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2025 World Junior Hockey Championship: Canada glides to 9-1 win over Denmark

Canada got the expected win to set up a showdown with Finland for top spot in Group A on New Year’s Eve.

Posted on by Justin Blades
Credit: Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images

Canada had its wake-up in the second game of the tournament when Latvia scored a goal late in regulation to force overtime. Canada came away with the win, but that match probably made Denmark’s dream of pulling off an upset less likely with the Canadian team already being taught the lesson that you can’t take any team lightly.

At the 3:08 mark of the first period, Denmark took its first penalty, something the team knew it couldn’t do if it wanted to maintain its slim hopes of winning. It took nine seconds for a power-play unit featuring Canada’s top line to open the scoring, with Gavin McKenna firing in the shot after passes from first Brady Martin and then Michael Hage on the cross-ice feed.

The puck stayed in Denmark’s end for several shifts after the goal. Most of the play from Canada was lackadaisical without any real resistance from the Danish defence, but not Tij Iginla’s backhand pass from the boards right to the tape of Braeden Cootes coming off the bench, who walked into plenty of open space to solve goaltender Patrick Tiedjen.

It wasn’t long before the lead grew to three when Zayne Parekh followed up the rush to collect the puck and easily beat Tiedjen with a wristshot.

With very little going their way, Denmark finally earned a dangerous moment when Mads Klyvo protected the puck to drive the net, sending a shot just wide of Canadian goaltender Carter George.

The period ended with Martin sliding the puck toward the net and McKenna picking it up before it reached Tiedjen, sliding a bit to the side, and firing the puck past the opposite side of the net. It would have been a fourth goal, and a 16th shot in the opening period to just the one puck on target Denmark mustered.

One shot was all Denmark needed to get a positive early in the second period. Cole Beaudoin was a little too casual picking up the puck sitting behind his goal line, and a stick check allowed it to pop to Klyvo. The Danish forward, who had the best chance for Denmark in the opening period, fired the puck over the shoulder of George to put his team on the board.

The goal inspired some better play out of the Danes, but that also got the Canadians to ramp up their own level. After a long presence in the offensive zone, it looked like Canada had drawn a high-sticking penalty, but the play was reviewed and the determination was that the Canadian player’s own stick had hit him in the face, wiping out a four-minute power play.

A legitimate slashing call was made moments later, and Canada once again took advantage. Michael Misa passed the puck to Parekh from behind the net, and a subsequent pass to Porter Martone wasn’t shadowed by Tiedjen, leaving an essentially open net for the captain to shoot the puck into.

With five minutes to play in the third period, a nice passing play created a fifth goal. Ethan MacKenzie got the puck to Martin, who sent it across to McKenna, and the youngest player on Team Canada scored his second goal of the game.

A high-energy shift from Misa led to a sixth goal early in the third period. His initial shot off a net drive was denied, but he circled around to the slot and took a pass from Martone, firing the puck past Tiedjen on the short side.

McKenna then took it upon himself to score the nicest goal of the game, flying down the wing to deke past the goalie, then pulled the puck in behind the goaltender to tap in a forehand shot to complete his hat trick.

With under five minutes to play, Kashawn Aitcheson made it eight goals on the scoreboard for Canada with a shot to the top corner from the high slot.

Martone netted a ninth with a sharp-angle shot that found a hole in Tiedjen’s coverage.

With the 9-1 win, Canada improved to eight points, and will go into the fourth and final preliminary-round game on Wednesday needing a win of any kind over Finland to claim top spot in Group B. Denmark will wrap up its opening round on Tuesday versus Latvia needing the win to avoid the relegation round.

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