It's Boxing Day which means the IIHF World Junior Championship is set to kickoff.
Only one current Saint John Sea Dog will be playing in this year's tournament and they won't see game action on Friday. Forward Olivers Murnieks and Team Latvia will play their first game against Team Canada on Saturday.
Here's Latvia's schedule: Dec. 27 vs Canada; Dec. 28 vs Finland; Dec. 30 vs Denmark; and Dec. 31 vs Czechia. Obviously, that Dec. 30 matchup with Denmark could be a huge one.
Only one current Saint John Sea Dog will be playing in this year's tournament and they won't see game action on Friday. Forward Olivers Murnieks and Team Latvia will play their first game against Team Canada on Saturday.
Here are few preview pieces:
- Sportsnet's Sam Cosentino lists Murnieks as a player to watch for Latvia. "His play in the QMJHL has calmed, and getting back to representing the national team should inspire him," writes Cosentino.
- Inside the Rink previews Team Latvia. "A strong World Juniors could help Murnieks push back into contention as a first-round candidate," they write.
- The Hockey Writers previews Team Latvia. The team will be missing the veteran presence of former Sea Dogs forward Eriks Mateiko, who helped lead them into the quarterfinals last year.
- FloHockey lists Murnieks as one of the 2026 NHL Draft eligible players to keep an eye on. "Murnieks is the kind of player who can help Latvia be more than just a spoiler," writes Chris Peters.
This will be Murnieks' second World Junior after he recorded a goal and three assists in five games last year as a 16-year-old.
It seems like just about everyone is saying the same thing about Murnieks: after a slow last couple months (which included a concussion), this tournament offers him a chance to get his season (and draft stock) back on track.
Here's Latvia's schedule: Dec. 27 vs Canada; Dec. 28 vs Finland; Dec. 30 vs Denmark; and Dec. 31 vs Czechia. Obviously, that Dec. 30 matchup with Denmark could be a huge one.
According to a CHL news release, there are 79 players from the league (which includes present and past players) playing in this year's tournament, up from 63 last year. 14 of those 79 players are from the QMJHL.
"Latvia’s five active CHL players are one shy of its record six, set at the 2024 World Juniors," states the CHL.
There is one Sea Dog connection on Team Canada. Gardiner MacDougall, who coached Saint John to a 2022 Memorial Cup championship, is an assistant coach under Dale Hunter. The Canadians open the tournament against Czechia on Boxing Day.
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