Canada Under-18 team advances to semis following dominating performance against Czech Republic
Photo Courtesy of Hockey Canada Kamloops Blazers forward Logan Stankoven celebrates after scoring a goal in Canada’s 10-3 win over the Czech Republic on Monday.
Canada reached the medal round with a vengeance at the IIHF World Under-18 Hockey Championship on Monday afternoon.
A three-goal outburst in the opening seven minutes set the tone for a quarter-final contest in Frisco, Texas as Canada cruised to a 10-3 triumph over the Czech Republic as they qualified for the final four for the second straight tournament.
Regina Pats forward Connor Bedard turned in his best performance of the tournament to date as he scored two goals and added three assists.
It was a bit of the good and a bit of the bad for a pair of Moose Jaw Warriors at the World Under-18 Hockey Championship on Wednesday.
For Denton Mateychuk and Team Canada, it was a far closer game than expected but a win nonetheless as they took a 4-2 victory over Latvia, while Martin Rysavy and the Czech Republic ended up dropping a 6-5 decision to Finland after giving up a pair of late power-play goals.
Matecyhuk who suited up for the Warriors for 16 games in the now-concluded East Division Hub before joining the national team in Frisco, Texas made his first appearance in the tournament and recorded a single shot on goal.
Team Canada’s Shane Wright celebrates his first of three goals against Sweden.IIHF.com There were predictions that Team Canada would have a potentially dominating team at the World Under-18 Hockey Championship, but what they put together in their opening game was beyond the pale.
Shane Wright of the OHL’s Kingston Frontenacs scored a hat trick to lead Canada to a 12-1 thumping of Sweden in their first round-robin game of the tournament in Frisco and Plano, Texas.
Defenceman Brandt Clarke (Barrie Colts) scored twice and finished with four points, while Francisco Pinelli (Kitchener Rangers) added a goal and two assists. Nolan Allan (Prince Albert Raiders), Mason McTavish (Peterborough Petes), Logan Stankoven (Kamloops Blazers), Brett Harrison (Oshawa Generals), Wyatt Johnson (Windsor Spitfires) and Ryan Winterton (Hamilton Bulldogs) all had single goals.