EDMONTON | Canada are World Junior champions. In a high-octane game, the Canadian team defeated Finland 3-2 thanks to a goal by Kent Johnson in overtime on Saturday at Rogers Place.
• Read also: World Junior Hockey Championship: Sweden will seek bronze
Johnson took advantage of great play from line partner Logan Stankoven, who had drawn two defensemen on him before handing him the puck.
The Columbus Blue Jackets hopeful’s first shot was stopped by goalkeeper Juha Jatkola but the Canadian winger grabbed his return to sow hysteria in the amphitheater.
Seconds before, the Finns had come within millimeters of ending the game but Mason McTavish had managed to push the puck, which was rolling on the goal line, out of the goalkeeper’s circle.
It is the fourth gold medal in eight years for Team Canada at the World Juniors, following titles in 2015 in Toronto, 2018 in Buffalo and 2020 in Ostrava, Czechia.
Note that the World Juniors has not seen other winners than Canada, Finland and the United States in the last ten years.
Photo Agence QMI, John Morris
The last time another team won the tournament was in 2012 when Sweden beat Russia in the tournament held in Calgary and Edmonton.
START IN LEO
Canada was a first steamroller. Dave Cameron’s squad started the game with a bang, ahead of the Finns who might do nothing but defend themselves. Finland needed more than 12 minutes before directing a first shot on Dylan Garand’s net.
Roy opened the scoring for Canada midway through the first period when he jumped on a return pitch from Mason McTavish to score his third goal of the tournament.
Photo Agence QMI, John Morris
Then Dufour added from the first moments of the second period. The big Quebec forward fired a powerful wrist shot from the top of the circles using defender Joni Jurmo as a screen. Goalkeeper Juha Jatkola saw nothing but fire.
With an assist on Dufour’s goal, his second of the game, McTavish joined Wayne Gretzky and Eric Lindros in a tie for second for most points in a tournament by a Canada player, with 17. The all-time record of 18 belongs still to Dale McCourt (1977) and Brayden Schenn (2011). He was also named the competition’s Most Valuable Player.
Photo Agence QMI, John Morris
MISSED CHANCES
ECJ then had every chance in the world to nail the final nail in Finland’s coffin, boasting no less than seven power plays in the last two periods of play, failing to capitalize on any of them.
And the Finns took advantage of it.
Defender Aleksi Heimosalmi first closed the Canadians’ gap early in the third period with a shot from the top of the circles that weaved through everyone to end up behind Dylan Garand.
Tyson Foerster then had the knockout goal on the end of the paddle, but was robbed with the mitt by goalkeeper Jatkola.
Then, what had to happen happened: by dint of putting pressure on Canadian territory, the Finns managed to create an equality when Joakim Kemell scored his fourth goal of the tournament with a powerful shot as soon as the pass was received by Topi Niemela.
First period
1-CAN: Joshua Roy (3)(McTavish) 11:18
Penalties: none
Second period
2-CAN: William Dufour (3)(Zellweger McTavish) 0:41
Punishments: Rafkin (Fin) 2:07, Kapanen (Fin) 9:03, Rafkin (Fin) 11:10, Raty (Fin) 15:40, Estonia (Fin) 19:14
Third period
3-FIN: Aleksi Heimosalmi (1)(Estonia, Maenpaa) 4:09
4-FIN: Joakim Kemell (4)(Niemela, Liukas) 10:46
Punishments: Kapanen (Fin) 13:13, Zellweger (Can) 14:18, Puutio (Fin) 15:21
Prolongation
5-CAN: Kent Johnson (3)(Stank Furnace) 3:20
Penalties: none
Shoot to the net
CANADA 10 – 9 – 10 – 4 – 33FINLANDE 9 – 4 – 17 – 1 – 31
Guardians:
CAN: Dylan Garand (G, 6-0) FIN: Juha Jatkola (P, 2-1)
Numerical advantages:
CAN: 0 to 7, FIN: 0 to 1
Referees:
Sean Fernandez, Christopher Holm
Linesmen:
Andreas Hofer, Cody Huseby
ASSISTANCE:
13 327