The 2022 IIHF World Junior Championship was postponed in December due to an outbreak of COVID-19. The tournament will restart on Aug. 9 in Edmonton, Alberta, and conclude with the gold-medal and bronze-medal games on Aug. 20.
Nine out of 10 teams that participated in the earlier event will be back, including Austria, Canada, the Czech Republic, Finland, Germany, Slovakia, Sweden, Switzerland and the United States. The team from Russia has been excluded because of that nation’s invasion of Ukraine, and Latvia will take its place in Group A.
Follow along as the tournament proceeds, with the game schedule and results, along with rosters for all 10 nations.
Game schedule
Note: All times Eastern.
Aug. 9
Czech Republic vs. Slovakia, 2 p.m. Latvia vs. Finland, 6 p.m. United States vs. Germany, 10 p.m.
Aug. 10
Sweden vs. Switzerland, 2 p.m. Latvia vs. Canada, 6 p.m. Germany vs. Austria, 10 p.m.
Aug. 11
Finland vs. Czech Republic, 2 p.m. Slovakia vs. Canada, 6 p.m. Switzerland vs. United States, 10 p.m.
Aug. 12
Austria vs. Sweden, 2 p.m. Slovakia vs. Latvia, 6 p.m.
Aug. 13
Austria vs. United States, 2 p.m. Canada vs. Czech Republic, 6 p.m. Germany vs. Switzerland, 10 p.m.
Aug. 14
Finland vs. Slovakia, 2 p.m. Czech Republic vs. Latvia, 6 p.m. United States vs. Sweden, 10 p.m.
Aug. 15
Switzerland vs. Austria, 2 p.m. Canada vs. Finland, 6 p.m. Sweden vs. Germany, 10 p.m.
Note: Players drafted by NHL teams are denoted in parentheses.
Group A
Canada
Forwards
Connor Bedard Will Cuylle (NYR) Elliot Desnoyers (PHI) William Dufour (NYI) Tyson Foerster (PHI) Nathan Gaucher (ANA) Ridly Greig (OTT) Kent Johnson (CBJ) Riley Kidney (MTL) Mason McTavish (ANA) Zack Ostapchuk (OTT) Brennan Othmann (NYR) Joshua Roy (MTL) Logan Stankoven (DAL)
Defensemen
Lukas Cormier (VGK) Ethan Del Mastro (CHI) Daemon Hunt (MIN)* Carson Lambos (MIN) Ryan O’Rourke (MIN) Donovan Sebrango (DET) Ronan Seeley (CAR) Jack Thompson (TB) Olen Zellweger (ANA)
*Replaced due to injury
Goaltenders
Brett Brochu Sebastian Cossa (DET) Dylan Garand (NYR)
Czech Republic
Forwards
Jaroslav Chmelar (NYR) Michal Gut Petr Hauser (NJ) Daniel Hercik Ivan Ivan Jakub Kos (FLA) Jiri Kulich (BUF) Adam Mechura Matous Mensik Jan Mysak (MTL) Martin Rysavy (CBJ) Matyas Sapovaliv (VGK) Gabriel Szturc Tomas Urban
Defenseman
Ales Cech Tomas Hamara (OTT) David Jiricek (CBJ) David Moravec Stepan Nemec David Spacek (MIN) Stanislav Svozil (CBJ) Jiri Tichacek
Goaltenders
Jan Bednar (DET) Pavel Cajan Tomas Suchanek
Finland
Forwards
Samuel Helenius (LA) Roni Hirvonen (TOR) Roby Järventie (OTT) Oliver Kapanen (MTL) Roni Karvinen Joakim Kemell (NSH) Ville Koivunen (CAR) Brad Lambert (WPG) Eetu Liukas (NYI) Juuso Mäenpää Joel Määttä (EDM) Aatu Räty (NYI) Kasper Simontaival (LA) Kalle Väisänen (NYR)
Ralfs Bergmanis Harijs Brants Peteris Bulans Niks Fenenko Daniels Gorsanovs Bogdans Hodass Gustavs Ozolins Rihards Simanovics
Goaltenders
Patriks Berzins Bruno Bruveris Rudolfs Lazdins
Slovakia
Forwards
Jakub Demek (VGK) Dalibor Dvorsky Roman Faith Samuel Honzek Maros Jedlicka Matej Kaslik Jakub Kolenic Lubomir Kupco Martin Misiak Oleksii Myklukha Libor Nemec Servác Petrovský (MIN) Peter Repcik Oliver Stümpel Adam Sýkora (NYR)
Defensemen
Denis Bakala Simon Becar Simon Groch Viliam Kmec Michal Laurencik Dávid Nátny Rayen Petrovicky Maxim Strbak Adam Stripai Boris Zabka
Goaltenders
Patrik Andrisik Tomas Bolo Simon Latkoczy
Group B
Austria
Forwards
Luca Auer Jonas Dobnig Tim Geifes Maximilian Hengelmüller Nico Kramer Moritz Lackner Oskar Maier Senna Peeters Ian Scherzer Lucas Thaler Finn van Ee Leon Wallner Janick Wernicke
Defensemen
