HALIFAX, N.S – Canada's National Junior Team has repeated as champions at the IIHF World Junior Championship for the first time since 2009, winning gold on home ice after downing Czechia 3-2 in overtime on Thursday night.

Dylan Guenther (Edmonton, Alta./Arizona, NHL) was the overtime hero, scoring the golden goal and picking up his third point of the night off a give-and-go with Joshua Roy (Saint-Georges, Que./Sherbrooke, QMJHL) 6:22 into the extra frame. The win gives Canada its 20th gold medal and 35th medal overall at the World Juniors.

“Tonight was amazing. It is great that we were able to win, and words cannot really describe this feeling. It means everything to win a gold medal because you never know when you are going to have another opportunity like this,” Guenther said. “To win the World Juniors with this team, and do it in front of incredible fans was a moment I will never forget.”

Guenther opened the scoring on the power play just over 12 minutes into the first period, firing a one-timer off a pass from Brandt Clarke (Nepean, Ont./Los Angeles, NHL), who also recorded an assist on the overtime winner. The goal was Guenther’s sixth power play goal of the tournament, setting a new Canadian record.

Captain Shane Wright (Burlington, Ont./Seattle, NHL) roofed a backhand to increase the Canadian lead to two just over four minutes into the second period before Jiri Kulich and Jakub Kos scored 54 seconds apart for the Czechs to even the score in the third and send the game to overtime.

“I could not be more proud of this group. I am so excited and happy for everyone on our team, but it has not really sunk in yet. To win a gold medal at the World Juniors on my birthday is an unbelievable feeling,” said Wright, who celebrated his 19th birthday Thursday. “Playing in a gold medal game is about as high-pressure as it gets, especially when it goes to overtime, but we all felt confident and we were able to come away with the win.”

Thomas Milic (Coquitlam, B.C./Seattle, WHL) turned in another strong performance in the Canadian goal, making 24 saves.

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

Following the gold medal game, Connor Bedard (North Vancouver, B.C./Regina, WHL) was named Most Valuable Player and Top Forward after leading the tournament in goals (nine), assists (14) and points (23), setting four Canadian records in the process. Bedard was also named to the media all-star team

“We said from the start that we need to be resilient for 60-plus minutes. As much as we want to win games in 60 minutes, we know we were going to face a lot of good opponents in this tournament and it was no different tonight,” said head coach Dennis Williams (Stratford, Ont./Everett, WHL). “I loved how our players came to the rink hungry every day and continued to stick together. I am just so proud of this team.”

Canada finished the preliminary round in second place in Group A with a 3-1 record after a loss to Czechia (5-2) and wins over Germany (11-2), Austria (11-0) and Sweden (5-1). It booked a spot in the gold medal game with a 4-3 overtime win against Slovakia in the quarterfinals and a 6-2 win over the United States in the semifinals.

Since 1977, Canada has collected 20 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. CZECHIA (JAN. 5)

The 2023 IIHF World Junior Championship ends the same way it began for Canada’s National Junior Team – facing off against Czechia. This time, though, there’s a gold medal on the line.

LAST GAME

Canada shook off a slow start in its semifinal against the United States, scoring the game’s final six goals to earn a 6-2 win. Thomas Milic was spectacular in a 43-save effort, and Joshua Roy scored twice and added two assists. Connor Bedard had a goal and an assist to push his tournament total to 23 points, the third-most ever.

The Czechs won an absolute thriller to earn their place in the final, edging Sweden 2-1 in overtime in its semifinal. David Jiricek tied the game with 38.8 seconds left and Jiri Kulich won it in the final minute of the extra period, sending the Czechs to play for gold for the first time since 2001.

LAST MEETING

Canada had its Boxing Day party spoiled by the Czechs, dropping a 5-2 decision in the preliminary-round opener. Shane Wright opened the scoring and Connor Bedard made it a one-goal game in the second period, but a pair of power-play goals by Czechia on a five-minute advantage proved to be the difference.

WHAT TO WATCH

Bedard has had the headlines, and for good reason, but his linemates have been terrific. Logan Stankoven is tied for second in tournament scoring with 11 points (3-8—11) and has 22 in his World Juniors career (the eighth-most by a Canadian ever). Roy is up to 10 points, and was the best Canadian skater in the semifinal win. And let’s not forget about Milic. He has gotten progressively better as the tournament has gone along, and his 43-save effort against the Americans will live in World Juniors lore.

