A year later, Canada looking for redemption against Czechia
Photo credit: Andre Ringuette / HHOF Images on Ice
Ahead of the 2025 World Juniors, Canada’s four returnees from a year ago spoke about redemption.
Tonight, they will quite literally get that opportunity.
Canada will battle Czechia in the quarterfinals at 7:30 p.m. ET in a re-match of last year’s quarters where the Czechs secured a dramatic 3-2 win thanks to a game-winner with 11 seconds left in regulation.
“The expectations are gold medal and if you don’t achieve that it’s a failure,” Canada captain and Lethbridge’s Brayden Yager (PIT) said pre-tournament. “It’s a new year, a new group and the chance to redeem ourselves is a great opportunity.”
Yager, alongside London’s Oliver Bonk (PHI) and Easton Cowan (TOR), as well as Brampton’s Carson Rehkopf (SEA), tasted the bitter disappointment of a quarterfinal exit 12 months ago. Now they have an opportunity to right that wrong.
In pre-tournament action, the two sides met at the Canadian Tire Centre with Canada skating to a 3-2 win thanks to a late winner from Medicine Hat’s Gavin McKenna (2026).
Thus far, however, things have gone better for Czechia than they have for Canada at this year’s tournament. Canada went 2-1-1 in the round-robin to finish third and have struggled offensively with just 10 goals in four contests. Czechia went 3-1-0 with their lone blemish being on New Year’s Eve against Sweden in what was a match-up between two unbeaten sides. Their 25 goals are the most among all participating countries.
“I don’t think we should be too frustrated,” Yager said. “It doesn’t change the fact we have to win the next three games to win a gold medal.
“It’s a great group and we have to have a short memory and move onto the next game.”
Of course, there’s plenty of recent history between these two nations. Most famously, in 2023, Canada stormed back in the third period of the final to erase a 2-0 deficit before former Edmonton and Seattle forward Dylan Guenther (UTA) scored the overtime winner to give Canada a 20th gold medal.
Since 2021, the sides have met seven times, four of which have been in elimination games. But Czechia are 2-1-0 in the last three meetings, the only two regulation wins they’ve achieved against Canada in 26 contests.
But the hosts will have to be more disciplined if they want to reach the semi-finals. Canada’s 29 minor penalties are by far the most in the tournament and it was compounded Dec. 31 when they took 11 penalties and conceded three power play goals against the USA.
“It ruins our momentum,” London’s Sam Dickinson (SJ) said. “We’re working really well 5-on-5, getting chances and creating opportunities, but then it’s ‘penalty’ and there goes the momentum we’ve built up and worked for and it’s obviously getting in the way.”
“As a leader, I’m going to say something,” Yager added. “But the guys know we have to be better in general especially with our discipline.”
