OSTRAVA, Czech Republic – Akil Thomas was a fan in Buffalo two years ago when lightly-used Tyler Steenbergen scored the world junior-winning goal for Canada.
“I was in the stands with friends joking around,” the 19-year-old Niagara IceDogs forward recalled, “that I’m going to score that goal one day. He didn’t play much and he ended up scoring the (deciding) goal. I was inspired by him.
“It’s funny how life works sometimes.”
On Sunday, he became the new Steenbergen, a fourth-line energy guy whose hustle earned him the gold-medal tally with 3:58 left to cap one of the greatest comebacks in tournament history, 4-3 over Russia before 8,693 at Ostravar Arena.
It was his first, and only goal, in seven contests.
“I usually throw up before games,” Thomas said. “Today, I didn’t. I wasn’t nervous. I felt like my time was coming. Time was ticking and I kind of had a feeling Dale (coach Dale Hunter) would call my name. Luckily, he did. Dale mentioned after the game he thought I was going to score. That’s why he put me out there.
“I think it was just destiny.”
Add in a savvy veteran coach’s gut instinct. The Thomas marker lifted Canada to its first gold – and medal of any kind — on European ice since 2008. It was Canada’s 18th title in world junior history.
Team Canada players reach for the trophy after defeating Russia 4-3 in the gold medal game at the World Junior Hockey Championships, Sunday, January 5, 2020 in Ostrava, Czech Republic.
Ryan Remiorz /
THE CANADIAN PRESS
“I was just looking for some firepower and I’ve seen him score lots of goals,” Hunter said. “He plays in our league (the OHL) and I scouted him in minor midget. He has great hands. “We’ve seen him improving. He was doing the little things (like blocking shots).
“I had a hunch.”
He played a lot of right cards along the way.
Alexis Lafreniere, the tournament MVP, missed two games with a knee injury after the Russian blowout loss. Connor McMichael moved up in his place and produced. Jamie Drysdale was the seventh defenceman until Bowen Byram fell ill and missed the semifinal – and he scored, too.
“Akil didn’t get many opportunities, but everyone knows what a good player he is,” McMichael said. “Dale trusts him and threw him out there and he showed why.”
Down two midway through the third, there wasn’t much room to breathe.
But McMichael had a puck re-direct off his skate and in.
“At that point, we were just trying to throw everything at the net,” the Capitals first-rounder said about his fifth goal in seven games, “and it worked.”
Then, Canadian captain Barrett Hayton, a game-time decision with a shoulder injury suffered Saturday against Finland, wired home the tying goal 10 seconds into a power-play to draw even.
Somehow, he mustered the strength to whip it past netminder Amir Miftakhov. Just a week ago, he was apologizing to the Russians for leaving his helmet on during their anthem.
“I put my all into that shot,” the Arizona Coyotes centre said. “I didn’t want to miss this game for anything. There was definitely some pain. You’re so much in the moment, you don’t really feel those injuries. The medical staff did an unbelievable job.
“I owe it to them to give me this opportunity.”
His teammates even didn’t know if he would be able to play. They were certain he was going to try.
“He’s a warrior,” Hunter said. “That’s why he’s our captain. He wanted to play and he zipped that puck. That was a heck of a shot. He led the way.”
Comeback gold will never get old.
Nine years ago in Buffalo, Valeri Bragin’s Russian team dug out of a three-goal hole to shock the Canadians in the final.
This time, the same coach watched a multiple-goal lead go down the drain eight days after they pounded the Canadians 6-0.
“That’s our team,” Hunter said. “We never gave up. It’s been up and down. There were injuries and suspensions. Our depth showed in Canada. They just kept pushing ahead.”
In that blowout loss, they fell behind immediately. This time, they killed off four Russian power plays in the first period as Finnish refs Lassi Heikkinen and Kristian Vikman were roundly booed off the ice at intermission by the largely pro-Canada crowd.
“That was so big for us,” Canadian forward Liam Foudy said. “That gave us a real boost.”
They had some great fortune, too.
Back on the penalty kill late after Thomas’ goal, a puck that appeared to be heading in the stands for a delay of game infraction against Canada bounced off a TSN camera. The rules state that the camera is considered part of the glass, so no call.
““I got scared for a minute and I saw it hit something,” Canadian forward Joe Veleno said. “That camera is probably the MVP of this game, for sure.”
Hunter chalked it up to the little anomalies of the fast-paced sport.
“That’s hockey,” he shrugged. “It’s a game of inches.”
But was there some divine intervention at play, too?
“Yep,” he said with a grin. “It’s the hockey gods.”
It’s pretty nice when they’re on your side.
