Canada's national junior hockey team delivered a commanding performance at the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship, decisively defeating Denmark by a score of 9-1 on December 29 in Minneapolis. The victory, spearheaded by a hat trick from top 2026 NHL draft prospect Gavin McKenna, secured Canada's undefeated record in Group B and guaranteed at least a top-two finish in the group standings.
McKenna Heeds His Own Advice, Unleashes Shot
After stating he needed to shoot more, Gavin McKenna did exactly that, leading the Canadian offensive onslaught. He opened the scoring on an early power play, taking a pass from Michael Hage in the right circle and firing it past Danish goaltender Patrick Tiedjen. This marked McKenna's first goal of the tournament, having previously recorded four assists. He later added his second goal from a similar spot with a powerful wrist shot, and completed the hat trick in the third period with a clever deke around Tiedjen's pad.
McKenna was far from the only standout. Porter Martone, Michael Misa, and Brady Martin each contributed three points in the win. Zayne Parekh, Kashawn Aitcheson, Caleb Desnoyers, and Michael Hage all tallied two points apiece, showcasing the depth of the Canadian roster.
Game Breakdown: Dominance from Start to Finish
Canada established control immediately, ending the first period with a 3-0 lead while limiting Denmark to a single shot on goal. After McKenna's opener, Braeden Cootes scored his first of the tournament with a glove-side shot. Zayne Parekh then capitalized on a bizarre situation where Danish forward Tristan Petersen lost a skate blade 200 feet from his own net, giving Canada an effective man advantage. Parekh skated uncontested through the neutral zone and beat Tiedjen.
Denmark's lone response came just 28 seconds into the second period when Mads Klyvo, the team's sole NHL-drafted player, beat Canadian netminder Carter George on a sharp-angle shot. However, Canada quickly restored its three-goal cushion on the power play with a goal from Porter Martone, assisted by Parekh.
The third period saw Canada pile on four more goals. Michael Misa, the 2025 NHL draft's second overall pick, scored his first of the tournament on a one-timer. McKenna completed his hat trick shortly after, followed by late goals from Kashawn Aitcheson and Porter Martone to seal the 9-1 blowout.
Historical Context and What's Next for Team Canada
The win extends Canada's perfect record against Denmark at the world juniors to seven games, with a staggering combined goal differential of 59-5. The dominance was also evident in a pre-tournament exhibition just six days prior, where Canada won 13-2. In both games, Canada outshot Denmark 50-10 and 50-13, respectively.
With this result, Canada has collected eight of a possible nine points through three games and sits atop Group B, just ahead of Finland with seven points. The two hockey powers are now set for a highly anticipated showdown on New Year's Eve at 8:30 p.m. ET to decide the winner of Group B. Denmark, back in the top division for the first time in seven years, will look to regroup after being overmatched by the tournament favourites.