The big names have stepped up for the Czechs on their unlikely run to the gold medal game. Jiricek, the sixth-overall pick by Columbus in the 2022 NHL Draft, tied the game in the last minute against Sweden and Kulich, the No. 28 pick by Buffalo, won it in overtime. And then there’s the experience. Czechia has a whopping 16 players back from the team that reached the bronze medal game in Edmonton last summer, including goaltender Tomas Suchanek, who has played every second in the tournament, registering a 1.30 goals-against average and .938 save percentage, while chipping in offensively with a record four assists.

A LOOK BACK

Canada and Czechia (formerly the Czech Republic) have met 23 times at the World Juniors since the dissolution of Czechoslovakia in 1993. The Canadians have dropped just two of those games, the prelim meeting and a shootout setback in the preliminary round in 2013.

The teams are familiar foes in recent years. In addition to the opener 11 days ago, they also met in the semifinals (a 6-3 Canada win ) and the preliminary round (a 5-1 Canada win) last summer, in the prelims of the cancelled 2022 tournament (a 6-3 Canada win) and the quarterfinals of the 2021 World Juniors in the bubble in Edmonton (a 3-0 Canada win).

All-time record: Canada leads 20-2-2 (0-1 in OT/SO)
Canada goals: 115
Czechia goals: 43

GAME STATISTICS | LIVE GAME BLOG

HALIFAX, N.S. – Canada's National Junior Team scored six unanswered goals to punch its ticket to the gold medal game at the 2023 IIHF World Junior Championship, defeating the United States 6-2 on Wednesday night.

• Joshua Roy (St-Georges-de-Beauce, Que./Sherbrooke, QMJHL) led the offence with two goals and two assists.
• Connor Bedard (North Vancouver, B.C./Regina, WHL), Logan Stankoven (Kamloops, B.C./Kamloops, WHL), Adam Fantilli (Nobleton, Ont./University of Michigan, Big Ten) and Brandt Clarke (Nepean, Ont./Los Angeles, NHL) chipped in with a goal and an assist each.
• Ethan Del Mastro (Freelton, Ont./Mississauga, OHL), Zach Dean (Mount Pearl, N.L./Gatineau, QMJHL), Olen Zellweger (Fort Saskatchewan, Alta./Everett, WHL) and Owen Beck (Port Hope, Ont./Mississauga, OHL) contributed one assist apiece.
• Thomas Milic (Coquitlam, B.C./Seattle, WHL) was spectacular in a 43-save performance.
• The United States outshot Canada 45-37.

Following the game, Bedard, Roy and Logan Stankoven (Kamloops, B.C./Kamloops, WHL) were named Team Canada’s best players of the tournament.

Next Game:

Canada vs. Czechia (gold medal game) – Thursday, Jan. 5 (7:30 p.m. AT/6:30 p.m. ET)

TSN and RDS, the official broadcast partners of Hockey Canada, are providing extensive coverage of the 2023 IIHF World Junior Championship, broadcasting all 31 tournament games. TSN Radio is also providing comprehensive tournament coverage.

Quotes:

“There was no panic on our bench. We knew it was going to be at least a 60-minute game, so we took a deep breath and started trying to execute our game plan [after falling behind 2-0]. I said to our guys that we have one more game together, and we need to stay bought into our group. We have done a great job since we came together in early December, and I am really proud of our team’s effort. [The United States] is a good team, but we stayed the course and got a lot of help from Thomas Milic, and when he plays like he has the last two games it gives us a lot of confidence.”

-      Head coach Dennis Williams (Stratford, Ont./Everett, WHL) on falling behind 2-0 and the effort of his team

“[Playing for gold] is what we came here to do. Last [World Juniors] in the summer was incredible and I want to relive that moment here. We did not have the start we wanted and [the United States] outplayed us at the beginning of the game. We stayed calm and got back to our game, and the Bedard goal gave us momentum.”

“I like the big moments. When you are playing in a big game against a good team, it is always nice to be able to contribute. The crowd in Halifax has been incredible, and they give us a lot of momentum in these tough games. I feel great in moments like that, and I just try to embrace them.”

-      Roy on going for gold and playing in big games

“The Canada-USA rivalry is one of the best in sports, and I was very happy to be able to get my moment in that rivalry. More importantly, I am happy we were able to get the win and give ourselves an opportunity to try to win a gold medal. We were not happy about what happened earlier in the tournament [against Czechia] because that was not the way we wanted to play. If we stick to our game and continue to play the way we have been, I think we will have a good chance of winning tomorrow.”

