The 2016 World Junior Championship resumes Saturday with five games after taking New Year’s Day off.
The day begins with Belarus and Switzerland in the regulation round. The best of three series between the two fifth-placed teams in the preliminary round determines what country stays in the top pool.
All four Chicago Blackhawks prospects will be in action in the quarterfinal round. Radovan Bondra and Slovakia will face Gustav Forsling and unbeaten Sweden at 8 a.m., followed by Joni Tuulola and host Finland against Canada before Nick Schmaltz and the United States against Czech Republic.
The lone quarterfinal matchup not featuring a Chicago prospect is Denmark against Russia.
Forsling leads all Chicago prospects in points with two power play goals and an assist in the tournament. Schmaltz has a goal and assist, while Bondra has a goal. Tuulola is the lone prospect to not find the scoresheet.
Sweden will be out William Nylander and goaltender Linus Soderstrom, who was injured in a victory against Canada. It’s a rematch of last year’s bronze medal game where the Slovaks upset Sweden.
Finland’s top line leads the tournament with 29 points after thrilling win to clinch second place in Group B. Forward Jesse Puljujarvi leads the WJHC with 12 points and is emerging as a top prospect for the 2016 NHL Draft.
Schedule
| Matchup | Time | TV | Venue |
| Belarus vs. Switzerland – Regulation | 4 a.m. | N/A | Helsinki Ice Hall |
| Denmark vs. Russia – Quarterfinal | 6 a.m. | NHLN-US | Hartwall Arena |
| Slovakia vs. Sweden – Quarterfinal | 8 a.m. | NHLN-US | Helsinki Ice Hall |
| Canada vs. Finland – Quarterfinal | 10 a.m. | NHLN-US (tape-delay 2:30 p.m.) | Hartwall Arena |
| Czech Republic vs. United States – Quarterfinal | Noon | NHLN-US | Helsinki Ice Hall |
*All times are central
**Bolded teams feature Chicago prospects