To see Czechia outpacing Canada 5-2 was the biggest Group A upset in Halifax, according to IIHF.com's Andrew Podnieks.
photo: Matt Zambonin / IIHF
IIHF.com’s Andrew Podnieks and Lucas Aykroyd have covered 15 World Juniors apiece in the 21st century. For the 2023 tournament, Podnieks has been responsible for Group A in Halifax, while Aykroyd has written about Group B in Moncton. We took some time to get their expert perspectives on how these World Juniors have played out so far, focusing on their respective sides of the draw.
We’ve seen some unexpected results in both Halifax and Moncton. What’s been the biggest upset in your group and why?
LA: Unquestionably, Slovakia’s 6-3 romp over the Americans was the biggest sensation in Moncton. It equalled the biggest Slovak margin of victory ever versus the U.S., also a 6-3 final. And you know when that happened? It was 25 December 1997 – the very first World Junior game between these nations in Helsinki. So that’s a long time coming. This was a fun, emotional game to watch. The Slovaks didn’t back off at at all when the Americans were up 2-1 – they took over with three goals in a span of just over three minutes in the second period. The Avenir Centre was rocking. And Slovak captain Simon Nemec was superb, logging a game-high 25:31. Ultimately, any time a perennial gold medal contender like the Americans gets knocked off by an occasional bronze medalist like Slovakia, it’s memorable.
AP: There has really only been the one upset in Halifax, on opening night when Czechia beat Canada, 5-2. In 23 previous meetings, Canada won 20 and tied one, so that alone made this result an upset. But Canada won gold only four months ago and are the most dominant nation in tournament history, while the Czechs haven’t won a U20 medal since 2005 (bronze). And playing on home ice, with the likes of Connor Bedard and Shane Wright, before a loud and sold-out crowd at Scotiabank Centre, a Canadian win was to be expected. When Canada got the early lead, victory seemed inevitable, but there were two major momentum swings. First, Canada scored a goal that was nullified by a coach’s challenge for offside, and then Zack Dean took a major and game misconduct. Add to that poor goaltending by Benjamin Gaudreau and excellent ‘tending at the other end by Tomas Suchanek, and voila—you have a 5-2 Czechia victory.
Which goalie in your group has caught your eye?
AP: The aforementioned Suchanek and Sweden’s Carl Lindbom have been the best in Halifax, I think. Suchanek in particular has shown poise and confidence. He has solid positioning and seems to be square to the shooter every time. He has played every minute for Czechia and has allowed only six goals on 89 shots with a stellar 1.49 GAA. Rock solid and reliable.
LA: In Moncton, Finland’s Jani Lampinen hasn’t faltered yet, posting tournament -leading numbers (1.00 GAA, 96.3 save percentage) in his two wins. And the U.S.’s Trey Augustine has shown hints of doing what John Gibson did for the U.S. World Junior team 10 years ago en route to gold in Ufa, Russia. But for the eye-catching value of a Cinderella story, my nod goes to Slovakia’s Adam Gajan. To go from never having represented your country in IIHF competition to knocking off the U.S. with 33 saves and blanking Latvia is a great accomplishment for the 18-year-old, a late roster addition. And you’ve got to love his green pads and gloves from U.S. junior hockey!
Who would you peg as the unsung hero of these World Juniors to date?
LA: I’ll stick with my Slovak theme here and single out Libor Nemec. The undrafted Slovak assistant captain has been quietly effective on the top line, sporting a team-high +4 plus-minus. It’s easy for him to get overshadowed playing alongside Filip Mesar, the 2022 Montreal first-rounder (26th overall), who is the main offensive catalyst on the line, and Servac Petrovsky, who scored a pair of beauties back-to-back versus Switzerland. (Not to mention that sharing a surname with #2 overall pick Simon Nemec of the New Jersey Devils can cause confusion – they’re not related.) But Libor Nemec is a hard-working, reliable guy who sees the ice well. He’s matched his totals from August’s WJC (1+3=4), but I think he could have more to give in the quarter-finals.
AP: In Halifax, I don’t think it has been any one player—it has been Team Austria. The fans have embraced the team from the first day they arrived, in part perhaps because they are coached by Kirk Furey, a Nova Scotian, but equally because they have been massive underdogs each game. Despite their lack of skill, they play with heart and determination, and the fans appreciate their A+ effort in the face of inevitable defeat. No matter the score, the fans have gotten behind Austria, inveighing them to score even when a goal would mean little on the scoreboard. This reached a frenzy in their game against Germany, when it looked like they may have been shut out for a fourth straight game. When Ian Scherzer scored on the power play, the fans erupted in a cheer worthy of a Team Canada goal.