-      Fantilli on the Canada-U.S. rivalry and the rematch against Czechia

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

GAME NOTES: CANADA VS. UNITED STATES (JAN. 4)

Coming off a sensational overtime victory against Slovakia, Canada’s National Junior Team looks to continue its winning ways when its faces off against the United States on Wednesday night in semifinal action at the 2023 IIHF World Junior Championship.

LAST GAME

Connor Bedard scored an unbelievable overtime winner to sink Slovakia 4-3 in what can only be described as an instant classic on Monday night in Halifax. Bedard also scored the opening goal in the first period and added an assist, breaking four Canadian records (more on that below). Dylan Guenther and Zack Ostapchuk also scored and Thomas Milic was terrific in goal, making 24 saves that included snagging a Slovak rebound attempt out of mid-air in overtime to keep Canada alive.

The United States’ last game was an 11-1 quarterfinal victory over Germany on Monday. Logan Cooley had a hat trick and an assist, Ryan Ufko had five helpers, and Cutter Gauthier and Red Savage scored twice each for the Americans, who got points from 15 different players.

LAST MEETING

The teams last met in the gold medal game of the 2021 IIHF World Junior Championship inside the Edmonton bubble. Spencer Knight was the story, making 34 saves for the Americans, and goals from Alex Turcotte and Trevor Zegras left the Canadians with silver after a 2-0 loss .

WHAT TO WATCH

If it isn’t obvious by now, it should be. Connor Bedard. His performance Monday helped him break four Canadian records – most career goals at the World Juniors (16), most career points at the World Juniors (34), most points in single World Juniors (21) and most assists in a single World Juniors (13). He’s a major reason the Canadians are two wins away from a 20th gold medal. Canada has also benefited from the play of Milic, who has stopped 46 of 50 shots in his last two starts and made a couple of huge stops late in the third period and in overtime to help keep the Canadians alive.

For the Americans, Logan Cooley and Jimmy Snuggerud come into the game with 11 and 10 points, respectively, the only players other than Bedard to hit double-digits so far. Trey Augustine has been very good between the pipes as a 17-year-old; his 1.36 goals-against average leads the tournament, and his .938 save percentage is good for second.

A LOOK BACK

Historically, Canada has dominated the United States at this tournament, winning 33 of 48 meetings, with three ties. In recent years, however, things have been a little more even. In the last 10 meetings, going back to 2012, Canada has a record of 4-6, with its most recent win being a 6-4 preliminary-round victory in 2020.

The last time these two teams met in the semifinals was in 2013, a 5-1 U.S. win. However, Canada does have 4-1 record over the Americans in semifinal play, which includes a 3-2 win in Halifax back in 2003 – Jeff Woywitka netted the winner with 8:20 left in that one.

All-time record: Canada leads 33-12-3 (3-3 in OT/SO)
Canada goals: 194
United States goals: 134

GAME STATISTICS | LIVE GAME BLOG 

HALIFAX, N.S. – Canada's National Junior Team advanced to the semifinals at the 2023 IIHF World Junior Championship in dramatic fashion, beating Slovakia 4-3 in overtime on Monday night.

• Connor Bedard (North Vancouver, B.C./Regina, WHL) scored the game-winner on a solo effort 5:17 into overtime.
• Bedard also scored the opening goal in the first period and added an assist, breaking four Canadian records – most career goals at the World Juniors (16), most career points at the World Juniors (34), most points in single World Juniors (21) and most assists in a single World Juniors (13).
• Dylan Guenther (Edmonton, Alta./Arizona, NHL) and Zack Ostapchuk (St. Albert, Alta./Vancouver, WHL) rounded out the scoring.
• Logan Stankoven (Kamloops, B.C./Kamloops, WHL), Brennan Othmann (Pickering, Ont./Peterborough, OHL), Zach Dean (Mount Pearl, N.L./Gatineau, QMJHL) and Nathan Gaucher (Richelieu, Que./Québec, QMJHL) chipped in with one assist apiece.
• Thomas Milic (Coquitlam, B.C./Seattle, WHL) made 24 saves.
• Canada outshot Slovakia 57-27.

