Washington Capitals prospect Petr Sikora continues to be a massive thorn in the side of Canadian hockey fans. The 20-year-old centerman led the rest of Team Czechia to a third straight elimination of Team Canada at a World Juniors tournament on Sunday night, pushing the Czechs to the 2026 gold medal game.
The 6-4 victory at St. Paul’s Grand Casino Arena will see Czechia face Sweden in the tournament final on Monday. Sikora, who was public enemy number one for Canada at last year’s World Juniors, again played a massive role in ensuring they will not win a gold or silver medal since 2023.
While Sikora registered just one point in the win, the 2024 sixth-round pick played the most ice time (23:19) of any skater in the game, forward or defenseman. He notched his lone point, an assist, on a game-sealing empty netter by Vojtech Cihar with 26 seconds remaining in regulation.
The assist gave Sikora nine points (2g, 7a) in six games, which is tied for the third-most in the tournament. The impressive showing comes after he notched seven points (4g, 3a) in seven games for Czechia last year, eventually taking home a bronze medal.
Sikora, the Czech captain, plays at all strengths for the team as their first-line center, and has also won 54.8 percent of his faceoffs. His 20:42 of average ice time per game ranks 15th at the tournament and first among all non-Danish forwards.
After Sunday’s win, the Karvina, Czechia native was named one of the nation’s top three players at the tournament by his coaches. St. Louis Blues first-round pick Adam Jiricek and the undrafted Tomas Galvas joined Sikora.
With the loss, Canada will now play Finland for bronze on Monday. If they lose to the Finns, they will go without a medal for a third straight World Juniors, which has only happened once in the tournament’s history (1979-1981). Additionally, for the first time in 13 years, a country other than Canada, Finland, or the USA will win gold at the tournament.
Sikora is currently in the middle of his third professional season with HC Ocelari Trinec in the Czech Extraliga, where he has six points (2g, 4a) in 12 games. The Capitals have yet to ink Sikora to his entry-level contract and have until June 1, 2028, to do so.
Czechia’s bronze medal last year was their fourth as an independent nation and their seventh overall. They’ve previously won two gold medals (2000, 2001) and one silver medal (2023).
Sweden advanced to the gold medal game after dispatching their bitter rivals, the Finns, 4-3 in a shootout. Capitals prospect Milton Gastrin played 6:10 of ice time in the win and will match up with Sikora in the final.
