By Matt Tidcombe | chl.ca
December 24, 2024
Redemption.
That’s the key word for Canada as they head into the 2025 World Juniors.
After a quarterfinal defeat to Czechia last year, Canada will seek a 21st gold medal on home ice in Ottawa.
Their 2025 roster consists of four returnees from a year ago in London’s Oliver Bonk (PHI) and Easton Cowan (TOR), Brampton’s Carson Rehkopf (SEA) and Lethbridge’s Brayden Yager (WPG)
“The expectations are gold medal and if you don’t achieve that it’s a failure,” said Yager, who will captain Canada. “It’s a new year, a new group and the chance to redeem ourselves is a great opportunity.”
As per usual, Canada’s roster is loaded with NHL drafted talent. Twenty players already belong to NHL clubs with nine of them being first round selections; Bonk, Cowan, Oshawa’s Cal Ritchie (COL), Saskatoon’s Tanner Molendyk (NSH) and Yager were 2023 picks while Barrie’s Cole Beaudoin (UTA), Spokane’s Berkly Catton (SEA), London’s Sam Dickinson (SJ), Guelph’s Jett Luchanko (PHI) were selected earlier this year.
On the flip side, Canada’s roster includes four players who are still undrafted in Jack Ivankovic (2025), Porter Martone (2025), Gavin McKenna (2026) and Matthew Schaefer (2025). It marks the first time since 1991 three 17-year-old players are on Canada’s World Juniors roster.
“It’s a huge honour,” Martone said. “I think every Canadian kid can say they dream of playing at the World Juniors … and I have the honour and opportunity to represent Canada and I’m very grateful and excited to do it.”
Additionally, Ivankovic and Schaefer will look to become the first two players ever to win gold medals at the World U17 Hockey Challenge, U18 World Championships, Hlinka Gretzky Cup and the World Juniors.
“Any time you put on the Canada jersey you want to represent your country proudly and strongly,” Schaefer said. “It’s every kids dream to put it on so any time you get that chance you want to work as hard as you can and come to win gold.”
In Ottawa, Canada will look to make it three straight wins on home ice after success in Edmonton (2021) and Halifax (2022). In fact, they’ve won gold nine times at home while the lone previous time Ottawa held the tournament in 2009, Canada emerged victorious after a 5-1 win over Sweden in the final.
On the flip side, Canada’s roster includes four players who are still undrafted in Jack Ivankovic (2025), Porter Martone (2025), Gavin McKenna (2026) and Matthew Schaefer (2025). It marks the first time since 1991 three 17-year-old players are on Canada’s World Juniors roster.
“It’s a huge honour,” Martone said. “I think every Canadian kid can say they dream of playing at the World Juniors … and I have the honour and opportunity to represent Canada and I’m very grateful and excited to do it.”
Additionally, Ivankovic and Schaefer will look to become the first two players ever to win gold medals at the World U17 Hockey Challenge, U18 World Championships, Hlinka Gretzky Cup and the World Juniors.
“Any time you put on the Canada jersey you want to represent your country proudly and strongly,” Schaefer said. “It’s every kids dream to put it on so any time you get that chance you want to work as hard as you can and come to win gold.”
In Ottawa, Canada will look to make it three straight wins on home ice after success in Edmonton (2021) and Halifax (2022). In fact, they’ve won gold nine times at home while the lone previous time Ottawa held the tournament in 2009, Canada emerged victorious after a 5-1 win over Sweden in the final.
Preparations for the event couldn’t have gone better for Canada after three pre-tournament wins. Cowan (TOR) had a hat-trick Dec. 19 as part of a 7-1 win over Switzerland while two days later, Canada erased a 2-1 deficit in the third period to beat Sweden 4-2 as Ritchie (COL) had the game-winner with 3:36 to play.
They completed their pre-tournament schedule Dec. 23 with a 3-2 win over Czechia where McKenna scored twice.
Canada will compete in Group A of the round-robin, where they will open the tournament on Boxing Day against Finland. They’ll face Latvia Dec. 27 before they meet Germany on Dec. 29. They’ll conclude the round-robin against the USA on New Year’s Eve. The final is set for Jan. 5 at Canadian Tire Centre.
Source: chl.ca