Teams always say that special teams are critical in a short tournament. How big of a role have special teams actually played in this tournament?
LA: Finland and Sweden find themselves in the awkward (if familiar) position of having to try to destroy each other’s hopes. And the classic archrivals could have at least put this off a little longer if their power plays were more potent in the Maritimes. Finland heads into the quarter-finals at a lacklustre 2-for-11 (18.1 percent) , while Sweden has been even less effective at 2-for-16 (12.5 percent). The U.S. took five minors in their group-closing 6-2 victory over Finland, and Finnish coach Tomi Lamsa was openly disappointed that his team couldn’t cash in when it counted to keep the game close. It’s a big change from August in Edmonton, when the silver-medal Finns led the tournament at 14-for-27 (51.85 percent) in seven games. As for the Juniorkronorna, they squandered their opportunities to fight back from a 3-0 deficit against Canada. Sure, they scored once during the five-minute major to Zach Ostapchuk for kneeing, but when the Canadians took three second-period minors, they came up dry and wound up losing 5-1. So it’ll be interesting to see which Nordic side wakes up in time PP-wise.
AP: Canada has scored a whopping 12 goals with the extra skater on 21 advantages, scoring at a remarkable rate of 57.14 per cent. No other team has more than five PPG. Yet in Canada’s 5-2 loss to Czechia, it was Czechia who scored two timely goals with the extra skater, ultimately Canada’s undoing. But beyond that, power plays haven’t been a major factor in Halifax—yet. You never know when that one penalty will make the difference between winning or losing.
What’s something memorable about the atmosphere in your arena or city that has impressed you?
AP: We know Halifax is a great hockey city and will support Team Canada, but what has been marvellous are the crowds and energy for the early games between the other nations. Each afternoon, 7,000 or more fans have come out to cheer on good hockey, roaring for nice goals, booing for penalties they don’t like, cheering both goalies after great saves.
LA: I’m a sucker for old-school hockey flavour and musical fun. Moncton’s Avenir Centre boasts an awesome organ – which reportedly cost a nice six-figure sum – that you don’t often see in Canadian junior barns. It’s helmed by keyboardist Lynden Steeves, a local fellow from Riverview, just across the Petitcodiac River. His upbeat reinterpretations of Van Halen’s “Jump” and Survivor’s “Eye of the Tiger,” performed in a glitzy Vegas-style jacket, definitely enliven the games.
Okay, we know Connor Bedard is the overwhelming favourite to win the scoring title, but how many points do you think he’ll finish with?
AP: Let’s get two things straight. First, Bedard is a phenomenal player. Second, there is virtually no chance that Bedard will get near Peter Forsberg’s record of 31 points from 1993. He currently has 18, with possibly (probably?) three games to play. I say he finishes with 24.
LA: Hey, give the kid some credit! Are you sure you don’t mean 42? No, seriously, what Bedard has done is amazing. As you alluded to, he’s already tied the Canadian single-tournament points record shared by Dale McCourt (1977) and Brayden Schenn (2011). And for all the legitimate hype about his NHL-ready shot, he’s coming off a four-assist performance against Sweden. So I can’t rule out the possibility that he’ll rack up another five or six points versus the Slovaks on Monday. I’ll go with 28 points – close, but not quite Forsberg.
Which team poses the biggest threat to Canada’s hopes of repeating as champions?
AP: That’s probably more of a question for you to answer, Lucas, in that I think the answer is in Group B. Sweden is up there, but so are Finland and the U.S. In the last four tournaments, the Finns have won a gold, a silver, and a bronze. Sweden looks good at the back end but a little lacklustre up front at times. And the Americans have been understated from the Halifax perspective, playing quietly well but not overpowering, at least not until their 6-2 win over Finland. You look at that U.S. roster and you know there’s firepower there. In the end, I think the Americans might be my best guess right now.
LA: I’d agree. The U.S. is finding its game at the right time. Canada brings more offence top to bottom, turbo-charged by the Bedard factor, but those stats are also a little bit inflated by the less-than-usual strength of Germany and Austria. And the top American line with Logan Cooley, Jimmy Snuggerud, and Cutter Gauthier totalled eight points versus Finland. Could I see Trey Augustine outduelling Canada’s Thomas Milic in net in a winner-takes-all scenario? Sure. Conversely, the Finns and Swedes have work to do in terms of convincing us that they’ll deliver at crunch time. With all that said, Canada remains the favourite at press time – as long as they stay away from those pernicious “Michigan” goal attempts, of course!