SWEDEN 3, FINLAND 2: Maple Leafs property Rasmus Sandin scored his third goal in two days to help the Swedes secure their first bronze medal in 10 years earlier in the day. The 19-year-old Marlies defenceman led all blue-liners in scoring with three goals and 10 points in seven games with a plus-3 rating. He was also the Tre Kronor’s busiest player, averaging 17:45 of ice time per game. Lightning prospect Hugo Alnefelt made 32 saves and out-duelled Finland’s Justus Annunen with 32 saves.
Canada’s players celebrate after winning the U20 Ice Hockey Worlds gold medal match between Canada and Russia in Ostrava, Czech Republic, Sunday, Jan. 5, 2020. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)
IIHF WORLD JUNIORS
Canada 4, Russia 3
First period
No scoring.
Penalties – McIsaac, Can (tripping) 4:05, Alexandrov, Rus (slashing) 10:43, Veleno, Can (interference) 12:16, Smith, Can (holding) 15:04, Bahl, Can (slashing) 17:09.
Penalties – Pylenkov, Rus (closing hand on puck) 0:35, Hayton, Can (holding the stick) 7:55, Voronkov, Rus (holding), Zhuravylov, Rus (slashing) 10:39, Zamula, Rus (roughing).
Penalties – Voronkov, Rus (cross-checking) 11:11, Bahl, Can (hooking) 17:18, Dorofeyev, Rus (slashing) 18:34, Denisenko, Rus (playing with broken stick) 19:22.
LAHORE, Pakistan (AP) — A top official of the Pakistan Cricket Board declined Friday to confirm media reports that India has decided against playing any games in host Pakistan during next year’s Champions Trophy.
“My view is if there’s any problems, they (India) should tell us in writing,” PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi told reporters in Lahore. “I’ll share that with the media as well as with the government as soon as I get such a letter.”
Indian media reported Friday that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has communicated its concerns to all the Champions Trophy stakeholders, including the PCB, over the Feb. 19-March 9 tournament and would not play in arch-rival Pakistan.
The Times of India said that “Dubai is a strong candidate to host the fixtures involving the Men in Blue” for the 50-over tournament.
Such a solution would see Pakistan having to travel to a neutral venue to play India in a group match, with another potential meeting later in the tournament if both teams advanced from their group. The final is scheduled for March 9 in Pakistan with the specific venue not yet decided.
“Our stance is clear,” Naqvi said. “They need to give us in writing any objections they may have. Until now, no discussion of the hybrid model has happened, nor are we prepared to accept one.”
Political tensions have stopped bilateral cricket between the two nations since 2008 and they have competed in only multi-nation tournaments, including ICC World Cups.
“Cricket should be free of politics,” Naqvi said. “Any sport should not be entangled with politics. Our preparations for the Champions Trophy will continue unabated, and this will be a successful event.”
The PCB has already spent millions of dollars on the upgrade of stadiums in Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi which are due to host 15 Champions Trophy games. Naqvi hoped all the three stadiums will be ready over the next two months.
“Almost every country wants the Champions Trophy to be played here (in Pakistan),” Naqvi said. “I don’t think anyone should make this a political matter, and I don’t expect they will. I expect the tournament will be held at the home of the official hosts.”
Eight countries – Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, England, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand and Afghanistan – are due to compete in the tournament, the schedule of which is yet to be announced by the International Cricket Council.
“Normally the ICC announces the schedule of any major tournament 100 days before the event, and I hope they will announce it very soon,” Naqvi said.
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – Ottawa‘s Gabriela Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe of New Zealand are through to the doubles final at the WTA Finals after a 7-6 (7), 6-1 victory over Nicole Melichar-Martinez of the United States and Australia’s Ellen Perez in semifinal action Friday.
Dabrowski and Routliffe won a hard-fought first set against serve when Routliffe’s quick reaction at the net to defend a Perez shot gave the duo set point, causing Perez to throw down her racket in frustration.
The second seeds then cruised through the second set, winning match point on serve when Melichar-Martinez couldn’t handle Routliffe’s shot.
The showdown was a rematch of last year’s semifinal, which Melichar-Martinez and Perez won in a super tiebreak.
Dabrowski and Routliffe will face the winner of a match between Katerina Siniakova and Taylor Townsend, and Hao-Ching Chan and Veronika Kudermetova in the final on Saturday.
Dabrowski is aiming to become the first Canadian to win a WTA Finals title.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.
Inter Milan winger Tajon Buchanan, recovered from a broken leg suffered in training at this summer’s Copa America, is back in Jesse Marsch’s Canada squad for the CONCACAF Nations League quarterfinal against Suriname.
The 25-year-old from Brampton, Ont., underwent surgery July 3 to repair a fractured tibia in Texas.
