The United States is coming off its first loss of the 2026 world junior hockey championship.

It can’t afford another loss.

Team USA, attempting its first three-peat at the tournament for the world’s best under-20 players, will face Finland on Friday, Jan. 2, in the quarterfinals. The team that loses goes home and the winner heads to the semifinals on Jan. 4. The medal games are Jan. 5.

The USA beat Finland in the championship game last year to pick up a second consecutive gold medal.

The Americans beat Germany, Switzerland and Slovakia in this tournament before losing to Sweden. They have been without top defenseman Cole Hutson since he was hit by a puck in the second game and left the ice on a stretcher. Max Plante missed the Sweden game with an injury. Hutson is expected to play Friday while Plante remains day-to-day.

USA is providing live coverage of the USA vs. Finland game. Follow along:

End of first: USA 0, Finland 0

USA outshoots Finland 12-8 in that period. Cole Hutson looks good moving the puck. The USA had a couple turnovers, but goalie Nick Kempf keeps it scoreless.

Finland power play

AJ Spellacy is called for tripping. The USA gave up three power-play goals by Sweden in the last game. The USA kills the first part of the penalty but 25 seconds will spill into the second period.

USA chance

AJ Spellacy breaks in with speed, but Petteri Rimpinen makes a save. Still scoreless with five minutes left in the first period.

Big save by Nick Kempf

He stops Heikki Ruohonen in tight after a USA turnover.

USA power play

Mitja Jokinen is called for hooking. Cole Hutson was on the ice at the time of the call, so he’s not on the power play unit to start, but he’s out there now. Finland kills it off.

Game underway

It’s win or go home.

What channel is USA vs. Finland world juniors hockey game today?

TV channel: NHL Network

Livestream: Fubo, which offers a free trial to new subscribers, or Sling TV.

Watch world junior championships on Fubo

What time is USA vs. Finland world juniors hockey game today?

Date: Friday, Jan. 2

Time: 6 p.m. ET (5 p.m. local time)

The game is scheduled to start at 6 p.m. ET (5 p.m. local time) at the Grand Casino Arena in Saint Paul, Minnesota, the home of the Minnesota Wild.

World juniors USA vs. Finland: How to watch, stream

Time: 6 p.m. ET on Friday, Jan. 2

Location: Grand Casino Arena (Saint Paul, Minnesota)

TV: NHL Network

Streaming: Fubo and certain levels of Sling TV carry NHL Network.

World junior championships quarterfinals today

Jan. 2

Sweden 6 Latvia 3: The Swedes remain perfect at the tournament and will have the top seed in Sunday’s semifinals. Anton Frondell, a Blackhawks No. 3 overall pick, scored twice, including 10 seconds into the game.
Czechia vs. Switzerland, 4:30
USA vs. Finland, 6
Canada vs. Slovakia, 8:30

USA vs Finland history

The U.S. and Finland have met 40 times previously, with Team USA having a 20-19-1 advantage. They split games in last year’s tournament, but the USA won 4-3 in overtime for its second consecutive gold medal.

Cole Hutson injury update

The USA defenseman told NHL Network it has been a ‘pretty tough week, lots of emotions’ as he returns for the first time since his injury in the Switzerland game.

Asked how he would manage expectations on Friday, he said: ‘I think it’s keeping it simple for the first few shifts, make sure I’m not trying anything too crazy. Hopefully then my game will come out soon and somehow I’ll help the team win.’

USA, Finland lineups

Finland goaltender vs USA

Petteri Rimpinen, the top goalie of the 2025 tournament, is expected to start against the USA. Like last year, he has played every minute. The Kings draft pick has a 2.49 goals-against average and a .865 save percentage. Those numbers are down from last year.

USA goaltender vs Finland

The USA will go with Notre Dame’s Nick Kempf in net. He has given up only two goals in the tournament, including one on 17 shots in the third period against Sweden after he replaced starter Brady Knowling. He won the second game against Switzerland. He has a 1.54 goals against average and .934 save percentage. 

Sweden advances to semifinals

Sweden improved to 5-0 after a 6-3 win against Latvia. Blackhawks draft pick Anton Frondell scored 10 seconds into the game and also scored in the third period.

USA players to watch

Will Zellers leads the USA with five goals and seven points. He had the game-winning goal in the first three games. Brodie Ziemer (Sabres) has six points and James Hagens (Bruins) has five.

Finland players to watch

Roope Vesterinen leads Finland with four goals and is tied for the team with five points. Defenseman Lasse Boelius also has five points, including two goals.

Cole Hutson injury update

The USA defenseman will suit up for the first time since he left the second game on a stretcher after being hit in the head by a puck. Injured forward Max Plante remains day-to-day.

