MONCTON, N.B. & HALIFAX, N.S. – Hockey Canada and the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) have released the schedule for the 2023 IIHF World Junior Championship, which is set to take place Dec. 26, 2022-Jan. 5, 2023 in Moncton and Halifax.

Last month, it was announced that Scotiabank Centre in Halifax will host Group A, featuring Canada, Sweden, Czechia, Germany and Austria. Avenir Centre in Moncton will see the United States, Finland, Switzerland, Slovakia and Latvia compete in Group B.

“The 2023 World Juniors will be an unforgettable celebration of hockey across the Maritimes, and we cannot wait to drop the puck on Boxing Day,” said Dean McIntosh, vice-president of events and properties with Hockey Canada. “From the opening-day matchups to the rivalry games on New Year’s Eve, this year’s schedule is extremely competitive and will showcase the best under-20 hockey players in the world in a return to the tournament’s traditional holiday format.”

After winning a silver medal at the 2022 IIHF World Junior Championship, Finland will open the 2023 event against Switzerland in Moncton at 11 a.m. ET/12 p.m. AT on Dec. 26, the first of 20 preliminary-round games split between the two host cities.

Canada will begin its defence of its gold medal against Czechia on Boxing Day in Halifax at 6:30 p.m. ET/7:30 p.m. AT, in a rematch of the World Juniors semifinal from last month.

The United States will face Finland on Dec. 31 at 4 p.m. ET/5 p.m. AT in the only preliminary-round matchup between two of the three teams that have won gold at the World Juniors since 2013.

Canada and Sweden will play each other on New Year’s Eve for the first time since the 2016 tournament, starting at 6:30 p.m. ET/7:30 p.m. AT.

All 2023 IIHF World Junior Championship games will be broadcast on TSN and RDS, the official broadcast partners of Hockey Canada.

“Halifax and Moncton are great hockey cities that are both excited to enthusiastically welcome the ten participating teams this year,” said Mike Savage, mayor of Halifax. “We know that fans and volunteers will eagerly add the 2023 IIHF World Junior Championship to their holiday calendars.”

“We are thrilled to proudly welcome the world and create an unforgettable hockey experience on and off the ice in both host cities,” said Dawn Arnold, mayor of Moncton. “One thing is certain: Moncton and Halifax’s strong history of hosting world-class sporting events and maritime hospitality will be at its best.”

Canada will host its selection camp, which includes games against the U SPORTS All-Stars, in Moncton in mid-December. The pre-tournament schedule will be announced in the coming weeks, with communities throughout southern New Brunswick and central Nova Scotia set to host games.

Nearly 50,000 fans entered the 2023 World Juniors Priority Draw. Should any inventory remain, tickets will go on sale to the public later in September.

For more information on Hockey Canada, please visit HockeyCanada.ca, or follow along on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

EDMONTON, Alta. – Canada's National Junior Team has won gold on home ice at the 2022 IIHF World Junior Championship, downing Finland 3-2 in an overtime thriller in front of 13,327 fans.

Kent Johnson (Port Moody, B.C./Columbus, OHL) was the overtime hero, scoring the golden goal on his own rebound after a behind-the-back pass from Logan Stankoven (Kamloops, B.C./Kamloops, WHL) just 3:20 into the extra frame. The win gives Canada its 19th gold medal and 34th medal overall at the World Juniors.

“I take passes on my backhand all the time and I usually try to score on the five-hole, but I had a lot of time and I was able to bang home the rebound,” Johnson said. “It was super exciting overtime period, but not really the situation we wanted to be in after going up 2-0. It means the world to all of us [to win gold]. It has been a crazy couple of months, but everyone wanted to win so bad and I am happy that we were able to do it at home.”

Joshua Roy (Saint-Georges, Que./Sherbrooke, QMJHL) opened the scoring just over 11 minutes into the first period, jamming home a rebound off a Mason McTavish (Carp, Ont./Hamilton, OHL) shot. William Dufour (Québec, Que./Saint John, QMJHL) added to Canada’s lead, firing a wrist shot past Finnish goaltender Juha Jatkola 47 seconds into the middle frame to make it 2-0.

The Finns erased the lead with goals six minutes apart in the opening 11 minutes of the third period, with Aleski Heimosalmi and Joakim Kemell finding the back of the net to force overtime.

Dylan Garand (Victoria, B.C./Kamloops, WHL) was stellar in the Canadian goal, making 29 saves.