Next Game:

Canada vs. United States (semifinal) – Wednesday, Jan. 4 (7:30 p.m. AT/6:30 p.m. ET)

TSN and RDS, the official broadcast partners of Hockey Canada, are providing extensive coverage of the 2023 IIHF World Junior Championship, broadcasting all 31 tournament games. TSN Radio is also providing comprehensive tournament coverage.

Quotes:

“Obviously the [Bedard] goal was memorable, but Thomas Milic made some big saves for us. The way Connor scored and how he played tonight was huge, but we do not get to that moment without Thomas’ performance. He was lights out and made some key saves in overtime and in the third period. We outshot [Slovakia], but they had a lot of high-quality chances that we needed [Milic] to step up for, and he was dynamite for us tonight.”

-      Head coach Dennis Williams (Stratford, Ont./Everett, WHL) on the play of Milic

“I saw [the Slovak defender] make a move and there was a lane to the net, so I tried to make my move using my instinct and luckily it went in. That moment [in overtime] was special for all of us. It was pretty cool to score that goal, but it was the quarterfinals and we still have a lot of hockey left. I am happy about the win, and like I said in intermission I was not really thinking about [the records]. Obviously it matters, but for me it is about winning, and that is what we are here to do.”

-      Bedard on his overtime winner and breaking Canadian records

“[Three-on-three overtime] is exciting and not something I shy away from. It is an opportunity to give your team a win, and if I am called upon to go out there and do a job then I am excited for it. I try to play opportunistic and try to help finish the game off. The game was closer than we would have liked, but [Slovakia] is a good team and they were better than the Slovak team we saw in pre-competition. We have to give them credit because they battled hard, but we stuck with it and found a way to pull off the win.”

-      Stankoven on three-on-three overtime and the challenges of playing Slovakia

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

CALGARY, Alta. – The medal round at the 2023 IIHF World Junior Championship begins today in Halifax, N.S., and Moncton, N.B., but the tournament’s legacy is already positioned to support programs in communities throughout Canada for years to come through the proceeds of World Juniors 50/50 draws.

More than $1 million in World Juniors 50/50 tickets have been sold to hockey fans in six participating provinces (Alberta, British Columbia, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Ontario and Saskatchewan), with net proceeds going to support organizations that work towards greater safety and inclusiveness in and around hockey.

With each World Juniors 50/50 ticket purchase, fans are contributing to meaningful programs in their communities, as the net proceeds go to initiatives in that province, while the remaining half of the jackpots go to winning fans in the six provinces.

World Juniors 50/50 tickets are available at WorldJuniors5050.ca.

Proceeds from World Juniors 50/50 draws go towards the following initiatives in each participating province:

Alberta – Proceeds will be invested directly into grassroots initiatives in the province and increase the capacity of Hockey Alberta members to deliver a positive experience for all participants at the local level.

British Columbia – Proceeds will be invested directly into female hockey initiatives, including initiation programs.

New Brunswick and Nova Scotia – Proceeds from World Juniors 50/50 draws will benefit three areas: sexual violence education, female hockey associations, and additional diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives determined by Hockey New Brunswick and Hockey Nova Scotia.

Ontario – Proceeds will benefit a number of key initiatives, including support to families demonstrating financial need for hockey registration, funding for equipment for players and families, and education programs on gender identity and expression.

Saskatchewan – Proceeds will support programs with minor hockey associations in the province.

Don’t miss your chance to win more and give more with this year’s World Juniors 50/50 draws! For a complete draw schedule, please check your province’s 50/50 page.

GAME NOTES: CANADA VS. SLOVAKIA (JAN. 2)

Happy New Year! After defeating Sweden in the final preliminary game to solidify its hold on second place in Group A, Canada’s National Junior Team will face Slovakia in the quarterfinals to begin win-or-go-home hockey.

LAST GAME

In a New Year’s Eve showdown Canada closed the prelims with a 5-1 win over Sweden on Saturday. Joshua Roy scored only 57 seconds into the game, with Brennan Othmann and Tyson Hinds scoring goals of their own to give Canada a 3-1 lead after 20 minutes. Othmann added a second goal in the third period and Kevin Korchinski rounded out the scoring in Canada’s third win in a row. Thomas Milic made 22 saves, while Canada battered Carl Lindbom with 44 shots at the other end.

In its final preliminary-round game, Slovakia dropped a 4-3 shootout decision to Switzerland. Adam Sykora opened scoring in the first period and Servac Petrovsky scored twice in the second to give Slovakia a 3-1 lead heading into the final frame. But Switzerland tied it up in the last 20 minutes to send the game to extra time. It was a battle of the goaltenders with Kevin Pasche and Adam Gajan pushing the shootout to a 20th skater before Rodwin Dionicio scored to drop the Slovaks to third in Group B.

