The Czechs used a sick move to escape their 2026 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships group stage game against Finland at 3M Arena at Mariucci in Minneapolis, Minn., with a 2-1 overtime victory.
With only a little over a minute left in overtime, Czech defenseman Adam Jiricek took a well-placed pass right in front of the net, then showed his incredible stick-handling skills by going between his legs before firing the puck that slipped past Finland netminder Petteri Rimpinen.
ADAM JIRICEK GOES BETWEEN HIS LEGS FOR THE OVERTIME WINNER 😱🚨
— TSN (@TSN_Sports) December 29, 2025
CZECHIA WINS A THRILLER IN STYLE 🇨🇿 #WorldJuniors pic.twitter.com/s7mH67VwQR
With that goal, the Czechs now have two wins in the tournament and have moved them within two points of the top of the Group B standings.
While Jiricek’s goal is getting the attention it surely deserves, the Czechs relied on their defense to keep pace with the high-powered Finland, who leads the group with 15 goals.
“I think this is the first game in the two or three weeks this team has been together that we played really well defensively,” Czech coach Patrik Augusta said after the contest, via Andrew Podnieks of the IIHF’s website.
“We were smart. We were fast. We moved the puck quickly, and we were finishing our plays. You don’t want to give the Finns too much room. They are so skilled. It was a tight game, which is what we wanted.”
The Czechs have already clinched a spot in the next round of the tourney, but will play one more game in the preliminary round.
Up next for Jiricek and company is a game on Wednesday against Latvia.
