Hockey·ROUNDUP

Canada finishes pre-world junior tournament play with 3-0 record

Gavin McKenna's second goal of the game, scored at 17:31 of the third period, snapped a 2-2 tie and lifted Canada to a 3-2 exhibition win over the Czech Republic on Monday night at the Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa.

WHL scoring leader Gavin McKenna scores twice in narrow win over Czech Republic

Canadian forward Gavin McKenna and goalie Carter George celebrate a 3-2 win over the Czech Republic in pre-world junior hockey championship action in Ottawa on Dec. 23, 2024.
Canada's Gavin McKenna, right, celebrates Monday night's 3-2 pre-tournament win over the Czech Republic with goalie Carter George. The 16-year-old McKenna, from Whitehorse, tops the Western Hockey League in scoring this season, averaging two points a game. (Sean Kilpatrick/Canadian Press)

Gavin McKenna's second goal of the game, scored at 17:31 of the third period, snapped a 2-2 tie and lifted Canada to a 3-2 exhibition win over the Czech Republic on Monday night at the Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa.

Bradly Nadeau also scored for Canada and Matthew Schaefer chipped in with two assists as the world junior championship hosts finished pre-tournament play with a 3-0 record.

McKenna, who turned 17 last week, hails from Whitehorse and leads the Western Hockey League in scoring this season, averaging two points a game.

Only eight times in the tournament's history has a 16-year-old made the team.

Wayne Gretzky was there in 1978, and both Connor McDavid and Connor Bedard also played as 16-year-olds.

Dominik Petr and Jiri Felcman scored for Czechia, which was outshot 39-23 but got a superb game from goaltender Michael Hrabel.

Canada's first game is Thursday against Finland at 7:30 p.m. ET, followed by a Friday game against Latvia.

The Czechs face Switzerland in its tournament opener Thursday, then play Kazakhstan on Saturday.

United States 5, Finland 2

The United States broke open a close game with four goals in the second period and coasted to a 5-2 win over Finland at Cornwall Civic Complex.

Ryan Leonard, Joe Willis, Zeev Buium, Austin Burnevik and Carey Terrance scored for the Americans, who went 1-for-2 on the power play.

Kasper Halttunen scored both goals for Finland which went 1-for-3 on the power play.

The U.S. outshot Finland 30-18

Sweden 11, Germany 1

Victor Eklund and David Edstrom each scored twice as Sweden whipped Germany 11-1 at CAA Arena in Belleville, Ont.

Rasmus Bergqvist, Herman Traff, Tom Willander, Wilhelm Hallquisth, Felix Unger Sorum, Otto Stenberg and Felix Nilsson also scored for the Swedes, who outshot Germany 43-17, and led 2-0 after the first period and 6-1 heading into the third.

Oskar Vuollet, Theo Lindstein and Nilsson all chipped in with two assists for Sweden.

Sweden went 4-for-6 on the power play.

Carlos Handel scored for Germany, which went 0-for-3 on the power play.

Switzerland 5, Latvia 1

After a scoreless first period, Switzerland scored three unanswered goals in the second and then coasted to a 5-1 win over Latvia at the Nick Smith Centre in Arnprior, Ont.

Ludvig Johnson, Jan Dorthe, Basile Sansonnens, Lars Steiner and Jamiro Reber scored for the Swiss, who outshot Latvia 43-27.

Olivers Murnieks scored for Latvia, which went 0-for-7 on the power play. Switzerland went 0-for-4 with the man advantage.

With files from CBC News

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