Canada battles Czechia in final dress rehearsal before World Juniors
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Team Canada will take on Czechia Monday in their final pre-competition game before the 2025 World Juniors are set to begin on Boxing Day in Ottawa.
Canada is coming off a 4-2 victory over Sweden on Saturday that saw Colorado Avalanche prospect Calum Ritchie record a goal and two assists.
Toronto Maple Leafs prospect Easton Cowan added a goal and assist while Philadelphia Flyers prospect Oliver Bonk and Columbus Blue Jackets prospect Luca Pinelli also tallied.
Cowan now has four goals and five points through two pre-competition games after recording a hat trick during Canada’s 7-1 win over Switzerland on Thursday.
Carter George will get the start in on Monday as he continues to vie for the starting role with Carson Bjarnason and Jack Ivankovic.
George started Thursday’s game against Switzerland where he stopped all 18 shots he faced before Bjarnason entered the game in the third period and stopped three of four shots to seal the victory.
George, a Los Angeles Kings prospect, has a 4-13-5 record in the Ontario Hockey League with the Owen Sound Attack to go along with a 3.49 goals-against average and .905 save percentage.
Bjarnason was drafted 51st overall by the Philadelphia Flyers in the 2023 draft and has an 8-6-2 record with a 2.90 GAA and .913 save percentage with the Western Hockey League’s Brandon Wheat Kings.
Ivankovic took the victory on Saturday that saw him make 16 of 18 saves while Bjarnason once again entered the game in the third period and stopped all six shots he faced.
The 5-foot-11 netminder has been golden for Canada throughout his career, taking home gold medals at the 2023 Under-17 World Hockey Challenge, 2024 Under-18 World Championship, and the 2024 Hlinka Gretzky Cup.
Ivankovic is eligible for the 2025 NHL Draft in Los Angeles and has a 12-7-1 record with a 3.49 GAA and .898 save percentage with the OHL’s Brampton Steelheads this season.
Czechia will be led by Seattle Kraken prospect Eduard Sale, who will be participating in his third World Junior tournament.
The 6-foot-1 winger recorded a goal and six points in 2023 to help Czechia win a silver medal and then had three goals and seven points to take home a bronze medal last year.
Sale is playing his first season of professional hockey with the American Hockey League’s Coachella Valley Firebirds and has four goals and 13 points through 23 games.
Czechia played one tune-up game prior to Monday’s action, a 5-1 win over Latvia on Friday.
Washington Capitals prospect Petr Sikora recorded two goals in the win while defenceman Tomas Galvas added two assists.
Jan Kavan played the entire game in net, making 21 saves for the victory.