A full game summary can be found at HockeyCanada.ca.

Following the gold medal game, McTavish was named Most Valuable Player and Top Forward after leading the tournament in goals (eight) and points (17). He also finished tied for the lead in assists (nine), and was named to the media all-star team alongside defenceman Olen Zellweger (Fort Saskatchewan, Alta./Everett, WHL).

“My stick was in the right place at the right time to knock that puck away from our net [in overtime]. Looking back, I am not sure why I was behind [Garand], but I am happy it worked out. Next thing I knew I was on the bench and Kent [Johnson] was on a breakaway,” McTavish said. “It has been a long journey to get to this moment, and it is so special to win it with this group of guys who put in so much hard work since last summer. I am incredibly proud to be Canadian.”

“This group made a huge commitment to be here, and we overcame some adversity with players not returning and dealing with injuries. These guys stuck with it, we knew it was going to be tough and I have a lot of admiration for all our players and staff,” said head coach Dave Cameron (Kinkora, P.E.I./Ottawa, OHL). “This gold medal feels really special. The atmosphere tonight was unbelievable, and I am so grateful to the fans that supported us. I feel like we were able to reward them with tonight’s win.”

Canada finished the preliminary round atop Group A with a perfect 4-0 record after wins over Latvia (5-2), Slovakia (11-1), Czechia (5-1) and Finland (6-3). It booked a spot in the gold medal game with a 6-3 win against Switzerland in the quarterfinals and a 5-2 win over Czechia in the semifinals.

Since 1977, Canada has collected 19 gold medals at the IIHF World Junior Championship, to go along with 10 silver and five bronze.

For more information on Hockey Canada and Canada’s National Junior Team, please visit HockeyCanada.ca, or follow along via social media on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

GAME NOTES: CANADA VS. FINLAND (AUG. 20)

One more. It all comes down to Saturday night for Canada’s National Junior Team, which faces off against Finland in the gold medal game at the 2022 IIHF World Junior Championship, one win from a 19th World Juniors gold.

LAST GAME

Canada booked its place in the final for the third year in a row with a 5-2 semifinal win over Czechia on Friday afternoon. Kent Johnson drove the offence with a goal and two assists, opening the scoring before setting up a pair of key power-play goals in the second period. Connor Bedard, Logan Stankoven, Mason McTavish (with his tournament-leading eighth goal) and Joshua Roy also found the back of the net, while Dylan Garand made 31 saves.

The Finns faced their Nordic neighbours from Sweden in their semifinal, in what turned out to be a titanic defensive struggle. The goaltenders starred – Juha Jatkola stopped all 23 shots he faced and Jesper Wallstedt turned aside 27 of 28 – and a power-play goal from Kasper Puutio late in the second period was the lone marker as the Finns earned a 1-0 win to return to the gold medal game for the first time since they won gold in 2019.

LAST MEETING

The Canadians and Finns closed out the preliminary round on Monday night with first place in Group A on the line. Brennan Othmann, Tyson Foerster and Bedard gave Canada a 3-0 first-period lead and it was 5-1 after 40 minutes thanks to Ridly Greig and McTavish. Penalty trouble for the Canadians made things interesting in the third, but an empty-net goal from William Dufour sealed a 6-3 win and a perfect prelims.

WHAT TO WATCH

Top to bottom, the Canadians are pretty darn good. Their 38 goals lead the tournament, they are clicking at a 57.1% success rate on the power play (second only to Finland), McTavish leads the tournament with 15 points (just the 12th Canadian to reach that mark in a single year), Olen Zellweger is a tournament-best +12 (tied with McTavish) and is the first Canadian defenceman to reach double digits in points since Thomas Chabot in 2017, and Garand has fashioned a .923 save percentage (best among goaltenders who have appeared more than twice). Gold No. 19 is a solid 60 minutes away.

Looking at the Finns, the conversation begins and ends with the power play. Finland has scored 14 times with the man advantage in the tournament, exactly half of its 28 total goals and almost double the next most efficient unit (Canada has eight PPGs). It provided the only goal in the semifinal win over the Swedes, the third time in its five victories that the game-winning goal came while a man up. Six different Finns have scored on the power play, led by four from Roby Järventie and three each from Roni Hirvonen and Joel Määttä.

