Connor Bedard had four assists to tie Eric Lindros for Canada’s all-time points record at the world junior hockey championship as the tournament hosts wrapped up preliminary round play with a dominant 5-1 victory over Sweden on Saturday night.
Brennan Othmann, with two, Joshua Roy, Tyson Hinds and Kevin Korchinski scored for the Canadians. Thomas Milic made 22 saves. Ludvig Jansson replied for Sweden, which got 39 stops from Carl Lindbom.
Canada, which wore its black jerseys on New Year’s Eve, will face Slovakia in Monday’s quarterfinals at the men’s under-20 event, while Sweden is set to take on Finland. United States will face Germany and Czechia will play Switzerland in the other matchups.
The presumptive first pick at the 2023 NHL draft, Bedard has played just 13 total games at the world juniors, while Lindros registered his 31 points in 21 contests over three tournaments.
The 17-year-old from North Vancouver, B.C., who wasn’t shy about throwing his weight around against Sweden, leads this showcase with 18 points in four games, while his 14 career goals are tied with Jordan Eberle for Canada’s all-time national record at the world juniors.
The first New Year’s Eve game at the world juniors since the 2020 tournament, and Canada’s first Dec. 31 victory on home soil in eight years, saw the host country shot out of a cannon in front of an electric and well-lubricated crowd inside a sold-out Scotiabank Centre.
Roy took a pass from Bedard and roofed his third goal of the tournament just 57 seconds into the first period before the Swedes took a penalty to send the Canadians and their lethal power play — which entered the game 11-for-16 — to work.
It didn’t take long to strike as Bedard glided over the blue line and fed Shane Wright, who in turn found Othmann for his first at 2:08.
Canada went up 3-0 at 11:45 when Bedard and Logan Stankoven set up Tyson Hinds for his second.
Canadian forward Zack Ostpachuk was assessed a five-minute major and a game misconduct for kneeing moments later, opening the door for Sweden — which had absolutely nothing going on — to get on the board when Jansson scored his first at 16:21.
Milic made a terrific desperation left-pad save on Jonathan Lekkerimaki with five minutes left in the second before the goaltender and Canada’s penalty killers survived a Swedish two-man advantage for 53 seconds.
Othmann then put things out of reach 35 seconds into the third when he scored his second of the night off a pass from Dylan Guenther.
Bedard then passed to Korchinski at 12:42 for the defenceman’s first — and the star centre for the Western Hockey League’s Regina Pats’ record-tying assist to send the Canadians to the quarters with by far their best performance of these world juniors.
DOMINANT CANADA
The countries played for the first time since the 2018 gold-medal game, which Canada won 3-1 in Buffalo, N.Y.
Canada improved to 9-1 on home soil, while Sweden’s last victory over the North American powerhouse came in the preliminary round of the 2015 tournament in Finland.
UNDRAFTED MILIC SHINES
The Canadian goaltender is the only player on his team’s roster passed over at the NHL draft.
“One of the bigger shocks for me,” Bedard said of the 19-year-old from Coquitlam, B.C. “We’re hopeful for him to get drafted.”
Milic was 11-2-1 with a .919 save percentage and a 2.35 goals-against average with the WHL’s Seattle Thunderbirds this season before joining up with the national team.
“He’s been unreal,” Bedard added. “Really good goalie.”
CARLSSON, BEDARD RESPECT
Bedard is, as it stands, the slam-dunk top pick in 2023, while Swedish forward Leo Carlsson is in a group of players along with Canadian forward Adam Fantilli expected to be vying for the No. 2 slot.
“Special player,” Bedard said of Carlsson. “Some unreal hockey IQ.”
“Really good offensive skills,” Carlsson countered. “Biggest game I’ve played.”
LINDBOM LOVES CROWDS
The Swedish netminder said before Saturday’s game he looks forward to tough playing environments like the one inside Scotiabank Centre on New Year’s Eve.
“I love the big crowd,” said the Vegas Golden Knights draft pick. “I love the crowd booing you, going against you. I love it.”
