(Edmonton) There is always a lot of pressure on Canada at the World Junior Hockey Championship.
Updated yesterday at 10:01 p.m.
This year, the context is even more particular.
It will be summer hockey — at home — starting Wednesday against the Latvians.
Also in recent months, Hockey Canada has drawn a lot of attention for its handling of sexual assault allegations against former junior team members.
Ottawa has also frozen funding for the organization.
Sponsors like Telus and Canadian Tire have pulled out and are therefore absent from the boards and the ice at Rogers Place, where the tournament began on Tuesday.
“People at Hockey Canada and in leadership positions were very careful to tell us that they were going to take care of what happens off the ice,” said goaltender Dylan Garand. Our job is to focus on our game and our team. We have the lead in hockey, that’s all. »
A total of 10 nations are taking part in the event, but there is not the excitement that was felt at the turn of the new year, in Edmonton and Red Deer.
On Tuesday, there were less than 200 people in the stands to watch the match between the Slovaks and the Czechs. They won 5-4.
Later, the crowd was even thinner for a Finns victory over the Latvians, 6-1.
The evening will conclude with a United States-Germany match.
The tournament was postponed on December 29 after just four days, following a spike in COVID-19 cases among players and officials.
A traditional showcase for the planetary cream of the under-20s, the tournament this time includes players born in 2002 and who have already celebrated their 20th birthday, following a green light from the FIHG.
Despite this, players such as Montreal Canadiens prospect Kaiden Guhle and Buffalo Sabres first-choice 2021 draft pick Owen Power are still missing.
We also won’t see Shane Wright, chosen fourth overall by the Seattle Kraken, last month.
Team Canada will be counting among others on Connor Bedard, Mason McTavish and Kent Johnson, who were part of the group that placed sixth at the Beijing Olympics.
“It’s a huge honor to be our team captain at this tournament,” said McTavish. I can’t wait to start playing. »
Russia was banned from the tournament following the invasion of Ukraine.