Canada must manage emotions amid big crowds, big expectations at World Juniors

The pressure is rising, but so is the excitement. 

"We get to play hockey on the 26th," said Team Canada head coach Dennis Williams. "That's fun. In front of a packed house. It's going to be a loud. It's going to be a great environment. Who has it better than us right now? I wouldn't trade it for anywhere else. We're together as a group and get to represent Canada and get to play the best game on earth." 

Team Canada is always among the favourites at the World Juniors, but the expectations are even higher this year. There are eight players returning from the August team that won gold in Edmonton and 10 overall with experience at the World Juniors. 

"We have a talented group," said winger Brennan Othmann, who led Canada with three goals in the three pre-tournament games. "We have a group that's been through a lot of adversity and been through a lot of tension like this in the past. We have three guys who have played in the NHL that we can lean on, but all of us have played in big games and big moments."

Seattle Kraken centre Shane Wright, Arizona Coyotes winger Dylan Guenther and Los Angeles Kings defenceman Brandt Clarke got loaned to Hockey Canada for the World Juniors.  

Othmann also points out that 12 players on this team already won gold together at the 2021 under-18 World Championship. That event was in Texas in the middle of the pandemic. This tournament will be played in front of sellout crowds as the World Juniors return to the Maritimes for the first time since 2003.

"It's going to be huge," said forward Connor Bedard, who is Canada's youngest player at 17. "We saw that last game and that was just pre-tournament. I can't imagine what it's going to be like going forward. We're pretty excited for that."

"You have to manage those emotions," cautioned Wright. "You want to make sure that you use the crowd's energy and get excited and get fired up to play, but you also don't want to be too excited or energetic."

Team Czechia also expects to get a boost from the energy in the building. 

"I played junior in Cape Breton and we played here in Halifax a lot," said goalie coach Ondrej Pavelec. "I know what this building can be like and that's why we play hockey, right. That's what we tell the players. It's maybe once in a lifetime and be excited. Enjoy it. Enjoy every moment of the game."

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Williams called over the players for a pep talk following the morning skate. The message? 

"We're in the next phase and it's important to be loose, but also we got to make sure we're ready to battle for 60-plus minutes out there," the coach said. "We can't take any team for granted. We need every line to be going. We need every D pair to be going and our goalies going. We need to ramp it up another notch."

Before leaving the ice, Williams made a point of calling over fourth-line players Colton Dach, Caedan Bankier, Zack Ostapchuk and 13th forward Reid Schaefer for some final instructions. 

"I just want them to play the way we asked them to play," Williams said. "Play the game right and play the game heavy and play it in the O-zone and grind teams down and do a good job in the D-zone. Their game will never be evaluated on scoring goals. If they play the game right then they will have those opportunities for sure and they're very skilled, but their strength is size, leaning on players and using their big bodies to really lean on our opponents and do a good job to open up time and space for our next lines. They've really grasped that and done a great job through the pre-comp games."

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Guenther lost his balance and slid into the end boards in the final drill of the morning skate. He immediately went to the bench to talk with athletic therapist Kevin Elliott. He pointed at his left arm and then went to the dressing room. 

"I haven't talked to anybody," said Williams. "I know he left there at the end, but I don't have an update."

The captain wasn't concerned. 

"Oh, he's fine," Wright said. "He's all good." 

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At the end of their skate, Czechia players huddled together and started barking. 

"Every guy on the team feels hungry," Kelowna Rockets forward Gabriel Szturc explained. "We are ready to go."

There are 18 players on the Czechia roster with previous experience at the World Juniors.

"This group has been together for a long time and they have the chemistry and that's what they do so we have to bark too," Pavelec, 35, said with a smile. "I'm too old for it. I'm not that old, but I'm too old for this. But it's a new league. One of the coaches in the NHL said it's a young, dumb league. I think it was Torts [John Tortorella]. Somebody said that and I agree."

Canada played Czechia twice in the summer winning 5-1 in the preliminary round and 5-2 in the semifinals. 

"They play a tough game," said Bedard. "It's pretty defensive, I find. They trap well. They got a lot skill as well. I'm sure they're going to come out flying." 

"Very disciplined team," said Williams. "They play good systems. They protect the inside. It's going to be a real good challenge. They got size. They got skill. They got difference makers on the power play. It will be a good test for us."

Canada built a 4-0 lead in the summer semifinal before Czechia pulled within two in the third period. 

Czechia jumped out to a 3-1 lead on Boxing Day last year before Canada came back to win 6-3. 

"They work hard," said Wright, who made his World Junior debut in that game one year ago. "They're always some of the hardest-working teams that I've ever played. They're always putting up a fight. They're always making sure they're in the game. They never quit at all." 

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After arriving in Halifax last night, Cleveland Monsters defenceman David Jiricek skated with Team Czechia for the first time on Monday morning. He's listed as a game-time decision.

"He doesn't look tired," said Szturc with a smile. "He looks hungry." 

"He's an experienced guy," said Pavelec. "He's been playing really well this year and did well in the summer. We play against Canada so it's a big game. He wants to play and we'll see the decision."

Complicating matters, Jiricek's equipment didn't arrive with the player. But agent Allan Walsh tweeted on Monday afternoon that the bags had made it to Halifax.

"He brings a very good shot," noted Szturc. "He's a very dangerous player on the PP so I think he will bring a lot of goals." 

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Tri-City Americans goalie Tomas Suchanek gets the start against Canada. He played them twice in the summer. 

"There's always pressure on the goalies," said Pavelec. "Probably more when you play Canada because you know what you're going to get. But he's ready for it. He played those games before."

"It's going to be awesome," Suchanek said. "I like to play with lots of people [watching]." 

Suchanek opened the August event as Czechia's back-up goalie, but his 52-save effort against Canada in the group stage earned him the No. 1 job.  

Bedard scored on Suchanek in the summer semifinal. What will it take to stop him on Monday night? 

"A lot," Suchanek said with a laugh. "You need to be ready. You never know when he's going to shoot and it's really hard. Just read it well and hopefully it's going to hit me." 

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Othmann has been wearing a cage since taking a high stick to the face in Wednesday's pre-tournament game against Slovakia. 

"I think this will be my last game with it," the New York Rangers prospect said. "I tried my mouth guard this morning and it seems to be a lot better on my gums. It's just my tooth that's a bit sensitive now. I think it will be my last game with it and then I'll throw the visor back on."

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Lines at Team Canada's skate on Monday: 

Othmann - Wright - Bedard
Fantilli - Stankoven - Guenther
Dean - Gaucher - Roy
Dach - Bankier - Ostapchuk
Schaefer 

Del Mastro - Zellweger
Hinds - Clarke
Korchinski - Allan
Matier

Gaudreau starts 
Milic