Germany wins relegation game

Fifth-place Germany beat beat fifth-place Denmark 8-4 in Friday’s relegation game and will stay in the top level of the world junior championships. Denmark, which had qualified for the tournament this season, moves down one level. It went winless in Minnesota.

The Golden State Warriors start the new year with a home game against the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder at 7 p.m. PT (10 p.m. ET) Friday, Jan. 2 at Chase Center in San Francisco.

Both teams look to extend their win streaks and get things rolling for 2026.

Golden State (18-16) enters the game having won back-to-back games to end 2025, defeating the Charlotte Hornets and Brooklyn Nets. Oklahoma City has won three in a row after handling the Philadelphia 76ers, Atlanta Hawks and Portland Trail Blazers.

The last time these teams faced each other was on Dec. 2 when the Thunder got the better of the Warriors in a 124-112 victory. Oklahoma City is led by the reigning NBA MVP, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who is averaging 32.1 points per game on 56% field goal shooting and 42% from three.

The Warriors are going to have their work cut out for them as they go into this game without some key players.

Here’s what you need to know ahead of Friday’s matchup between the Warriors and Thunder:

How to watch Thunder vs. Warriors: TV channel, live stream

Start time: 10 p.m. ET (7 p.m. PT)
Location: Chase Center (San Francisco, California)
TV Channel: NBC Sports Bay Area; FanDuel Sports Network Kansas City; FanDuel Sports Network Midwest; FanDuel Sports Network Oklahoma; FanDuel Sports Network Southwest
Live Stream: Prime Video; NBA League Pass

Warriors injury report

The Warriors will be without their veteran leaders, the big three of Stephen Curry (left ankle sprain), Jimmy Butler (illness) and Draymond Green (rest), in their game against the Thunder.

Seth Curry remains out as he deals with irritation in his left sciatic nerve. Warriors center Al Horford has irritation in his right sciatic nerve and is listed as probable

Two-way player LJ Cryer is assigned to the G-League affiliate Santa Cruz Warriors.

On the bright side, Golden State has made Trayce Jackson-Davis despite nursing patellar tendinitis in his right knee.

Warriors keys to victory

Fill some big shoes: Warriors are without their top scorers and playmakers, so someone is going to have to step up and take the challenge of filling the roles of Curry, Butler and Green. Who will it be?
Make every possession count: The Thunder are a team where there’s little room for error, whether you’re missing stars or not. In this case, with the Warriors missing key guys, it’s important to make every possession count, both on offense and defense. Offensively, find quality shots and take care of the basketball. Defensively, players have to be active on the court. Pressure the perimeter, contain the paint and limit second-chance baskets.
Continue heater from deep: The Warriors made a season-high 24 three-point field goals as a team against Charlotte. Despite missing arguably the greatest shooters of all time, the expectation is still there to knock down threes. Golden State will need to be on a heater to keep up with Oklahoma City, who averages 122.1 points per game. The Warriors have scored more than 120 in their last five games going 4-1.
Keep Shai off the free throw line: Have to be sound, smart defensively. Gilgeous-Alexander has a high offensive IQ and knows how to exploit the defense and draw fouls. Warriors defenders have to be mindful of their angles and positioning when guarding the crafty Gilgeous-Alexander.

Warriors vs. Thunder odds

Odds according to BetMGM as of Friday afternoon.

Spread: Thunder by 13.5 (-110)
Over/Under: 226.5 (O/U -110)
Moneyline: Thunder -700

Warriors’ next five games

Jan. 3 vs. Utah Jazz
Jan. 5 at Los Angeles Clippers
Jan. 7 vs. Milwaukee Bucks
Jan. 9 vs. Sacramento Kings
Jan. 11 vs. Atlanta Hawks

The United States is coming off its first loss of the 2026 world junior hockey championship.

It can’t afford another loss.

Team USA, attempting its first three-peat at the tournament for the world’s best under-20 players, will face Finland on Friday, Jan. 2, in the quarterfinals. The team that loses goes home and the winner heads to the semifinals on Jan. 4. The medal games are Jan. 5.

The USA beat Finland in the championship game last year to pick up a second consecutive gold medal.

The Americans beat Germany, Switzerland and Slovakia in this tournament before losing to Sweden. They have been without top defenseman Cole Hutson since he was hit by a puck in the second game and left the ice on a stretcher. Max Plante missed the Sweden game with an injury. Hutson is expected to play Friday while Plante remains day-to-day.

Here’s what to know about the USA vs. Finland game, including how to watch:

What channel is USA vs. Finland world juniors hockey game today?

