Canada’s world juniors have been eliminated in the quarterfinals for the second year in a row at the hands of Czechia, losing 4-3 in heartbreaking fashion on Thursday night. Canada surrendered three goals in the first period to go down 3-1 but battled back with two unanswered goals courtesy of Porter Martone and Bradly Nadeau. Czechia’s Adam Jecho scored the game-winner with less than a minute left in regulation to seal the win for his team.
Petr Sikora, Jakub Stancl and Eduard Sale had the other goals for the Czechs. Michael Hrabal made 29 saves. Czechia eliminates Canada for the second consecutive year! Adam Jecho scores the game winner with only 39 seconds left! | | The Canadians were eliminated in the quarters in last year’s tournament as well, losing that game 3-2 to Czechia.
Canada has now failed to play for a medal at back-to-back world juniors for the first time since the country instituted its program of excellence in the early 1980s. It’s also the first time Canada has failed to medal as the host country since 2019, when that under-18 team finished sixth in the tournament. Canada placed third in Group A behind Finland and the United States, losing two games (to Latvia in a shootout and the U.
S. on New Year’s Eve in regulation). Their two wins came against Finland and Germany.
The Czechs will play in the semifinals on Saturday. James Hagens and Ryan Leonard scored twice as the defending champion Americans cruised into the world junior hockey championship se.
