Czechia bounces Canada out of world junior tournament

Canada’s hopes of a third straight world junior hockey title were dashed Tuesday.

Jakub Stancl’s goal with 11 seconds left in the third period lifted Czechia to a 3-2 victory over Canada in a quarterfinal at the 2024 event in Gothenburg, Sweden.

It was the first time ever that Czechia beat Canada in a medal-round game at the world junior tournament. It’s only the third time since 1999 that Canada won’t play for a medal at the event.

The Canadian team featured three players with ties to Saskatchewan: Saskatoon-born Moose Jaw Warriors star Brayden Yager, Warriors defenceman Denton Mateychuk and Saskatoon Blades forward Fraser Minten.

Blades defenceman Tanner Molendyk made the team out of training camp, but suffered an injury in a pre-tournament game and didn’t play in the event.

Warriors forward Jagger Firkus was added to the roster Saturday due to an injury to Matt Savoie, but Firkus didn’t play in Tuesday’s contest.

The Czechs opened the scoring in the quarterfinal at 7:51 of the first period, with Stancl firing a long wrist shot past Mathis Rousseau.

The Canadian netminder earned a measure of redemption at 11:04, when he stopped Dominik Rymon on a penalty shot. But Czechia did get the game’s second goal at 18:01 of the first, when Tomas Cibulka put a slapshot past Rousseau.

Canada cut the lead in half at 3:43 of the second period, with Matthew Wood firing a wrist shot into the top corner on a breakaway.

The Canadians pulled even at 16:40 of the middle frame when Jake Furlong picked the top corner with a wrist shot from the point.

Yager had a chance to put Canada ahead three minutes into the third period, but his shot hit the left post and ricocheted away.

Savoie had an opportunity to give the Canadians a lead late in the third, but he missed the net. Two minutes later, Stancl’s shot deflected off the stick of Canadian defenceman Oliver Bonk and past Rousseau for the eventual game-winner.