Boston. (AP Photo/Winslow Townson)AP

By

The quarterfinals for the 2024 IIHF Men’s Under-18 World Championship is set for Thursday, with a couple of favorites looking to make their way into the semifinals.

Switzerland vs. United States

The United States was an offensive juggernaut through the group stage. Led by James Hagens--the tournament’s leading scorer--the Americans scored 33 goals in four games, including nine against host Finland on Tuesday to clinch first place in Group A. James Hagens has scored 16 points thus far.

Switzerland ended up finishing fourth in Group B, with their lone win coming against last-place Kazakhstan. However, they played Sweden close on Monday, losing 3-2 in overtime. The Swiss have not made it to the semifinals since 2015.

Slovakia vs. Czechia

It is a border rivalry in the quarterfinals.

Slovakia snuck into the knockout round. After losing their first three games, including a 9-0 thrashing at the hands of the Americans, the Slovaks pummeled Norway, 11-1, on Tuesday in order to sneak into third in Group B. Slovakia has not made it to the semis at the U-18s since the took home silver in 2003.

Czechia finished second in Group B, though it felt more like a consolation as they lost to Kazakhstan. The team ended up with a 2-1-1 record, only finishing above Sweden thanks to a shootout win on Sunday. The reigning silver medalists have a tough road of getting back to the gold medal game.

Sweden vs. Finland

These Scanadanvians will square off to see who moves onto the semis.

Finland’s only real falter in the opening round came when they gave up nine goals to the United States. However, they have the firepower to make it to the final four for the first time in two years. They have a couple of scoring weapons in Emil Hemming and Tuomas Suoniemi leading the charge.

Sweden ended up third in Group B. After a hard-fought loss to Canada to open the tournament. Despite goal-scoring threats like Melvin Fernstrom and Lucas Petterson, the Swedes also lost to the Czechs, only picking up an overtime win over Switzerland.

Latvia vs. Canada

The only team to score more goals in the group stage than Canada was the U.S. With Gavin McKenna and Porter Martone filling the nets, the Canadians outscored their opponents 31-7, including putting 11 up on Kazakhstan on Tuesday, finishing first in Group B with a 4-0-0 record.

Latvia’s lone victory in Group A came over Latvia, but thanks to a poor goal differential, and a stunning loss to Norway on Monday, Latvia ended up finishing fourth. They will have a tough time matching Canada’s firepower, and will have to rely on their goaltending if they want to pull of an upset.

Follow the tournament here

If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.