George starts Canada's pre-tournament finale
Published
Team Canada held a meeting at its hotel on Monday.
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Carter George will start Canada's pre-tournament finale against Czechia, which will be played at the Canadian Tire Centre.
"It's going to be awesome," the Owen Sound Attack goalie gushed. "They say it's sold out, so I think that's going to be pretty cool."
More than 18,000 fans are expected to be in attendance on Monday night.
Canada played its first two pre-tournament games at TD Place, which is home to the Ottawa 67s in the Ontario Hockey League. The team also practised at the 9,000-seat arena on Sunday. TD Place will host Group B games at the World Juniors along with two quarter-final games.
George, who stopped all 11 shots he faced in the first two periods of Thursday's pre-tournament game against Switzerland, appears to have emerged as the favourite to be Canada's starter at the World Juniors. He backstopped Canada to gold at the 2023 Hlinka Gretzky Cup and 2024 under-18 World Championship.
What stands out about him?
"His poise," said Hockey Canada goaltending consultant Dan De Palma. "He has the knack for the big moments."
After getting picked in the second round of June's NHL draft by the Los Angeles Kings, George got into a pair of pre-season games in Las Vegas and Utah.
"It's a little different," he said of NHL-sized rinks. "A lot more people, a little louder, but at the same time it's just a hockey game and that's all you have to focus on."
George stopped 17 of 19 shots in the September games against the Utah Hockey Club and Golden Knights. He shared the net with Darcy Kuemper in the Vegas game and leaned on the veteran goalie for advice during Kings camp.
"He was talking about the speed of play," George said. "Scanning and knowing where everyone was, that was the biggest advice. He said it's going to get faster so you need to know where everyone is, and I definitely took that in."
Asked about George, head coach Dave Cameron highlighted Canada's goaltending depth.
"All three are good goalies," he said. "They're competitive. They're dialled in. Just settle in and use this as an experience to know another team, get to know the pressure of the tournament, just fine tune their game."
Brampton Steelheads goalie Jack Ivankovic, who stopped 16 of 18 shots in the first two periods of Saturday's game against Sweden, will dress as the backup goalie on Monday.
How will Canada split the playing time against Czechia?
"Not sure," Cameron said.
Brandon Wheat King goalie Carson Bjarnason, who stopped nine of 10 shots while playing in the third period of both pre-tournament games, will be a healthy scratch.
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There was a buzz around Team Canada as they prepared to take the bus to the Canadian Tire Centre, which will host all their tournament games.
"I hear the guys talking about it," said Cameron. "How they can't wait to get there and can't wait to get settled in there and learn all the nuances about the building, get on the ice the first time, the boards and the glass and that. I think any time you take this tournament, as huge as it is in Canada, any time you're put in an NHL building it's almost a different level."
Toronto Maple Leafs prospect Easton Cowan suited up in a pre-season game in Ottawa on Sept. 24.
"It was unreal," the London Knights forward said. "And it wasn't even sold out, so just pumped to be on the home side of it tonight."
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Czechia is the team that ended Canada's hopes last year in the quarter-finals, but revenge is not on the menu in this one.
"That's last year and we're on to a new year," stressed Cowan, who is one of Canada's four returning players. "We got a great team here. I was actually thinking this the other day, I feel like I've been with this team for four years already, that's how tight we are. We're all super close. We're all super excited and a lot of great people in this room. We can't wait to get going here tonight."
The other returning players are Lethbridge Hurricanes centre Brayden Yager, Brampton Steelheads forward Carson Rehkopf and London Knights defenceman Oliver Bonk.
"We've kind of gotten past last year," said Yager, who is wearing the 'C' this time around. "It's a new year; it's a new group. We're really excited for our opportunity this year. We have a really good group and we know we can do something special here."
The main focus for the team on Monday is building momentum ahead of the tournament opener against Finland on Boxing Day.
"The areas we want to really get better in tonight is puck management when we have it, especially in the neutral zone," said Cameron. "And the other thing we want to do is continue to do the good things we've done on the forecheck, the tracking and D-zone coverage, so we get the puck back."
Czechia has eight players returning from the team that won bronze in Sweden.
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After sitting out Saturday's game with a minor injury, draft-eligible winger Porter Martone will draw back into the lineup. He'll start on a line with Yager and Tanner Howe.
"He's in the first overall conversations for a reason," said Yager. "He plays really hard. He plays the right way and you see his offensive abilities. He's an incredible player and I'm excited to play with him tonight."
What's Cameron looking for from that line?
"Just a good 200-foot game," the coach said. "They're capable of playing any way the other team wants to play. The important thing for them is they don't solely valuate their shifts on offence."
In the first pre-tournament game, Martone played on a line with Spokane Chiefs centre Berkly Catton and Rehkopf.
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Projected Team Canada lineup for Monday's game:
10 Nadeau - 21 Ritchie - 27 Cowan
9 McKenna - 14 Catton - 13 Pinelli
23 Howe - 12 Luchanko - 22 Marton
16 Rehkopf - 11 Yager - 20 Gauthier
26 Beaudoin
6 Molendyk - 2 Gibson
25 Schaefer - 5 Bonk
3 Dickinson - 4 Price
7 Mynio
30 George starts
1 Ivankovic
Scratches: 28 Cataford, 8 Akey, 31 Bjarnason