LAST MEETING

Canada and Slovakia last met in Moncton two weeks ago in pre-tournament action, with the Canadians earning a 6-1 win. Colton Dach opened the scoring in the first period. Brandt Clarke and Zach Dean scored 21 seconds apart in the middle frame to increase the lead. Less than a minute into the third, Brennan Othmann and Joshua Roy scored six seconds apart, with Dylan Guenther scoring later in the period to round out the scoring. Benjamin Gaudreau made 16 saves, with Canada firing 48 shots on Patrik Andrisik.

WHAT TO WATCH

Stop us if you’ve heard this before, but … Connor Bedard. After Saturday’s four-point performance against Sweden, the 17-year-old is on the brink of passing Eric Lindros’ all-time Canadian scoring record (he’s tied at 31 points) and the single-tournament mark (he’s even with Dale McCourt and Brayden Schenn at 18). The next goal Bedard scores will also surpass Jordan Eberle’s all-time Canadian record for goals at the World Juniors. With Colton Dach’s tournament-ending injury, Owen Beck will make his Team Canada debut against Slovakia. The Mississauga Steelheads captain has 17 goals and 40 points in 30 games this season.

Gajan has been very good in the Slovak net; his 1.95 goals-against average and .939 save percentage ranked among the tournament leaders in the prelims, and he allowed just three goals at five-on-five in his three appearances. He was terrific against the Swiss, making 32 saves through overtime and turning aside seven of 10 in the shootout, and he’ll need to be good again if the Europeans hope to spring the upset.

A LOOK BACK

Canada has dominated the head-to-head history, winning 15 of 16 meetings (with the other ending in a tie in 1999 – the only 0-0 draw in Canadian World Juniors history).

Mason McTavish’s six-point performance (four goals, two assists) in an 11-1 win last summer was the second ever – the Great One himself, Wayne Gretzky, had a hat trick and three assists against Czechoslovakia on Christmas Day 1977 in Montreal. Two other players have hat tricks against Slovakia since the dissolution of Czechoslovakia in the early 1990s – Taylor Hall at the 2010 World Juniors, and Nic Petan in the 2015 semifinals.

All-time record: Canada leads 15-0-1
Canada goals: 86
Slovakia goals: 17

GAME STATISTICS | LIVE GAME BLOG 

HALIFAX, N.S. – Canada's National Junior Team wrapped up preliminary-round action with its third-consecutive win at the 2023 IIHF World Junior Championship, finishing in second place in Group A after downing Sweden 5-1 on Saturday night.

• Brennan Othmann (Pickering, Ont./Peterborough, OHL) led the offence with a pair of goals.
• Joshua Roy (St-Georges-de-Beauce, Que./Sherbrooke, QMJHL), Tyson Hinds (Gatineau, Que./Sherbrooke, QMJHL) and Kevin Korchinski (Saskatoon, Sask./Seattle, WHL) rounded out the scoring.
• Connor Bedard (North Vancouver, B.C./Regina, WHL) chipped in with four assists, tying a trio of Canadian records – most career points at the World Juniors (31), most points in single World Juniors (18) and most assists in a single World Juniors (12).
• Brandt Clarke (Nepean, Ont./Los Angeles, NHL), Shane Wright (Burlington, Ont./Seattle, NHL), Logan Stankoven (Kamloops, B.C./Kamloops, WHL), Dylan Guenther (Edmonton, Alta./Arizona, NHL), Ethan Del Mastro (Freelton, Ont./Mississauga, OHL) and Nolan Allan (Davidson, Sask./Seattle, WHL) contributed one assist apiece.
• Thomas Milic (Coquitlam, B.C./Seattle, WHL) made 22 saves.
• Canada outshot Sweden 44-23.

Next Game:

Canada vs. Slovakia (quarterfinal) – Monday, Jan. 2 (7:30 p.m. AT/6:30 p.m. ET)

TSN and RDS, the official broadcast partners of Hockey Canada, are providing extensive coverage of the 2023 IIHF World Junior Championship, broadcasting all 31 tournament games. TSN Radio is also providing comprehensive tournament coverage.