A LOOK BACK

The Canadians have faced the Finns 40 times since the first IIHF World Junior Championship in 1977, fashioning a 25-9-6 (W-L-T) record. The teams are also frequent foes in the playoff round; in the last decade, they’ve matched up in the quarterfinals (2016, 2019), semifinals (2014, 2020) and bronze medal game (2012). Jonathan Huberdeau owns the best single-game performance by a Canadian against the Finns, posting a goal and four assists in a tournament-opening 8-1 win in 2012.

All-time record: Canada leads 25-9-6 (Finland leads 1-0 in OT/SO)
Canada goals: 160
Finland goals: 103

EDMONTON, Alta. – Five different players scored as Canada's National Junior Team clinched its spot in the gold medal game at the 2022 IIHF World Junior Championship, defeating Czechia 5-2 in the semifinals on Friday.

• Kent Johnson (Port Moody, B.C./Columbus, NHL) opened the scoring and added a pair of assists.
• Logan Stankoven (Kamloops, B.C./Kamloops, WHL) chipped in with a power-play goal and an assist.
• Connor Bedard (North Vancouver, B.C./Regina, WHL), Mason McTavish (Carp, Ont./Hamilton, OHL) and Joshua Roy (Saint-Georges, Que./Sherbrooke, QMJHL) rounded out the scoring.
• Olen Zellweger (Fort Saskatchewan, Alta./Everett, WHL) contributed a trio of assists.
• Tyson Foerster (Alliston, Ont./Barrie, OHL), Nathan Gaucher (Richelieu, Que./Québec, QMJHL), Will Cuylle (Toronto, Ont./Windsor, OHL) and William Dufour (Québec, Que./Saint John, QMJHL) registered one assist apiece.
• McTavish, Stankoven and Zellweger were named Team Canada’s three best players of the tournament.
• Dylan Garand (Victoria, B.C./Kamloops, WHL) made 30 saves.
• Canada outshot Czechia 35-32.

Next Game:

Canada vs. Finland/Sweden (gold medal game) – Saturday, Aug. 20 (6 p.m. MT/8 p.m. ET)

TSN and RDS, the official broadcast partners of Hockey Canada, are carrying extensive game coverage and analysis throughout the World Juniors, broadcasting all 28 tournament games. TSN Radio is also providing comprehensive coverage.

Quotes:

“We have been working towards this moment for 13 months ever since we had our first summer camp back in July [2021]. It has been a very long road to get to this point, there have been a lot of obstacles in the way, and the players and staff are very deserving to be where they are. I have seen the effort put in by everyone to get here, but we know tomorrow is not going to be easy. We are excited for the challenge.”

- Head coach Dave Cameron (Kinkora, P.E.I./Ottawa, OHL) on the effort to get to the gold medal game

“I wound up for a slap shot and was thinking about taking the shot, but I noticed [Mason] McTavish was open. I was glad he was able to hammer it home because he does not miss too many of those opportunities. Obviously I would love to score a bit more, and I felt like I was due for a goal heading in to tonight’s game, but I am happy to be contributing and hopefully there are still a few more goals to come tomorrow.”

- Johnson on his assist on McTavish’s goal and contributing on offence

“We were not completely satisfied with our second period, and we knew we need to have a stronger third period to finish off the game. I thought we cleaned up some things and played better in the third despite giving up a couple goals. Overall, we played well and it is an great feeling [to have a chance to play in the gold medal game]. Ever since my first year at World Juniors when we lost to the United States in the gold medal game, I have been waiting for this day to come. It is exciting to be in this moment, but we know the toughest test is still to come.”

- Garand on today’s game and playing in the gold medal game

For more information on Hockey Canada and Canada’s National Junior Team, please visit HockeyCanada.ca, or follow through social media on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

EDMONTON, Alta. – Five different players scored goals and 11 recorded a point as Canada's National Junior Team booked its spot in the semifinals at the 2022 IIHF World Junior Championship, doubling up on Switzerland 6-3 on Wednesday.

