In a game rife with local connections, Canada bowed out of the World Junior Hockey Championship in the quarterfinals in Ottawa, losing 4-3 to Czechia on a last-minute, power-play goal.
The result ended one of Canada’s most disappointing tournaments in recent memory. It also mirrored a loss to Czechia last year in Sweden that eliminated the defending gold medallists at the same stage.
As if to underscore Hockey Canada’s questionable decision-making in who it invited to its final selection camp last month, how it constructed its roster and the coaching decisions made once play began, it's also the first time Canada has exited in the quarterfinals in two consecutive years.
That two-year span of futility will also show itself in poor ratings on TSN and in other ancillary revenue streams that are critical to Hockey Canada’s bottom line.
Peter Anholt, the general manager of the Western Hockey League’s Lethbridge Hurricanes, was put in charge for the second straight year, despite the disappointing result in Sweden in 2024.
Anholt, whose Hurricanes have not won a WHL playoff series since 2018, raised eyebrows by leaving at home several offensively gifted players. Though a couple, most notably Oshawa Generals forward Beckett Sennecke, were later called-in as injury replacements, none made the final squad.
The only logical explanation for those chosen is they fit head coach Dave Cameron conservative, defensive style.
In saying that, the final selections still caught many observers in the hockey world by surprise.
And the result speaks for itself.
For once, and through the morass of baloney that was also present, social-media rumblings were also justified. In a fitting bit of symbolism for what would transpire later that night, Sennecke was named the Ontario Hockey League’s player of the month for December just hours before puck drop.
Though Canada played much better on Thursday night, it generally lacked cohesion, struggled to score even against some of the tournament’s weaker teams and, most critically, showed a lack of discipline.
Until Canada’s Bradly Nadeau tied it late, former Barrie Colts forward Eduard Sale’s goal as time ticked down in the first period looked to stand up as the winner.
Colts forward Cole Beaudoin, who grew up in the Ottawa area, was booted from Thursday’s game for kneeing. It was a questionable call, but had little bearing on the final outcome as the two teams traded goals during the five-minute major.
Beaudoin and Colts defenceman Beau Akey were in Canada’s lineup throughout the tournament. They did well to earn a roster spot, Akey especially after missing so much time after double shoulder surgery, but both had quiet tournaments in mostly depth roles.
Beaudoin, who played on Canada’s top line for a stretch, registering an assist, can return next year when the tournament will be held in Minnesota.
Though it was far down the list of moves that raised eyebrows, Beaudoin has been a handy presence in shootouts this season in the OHL, beating Team Canada goalie Carter George with a beautiful bar-down snipe in a home win over the Owen Sound Attack in October.
And yet, the Colts centre was left on the bench as Canada sent out eight other players in an eventual shootout loss to Latvia earlier this week. Latvian goalie Linard Feldbergs stopped all eight and the tiny Baltic nation skated off with its most memorable victory at the event.
As 2005-born players, local products Carson Rehkopf and Colby Barlow, who three years ago won a gold medal together at the Hlinka-Gretzky Cup, will have outgrown the tournament by the time next year rolls around.
Rehkopf’s fringe status on this year’s team that struggled to score, after he was one of its best offensive players in Sweden, was just one of many puzzling moves by Cameron and his staff.
The Brampton Steelheads forward was inactive for Canada’s first two games, then was sent back to the press box again on Thursday night. With the team needing to tighten up for the elimination round, Rehkopf’s two penalties could have been a factor in him being sat.
Barlow, an Orillia native, had a slow start to the season after holding out from the Attack and was not invited to Team Canada's selection camp. That omission was understandable, but his lethal one-timer was also sorely missed, especially on the power play, where Barlow is now starting to hit stride playing with Sennecke in Oshawa. He, too, could have helped in the Latvia shootout.
Looking down the road to the OHL playoffs, Barlow, Sennecke and Co., are likely the Colts' biggest obstacle in winning the Eastern Conference after the Generals eliminated Barrie last season.
George, a Thunder Bay native who resides in Angus during the off-season, had a solid world junior tournament, but did not enjoy his best night on Thursday. He was slow to react to the winning goal, a beautiful one-timer from Czech forward Adam Jecho.
Like Beaudoin, George will remain eligible for next year’s tournament, but like Barlow before him, he's not expected to remain with the Attack throughout his final season of junior eligibility in 2025-26.
Colts Emil Hemming (Finland) and Sam Hillebrandt (United States) remain with their world junior teams as the semifinals take place on Saturday, with the medal games to follow on Sunday.
