Team Canada held a skate at Ridder Arena in Minneapolis on Friday. Team Czechia skated at 3M Arena at Mariucci. <\/p>\n
Head coach Dale Hunter revealed that Team Canada\u2019s captains for the World Juniors were determined by a player vote. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s your peers,\u201d Hunter explained. \u201cThe most important thing is your peers [because] you\u2019re leading them. So, the peers pick their leaders and it\u2019s a real compliment.\u201d<\/p>\n
The vote happened two days ago with Michigan State winger Porter Martone coming in first. The Philadelphia Flyers prospect will serve as Canada\u2019s captain as he did at the 2024 under-18 World Championship. <\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s mature and he understands the game,\u201d said Hunter. \u201cHe\u2019s a real captain that way where he\u2019s helping out the younger guys on the team.\u201d<\/p>\n
Martone is one of six returning players on Team Canada. <\/p>\n
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. <\/p>\n
Hunter uses the same player-vote approach with his Ontario Hockey League team in London. <\/p>\n
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. <\/p>\n
—<\/p>\n
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. <\/p>\n
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\u2019s team and is connected to 3M Arena. <\/p>\n
But it\u2019s a bit of a trek to get to the rink. <\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m getting my steps in,\u201d Hunter quipped. <\/p>\n
Canada will have a little less time together during intermissions than their opponents. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt is what it is,\u201d Hunter downplayed. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe got to face adversity, and none of us are dwelling on it or anything,\u201d said Beaudoin. \u201cWe\u2019re excited to just play and if it has to lead to a little bit of a walk then that\u2019s fine.\u201d<\/p>\n
Beaudoin and Brunicke said they\u2019ve never been a part of a set up like this before. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a little bit of a walk, but I guess that\u2019s kind of what happens when you finish fifth,\u201d Brunicke said with a shrug.<\/p>\n
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. <\/p>\n
—<\/p>\n
After Thursday\u2019s 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. <\/p>\n
It was a bit of a different vibe after Canada\u2019s morning skate. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re not focused on the past now,\u201d said Brunicke. \u201cWe don\u2019t focus on who the opponent is. We have a game plan. We\u2019re ready to stick to that no matter who it is.\u201d<\/p>\n
Beaudoin said facing Czechia \u201cobviously\u201d brings some extra emotion, but quickly pivoted. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re just worrying about our game plan and what we do best,\u201d he said. \u201cI don\u2019t think we\u2019re worried about the team. We\u2019re just worrying about what we can do. Obviously, they\u2019re a good team over there, but we\u2019re just worrying about ourselves and what we can control.\u201d<\/p>\n
Canada opted to only make their alternate captains available to the media on Friday morning. Martone spoke to the media after Thursday\u2019s practice.<\/p>\n
Czechia made all their players, minus goalies, available to the media by request on Friday morning. <\/p>\n
\u201cI think they have a lot of anger,\u201d said UMass-Amherst winger Vaclav Nestrasil. \u201cObviously we got to prove ourselves once again as we did the last two years. I think that\u2019s our mindset going into the game.\u201d<\/p>\n
What sort of opponent are the Czechs expecting? <\/p>\n
\u201cThe best possible, probably,\u201d Nestrasil said. \u201cI mean, there\u2019s a bunch of first rounders. They\u2019re going to be hard.\u201d<\/p>\n
There are 18 first-round picks on Team Canada\u2019s roster with three more players projected to go in the first round in 2026. <\/p>\n
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. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a huge motivation for us,\u201d said Edmonton Oil Kings centre Max Curran. \u201cIf they could do it, why not us? We\u2019re going to stay humble, stay prepared and see what\u2019s going to happen.\u201d<\/p>\n
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. <\/p>\n
—<\/p>\n
Czechia\u2019s challenge will be greater, though, because Seattle Thunderbirds defenceman Radim Mrtka is sidelined due to injury. <\/p>\n
\u201cA guy like that, you just need to have him in this team,\u201d said Nestrasil. \u201cI\u2019m kind of sad that he doesn\u2019t play this game, but hopefully he gets healthy and he plays the rest.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mrtka participated in Czechia\u2019s morning skate. <\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s close to getting to a game,\u201d said assistant coach Robert Reichel. \u201cWe\u2019ll see how everything goes and hopefully we are ready for tomorrow or after tomorrow\u2019s game.\u201d<\/p>\n
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. <\/p>\n
—<\/p>\n
Hunter pulled Beaudoin and Knights forward Sam O\u2019Reilly aside for a chat at the end of Canada\u2019s skate. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re just talking about PK,\u201d Hunter said. \u201cYeah, they\u2019re the first guys over the boards, so just talking about it.\u201d<\/p>\n
The key theme?<\/p>\n
\u201cJust be loud, talk, follow the game plan,\u201d Beaudoin said. \u201cTalk to each other. I think that\u2019s the most important thing with this kind of tournament. You have to get to know who you\u2019re 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.\u201d<\/p>\n
Beaudoin and O\u2019Reilly contined to chat after Hunter departed.<\/p>\n
Canada allowed a power-play goal in two of three pre-tournament games although one came during a 5-on-3. <\/p>\n
Canada finished sixth in penalty kill percentage at last year\u2019s World Juniors. <\/p>\n
—<\/p>\n
Team Canada will be using the Toronto Blue Jays home run horn as their goal horn at the World Juniors. <\/p>\n
—<\/p>\n
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. <\/p>\n
Hunter confirmed that Everett Silvertips winger Carter Bear and University of North Dakota defenceman Keaton Verhoeff will be healthy scratches. <\/p>\n
—<\/p>\n
Projected Team Canada lineup for Friday\u2019s game: <\/p>\n
Iginla – Misa – Martone<\/p>\n
McKenna – Hage – Martin<\/p>\n
Reschny – Beaudoin – Luchanko<\/p>\n
Greentree – Cootes – O\u2019Reilly<\/p>\n
Desnoyers<\/p>\n
Reid – Parekh<\/p>\n
Carels – Brunicke<\/p>\n
Aitcheson – Danford<\/p>\n
MacKenzie <\/p>\n
George<\/p>\n
Ivankovic<\/p>\n
Scratches: Bear, Verhoeff, Ravensbergen<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Team Canada held a skate at Ridder Arena in Minneapolis on Friday. Team Czechia skated at 3M Arena…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":370864,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[712,49,48,132644,44,146516],"class_list":["post-370863","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-canada","tag-apple-news","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-hockey-canada-sports-hockey-hockey-canada","tag-news","tag-world-juniors-sports-hockey-world-juniors"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/370863","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=370863"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/370863\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/370864"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=370863"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=370863"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=370863"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}