Canada's quest for a record 21st gold medal at the IIHF World Junior Championship began with a victory, but it was far from a comfortable one. The Canadian under-20 men's hockey team opened the 2025 tournament in Minneapolis with a 7-5 win over Czechia on Friday, December 26, 2025, in a game that featured defensive lapses and an offensive outburst.
A Nervy Start to the Tournament
Hoping to rebound from consecutive quarterfinal losses to Czechia in 2024 and 2025, Canada found itself in a back-and-forth battle from the outset. Brady Martin opened the scoring at 13:53 of the first period, finishing a spectacular spinning, no-look pass from returning star Gavin McKenna. Czechia's Tomas Poletin tied the game just over three minutes later, but Canadian forward Michael Hage, a Montreal Canadiens prospect, restored the lead a mere 37 seconds after that.
The second period saw Czechia take control, scoring twice to grab a 3-2 lead. Vojtech Cihar and Petr Sikora found the net, putting Canada on its heels. Defenceman Zayne Parekh, a Calgary Flames prospect, calmed Canadian nerves late in the period, wiring a shot home at 17:02 to send the teams to the intermission tied 3-3.
Third-Period Fireworks Seal the Win
The final frame was a goal-filled frenzy. Parekh scored his second of the game on a power play at 3:49 to give Canada a brief lead, which Poletin erased for Czechia at 5:21. The decisive moment came just over a minute later. Tij Iginla, son of Hockey Hall of Famer Jarome Iginla, scored the go-ahead goal off the rush at 6:32. Ethan MacKenzie extended the lead to 6-4 less than three minutes later.
Czechia pulled within one on a goal by Tomas Galvas with under five minutes to play, but Canadian forward Porter Martone sealed the 7-5 victory with an empty-net goal. Goaltender Carter George made 28 saves for the win, while Michal Orsulak stopped 20 shots for Czechia.
Looking Ahead for Team Canada
The win, while positive, exposed areas for improvement for a Canadian team carrying the weight of recent disappointments. The defensive zone coverage was shaky at times, leading to the high scoreline. The victory did showcase the team's offensive depth, with ten different Canadian players recording at least one point. McKenna, a potential first-overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, tallied two assists in his return to the tournament.
Canada has little time to dwell on the performance, with a quick turnaround for its next game. The team is scheduled to face Latvia on Saturday afternoon in its second preliminary round matchup in Group B. The group also includes Finland, which defeated Denmark 6-2 on Friday, and Denmark. The tournament is being co-hosted in the Twin Cities, with Canada's games at the 3M Arena at the University of Minnesota and Group A games at the Grand Casino Arena in Saint Paul.