TV channel: NHL Network

Livestream: Fubo, which offers a free trial to new subscribers, or Sling TV.

Watch world junior championships on Fubo

What time is USA vs. Finland world juniors hockey game today?

Date: Friday, Jan. 2

Time: 6 p.m. ET (5 p.m. local time)

The game is scheduled to start at 6 p.m. ET (5 p.m. local time) at the Grand Casino Arena in Saint Paul, Minnesota, the home of the Minnesota Wild.

World juniors USA vs. Finland: How to watch, stream

Time: 6 p.m. ET on Friday, Jan. 2

Location: Grand Casino Arena (Saint Paul, Minnesota)

TV: NHL Network

Streaming: Fubo and certain levels of Sling TV carry NHL Network.

World junior championships quarterfinals today

Jan. 2

Sweden 6 Latvia 3: The Swedes remain perfect at the tournament and will have the top seed in Sunday’s semifinals. Anton Frondell, a Blackhawks No. 3 overall pick, scored twice, including 10 seconds into the game.
Czechia vs. Switzerland, 4:30
USA vs. Finland, 6
Canada vs. Slovakia, 8:30

Sweden advances to semifinals

Sweden improved to 5-0 after a 6-3 win against Latvia. Blackhawks draft pick Anton Frondell scored 10 seconds into the game and also scored in the third period.

USA players to watch

Will Zellers leads the USA with five goals and seven points. He had the game-winning goal in the first three games. Brodie Ziemer (Sabres) has six points and James Hagens (Bruins) has five.

Finland players to watch

Roope Vesterinen leads Finland with four goals and is tied for the team with five points. Defenseman Lasse Boelius also has five points, including two goals.

Cole Hutson injury update

The USA defenseman will suit up for the first time since he left the second game on a stretcher after being hit in the head by a puck. Injured forward Max Plante remains day-to-day.

Germany wins relegation game

Fifth-place Germany beat beat fifth-place Denmark 8-4 in Friday’s relegation game and will stay in the top level of the world junior championships. Denmark, which had qualified for the tournament this season, moves down one level. It went winless in Minnesota.

Ole Miss defeated Georgia 39-34 in a College Football Playoff quarterfinal upset in the Sugar Bowl.
The victory came under new head coach Pete Golding, who took over after Lane Kiffin left for LSU.
Division II transfer quarterback Trinidad Chambliss led the team with 362 passing yards and two touchdowns.

NEW ORLEANS – When it was finished, this shocking College Football Playoff upset, Mississippi’s fans started chanting inside the Superdome. And it sounded like this:

Pete! Pete! Pete! Pete!

“I don’t want it to end,” Ole Miss coach Pete Golding said of this season.

It doesn’t have to. Not yet. Not after a 39-34 playoff quarterfinal takedown of Georgia in the Sugar Bowl.

Ole Miss tapped Golding as Kiffin’s heir, and the fans are chanting his name, just as they did Kiffin’s before him.

“He’s been great,” wide receiver Harrison Wallace III said of Golding. “Everybody’s behind him. We’re right behind him.”

If you keep an ear to the ground, you’ll hear a lot of grumbling from the folks who do the grumbling about all that’s broken inside college football. You could fixate on that, or you could appreciate the thrills and the twists inside this playoff.

Longtime doormat turned behemoth Indiana just whipped Alabama. Remarkable times, these.

A Texas Tech roster bought by a billionaire oil tycoon couldn’t produce a single point in a playoff loss to red-hot Oregon. Keep pumping that sweet crude in Texas. Just make sure to buy an offense next time, too.

Elsewhere, the “U” is back, and Ohio State has been dethroned.

Then, there’s Ole Miss. Get a load of this story. The team with the Division II transfer quarterback and the replacement coach is on to the CFP semifinals, while its former coach goes on dates with his ex-wife, watches women’s basketball and tweets about the transfer portal.

Only in college football.

“Speechless, honestly,” Chambliss said, “about everything.”

Yeah, that pretty well sums it up.

Chambliss threw for 362 yards and two touchdowns. He got help from a defense that played much better than it did in a regular-season loss to Georgia.

And how about Lucas Carneiro? The Ole Miss kicker, a transfer from Western Kentucky, split the uprights from 55 and 56 yards before hitting a game-winner from 47. Carneiro said he trusted his range up to 60 yards. By the looks of his first two bombs, he could’ve been good from 65.

Chambliss remained the biggest star. He cemented his place in Ole Miss lore.

A year ago, Chambliss won the national championship with Division II Ferris State. Ole Miss nabbed him from the portal to be its backup quarterback, but, by the summer, it was becoming apparent the Rebels had “a baller” on their hands, as wide receiver De’Zhaun Stribling describes it.