We’ve seen some unexpected results in both Halifax and Moncton. What’s been the biggest upset in your group and why?
LA: Unquestionably, Slovakia’s 6-3 romp over the Americans was the biggest sensation in Moncton. It equalled the biggest Slovak margin of victory ever versus the U.S., also a 6-3 final. And you know when that happened? It was 25 December 1997 – the very first World Junior game between these nations in Helsinki. So that’s a long time coming. This was a fun, emotional game to watch. The Slovaks didn’t back off at at all when the Americans were up 2-1 – they took over with three goals in a span of just over three minutes in the second period. The Avenir Centre was rocking. And Slovak captain Simon Nemec was superb, logging a game-high 25:31. Ultimately, any time a perennial gold medal contender like the Americans gets knocked off by an occasional bronze medalist like Slovakia, it’s memorable.
AP: There has really only been the one upset in Halifax, on opening night when Czechia beat Canada, 5-2. In 23 previous meetings, Canada won 20 and tied one, so that alone made this result an upset. But Canada won gold only four months ago and are the most dominant nation in tournament history, while the Czechs haven’t won a U20 medal since 2005 (bronze). And playing on home ice, with the likes of Connor Bedard and Shane Wright, before a loud and sold-out crowd at Scotiabank Centre, a Canadian win was to be expected. When Canada got the early lead, victory seemed inevitable, but there were two major momentum swings. First, Canada scored a goal that was nullified by a coach’s challenge for offside, and then Zack Dean took a major and game misconduct. Add to that poor goaltending by Benjamin Gaudreau and excellent ‘tending at the other end by Tomas Suchanek, and voila—you have a 5-2 Czechia victory.
Which goalie in your group has caught your eye?
AP: The aforementioned Suchanek and Sweden’s Carl Lindbom have been the best in Halifax, I think. Suchanek in particular has shown poise and confidence. He has solid positioning and seems to be square to the shooter every time. He has played every minute for Czechia and has allowed only six goals on 89 shots with a stellar 1.49 GAA. Rock solid and reliable.
LA: In Moncton, Finland’s Jani Lampinen hasn’t faltered yet, posting tournament -leading numbers (1.00 GAA, 96.3 save percentage) in his two wins. And the U.S.’s Trey Augustine has shown hints of doing what John Gibson did for the U.S. World Junior team 10 years ago en route to gold in Ufa, Russia. But for the eye-catching value of a Cinderella story, my nod goes to Slovakia’s Adam Gajan. To go from never having represented your country in IIHF competition to knocking off the U.S. with 33 saves and blanking Latvia is a great accomplishment for the 18-year-old, a late roster addition. And you’ve got to love his green pads and gloves from U.S. junior hockey!
Who would you peg as the unsung hero of these World Juniors to date?
LA: I’ll stick with my Slovak theme here and single out Libor Nemec. The undrafted Slovak assistant captain has been quietly effective on the top line, sporting a team-high +4 plus-minus. It’s easy for him to get overshadowed playing alongside Filip Mesar, the 2022 Montreal first-rounder (26th overall), who is the main offensive catalyst on the line, and Servac Petrovsky, who scored a pair of beauties back-to-back versus Switzerland. (Not to mention that sharing a surname with #2 overall pick Simon Nemec of the New Jersey Devils can cause confusion – they’re not related.) But Libor Nemec is a hard-working, reliable guy who sees the ice well. He’s matched his totals from August’s WJC (1+3=4), but I think he could have more to give in the quarter-finals.
AP: In Halifax, I don’t think it has been any one player—it has been Team Austria. The fans have embraced the team from the first day they arrived, in part perhaps because they are coached by Kirk Furey, a Nova Scotian, but equally because they have been massive underdogs each game. Despite their lack of skill, they play with heart and determination, and the fans appreciate their A+ effort in the face of inevitable defeat. No matter the score, the fans have gotten behind Austria, inveighing them to score even when a goal would mean little on the scoreboard. This reached a frenzy in their game against Germany, when it looked like they may have been shut out for a fourth straight game. When Ian Scherzer scored on the power play, the fans erupted in a cheer worthy of a Team Canada goal.
Teams always say that special teams are critical in a short tournament. How big of a role have special teams actually played in this tournament?
