Celebrini ‘driven to make something happen’ every shift for Canada

Macklin Celebrini was forced to wait a bit for his first shift on New Year's Eve after Team Canada forward Conor Geekie was assessed a major penalty just 11 seconds in. 

"I was a little antsy," said Celebrini, who isn't part of the shorthanded rotation. "Five minutes killing, it's not fun to start any game."

The 17-year-old centre didn't waste any time when he finally got on the ice. He picked up the puck in his own end, sped through the neutral zone, backed off the German defence and snapped a shot past German goalie Matthias Bittner. 

While his teammates passed up opportunities and struggled to pull the trigger, Canada's youngest player once again rose to the occasion. 

"We need someone to step up in that moment and he's been that guy," said coach Alan Letang. 

"He's one of a kind," said goalie Mathis Rousseau. "He's somebody that, at the right times, he can step up and get those goals that we need."

After Germany scored to tie it in the third, Celebrini was sent out for the next shift and immediately drew a penalty, which led to the game-winning goal by Jordan Dumais. 

"He's really competitive," said Canadian captain Fraser Minten. "It's his biggest attribute. He's got the skill, but every shift he's really driven to make something happen and take over and generate through the middle. He just competes really, really hard all the time."

Celebrini added an insurance goal late in the third period. He won a race for the puck with Bittner and scored from what seemed like an impossible angle. 

"Honestly, I just tried to throw it at the net," Celebrini said. "I knew the goalie was out of the net so I just tried to put it on net."

"I kind of gave him a bad pass," said Canadian forward Brayden Yager with a smile. "I just threw it up there and it went off a couple skates and it went to his stick, I guess. He was like pretty much on the goal line and he found a way, again, to score. So, typical Mack."

Added Minten, "His hands move just as fast as his feet and his brain."

Celebrini leads Canada in goals (four) and assists (four) through the preliminary round. The Vancouver native seems to thrive off the big-game pressure. 

"It's when it all counts," Celebrini said. "It's when it all matters and this one mattered."

The next one matters even more. Canada will face Czechia on Tuesday in a win-or-go-home quarterfinal. 

Stopping Celebrini is a priority for the Czechs. 

"He's just a smooth player," said head coach Patrik Augusta. "He's so highly skilled. He can beat you 1-on-1 in a flash so we have to be ready, but we have to be ready for every player. He is standing out from that crew, but so are the other players."

Celebrini is tied for second in tournament scoring behind only Slovakia's Servac Petrovsky. If Canada is to defend its gold medal, the Boston University freshman will likely have to continue producing. His eight points are double that of anyone else on the team. 

"Every game he's dominant," said Team Canada defenceman Maveric Lamoureux. "Every game he's creating so much offence. Every game he's creating so much strength for us. I hope – well, not hope – he's going to keep doing that for the games coming up."

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Canadian top-line winger Matt Savoie returned to the ice after missing Sunday's game with a lower-body injury. The Buffalo Sabres’ first-round pick in 2022 was on the ice for about 16 minutes. 

"Looked fine," Letang said. "Moved around real well. We'll see how he responds a little bit later tonight after some ice and some therapy and we'll probably know in the morning."

Savoie, who played one game with the Sabres this season, is an alternate captain with Canada. He plays on both special teams units. 

"He's a constant pro," Letang said. "He brings the right attitude. His speed is one of the biggest things we can use. He can get in on the forecheck. He's good on the kill. He plays on our power play. He plays minutes that are important minutes. You don't fill that void real quickly with a guy like that." 

Jagger Firkus also skated on Monday. The Moose Jaw Warriors winger, who was added to the 25-man roster on Saturday, is ready to go if Savoie is unable to return during the tournament. 

"I remember this tournament for as long as I can remember," Firkus said. "Seeing the atmosphere last night, it was pretty cool and hopefully I can get in."

Firkus isn't feeling much jet lag despite a marathon travel day. He flew from Regina to Toronto and then Copenhagen before Mitchell Furlotte, Team Canada's manager of hockey operations, picked him up and drove him three hours to Gothenburg. 

"They gave me a nice seat on the plane," the 19-year-old from Irma, Alta., said. "I got lots of rest on the plane. Last night I had a really good sleep. I didn't have any issues. I'm grateful for that because I've heard some stories from the guys that it wasn't the easiest for them coming over." 