• Logan Stankoven (Kamloops, B.C./Kamloops, WHL) led the offence with two goals and an assist.
• Tyson Foerster (Alliston, Ont./Barrie, OHL) chipped in with a goal and an assist.
• Jack Thompson (Courtice, Ont./Sault Ste. Marie, OHL), Nathan Gaucher (Richelieu, Que./Québec, QMJHL) and Will Cuylle (Toronto, Ont./Windsor, OHL) rounded out the scoring.
• Ronan Seeley (Olds, Alta./Everett, WHL) contributed a pair of assists.
• Mason McTavish (Carp, Ont./Hamilton, OHL), Elliot Desnoyers (Saint-Hyacinthe, Que./Halifax, QMJHL), Ryan O’Rourke (Bowmanville, Ont./Sault Ste. Marie, OHL), Olen Zellweger (Fort Saskatchewan, Alta./Everett, WHL) and Kent Johnson (Port Moody, B.C./Columbus, NHL) registered one assist apiece.
• Dylan Garand (Victoria, B.C./Kamloops, WHL) made 23 saves.
• Canada outshot Switzerland 40-26.

Next Game:

Canada vs. Czechia – Friday, Aug. 19 (2 p.m. MT/4 p.m. ET)

TSN and RDS, the official broadcast partners of Hockey Canada, are carrying extensive game coverage and analysis throughout the World Juniors, broadcasting all 28 tournament games. TSN Radio is also providing comprehensive coverage.

Quotes:

“I do not think we had as much energy as our previous games and we did not execute quick enough, which is something that made us successful against other teams. In tournaments like this, the quarterfinals can be games you dread. You can find yourself up against a team that has nothing to lose, and we have to give [Switzerland] credit. They took it to us and played a great game, but we found a way to win and that is what good teams do.”

- Head coach Dave Cameron (Kinkora, P.E.I./Ottawa, OHL) on the challenges of the quarterfinals

“We have talked a lot about doing our part to help our team win a gold medal, and this is just the next step in the right direction. We have to focus on one game at a time, and we still need to play our best in the semifinals to have a chance at gold. We do not know who we are going to play yet, but either way our opponent is going to want to win just like us. Regardless of who we play, we are going to give it our best effort.”

- Gaucher on advancing to the semifinals

“I do not think it was our best game, but we were able to find a way to win and that is what matters. We are off to the semifinals, and we have a day to regroup, watch some video [on other teams] and prepare so we can make sure we bring our best effort against our next opponent. Having a chance to win a medal is motivating, and obviously we are looking for gold, but we know we need play our best in the semifinals to have a chance at that gold medal.”

- Stankoven on today’s performance and playing for a medal

For more information on Hockey Canada and Canada’s National Junior Team, please visit HockeyCanada.ca, or follow through social media on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

CALGARY, Alta. – Hockey Canada and the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) have announced the two groups for the 2023 IIHF World Junior Championship, scheduled for Dec. 26-Jan. 5 in Halifax, N.S., and Moncton, N.B.

With no relegation at the 2022 IIHF World Junior Championship, the IIHF formed the groups by ranking each federation on performance at the past five tournaments to allow fans, competing teams and stakeholders time to prepare for the 2023 World Juniors as the event was only awarded to the host communities in May and give all stakeholders the opportunity to jointly work on the game schedule during the current World Juniors in Edmonton, Alta.

Canada, Sweden, Czechia, Germany and Austria will compete in Group A, with preliminary-round games taking place at the Scotiabank Centre in Halifax.

The United States, Finland, Switzerland, Slovakia and Latvia will form Group B and play at the Avenir Centre in Moncton.

A minimum of 10 pre-tournament games will be played in communities throughout New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, bringing the world’s best under-20 hockey players to fans across the Maritimes.

The full tournament schedule will be available in the coming weeks. All games at the 2023 IIHF World Junior Championship will be broadcast on TSN and RDS.

Nearly 50,000 fans who entered the 2023 World Juniors Priority Draw will have the opportunity to buy tickets in late August, with tickets going on sale to the public in September if any inventory remains.

For more information on Hockey Canada, please visit HockeyCanada.ca, become a Hockey Canada Insider, or follow along on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

GAME NOTES: CANADA VS. SWITZERLAND (AUG. 17)

It’s on to the playoff round for Canada’s National Junior Team , which takes on Switzerland in the third of four quarterfinals on a busy Wednesday at the 2022 IIHF World Junior Championship.

LAST GAME

Canada capped off a perfect preliminary round with a 6-3 win over Finland on Monday, getting goals from six different players. Special teams were the story for the Canadians; they scored on both of their power-play opportunities and killed four of five Finnish chances, including a five-minute major and a pair of five-on-three advantages in the third period. Mason McTavish added a goal and two assists to his tournament-leading totals, while Olen Zellweger had three helpers to move into a tie with American defenceman Luke Hughes for the scoring lead among blue-liners.