VANCOUVER – The Vancouver Canucks announced Tuesday that defenceman Alex Edler will sign a one-day contract in order to officially retire as a member of the NHL team.
The signing will be part of a celebration of Edler’s career held Oct. 11 when the Canucks host the Philadelphia Flyers.
The Canucks selected Edler, from Ostersund, Sweden, in the third round (91st overall) of the 2004 NHL draft.
He played in 925 career games for the Canucks between the 2006-07 and 2020-21 seasons, ranking fourth in franchise history and first among defencemen.
The 38-year-old leads all Vancouver defencemen with 99 goals, 310 assists and 177 power-play points with the team.
Edler also appeared in 82 career post-season contests with Vancouver and was an integral part of the Canucks’ run to the 2011 Stanley Cup final, putting up 11 points (2-9-11) across 25 games.
“I am humbled and honoured to officially end my career and retire as a member of the Vancouver Canucks,” Edler said in a release. “I consider myself lucky to have started my career with such an outstanding organization, in this amazing city, with the best fans in the NHL. Finishing my NHL career where it all began is something very special for myself and my family.”
Edler played two seasons for Los Angeles in 2021-22 and 2022-23. He did not play in the NHL last season.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 17, 2024.
The sixth-ranked Canadian women will face World Cup champion Spain in an international friendly next month.
Third-ranked Spain will host Canada on Oct. 25 at Estadio Francisco de la Hera in Almendralejo.
The game will be the first for the Canadian women since the Paris Olympics, where they lost to Germany in a quarterfinal penalty shootout after coach Bev Priestman was sent home and later suspended for a year by FIFA over her part in Canada’s drone-spying scandal.
In announcing the Spain friendly, Canada Soccer said more information on the interim women’s coaching staff for the October window will come later. Assistant coach Andy Spence took charge of the team in Priestman’s absence at the Olympics.
Spain finished fourth in Paris, beaten 1-0 by Germany in the bronze-medal match.
Canada is winless in three previous meetings (0-2-1) with Spain, most recently losing 1-0 at the Arnold Clark Cup in England in February 2022.
The teams played to a scoreless draw in May 2019 in Logroñés, Spain in a warm-up for the 2019 World Cup. Spain won 1-0 in March 2019 at the Algarve Cup in São João da Venda, Portugal.
Spain is a powerhouse in the women’s game these days.
It won the FIFA U-20 World Cup in 2022 and was runner-up in 2018. And it ousted Canada 2-1 in the round of 16 of the current U-20 tournament earlier this month in Colombia before falling 1-0 to Japan after extra time in the quarterfinal.
Spain won the FIFA U-17 World Cup in 2018 and 2022 and has finished on the podium on three other occasions.
FC Barcelona’s Aitana Bonmati (2023) and Alexia Putellas (2021 and ’22) have combined to win the last three Women’s Ballon d’Or awards.
And Barcelona has won three of the last four UEFA Women’s Champions League titles.
“We continue to strive to diversify our opponent pool while maintaining a high level of competition.” Daniel Michelucci, Canada Soccer’s director of national team operations, said in a statement. “We anticipate a thrilling encounter, showcasing two of the world’s top-ranked teams.”
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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 17, 2024
TORONTO – The Toronto Maple Leafs have announced cookie brand Oreo as the team’s helmet sponsor for the upcoming NHL season.
The new helmet will debut Sunday when Toronto opens its 2024-25 pre-season against the Ottawa Senators at Scotiabank Arena.
The Oreo logo replaces Canadian restaurant chain Pizza Pizza, which was the Leafs’ helmet sponsor last season.
Previously, social media platform TikTok sponsored Toronto starting in the 2021-22 regular season when the league began allowing teams to sell advertising space on helmets.
The Oreo cookie consists of two chocolate biscuits around a white icing filling and is often dipped in milk.
Fittingly, the Leafs wear the Dairy Farmers of Ontario’s “Milk” logo on their jerseys.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 17, 2024.
