OTTAWA — Canada was buzzing. The ice was tilted. A dramatic comeback victory felt inevitable.
A team previously unable to click offensively appeared to have finally unlocked some cohesion.
Then the group's other issue — penalties — bubbled to the surface one final time at the world junior hockey championship.
And Hockey Canada is now left to pick up the pieces following another disastrous result.
Adam Jecho scored the winner on a power play with 39.4 seconds left in regulation as the tournament hosts fell 4-3 to Czechia in the quarterfinals Thursday.
"It sucks," Canadian forward Calum Ritchie said. "It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Not the way we all wanted it to end."
Canada was also upset by the Czechs in the dying moments at the same stage 12 months ago at the under-20 event in Gothenburg, Sweden. The country has now failed to play for a medal at back-to-back world juniors for the first time since instituting its program of excellence in the early 1980s.
"It was a special group," said 17-year-old forward Gavin McKenna, tears in his eyes. "Didn't have anything to show for it."
Petr Sikora, Jakub Stancl and former Barrie Colts forward Eduard Sale had the other goals for the Czechs. Michael Hrabal made 29 saves.
"We just wanted it more," Jecho said. "Really proud of the group."
Tanner Howe, Porter Martone and Bradly Nadeau replied for Canada. Carter George, who spends his summers in the Angus area, stopped 22 shots. Brayden Yager had two assists for the Canadians, who never really found their stride until Thursday's third period.
Canada entered with just 10 goals through four games and the worst shooting percentage of the 10 teams in Ottawa. Discipline issues also boiled over against the United States with 11 minor penalties and three goals against off seven American power plays on New Year's Eve. A 4-1 loss to the U.S. resigned the Canadians to third in Group A and a more difficult matchup in the quarters.
"You can go on the stats and speculate and whatever you want," said defenceman Oliver Bonk, one of the returnees from last year. "We just didn't win the games that we had to."
The Czechs will face the U.S. in Saturday's semifinals. Sweden is set to meet Finland for the other berth in Sunday's title game.
Down 3-2 in the third and with their tournament on the line, the Canadians finally got the equalizer when Nadeau swatted home his second of the tournament with 4:18 left in regulation.
But defenceman Andrew Gibson took a penalty for kneeing with 2:27 on the clock and the Czechs finally broke through when Jecho scored his second on a one-timer to shatter Canadian hopes.
"It means everything to every one of us," Ritchie said of pulling on the red Maple Leaf. "Everyone played their hearts out and played for our country. Terrible result."
The attention now turns to Hockey Canada, it's roster construction — there was plenty of offensive talent left on the sidelines when the team was picked last month — and the future of the men's under-20 program.
Head coach Dave Cameron wouldn't discuss the officiating, but some of his players didn't hold back.
"Speaks for itself," McKenna said. "It was terrible."
Czechia, which took silver in 2023 after losing to Canada in the gold-medal contest before securing bronze last year, went up 1-0 just 43 seconds into the first when Sikora scored his fourth.
Canadian forward Cole Beaudoin, who plays for the Barrie Colts, was assessed a five-minute major and a game misconduct midway through the period for kneeing on Sikora, who stayed down before heading to the locker room.
Yet to surrender a goal at five-on-five prior to the early icebreaker, Canada tied the game short-handed when the hulking Hrabal stopped Yager on a breakaway, but the team's captain then found Howe in front for his first at 10:17.
Sikora was lustily booed by the crowd once he returned for the man advantage when disaster struck Canada. Sam Dickinson tried to glove a shot off the glass from Stancl — whose deflected goal off Bonk was the difference in last year's quarters — out of the crease, but instead nudged it into George's net at 12:45 for the forward's fifth.
The Czechs silenced the red-clad Canadian Tire Centre crowd with 2.1 seconds left in the period when Sale scored his fifth to put the 20-time gold medallists in a deep hole.
"Came out flat-footed," said defenceman Tanner Molendyk. "A little behind pace."
Canada had nothing going on in the second — there was even a smattering of boos on home soil — before Sale took a minor penalty for kneeing and Martone tipped Molendyk's point shot with 2:20 to play in the period.
The Canadians continued to push in the third.
Mathieu Cataford put the puck in the net midway through the period, but the play was immediately waved off for goaltender interference. Cameron unsuccessfully challenged the call, which resulted in a penalty for delay of game and a loss of momentum.
Canada killed those two minutes off and got back level only to suffer another soul-crushing, last-minute loss at the world juniors.
"I wish we could have did more for the fans and the people of Canada," McKenna said. "It sucks we had to go out this way."
A feeling that's all too familiar.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 2, 2025.
Joshua Clipperton, The Canadian Press