If Savoie is replaced on the roster, he will be ineligible to return. The semifinals will be played on Thursday with the medal games set for Friday. Canada is comfortable dressing 12 forwards if Savoie is unable to play in the quarterfinals, but may be ready later in the week. 

"If we had 12, we'd be totally fine," Letang said. "That's kind of what they're all used to playing in the CHL."

Firkus understands he may not end up in a game. 

"It crossed my mind," he said. "I'm a Canadian. I want to see the boys win. It's a huge tournament for all of Canada. To be here, it's a special moment for me. I'm probably the biggest fan of the team right now."

Firkus called getting cut at selection camp "heartbreaking" and is simply happy to get this second chance to be part of the experience. 

"It was a tough camp," the Seattle Kraken prospect said. "Everything was weird to me. I wouldn't say I was playing my best game. I'm past that now. I'm here now. I'm in this moment. I'm not living in the past. Now that I'm here it's exciting."

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Only winless Norway has racked up more penalty minutes than Canada at the tournament. It's been tricky for the Canadian players to adapt to the officiating standard in the international game.

"We're laying some pretty good hits," defenceman Oliver Bonk said. "Some of them are being penalized. You know, that was just a joke."

Geekie will not be suspended for Sunday's illegal check to the head of Germany's Samuel Schindler. The hit looked like one that would be applauded in the Western Hockey League where he plays for the Wenatchee Wild. But the size disparity – Geekie is 6-foot-4 while Schindler is 5-foot-11 – led to some head contact. There is no tolerance for that in the international game. 

"It's hard, because if that's part of your game you can't really change the way you play in 10 days or in a month," Letang said. "Like, you have those habits. In a game it happens so fast, your instincts take over and you're going to do what you've done your whole career for the most part."

So, what's the message to the players? 

"It's just being conscious," Letang continued. "Trying to think about the time on the ice, the spot on the ice and the moment of that game. Are we up? Are we down? Is it last minute? Is it early? That kind of stuff. I don't think you can change too much, it's just having that awareness."

No Canadian player has picked up more penalty minutes with their club team this season than Lamoureux, who has 39 in 25 games with the Drummondville Voltigeurs in the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League. 

"You see hits like Geekie and stuff like that and you see he's getting kicked out," said the 6-foot-7 blueliner. "It happened to me in junior this year. I got suspended. I got kicked out of games. It happens because I'm so tall and the guys are always smaller. I get them in the head and I get kicked out or suspended because of that. I got to learn how to deal with my height. You learn when to do it and when not to do it and how to do it, especially since I'm so tall. For now, it's been going really good for me. I've been doing good hits and didn't get anything so we'll try and keep it that way."

Lamoureux has not taken a penalty at the World Juniors.

"I'm not looking for the big hit always," the Arizona Coyotes prospect said. "I'm not searching for it on the ice. I'm not going in a straight line to hit them. That's when suspensions happen. So, I'm just letting it come to me and then when it's going to be time, that's when I'm killing those guys (smile)." 

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Bonk insists there are no split loyalties for his family heading into Tuesday's game. Father Radek Bonk, who played 969 games during 14 seasons in the NHL, is from Czechia. 

"He's definitely cheering for the Canadians right now," Oliver said with a smile. "I don't think he wants the Czechs to win one bit."

"We had a family breakfast thing this morning and he was getting excited," said Minten. "He said, 'You better win or we'll never be able to go home again.'"

Oliver was born in Ottawa when his dad played for the Senators. His dad's side of the family continues to live in Czechia. His grandfather, who doesn't speak English, attended some group stage games and plans to return if Canada reaches the final. It was the first time Oliver had seen him since the COVID pandemic started. 

"He shrank a little bit or maybe I got a bit taller," the Philadelphia Flyers prospect said with a grin. "It's been good. He's on board with us too. So, converted a couple Czechs. I liked him wearing the Canada hat and jersey and stuff like that. It's pretty cool to see."

Canada-Czechia games were always fun for the Bonks growing up. 

"Kind of division in the family, but right now it's just full Canada," Oliver said. "I'm excited to play." 

Oliver is bilingual. 

"It would always be Czech with my dad and English with my mom with her being from Canada," he said. 

Oliver did a scrum with Czechia reporters after meeting with the Canadian media. 

Radek finished his professional career in his native country so Oliver grew up there. 