Lukas Hörl Lorenz Lindner Matteo Mitrovic Lukas Necesany Maximilian Preiml David Reinbacher Tobias Sablattnig Christoph Tialler Martin Urbanek
Goaltenders
Thomas Pfarrmaier Leon Sommer Sebastian Wraneschitz
Germany
Forwards
Alexander Blank Ryan Del Monte Josef Eham Luca Hauf Haakon Hanelt (WSH) Nikolaus Heigl Thomas Heigl Danjo Leonhardt Yannick Proske Bennet Rossmy Maciej Rutkowski Joshua Samanski Markus Schweiger Justin Volek
Defenders
Arkadiusz Dziambor Nils Elten Korbinian Geibe Maximilian Glotzl Adrian Klein Luca Munzenberger (EDM) Maksymilian Szuber (ARI) Leon van der Linde
Goalkeepers
Florian Bugl Niklas Lunemann Nikita Quapp (CAR)
Sweden
Forwards
Jonathan Lekkerimäki (VAN) Daniel Ljungman (DAL) Fabian Lysell (BOS) Oskar Magnusson (WSH) Theodor Niederbach (DET) Oskar Olausson (COL) Isak Rosén (BUF) Albert Sjöberg (DAL) Linus Sjödin (BUF) Åke Stakkestad Victor Stjernborg (CHI) Daniel Torgersson (WPG)
Defensemen
Emil Andrae (PHI) Simon Edvinsson (DET) Måns Forsfjäll Helge Grans (LA) Ludvig Jansson (FLA) Anton Olsson (NSH) William Wallinder (DET)
Goaltenders
Calle Clang (ANA) Carl Lindbom (VGK) Jesper Wallstedt (MIN)
Switzerland
Forwards
Mats Alge Dario Allenspach Nicolas Baechler Attilio Biasca Joshua Fahrni Lilian Garessus Marlon Graf Joel Henry Simon Knak (NSH) Joel Marchon Tim Muggli Kevin Nicolet Fabian Ritzmann Jonas Taibel
Defensemen
Giancarlo Chanton Noah Delémont Vincent Despont Rodwin Dionicio Nick Meile Arno Nussbaumer Dario Sidler Maximilian Streule Brian Zanetti (PHI)
Goaltenders
Andri Henauer Kevin Pasche Noah Patenaude
United States
Forwards
Brett Berard (NYR) Thomas Bordeleau (SJ) Logan Cooley (ARI) Matt Coronato (CGY) Riley Duran (BOS) Dominic James (CHI) Matthew Knies (TOR) Carter Mazur (DET) Hunter McKown Sasha Pastujov (ANA) Mackie Samoskevich (FLA) Redmond Savage (DET) Landon Slaggert (CHI) Charlie Stramel
Defensemen
Sean Behrens (COL) Brock Faber (MIN) Luke Hughes (NJ) Wyatt Kaiser (CHI) Tyler Kleven (OTT) Ian Moore (ANA) Jack Peart (MIN) Jacob Truscott (VAN)
GUADALAJARA, Mexico – Canada’s Marina Stakusic fell 6-4, 6-3 to Poland’s Magdalena Frech in the quarterfinals of the Guadalajara Open tennis tournament on Friday.
The 19-year-old from Mississauga, Ont., won 61 per cent of her first-serve points and broke on just one of her six opportunities.
Stakusic had upset top-seeded Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia 6-3, 5-7, 7-6 (0) on Thursday night to advance.
In the opening round, Stakusic defeated Slovakia’s Anna Karolína Schmiedlová 6-2, 6-4 on Tuesday.
The fifth-seeded Frech won 62 per cent of her first-serve points and converted on three of her nine break point opportunities.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
TORONTO – Alejandro Kirk’s long single with the bases loaded provided the Toronto Blue Jays with a walk-off 4-3 win in the 11th inning of their series opener against the St. Louis Cardinals on Friday.
With the Cardinals outfield in, Kirk drove a shot off the base of the left-field wall to give the Blue Jays (70-78) their fourth win in 11 outings and halt the Cardinals’ (74-73) two-game win streak before 30,380 at Rogers Centre.
Kirk enjoyed a two-hit, two-RBI outing.
Erik Swanson (2-2) pitched a perfect 11th inning for the win, while Cardinals reliever Ryan Fernandez (1-5) took the loss.
Blue Jays starter Kevin Gausman enjoyed a seven-inning, 104-pitch outing. He surrendered his two runs on nine hits and two walks and fanned only two Cardinals.
He gave way to reliever Genesis Cabrera, who gave up a one-out homer to Thomas Saggese, his first in 2024, that tied the game in the eighth.