The Swiss went down to the wire to clinch their quarterfinal spot, getting a power-play goal from Attilio Biasca with 4:07 left to score a 3-2 win over Austria on Monday afternoon and advance to the playoff round. Joshua Fahrni and Jonas Taibel provided the other goals for Switzerland.

LAST MEETING

The Canadians and Swiss met last in the preliminary round of the 2021 World Juniors inside the Edmonton bubble, with Canada cruising to a 10-0 win for its third victory in as many tries. Quinton Byfield was the offensive star, scoring twice and adding four assists to post the 12th six-point effort by a Canadians in tournament history. Jakob Pelletier added two goals and an assist and Devon Levi made 15 saves for Canada, which led 1-0 after one period and 5-0 after two before pulling away over the final 20 minutes.

WHAT TO WATCH

As mentioned above, how about the special teams for Canada? The Canadians are clicking as a 60% success rate on the power play (6-of-10) – tops in the tournament – while the penalty kill has allowed only two goals in 11 opposition chances. And in goal, Dylan Garand has been lights out in his second World Juniors (third if you count the cancelled December event); he has fashioned a 1.67 goals-against average and .930 save percentage in three games, both second-best among all puck-stoppers.

The Swiss are never an easy out. They may rank near the bottom of the tournament on the offensive side of the puck (eight goals in four games and a 7.2% shooting percentage), but they put third-period scares into Sweden and Germany in a pair of 3-2 losses and kept the high-powered Americans scoreless for the first 26 minutes. They tend to find a way to hang around, and in a win-or-go-home game, that could create some excitement.

A LOOK BACK

Canada has dominated the head-to-head history since the first meeting in 1980, winning all 24 meetings – 23 of them in regulation time.

The history includes six playoff meetings, four of them in the quarterfinals – Brandon Reid had two goals and an assist in an 8-3 win in 2000, Brayden Schenn notched two his record-tying 18 points in a 4-1 win in 2011, Anthony Mantha scored the game-winner on a penalty shot in a 4-1 triumph in 2014 and Brett Howden had a goal and three helpers as part of an 8-2 victory in 2018.

All-time record: Canada leads 24-0-0 (1-0 in OT/SO)
Canada goals: 154
Switzerland goals: 40

EDMONTON, Alta. – Canada's National Junior Team wrapped up the preliminary round with a perfect 4-0 record and secured first place in Group A at the 2022 IIHF World Junior Championship after defeating Finland 6-3 on Monday.

• Mason McTavish (Carp, Ont./Hamilton, OHL) led the offence with a goal and two assists.
• Connor Bedard (North Vancouver, B.C./Regina, WHL) and Ridly Greig (Lethbridge, Alta./Brandon, WHL) chipped in with a goal and an assist each.
• Brennan Othmann (Pickering, Ont./Flint, OHL), Tyson Foerster (Alliston, Ont./Barrie, OHL) and William Dufour (Québec, Que./Saint John, QMJHL) rounded out the scoring.
• Olen Zellweger (Fort Saskatchewan, Alta./Everett, WHL) contributed a trio of assists.
• Ronan Seeley (Olds, Alta./Everett, WHL), Lukas Cormier (Sainte-Marie-de-Kent, N.B./Charlottetown, QMJHL), Joshua Roy (Saint-Georges, Que./Sherbrooke, QMJHL), Kent Johnson (Port Moody, B.C./Columbus, NHL) and Zack Ostapchuk (St. Albert, Alta./Vancouver, WHL) registered one assist apiece.
• Dylan Garand (Victoria, B.C./Kamloops, WHL) made 22 saves.
• Canada outshot Finland 36-25.

Next Game:

Canada vs. Switzerland – Wednesday, Aug. 17 (5 p.m. MT/7 p.m. ET)

TSN and RDS, the official broadcast partners of Hockey Canada, are carrying extensive game coverage and analysis throughout the World Juniors, broadcasting all 28 tournament games. TSN Radio is also providing comprehensive coverage.

Quotes:

“A lot of our players have been in short-term competitions before, so they understand the stage we are at in this tournament and what is at stake. We just need to give them little reminders about how we need to play to be successful and give us a chance to win in the quarterfinals. As coaches, we do not need to do anything different from this point on, we just need to continue preparing our players the way we have been.”