Quotes:

“I thought we had a good game tonight, and we had a great start against a team that has not given up a lot of goals. We got on [Sweden] early and played fast, and we were able to keep the crowd into the game. The five-minute major set us back a bit similar to the Czechia game, but we had a good penalty kill and Milic did a great job helping us through it. We need to be a little more disciplined. We took a few penalties 200 feet from our net, and when we get down to a must-win game we need to do a better job of staying out of the box.”

-      Head coach Dennis Williams (Stratford, Ont./Everett, WHL) on tonight’s win

“It was special [to play on home ice on New Year’s Eve]. It is something you grow up watching World Juniors as a kid, and to be in an important game against a tough opponent like Sweden was special. I feel like we are playing way better than at the start of the tournament. We are playing a more complete game and we are back to the hard-nosed style we want to play. We are starting to play well, and we have all four lines contributing, our defence are contributing and our goalies are playing great, and overall we played a strong game tonight.”

-      Othmann on playing on New Year’s Eve and the team’s improvement

“I felt really good today. The more games we play in this tournament, for myself and for the team as a whole, we are settling in and gaining more confidence. As a team and personally, our confidence is going to continue to go up as we move into elimination games.”

“The crowd was amazing right from the start of warmups. It was such a great atmosphere to play in and the fans really helped us out tonight. Right from the start of puck drop, the energy was great and they helped us make an impact on the game right away.”

-      Milic on the confidence of the team and the fans in Halifax

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

Three players, one minor hockey team and a legacy that continues to be built. After first joining forces in minor hockey, Brandt Clarke, Brennan Othmann and Shane Wright have taken the hockey world by storm and are reunited again to compete for gold at the 2023 IIHF World Junior Championship.

In 2016, Clarke had just moved from Ottawa to Toronto ahead of his U14 AAA season. He joined the Greater Toronto Hockey League’s (GTHL) Don Mills Flyers, where he was introduced to two other players that were new to the team: Othmann and Wright.

“I actually didn’t know who either of them [was], I just knew some of the other guys on Don Mills,” Clarke explains. “But we clicked right away, we were the new guys. We talked, we gelled early and there’s just a connection there. They’re two special players.”

Othmann and Wright had previously played against each other, but never on the same team. During a spring tournament, Flyers head coach Marc Slawson pointed out Wright to Othmann, saying he would likely play with him.

“I looked at Shane on the ice and you automatically saw that he stood out, and I was excited watching him play,” Othmann says. “He’s a really good player.”

On the ice, the three Don Mills Flyers quickly gained chemistry with each other.

“I think we fed off each other really well,” Wright says. “We understood where each other were on the ice, we’re reacting and reading off each other on the ice. We just always had that chemistry.”

The team was a force to be reckoned with. During the three years Clarke, Othmann and Wright wore the Flyers logo, they won three consecutive GTHL championships, the 2018 All-Ontario U15 AAA Championship and the 2019 OHL Cup after going 30-0-3 in the GTHL during the 2018-19 regular season.

But the team also faced adversity. In the middle of its U15 championship campaign, Flyers goaltender Roy Pejcinovski was killed in a triple homicide along with his mother and 13-year-old sister, Vana, in Ajax, Ont.

“In that situation, you either come together or you spread apart, and our team obviously came together,” Othmann says.

“It was definitely something that still sticks with us every day,” Clarke adds. “I still think of Roy every single day.”

With Pejcinovski in their hearts, Don Mills continued to play for its netminder throughout the remainder of its time together, culminating in the 2019 OHL Cup. Although the Flyers trailed the Toronto Red Wings (who included World Juniors teammate Adam Fantilli) 4-1 after the first period, they battled back to push the game to overtime.

“Clarke stole the puck from the other team and gave me a little high-flip pass,” Wright explains. “I skate onto it, and we had a 2-on-1 with me and [Othmann]. I passed it and he did the rest.”

OT glory for the Don Mills Flyers!

Shane Wright makes a 2-on-1 pass to Brennan Othmann who buries it to crown @GTHLHockey’s @03DMF the 2019 #OHLCup powered by @UnderArmour Champions. pic.twitter.com/tOIlvpr7eu

— OntarioHockeyLeague (@OHLHockey) March 19, 2019

“That game was so special. We came in with a lot of adversity and we wanted to win that for our goalie Roy and his family,” Othmann says. “It’s kind of funny thinking about it: Clarkey to Shane, Shane to me. In that way, it looks cool on the box score. That’s my favourite memory of the Flyers and it’s my favourite memory with those two.”