The Cardinals started swiftly with four straight singles to open the game. But they exited the first inning with only two runs on an RBI single to centre from Nolan Arendao and a fielder’s choice from Saggese.
Gausman required 28 pitches to escape the first inning but settled down to allow his teammates to snatch the lead in the fourth.
He also deftly pitched out of threats from the visitors in the fifth, sixth and seventh thanks to some solid defence, including Will Wagner’s diving stop, which led to a double play to end the fifth inning.
George Springer led off with a walk and stole second base. He advanced to third on Nathan Lukes’s single and scored when Vladimir Guerrero Jr. knocked in his 95th run with a double off the left-field wall.
Lukes scored on a sacrifice fly to left field from Spencer Horwitz. Guerrero touched home on Kirk’s two-out single to right.
In the ninth, Guerrero made a critical diving catch on an Arenado grounder to throw out the Cardinals’ infielder, with reliever Tommy Nance covering first. The defensive gem ended the inning with a runner on second base.
St. Louis starter Erick Fedde faced the minimum night batters in the first three innings thanks to a pair of double plays. He lasted five innings, giving up three runs on six hits and a walk with three strikeouts.
ON DECK
Toronto ace Jose Berrios (15-9) will start the second of the three-game series on Saturday. He has a six-game win streak.
The Cardinals will counter with righty Kyle Gibson (8-6).
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
CALGARY – Mired in their first four-game losing skid in 20 years, the Calgary Stampeders are going back to Jake Maier at quarterback on Saturday after he was benched for a game.
It won’t be an easy assignment.
Visiting McMahon Stadium are the Eastern Conference-leading Montreal Alouettes (10-2) who own the CFL’s best record. The Stampeders (4-8) have fallen to last in the Western Conference.
“Six games is plenty of time, but also it is just six games,” said Maier. “We’ve got to be able to get on the right track.”
Calgary is in danger of missing the playoffs for the first time since 2004.
“I do still believe in this team,” said Stampeders’ head coach and general manager Dave Dickenson. “I want to see improvement, though. I want to see guys on a weekly basis elevating their game, and we haven’t been doing that.”
Maier is one of the guys under the microscope. Two weeks ago, the second-year starter threw four interceptions in a 35-20 home loss to the Edmonton Elks.
After his replacement, rookie Logan Bonner, threw five picks in last week’s 37-16 loss to the Elks in Edmonton, the football is back in Maier’s hands.
“Any time you fail or something doesn’t go your way in life, does it stink in the moment? Yeah. But then the days go on and you learn things about yourself and you learn how to prepare a little bit better,” said Maier. “It makes you mentally tougher.”
Dickenson wants to see his quarterback making better decisions with the football.
“Things are going to happen, interceptions will happen, but try to take calculated risks, rather than just putting the ball up there and hoping that we catch it,” said Dickenson.
A former quarterback himself, he knows the importance of that vital position.
“You cannot win without good quarterback play,” Dickenson said. “You’ve got to be able to make some plays — off-schedule plays, move-around plays, plays that break down, plays that aren’t designed perfectly, but somehow you found the right guy, and then those big throws where you’re taking that hit.”
But it’s going to take a team effort, and that includes the club’s receiving corp.
“We always have to band together because we need everything to go right for our receivers to get the ball,” said Nik Lewis, the Stampeders’ receivers coach. “The running back has to pick up the blitz, the o-line has to block, the quarterback has to make the right reads, and then give us a catchable ball.”
Lewis brings a unique perspective to this season’s frustrations as he was a 22-year-old rookie in Calgary in 2004 when the Stamps went 4-14 under coach Matt Dunigan. They turned it around the next season and haven’t missed the playoffs since.”
“Thinking back and just looking at it, there’s just got to be an ultimate belief that you can get it done. Look at Montreal, they were 6-7 last year and they’ve gone 18-2 since then,” said Lewis.
Montreal is also looking to rebound from a 37-23 loss to the B.C. Lions last week. But for head coach Jason Maas, he says his team’s mindset doesn’t change, regardless of what happened the previous week.
“Last year when we went through a four-game losing streak, you couldn’t tell if we were on a four-game winning streak or a four-game losing streak by the way the guys were in the building, the way we prepared, the type of work ethic we have,” said Maas. “All our standards are set, so that’s all we focus on.”
While they may have already clinched a playoff spot, Alouettes’ quarterback Cody Fajardo says this closing stretch remains critical because they want to finish the season strong, just like last year when they won their final five regular-season games before ultimately winning the Grey Cup.
“It doesn’t matter about what you do at the beginning of the year,” said Fajardo. “All that matters is how you end the year and how well you’re playing going into the playoffs so that’s what these games are about.”
The Alouettes’ are kicking off a three-game road stretch, one Fajardo looks forward to.
“You understand what kind of team you have when you play on the road because it’s us versus the world mentality and you can feel everybody against you,” said Fajardo. “Plus, I always tend to find more joy in silencing thousands of people than bringing thousands of people to their feet.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.