“There’s some things you just can’t teach,” Stribling said.

Like, how to stay calm after facing a nine-point deficit. Chambliss fired 13 consecutive completions to spark the rally.

These weren’t just comfortable pocket passes, either. Chambliss consistently ran away from Georgia’s menacing pass rushers, before zipping a rope to an open target.

Just an incredible combination of instincts meeting ability.

“He’s very composed back there. He’s not panicking,” Stribling said. “When things aren’t going good, we look to him, and he’s fine. That kind of makes us feel a sense of relief that it’s going to be OK and we can do this.”

After Ole Miss used a furious rally to topple Georgia, reasonable minds wonder whether these Rebels might just be a team of destiny.

Chambliss doesn’t know about all that.

“We just want to play ball and have fun,” Chambliss said.

This team’s good at that.

“One thing about this group: They love football,” Golding said.

Say this for Golding. He kept this locker room intact after Kiffin left. These guys fight for him.

Will Golding assemble rosters as good as this one Kiffin put together? Too soon to stay on that, and so there’s no telling how Golding will fare in the long-term, but it’s difficult to imagine any coach leading the Rebels better than Golding has throughout two playoff wins.

“What he’s been able to accomplish in the last three or four weeks, with all the moving parts … has been incredible,” athletic director Keith Carter told reporters after one of the biggest wins in program history. “He kept these guys focused, and it’s been awesome.”

Carter earned vindication for his decision to not let Kiffin coach in the playoff. He made Kiffin choose: Take the job at LSU or stay at Ole Miss and continue his epic ride with the Rebels.

Kiffin chose LSU.

Several of the talking heads, including Nick Saban, acted as if Carter was doing the team a disservice by prohibiting LSU’s coach from coaching Ole Miss in the playoff.

That all seems so silly now that Ole Miss fans are chanting his successor’s name.

As Kiffin prepares to try to build an LSU roster as good as the one he left behind, the Rebels are two wins away from a national championship.

“We’re built for this,’ Stribling said.

Blake Toppmeyer is the USA TODAY Network’s senior national college football columnist. Email him at BToppmeyer@gannett.com and follow him on X @btoppmeyer.

The College Football Playoff semifinals are set with Indiana facing Oregon and Ole Miss playing Miami.
Alabama, Ohio State, Georgia, and the Big 12 conference are listed as ‘losers’ after the latest games.

Twelve has been trimmed to four as the College Football Playoff heads into the national semifinals with No. 1 seed Indiana set to meet No. 5 Oregon in the Peach Bowl and No. 6 Ole Miss matched with No. 10 Miami in the Fiesta Bowl.

The Hoosiers mauled No. 9 Alabama 38-3 in the Rose Bowl behind another perfect game from Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza, who finished with more touchdown passes, three, than incompletions, two.

The Rebels dug out of a 21-12 halftime deficit and won 39-34 against No. 3 Georgia, pulling away late with a 47-yard field goal with six seconds left.

Oregon smothered No. 4 Texas Tech 23-0 in the Orange Bowl thanks to four turnovers by the Red Raiders, including a key end-zone interception by quarterback Behren Morton in the third quarter.

In the biggest upset of this year’s tournament, Miami outmuscled No. 2 Ohio State for a 24-14 win in the Cotton Bowl, sending the defending national champions into the offseason on a two-game losing streak.

Before turning to the next round, here are the biggest winners and losers from the quarterfinals:

Winners

Indiana

They’re No. 1 in the nation for a reason. But for the doubters and cynics, this destruction of mighty Alabama makes a point that’s impossible to ignore: Indiana’s not just a great story but a potential juggernaut capable of beating the absolute snot out of any team in the tournament. More aggressive than the Tide, more physical, more composed and clearly better prepared, the Hoosiers showed zero rust after a month-long break after the Big Ten championship game. Build a time machine, go back a few years or so, find your younger self and whisper this sentence in your ear: Alabama just lost the Rose Bowl to Indiana by 35 points.

Ole Miss

Now 2-0 without Lane Kiffin, the Rebels avenged their one regular-season loss thanks to a brilliant night from senior Trinidad Chambliss, who had 362 yards passing and two touchdowns without an interception. Down 21-12 at halftime, Ole Miss began to take over in the third quarter and then delivered two key scores early in the fourth. Along the way to the game-winning field goal, the Rebels had to deal with several questionable penalty calls (or lack thereof) and needed to regain their composure after Georgia tied the game with a minute to go. That Ole Miss continues to defy the odds really speaks to new coach Pete Golding’s work keeping the team together.