"I was there until Grade 5," he said. "So, still a lot of friends I see in the summer. My cousins are there, my best friends."

Oliver learned a lot about Czech hockey growing up. 

"They always play a hard brand, like, hard-working, underdog kind of mentality," he said. "They'd always pull off a big win against a better team."

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Czechia upset Canada on Boxing Day at the World Juniors last year, but Canada turned the tables in the gold-medal game. There are six Czech players back from that heartbreaking overtime loss in Halifax. 

"A lot of motivation," said defenceman Tomas Hamara, who is an Ottawa Senators prospect. "Obviously, we want revenge."

"We still remember last year and the final game," said captain Jiri Kulich. "But this year is a new team and a new story so we are ready for it."

Canada only has one returning player – Montreal Canadiens prospect Owen Beck – but Letang was part of the coaching staff in Halifax. 

"It was a man's game," he recalled. "It was physical. It was tight checking. There wasn't any time and space. You talk about the fraction or the small minuscule things that make a difference, I'm sure they remember that. We remember the good side of it. They remember the disappointment side of it and I'm sure they'll be hungry."

Kulich, who plays for the Rochester Americans in the American Hockey League, said it took a month before he could let that loss go. 

"I'm happy I have the guys on the team because they were very close," said Augusta. "They could smell it. I'm sure it hurt. They can show the way to the other guys. For everyone it will be a great game. You can play Canada any time, it's a great game for everyone."

Czechia finished third in their group, but pushed the first-place Americans to a shootout. They're hoping to replicate that kind of performance against Canada. 

"The key is going to be skating," said Augusta. "Keep up with the speed of their game. Don't give up a big gap. Be on them and play on the puck when we can."

"We can't take them lightly," warned Lamoureux. "It's only going to be tight games now." 

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Both teams have relied on one goalie in the tournament. Rousseau owns a .924 save percentage while Michael Hrabal is at .888. 

"Definitely can be better," the UMass-Amherst freshman acknowledged. "Always can be better. First game didn't go as we planned, but then we showed our strength against USA so we can play a good game against Canada ... I heard there's a lot of Canadian fans here so I hope it's going to be loud and I think we can make a good result."

Hrabal, a Coyotes’ second-round pick in 2023, faced Celebrini twice in the NCAA this season. Celebrini scored three times. 

"He's a great player," said Hrabal, who stands 6-foot-6. "He has a great team so it was hard. But both games were pretty close. One player can't win a game so we have to play as a team and show our strength."

Does that experience against Celebrini help here? 

"Definitely can help," he said. "But it's not about one player."

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The 5-foot-11 Rousseau backstopped the Halifax Mooseheads to the QMJHL final last season. He posted a .921 save percentage in 21 playoff games. 

"It's always the emotion," he said of postseason hockey. "I like that, that kind of pressure. It makes the game more fun." 

The undrafted 19-year-old always has his AirPods in before a game. What's he listening to? 

"It's pretty hard music," he said. "Really a lot of beat to get a big mindset. It's like funk. That's the style of music I listen to before a game. I'd say it's pretty hardcore, but it gets me going."

He started listening to that type of music about a year ago. 

"I needed something to get me going," he said. "It's been working."

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Yager delivered his dad an early birthday gift on Sunday by scoring his second goal at the World Juniors. 

"I hope he's happy. I looked at him after the game and I saw him in the crowd and he gave me a big smile. It feels nice to get one for him."

Yager's dad, who celebrated his birthday on Monday, worked as a prison guard. 

"With my dad working night shifts, 12 and 16 hour shifts, you see the hard work he's putting in and then still getting up early in the morning to take me to my practice or game. Same with my mom. You want to show them the hard work that they put in and sacrifice," Yager told TSN in an interview before being picked by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the first round of the 2023 draft. "You want to show them it's going to pay off one day."

Yager's mom was a deputy warden.  

"They were always pretty strict with making sure we're doing our chores before we go and have fun and limiting the video games and making sure we're always doing something to get better every day. There's some pretty cool stories they have to share. I'm super fortunate that I have the family that I do." 

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Team Canada lines in Sunday's game: 

Minten - Celebrini - Dumais
Geekie - Poitras - Rehkopf
Allard - Yager - Wood
Cowan - Beck - Danielson

Mateychuk - Lamoureux
Furlong - Warren
Donovan - Bonk
Nelson

Rousseau starts
St-Hilaire