- Head coach Dave Cameron (Kinkora, P.E.I./Ottawa, OHL) on the mindset heading into the quarterfinals

“The penalty kill was huge for us tonight. We got into a bit of penalty trouble in the third period with the five-on-three and the five-minute major. [Finland] has a strong power play, so we needed to have a strong effort shorthanded. I know [Finland] ended up getting a power-play goal, but it was still a great night for us on special teams.”

- Greig on the team’s penalty kill

“I thought we played a solid game tonight. We put in a good effort in the third period, especially when we had to kill off all those penalties. [Finland] was a great test for us, and our penalty kill was a big reason why we were able to get the win to wrap up the preliminary round.”

“Donovan [Sebrango] and I have been playing well together, and he is such a good player. We have meshed well in practice and off the ice. That is translating to our play in the games, and I think we have been able to develop a lot of chemistry and are going to continue to feed off each other.”

- Zellweger on the team’s performance and his defence partner

For more information on Hockey Canada and Canada’s National Junior Team, please visit HockeyCanada.ca, or follow through social media on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

As soon as Zack Ostapchuk was invited to Canada’s National Junior Team summer camp in preparation for the 2023 IIHF World Junior Championship, he aspired to play for Team Canada during the holiday season. Little did he know that dream would come true four months earlier.

“Honestly, I wasn’t really expecting it,” says Ostapchuk, who will take the ice with Team Canada at the rescheduled 2022 World Juniors in Edmonton. “As soon as I got invited to that Halifax team [camp] for next year, that was my biggest goal for the season. I really wanted to crack that roster and I believed I could.

“To get the call now, this is really cool for me. It’s a big honour being recognized as one of the best junior players in the country.”

This will be Ostapchuk’s first time playing for Team Canada in an international event. Before being invited to summer camp this year, the 19-year-old last wore the Maple Leaf at Canada’s national under-17 development camp in July 2019.

Even more exciting for Ostapchuk: the tournament is being hosted practically in his backyard.

“It’s not very often you get to play in a World Juniors in your hometown, so it’s a dream come true,” the St. Albert, Alta., product says. “I honestly couldn’t be more proud.”

Securing a roster spot with Team Canada is the cherry on top of a strong season for Ostapchuk. After being selected 39th overall by Ottawa in the 2021 NHL Draft, the 19-year-old began the 2021-22 season at the Senators’ training camp, where he absorbed what a day-to-day routine looks like for the professionals.

“You don’t really realize… how well they take care of their bodies and their nutrition, and all the little stuff like that that translates onto the ice,” he says. “It was really cool for me to see because I was never really a big preparation guy. I kind of just go out there, but I really changed my outlook on how to perform.”

He rejoined the Vancouver Giants of the Western Hockey League (WHL) for the second game of the regular season, but it took time for Ostapchuk to adjust back to playing junior hockey.

“I actually really struggled at the start of the year,” he says. “My first 10-15 games, I was kind of lost out there at the junior level, honestly. It’s just kind of different.”

Ostapchuk is not alone in finding the move back to junior hockey challenging after playing with the pros. As Giants head coach Michael Dyck explains, the transition is difficult for most young players.

“In all honesty, it’s probably an easier place to play at pro where everybody plays their possession and you know where everybody’s at,” says Dyck, who is also an assistant coach with Canada’s National Junior Team. “Obviously Zack, he’s a high achiever. He wanted to do really well, and I think maybe at times he put some pressure on himself to be the offensive guy after being drafted so high and doing so well in Ottawa.”

After moving from the wing to centre, Ostapchuk settled in and found his confidence again with the Giants. In 60 games, the 19-year-old registered 26 goals and 43 points. That momentum carried into the postseason, where Ostapchuk recorded seven goals and 23 points in 12 games before Vancouver was eliminated by the Kamloops Blazers in the second round of the WHL playoffs.

“He played so well for us in Vancouver down the stretch,” Dyck says. “He did a really, really good job of leading our team.”

That ability to lead the Giants is evident both on and off the ice, which is why Ostapchuk was named captain in March after former captain Justin Sourdif was traded to the Edmonton Oil Kings at the WHL deadline.

“Being able to lead a junior team, that’s kind of what you dream of as a kid when you find out about junior hockey,” says Ostapchuk, who was the 12th overall pick by the Giants in the 2018 WHL Prospects Draft. “That was always one of my goals was to wear the captaincy here in Vancouver. That was a really big honour for me.”