Canada, ranked 35th in the world, plays No. 136 Suriname on Nov. 15 in Paramaribo. The second leg of the aggregate series is four days later at Toronto’s BMO Field.
There is also a return for veteran winger Junior Hoilett, who last played for Canada in June in a 4-0 loss to the Netherlands in Marsch’s debut at the Canadian helm. The 34-year-old from Brampton, now with Scotland’s Hibernian, has 15 goals in 63 senior appearances for Canada.
Midfielder Ismael Kone, recovered from an ankle injury sustained on club duty with France’s Marseille, also returns. He missed Canada’s last three matches since the fourth-place Copa America loss to Uruguay in July.
But Canada will be without centre back Derek Cornelius, who exited Marseille’s win Sunday over Nantes on a stretcher after suffering an apparent rib injury.
The Canadian men will prepare for Suriname next week at a camp in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
“We are looking forward to getting the group together again with the mindset that there is a trophy on the line,” Marsch said in a statement. “We want to end 2024 the right way with two excellent performances against a competitive Suriname squad and continue building on our tremendous growth this past summer.”
The quarterfinal winners advance to the Nations League Finals at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif., with the two semifinals scheduled for March 20 and the final and third-place playoff March 23, and qualify for the 2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup.
Thirteen of the 23 players on the Canadian roster are 25 or younger, with 19-year-old defender Jamie Knight-Lebel, currently playing for England’s Crewe Alexandra on loan from Bristol City, the youngest.
Bayern Munich star Alphonso Davies captains the side with Stephen Eustaquio, Jonathan Osorio, Richie Laryea, Alistair Johnston and Kamal Miller adding veteran support.
Jonathan David, Cyle Larin and Theo Bair are joined in attack by Minnesota United’s Tani Oluwaseyi.
Niko Sigur, a 21-year-old midfielder with Croatia’s Hadjuk Split, continues in the squad after making his debut in the September friendly against Mexico.
Suriname made it to the Nations League quarterfinals by finishing second to Costa Rica in Group A of the Nations League, ahead of No. 104 Guatemala, No. 161 Guyana and unranked Martinique and Guadeloupe.
“A good team,” Osorio said of Suriname. “These games are always tricky and they’re not easy at all … Suriname is a (former) Dutch colony and they’ll have Dutch players playing at high levels.”
“They won’t be someone we overlook at all,” added the Toronto FC captain, who has 81 Canada caps to his credit.
Located on the northeast coast of South America between Guyana and French Guiana, Suriname was granted independence in 1975 by the Netherlands.
Canada has faced Suriname twice before, both in World Cup qualifying play, winning 4-0 in suburban Chicago in June 2021 and 2-1 in Mexico City in October 1977.
The Canadian men, along with Mexico, the United States and Panama, received a bye into the final eight of the CONCACAF Nations League.
Canada, No. 2 in the CONCACAF rankings, drew Suriname as the best-placed runner-up from League A play.
Canada lost to Jamaica in last year’s Nations League quarterfinal, ousted on the away-goals rule after the series ended in a 4-4 draw. The Canadians lost 2-0 to the U.S. in the final of the 2022-23 tournament and finished fifth in 2019-20.
Canada defeated Panama 2-1 last time out, in an Oct. 15 friendly in Toronto.
Goalkeepers Maxime Crepeau and Jonathan Sirois, defenders Joel Waterman, Laryea and Miller and Osorio took part in a pre-camp this week in Toronto for North America-based players.
Canada Roster
Goalkeepers: Maxime Crepeau, Portland Timbers (MLS); Jonathan Sirois, CF Montreal (MLS); Dayne St. Clair, Minnesota United FC (MLS).
Defenders: Moise Bombito, OGC Nice (France); Alphonso Davies, Bayern Munich (Germany); Richie Laryea, Toronto FC (MLS); Alistair Johnston, Celtic (Scotland); Jamie Knight-Lebel. Crewe Alexandra, on loan from Bristol City (England); Kamal Miller, Portland Timbers (MLS); Joel Waterman, CF Montreal (MLS).
Midfielders: Ali Ahmed. Vancouver Whitecaps (MLS); Tajon Buchanan, Inter Milan (Italy); Mathieu Choiniere, Grasshopper Zurich (Switzerland); Stephen Eustaquio, FC Porto (Portugal); Junior Hoilett, Hibernian FC (Scotland); Ismael Kone, Olympique Marseille (France); Jonathan Osorio, Toronto FC (MLS); Jacob Shaffelburg, Nashville SC (MLS); Niko Sigur, Hadjuk Split (Croatia).
Forwards: Theo Bair, AJ Auxerre (France); Jonathan David, LOSC Lille (France); Cyle Larin, RCD Mallorca (Spain); Tani Oluwaseyi, Minnesota United (MLS).
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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.
