In a stunning display of skill and determination, Slovakia defeated Germany 4-1 at the 2026 World Junior Championship held in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota. The game, played on Saturday, December 27, 2025, saw Slovakia secure their first win of the tournament after losing to Sweden the previous day. Meanwhile, Germany sought to rebound from their defeat against the United States.

The game began as an evenly matched contest until Tomáš Chrenko scored for Slovakia midway through the first period. Chrenko, a C-rated skater on NHL Central Scouting's preliminary players to watch list, would prove to be a key player in the game. Before the end of the first period, Chrenko scored again on a power play, assisted by Adam Nemec and Andreas Straka, extending Slovakia's lead to 2-0.

Slovakia continued to dominate in the second period, with Adam Nemec scoring a power-play goal, assisted by Chrenko and Luka Radivojevič, increasing their lead to 3-0. Despite Germany's efforts, they were unable to close the gap until Dustin Willhoft scored in the third period, bringing the score to 3-1. David Lewandowski assisted Willhoft. However, Slovakia quickly responded with an empty-net goal by Adam Beluško, sealing their victory with a final score of 4-1.

Tomáš Chrenko's performance was a highlight of the game, as he scored a natural hat trick for Slovakia. Michal Pradel, a Detroit Red Wings prospect, also played a crucial role, making 34 saves and helping to secure Slovakia's win. Linus Vieillard made 34 saves for Germany.

Following the game, both teams had a day off on Sunday, December 28. Germany was scheduled to face Sweden on Monday, December 29, while Slovakia prepared to take on the United States.