Canada was embarrassed 6-0 by Russia and also lost star winger Alexis Lafrenière to an apparent knee injury on a disastrous night for one of the tournament favourites at the world junior hockey championship Saturday.
The projected No. 1 pick at the 2020 NHL draft, Lafrenière was hurt early in the second period with the Canadians already down 3-0 as he cut to the net on a power play.
The 18-year-old bumped into Russian goalie Amir Miftakhov after being knocked slightly off balance by defenceman Yegor Zamula, his left knee twisting awkwardly underneath him as he fell to the ice.
“We don’t know yet,” Canadian head coach Dale Hunter said when asked about the extent of the injury. “He’s being evaluated.”
Lafrenière, who had a goal and three assists in Canada’s wild 6-4 victory over the United States on Thursday to open the under-20 event, lay writhing in pain, clutching the joint before being attended to by the team’s trainer inside a stunned Ostravar Arena.
WATCH | Team Canada’s Alexis Lafrenière suffers injury after collision with goalie:
Team Canada forward Alexis Lafreniere needs to be helped off the ice after a collision during the 2nd period of Canada’s game against Russia at the world juniors. 1:12
The native of Saint-Eustache, Que., didn’t put any weight on the knee as he left the ice with the help of teammates and went straight to the locker-room.
“He’s been a big part of this team for a long time, but you can’t use excuses,” Hunter said. “The Russians had a good game. We just have to learn from it and move on.”
Canadian forward Ty Dellandrea said it was tough to see Lafrenière go down.
“On and off the ice, he’s a leader,” he said. “We all know what kind of player he is.”
Saturday’s dismantling marked the first time since Dec. 27, 1998, that Canada was held scoreless at the world juniors — snapping a streak of 134 straight games.
Nikita Alexandrov, with a goal and an assist, Alexander Khovanov, Pavel Dorofeyev, Nikita Rtischev, Yegor Sokolov and Grigori Denisenko scored for Russia, which rebounded in impressive fashion from a 4-3 upset loss to the host Czech Republic on Boxing Day.
Miftakhov, who started in place of Yaroslav Askarov after the 17-year-old phenom was pulled in that one, registered 28 saves for the shutout.
Daws draws the hook
Nico Daws allowed four goals on 17 shots for Canada before getting the hook in favour of Joel Hofer, who finished with 20 saves.
Along with the loss of its best player, Saturday’s performance surely ranks as one of the worst for Canada in the event’s 44-year history.
In other Group B action, Germany stunned the Czechs 4-3 for the country’s first victory at the tournament since 2013.
The Canadians, Russians, Czechs, Americans and Germans all sit with 1-1 records in what was dubbed a “Group of Death” in the buildup. Canada will look to regroup Monday against upstart Germany, while Russia and the U.S. meet Sunday.
Canada fell 2-1 to the Russians in the final round-robin game of last year’s tournament in Vancouver and Victoria, setting up a tough quarterfinal matchup with Finland. The hosts subsequently lost that one 2-1 in overtime to finish a disappointing sixth on home soil.
Coming off that emotional victory over the U.S., where they fell behind 2-0 in the first and scored late after blowing a 4-2 lead, the Canadians were once again on the back foot early.
Khovanov opened the scoring just 1:44 in when Daws couldn’t track a shot off his blocker and fell backward as the puck came to a rest just over the goal line.
Canada had a couple chances at the other end, but the Russians made it 2-0 at 10:14 when Dorofeyev found himself alone in front to roof a backhand past a down-and-out Daws.
Russia’s Nikita Alexandrov scores on Canada goaltender Nico Daws during their 6-0 victory at the World Junior Hockey Championship on Saturday. (Ryan Remiorz/The Canadian Press)
The Canadians, who have won the world juniors a record 17 times, then killed off a penalty, but Rtischev scored from the slot at 13:43 to make it 3-0.
Daws was whistled for tripping less than a minute later and Jacob Bernard-Docker went off for holding the stick to hand the Russians a 5-on-3 power play for 49 seconds, but Canada held firm after giving up three goals on five American power-play opportunities on Thursday.
After losing Lafrenière early in the second on a man advantage, the shell-shocked Canadians gave up a fourth goal when Alexandrov swept in front and tucked a shot past Daws, who is playing in his first-ever international tournament, at 2:18 to end the netminder’s night.
Also green on this stage, Hofer made a couple saves after joining the fray, but Sokolov tipped a point shot home with 6:51 remaining in the second and the rout was truly on at 5-0.
Last year’s bronze medallists kept coming, and Denisenko scored off the rush with 3:36 left in the period before jumping against the boards in celebration near one of the Maple Leaf flags dotting the pro-Canadian crowd.
The desperate Russians were the better team from start to finish after losing to the Czechs, but goaltending was Canada’s biggest question mark coming into the tournament in Ostrava and Trinec, now along with Lafrenière’s uncertain status, that remains the case.
To put things in perspective, the Canadians gave up four goals in four round-robin games last year.
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.