After the OHL Cup, the trio went off on their own hockey journeys. All three players were selected in the top four picks of the 2019 OHL Priority Selection. Wright became the fifth player granted exceptional-player status and was selected first by the Kingston Frontenacs. Othmann was taken second by the Flint Firebirds and Clarke was grabbed fourth overall by the Barrie Colts.

“It’s kind of crazy,” Clarke says. “We’re all first-round picks. We’re all going to other places around the continent, but when we got the word that all three us of were going to be back together and play on the global stage like this, it was really cool. We’re all texting each other right away… when I saw them in the airport, I went up and gave them a hug.”

The 2023 IIHF World Junior Championship marks the second time the Don Mills trio has reunited on the international stage. In 2021, they won gold at the IIHF U18 World Championship. Wright co-led the Canadians in scoring with 14 points and a Canadian record nine goals, Othmann had three goals and three assists and Clarke chipped in with two goals and five helpers.

Although their teams are spread out across North America (all three were first-round NHL picks as well), the three Flyers remain in touch. They have an active group chat, they’ll make time to go golfing or skate together, or play the NHL series video games to stay connected. But despite the distance, the connection remains just as strong as it was at Don Mills.

“That chemistry has stayed the same, just like how we were in minor,” Wright says. “It’s always going to be there, that bond and that trust [we have].”

To be able to play in multiple world championships together with two of your buddies from your minor hockey team is an unlikely feat. But Clarke, Othmann and Wright each push each other to be the best they can be—and that payoff is evident on the ice.

“To do this with Shane and Brennan, the two guys I consider like brothers to me, it’s really special,” Clarke adds.

“Those two have been great the whole way since I’ve been 14,” Othmann says. “It’s been a crazy few years. It’s been ups and downs for all of us but at the same time, it’s been an unbelievable journey and it’s been an unbelievable time with them. To cap it off at the World Juniors, it’s going to be something special.”

GAME NOTES: CANADA VS. SWEDEN (DEC. 31)

Canada’s National Junior Team looks to finish 2022 on a high as it faces off against Sweden to close out the preliminary round on New Year’s Eve at the 2023 IIHF World Junior Championship.

LAST GAME

Canada is coming off an 11-0 win over Austria on Thursday night that saw 10 different players find the back of the net and 18 of 20 skaters record at least a point. Connor Bedard followed up his seven-point effort against Germany with six (two goals, four assists) against the Austrians. Logan Stankoven had four points — a goal and three helpers — and was named Player of the Game, and Benjamin Gaudreau posted a 12-save shutout.

Sweden stayed unbeaten in prelim play with a 3-2 overtime win over Czechia on Thursday. Ludvig Jansson scored twice, including the extra-time winner, and Carl Lindbom made 33 saves as the Swedes were outshot 35-24.

LAST MEETING

The last time these two teams met was the 2018 gold medal game in Buffalo, N.Y. Tyler Steenbergen scored his first goal of the tournament with 100 seconds left and Carter Hart finished with 35 stops to lead Canada to a 3-1 win and its 17th World Juniors gold.

WHAT TO WATCH

Two words for you: Connor Bedard. The 17-year-old is just a goal away from breaking Jordan Eberle’s all-time Canadian record for goals at the World Juniors, and he’s within four of Eric Lindros’ all-time scoring record (31 points) after posting 13 points in his last two games. And he’s a big piece of a lethal Canadian power play, which has converted an absurd 68.6% of its opportunities (11 for 16) through three games,

The Swedes can clinch first place in the group with a win (so could the Canadians, depending on the Czechia-Germany result from earlier in the day), but they’ll need to continue their strong defensive play. Sweden has allowed just two goals in three games, and will need to be stingy again against a Canadian offence that has scored 22 times in its last two games. Jansson leads the Swedes up front; the Florida Panthers’ fourth-rounder has five points in three games.

A LOOK BACK

The history between these two teams is long and deep. They’ve met 35 times, going as far back as the inaugural World Juniors in 1977, and Canada has largely come out on top, winning 24 games, including four gold medal games – in 1996, 2008, 2009 and 2018.

This will be the second meeting in Halifax – the teams played on Boxing Day 2002, with Ian White scoring twice and Carlo Colaiacovo recording four assists in an 8-2 Canadian win.

All-time record: Canada leads 24-10-1 (2-1 in OT/SO)
Canada goals: 155
Sweden goals: 111