Team Canada held a skate at Ridder Arena in Minneapolis on Friday. Team Czechia skated at 3M Arena at Mariucci.

Head coach Dale Hunter revealed that Team Canada’s captains for the World Juniors were determined by a player vote.

“It’s your peers,” Hunter explained. “The most important thing is your peers [because] you’re leading them. So, the peers pick their leaders and it’s a real compliment.”

The vote happened two days ago with Michigan State winger Porter Martone coming in first. The Philadelphia Flyers prospect will serve as Canada’s captain as he did at the 2024 under-18 World Championship.

“He’s mature and he understands the game,” said Hunter. “He’s a real captain that way where he’s helping out the younger guys on the team.”

Martone is one of six returning players on Team Canada.

Barrie Colts centre Cole Beaudoin, another returnee, will serve as an alternate captain as will Pittsburgh Penguins defenceman Harrison Brunicke, who is one of three NHL players on the roster.

Hunter uses the same player-vote approach with his Ontario Hockey League team in London.

Hunter reveals Team Canada players voted on captains The decision on who would be charged with Team Canada’s leadership was left to the players according to head coach Dale Hunter. Alternate captain Cole Beaudoin spoke about what makes Porter Martone the perfect choice to lead the players and what it feels like for him knowing his teammates trust him to help guide them at this year’s tournament.

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Canada finished fifth last year in Ottawa, which means they are the third seed in their group this year behind Finland and Czechia. And that means Canada had third choice of dressing rooms available.

Team Finland, the silver medalists last year, are set up in the Golden Gophers room while Czechia has the next biggest room. Rather than take a really small room inside 3M Arena, Canada opted for a space in Ridder Arena, which houses the Golden Gophers women’s team and is connected to 3M Arena.

But it’s a bit of a trek to get to the rink.

“I’m getting my steps in,” Hunter quipped.

Canada will have a little less time together during intermissions than their opponents.

“It is what it is,” Hunter downplayed.

“We got to face adversity, and none of us are dwelling on it or anything,” said Beaudoin. “We’re excited to just play and if it has to lead to a little bit of a walk then that’s fine.”

Beaudoin and Brunicke said they’ve never been a part of a set up like this before.

“It’s a little bit of a walk, but I guess that’s kind of what happens when you finish fifth,” Brunicke said with a shrug.

Canada Ice Chips: Adversity starts with the long walk to the rink Team Canada will open up their World Juniors Friday night against Czechia, the team that eliminated them in each of the last two tournaments. TSN’s Mark Masters has more on how the Canadians are feeling just hours ahead of puck drop and how their mindset is already being tested.

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After Thursday’s practice, Martone and Penn State freshman Gavin McKenna did not hesitate to bring up their desire to exact some revenge against the Czechs, who eliminated Canada in the last two World Juniors.

It was a bit of a different vibe after Canada’s morning skate.

“We’re not focused on the past now,” said Brunicke. “We don’t focus on who the opponent is. We have a game plan. We’re ready to stick to that no matter who it is.”

Beaudoin said facing Czechia “obviously” brings some extra emotion, but quickly pivoted.

“We’re just worrying about our game plan and what we do best,” he said. “I don’t think we’re worried about the team. We’re just worrying about what we can do. Obviously, they’re a good team over there, but we’re just worrying about ourselves and what we can control.”

Canada opted to only make their alternate captains available to the media on Friday morning. Martone spoke to the media after Thursday’s practice.

Czechia made all their players, minus goalies, available to the media by request on Friday morning.

“I think they have a lot of anger,” said UMass-Amherst winger Vaclav Nestrasil. “Obviously we got to prove ourselves once again as we did the last two years. I think that’s our mindset going into the game.”

What sort of opponent are the Czechs expecting?

“The best possible, probably,” Nestrasil said. “I mean, there’s a bunch of first rounders. They’re going to be hard.”

There are 18 first-round picks on Team Canada’s roster with three more players projected to go in the first round in 2026.

On paper, Canada is the clear favourite on Boxing Day, but the Czechs are drawing inspiration from what happened the last two times the countries faced off at the World Juniors.

“It’s a huge motivation for us,” said Edmonton Oil Kings centre Max Curran. “If they could do it, why not us? We’re going to stay humble, stay prepared and see what’s going to happen.”

Beaudoin: Team Canada ‘super excited’ for first game of WJC Team Canada forward Cole Beaudoin joins TSN’s Mark Masters to describe the mood of the team ahead of their opening game of the tournament, what stands out about the rivalry with Czechia, the energy and emotions involved in a game like this, what kind of atmosphere he’s expecting in the arena, and more.

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Czechia’s challenge will be greater, though, because Seattle Thunderbirds defenceman Radim Mrtka is sidelined due to injury.

“A guy like that, you just need to have him in this team,” said Nestrasil. “I’m kind of sad that he doesn’t play this game, but hopefully he gets healthy and he plays the rest.”

Mrtka participated in Czechia’s morning skate.

“He’s close to getting to a game,” said assistant coach Robert Reichel. “We’ll see how everything goes and hopefully we are ready for tomorrow or after tomorrow’s game.”

Czechia prepares to face fired-up Canada without Mrtka Czechia will be without key defenceman Radim Mrtka when they play Canada in the opening game for both nations at the World Juniors. Assistant coach Robert Reichel offered an update on Mrtka while his teammates spoke about the impact he can have when he is ready to join and the confidence the wins in the last two years over Canada gives this current Czechia squad.

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Hunter pulled Beaudoin and Knights forward Sam O’Reilly aside for a chat at the end of Canada’s skate.

“We’re just talking about PK,” Hunter said. “Yeah, they’re the first guys over the boards, so just talking about it.”

The key theme?

“Just be loud, talk, follow the game plan,” Beaudoin said. “Talk to each other. I think that’s the most important thing with this kind of tournament. You have to get to know who you’re killing with and bond so that when it comes time to kill a penalty off, we know where each other are and know what we can do.”

Beaudoin and O’Reilly contined to chat after Hunter departed.

Canada allowed a power-play goal in two of three pre-tournament games although one came during a 5-on-3.

Canada finished sixth in penalty kill percentage at last year’s World Juniors.

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Team Canada will be using the Toronto Blue Jays home run horn as their goal horn at the World Juniors.

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Hunter declined to name his starting goalie, but Carter George of the Owen Sound Attack, who was the Boxing Day starter last year, was the first goalie off the ice at the morning skate.

Hunter confirmed that Everett Silvertips winger Carter Bear and University of North Dakota defenceman Keaton Verhoeff will be healthy scratches.

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Projected Team Canada lineup for Friday’s game:

Iginla – Misa – Martone

McKenna – Hage – Martin

Reschny – Beaudoin – Luchanko

Greentree – Cootes – O’Reilly

Desnoyers

Reid – Parekh

Carels – Brunicke

Aitcheson – Danford

MacKenzie

George

Ivankovic

Scratches: Bear, Verhoeff, Ravensbergen