Zack Ostapchuk scores late in the 3rd and 🇨🇦 Canada beats 🇸🇰 Slovakia 11-1 final score.#WorldJuniors pic.twitter.com/L4zQcrurw7

— TSN (@TSN_Sports) August 12, 2022

Those leadership qualities will prove to be important in terms of navigating an international tournament like World Juniors.

“Going into short-term competitions, it’s not a matter of if but when we’re going to encounter that adversity,” Dyck says. “I think those skill sets that he’s been able to develop as a leader are certainly going to come in handy for us because we’re going to be looking for a lot of guys to step up in those situations.”

Ostapchuk has been coached by Dyck for his entire WHL career. Having him on the bench as an assistant coach makes this World Juniors even more special.

“He’s taught me a lot and he’s kind of shaped where I am today. I wouldn’t be here without him,” Ostapchuk says. “I battled with him all season and it’s going to be really nice to take that into the summer.”

“It’s a journey that is really special to go through with anybody from the staff or players, but because you’ve had a history with those guys, it’s obviously extra special,” Dyck adds. “I think it’s going to be invaluable for him.”

When Ostapchuk hits the ice in Edmonton, you can expect a 200-foot player with a physical presence who works hard to win 50/50 battles. As someone who has always wanted to play in this tournament, taking the ice at Rogers Place will mean achieving a lifelong goal.

“I’ve never gotten to wear the Canadian jersey in international competition,” he says. “For me, that’ll be the one thing I’m looking forward to the most. Just slipping on that jersey and stepping on the ice.”

GAME NOTES: CANADA VS. FINLAND (AUG. 15)

With first place in Group A on the line, Canada’s National Junior Team is seeking one more win to finish a perfect preliminary round as it meets Finland on Monday at the 2022 IIHF World Junior Championship.

LAST GAME

Canada improved to 3-0 on Saturday night, defeating Czechia 5-1. The Canadians fell behind early thanks to a shorthanded goal by Martin Rysavy on a five-minute power play, but Mason McTavish tied the game with under four minutes to go in the first period, and Kent Johnson netted a highlight-reel lacrosse-style goal to send Canada to the dressing room with the lead. Ridly Greig scored a power-play marker, McTavish added his tournament-leading sixth goal in the middle frame, and Tyson Foerster capped the scoring in the third. Canada pounded Czech goaltender Tomas Suchanek with 57 shots, while Dylan Garand made 22 saves in the Canadian net.

Finland will go back-to-back Monday, having downed Slovakia 9-3 on Sunday afternoon. The Finns got off to a quick start, with Kasper Simontaival finding the back of the net 35 seconds into the game. It was the power play that was the difference; Finland converted five times with the man advantage. Simontaival and Joel Määttä led the offence with two goals apiece, while Aatu Räty and Kasper Puutio had a goal and two assists each.

LAST MEETING

The two teams last faced off on New Year’s Eve 2020 in the prelim finale at the 2021 World Juniors in the Edmonton bubble. Dylan Cozens opened and closed the scoring, Dylan Holloway and Peyton Krebs added goals and Devon Levi made 18 saves in a 4-1 victory for Canada. The win clinched the 14th perfect preliminary round for Canada since the group-stage format was introduced in 1996.

WHAT TO WATCH

How about Captain Canada? Mason McTavish has been outstanding in Edmonton, leading the tournament in goals (six), points (10) and plus/minus (plus-9). More than halfway to the all-time Canadian record for points in a single World Juniors (Dale McCourt and Brayden Schenn hold the mark with 18), look for the Anaheim Ducks prospect to continue have a big impact on the Canadian offence against the Finns.

Any time Finland can get a power play, there’s a good chance it will capitalize on it. In their first three games, the Finns are 8-for-13 with the man advantage. Six different players have scored while a man up, including two each from Määttä (both against the Slovaks) and Roni Hirvonen. If Canada runs into penalty trouble, look for the Finns to take advantage.

A LOOK BACK

The Canadians have faced the Finns 38 times since the first IIHF World Junior Championship in 1977, fashioning a 23-9-6 (W-L-T) record. The teams are also frequent foes in the playoff round; in the last decade, they’ve matched up in the quarterfinals (2016, 2019), semifinals (2014, 2020) and bronze medal game (2012). Jonathan Huberdeau owns the best single-game performance by a Canadian against the Finns, posting a goal and four assists in a tournament-opening 8-1 win in 2012.

All-time record: Canada leads 23-9-6 (Finland leads 1-0 in OT/SO)
Canada goals: 151
Finland goals: 98