LA: Finland and Sweden find themselves in the awkward (if familiar) position of having to try to destroy each other’s hopes. And the classic archrivals could have at least put this off a little longer if their power plays were more potent in the Maritimes. Finland heads into the quarter-finals at a lacklustre 2-for-11 (18.1 percent) , while Sweden has been even less effective at 2-for-16 (12.5 percent). The U.S. took five minors in their group-closing 6-2 victory over Finland, and Finnish coach Tomi Lamsa was openly disappointed that his team couldn’t cash in when it counted to keep the game close. It’s a big change from August in Edmonton, when the silver-medal Finns led the tournament at 14-for-27 (51.85 percent) in seven games. As for the Juniorkronorna, they squandered their opportunities to fight back from a 3-0 deficit against Canada. Sure, they scored once during the five-minute major to Zach Ostapchuk for kneeing, but when the Canadians took three second-period minors, they came up dry and wound up losing 5-1. So it’ll be interesting to see which Nordic side wakes up in time PP-wise.
AP: Canada has scored a whopping 12 goals with the extra skater on 21 advantages, scoring at a remarkable rate of 57.14 per cent. No other team has more than five PPG. Yet in Canada’s 5-2 loss to Czechia, it was Czechia who scored two timely goals with the extra skater, ultimately Canada’s undoing. But beyond that, power plays haven’t been a major factor in Halifax—yet. You never know when that one penalty will make the difference between winning or losing.
What’s something memorable about the atmosphere in your arena or city that has impressed you?
AP: We know Halifax is a great hockey city and will support Team Canada, but what has been marvellous are the crowds and energy for the early games between the other nations. Each afternoon, 7,000 or more fans have come out to cheer on good hockey, roaring for nice goals, booing for penalties they don’t like, cheering both goalies after great saves.
LA: I’m a sucker for old-school hockey flavour and musical fun. Moncton’s Avenir Centre boasts an awesome organ – which reportedly cost a nice six-figure sum – that you don’t often see in Canadian junior barns. It’s helmed by keyboardist Lynden Steeves, a local fellow from Riverview, just across the Petitcodiac River. His upbeat reinterpretations of Van Halen’s “Jump” and Survivor’s “Eye of the Tiger,” performed in a glitzy Vegas-style jacket, definitely enliven the games.
Okay, we know Connor Bedard is the overwhelming favourite to win the scoring title, but how many points do you think he’ll finish with?
AP: Let’s get two things straight. First, Bedard is a phenomenal player. Second, there is virtually no chance that Bedard will get near Peter Forsberg’s record of 31 points from 1993. He currently has 18, with possibly (probably?) three games to play. I say he finishes with 24.
LA: Hey, give the kid some credit! Are you sure you don’t mean 42? No, seriously, what Bedard has done is amazing. As you alluded to, he’s already tied the Canadian single-tournament points record shared by Dale McCourt (1977) and Brayden Schenn (2011). And for all the legitimate hype about his NHL-ready shot, he’s coming off a four-assist performance against Sweden. So I can’t rule out the possibility that he’ll rack up another five or six points versus the Slovaks on Monday. I’ll go with 28 points – close, but not quite Forsberg.
Which team poses the biggest threat to Canada’s hopes of repeating as champions?
AP: That’s probably more of a question for you to answer, Lucas, in that I think the answer is in Group B. Sweden is up there, but so are Finland and the U.S. In the last four tournaments, the Finns have won a gold, a silver, and a bronze. Sweden looks good at the back end but a little lacklustre up front at times. And the Americans have been understated from the Halifax perspective, playing quietly well but not overpowering, at least not until their 6-2 win over Finland. You look at that U.S. roster and you know there’s firepower there. In the end, I think the Americans might be my best guess right now.
LA: I’d agree. The U.S. is finding its game at the right time. Canada brings more offence top to bottom, turbo-charged by the Bedard factor, but those stats are also a little bit inflated by the less-than-usual strength of Germany and Austria. And the top American line with Logan Cooley, Jimmy Snuggerud, and Cutter Gauthier totalled eight points versus Finland. Could I see Trey Augustine outduelling Canada’s Thomas Milic in net in a winner-takes-all scenario? Sure. Conversely, the Finns and Swedes have work to do in terms of convincing us that they’ll deliver at crunch time. With all that said, Canada remains the favourite at press time – as long as they stay away from those pernicious “Michigan” goal attempts, of course!