Hage's OT goal helps Canada narrowly avoid upset vs. Latvia
Canada narrowly beat Latvia 2-1 in overtime at the 2026 World Junior Championship on Saturday.
Montreal Canadiens prospect Michael Hage fired the winning goal on the power play.
MICHAEL HAGE IS THE OVERTIME HERO FOR CANADA! WHAT A GOAL! 🤯 #WorldJuniors pic.twitter.com/hEknZN1q92
— TSN (@TSN_Sports) December 28, 2025
Latvia stunningly upset Canada with a 3-2 shootout victory in Ottawa exactly one year ago, the nation's first win against Canada in the tournament's history.
Saturday's contest was a similarly tight affair from puck drop to the final horn. Canada took a 1-0 lead early in the second period when Calgary Flames first-rounder Cole Reschny struck on a five-minute power play.
The game remained 1-0 until Latvia's Rudolfs Berzkalns tied the contest with just 1:58 left in regulation.
Canada avenged its consecutive quarterfinal losses to Czechia on Friday with a thrilling 7-5 victory in its tournament opener.
Despite dropping a point to Latvia, Canada still controls its destiny through Group B. Canada will top the group if it handles Denmark and bests Finland on New Year's Eve.