Oregon

The image of Oregon as a finesse program persists despite ample evidence to the contrary. The latest example was the Ducks’ shutout in the Orange Bowl, which saw the defense never allow the Red Raiders to come up for air in giving up just 215 yards on 3.5 yards per play. While the running game sputtered and gained just 64 yards, Oregon quarterback Dante Moore hit on 26 of 33 attempts for 234 yards. But the defense did the dirty work in this win, including not just that end-zone pick but a previous strip-sack fumble return earlier in the third quarter that set up the Ducks’ first touchdown.

Miami

The way Miami beat Ohio State matters. Going up against a team many expected to repeat and a defense that ranked first nationally in the major categories, the Hurricanes dictated the tempo and the tone by dominating the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball. That was embodied during a five-minute drive late in the fourth quarter that helped Miami bury the Buckeyes. Matchups also matter in the postseason, and Miami might’ve met a friendly opponent in Ohio State’s slower playing style. But there’s no question after the Cotton Bowl that the Hurricanes have the ability to win two more games and the program’s first national championship since 2001.

Losers

Alabama

Alabama hadn’t lost by 30 or more points since 1998. The Crimson Tide were so clearly the inferior team – in talent, coaching, drive, toughness – that the 35-point loss wasn’t surprising, necessarily speaking. But that doesn’t make this any less embarrassing: After fighting back from 17 points down to beat Oklahoma in the opening round, Alabama never even put up a whisper of an argument against the Hoosiers and seemed happy to shut things down early in the second half and look toward next season. This was the program’s seventh loss in two years under coach Kalen DeBoer after dropping nine games across Nick Saban’s final six seasons.

Ohio State

There’s a question to be asked about how good Ohio State was, really, after losing to Indiana and Miami in its final two games. Yeah, the Buckeyes beat Texas, but that was in the season opener. Their next-best win came against Michigan. The defense was terrific all year but couldn’t get key stops against Miami, especially with the game on the line. The offensive line was great until these past two games, giving up five sacks to both Indiana and Miami after just six in the first 12 games. While plenty of talent is coming back to Columbus, Ohio State has to speed things up offensively after playing too sluggishly this season.

Georgia

The Bulldogs seemed on the verge of delivering a knockout blow coming out of the half after a 21-point second quarter. To give back the game at that point underlines Georgia’s unpredictability even during a 12-1 regular season, especially with an offense that was better running the ball than in 2024 but often unable to put teams away. Georgia will be haunted by a great scoring opportunity late in the game, with the Rebels up 34-31: Second-and-goal at the 3-yard line turned into fouth-and-6 and the game-tying field goal instead of the go-ahead score. To not get six points was out of character for a team that came into the Sugar Bowl ranked third in the country with a 79.3% touchdown rate in the red zone.

The Big 12

The Orange Bowl was a bad look for the Big 12, which joined the ACC in sending just one team into the tournament but had that team ejected right off the bat while Miami has already claimed two playoff wins. The loss also comes after a postseason where Big 12 teams had earned bowl victories against teams from the ACC, SEC and the Big Ten. This still goes down as a banner season for Texas Tech despite the ugly way things ended against Oregon, though it’s clear the Red Raiders will need to reopen the pocketbooks to compile another playoff-worthy roster next season.

Florida has been the center of the hockey universe with a team from the state reaching the Stanley Cup Final six consecutive seasons and winning four times.

The state will be at center stage again on Friday, Jan. 2, when the NHL’s Winter Classic is played in Florida for the first time.

The two-time defending champion Florida Panthers will host the New York Rangers at the annual outdoor game at 8 p.m. ET. It will be played at loanDepot Park, home of the Miami Marlins. The stadium’s retractable roof is scheduled to be open at game time.

Here’s what to know about the Florida Panthers vs. New York Rangers Winter Classic, including how to watch and the weather report:

What channel is Panthers vs Rangers Winter Classic today?

TV channel: TNT, truTV

Livestream: Sling TV and HBO Max

Watch Winter Classic on Sling TV

What time is Panthers vs Rangers Winter Classic today?

Date: Friday, Jan. 2

Time: 8 p.m. ET

The game is scheduled to start at 8 p.m. ET at loanDepot Park in Miami, Florida.

Winter Classic Panthers vs Rangers: How to watch, stream

Time: 8 p.m. ET on Friday, Jan. 2

Location: loanDepot Park (Miami, Florida)

TV: TNT, truTV

Streaming: Sling TV and HBO Max

Winter Classic weather forecast

The weather forecast at 8 p.m. ET in Miami calls for mostly clear skies and 64 degrees. The temperature will drop to 61 during the game.