Canada opens World Juniors against Latvia on TSN
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Led by 17-year-old phenom Connor Bedard, Canada is looking to improve upon last year's silver medal-winning performance at the World Junior Hockey Championship. Canada kicks off its 2022 schedule on Wednesday in Edmonton evening with a game against Latvia.
Watch Canada take on Latvia LIVE at 6 p.m. ET on TSN1, the TSN App, and TSN.ca. TSN's triple-header begins at 2 p.m. ET with Switzerland taking on Sweden.
Edmonton Oil Kings goaltender Sebastian Cossa will get the start for Team Canada on Wednesday after allowing three goals on 12 shots in relief during the team's pre-tournament game against Sweden.
"He backstopped the Edmonton team to a [WHL] championship and went to the Memorial Cup and played real well," said head coach Dave Cameron. "Any time you play best on best it gives you the best chance to improve. That's what the Memorial Cup is and that's what this tournament is. Any time these young guys can draw on experience it's going to make them better.
"He's played well enough over the course of his career that Detroit made him a first-round pick [15th overall in 2021] so he's got a lot going for him."
Canada boasts a number of highly-touted NHL prospects, led by Bedard, the top prospect for the 2023 NHL Draft, and Mason McTavish, who was selected third overall by the Anaheim Ducks in the 2021 NHL Draft. Four prospects from Canadian NHL teams will play for Canada at this years World Junior Championship, Ottawa Senators forwards Ridley Greig and Zack Ostapchuk and Montreal Canadiens forwards Joshua Roy and Riley Kidney.
Ostapchuk and Greig will skate on the same line on Wednesday, along side New York Islanders prospect William Dufour.
"I like how [Greig] kind of does it all," Ostapchuk said. "He's got a lot of grit. He hits guys. He's hard on pucks. He's good in the D-zone. He wins faceoffs and he's got skill to back it up. He's a guy you don't want to play."
The 19-year-old Roy led the QMHJL in scoring last season with 119 points (51 goals, 68 assists) in 66 games for the Sherbrooke Phoenix. He will be leaned on as a key offensive contributor as he will play on the top line with Bedard and McTavish.
Canada has medalled in four of the past five tournaments, including a pair of gold medals in 2018 and 2020. Canada last won gold on home soil in 2015, when the World Juniors was split between Toronto and Montreal.
Latvia opened their tournament on Tuesday with a 6-1 loss to Finland, last year's bronze medallists.
Defending-champion USA won their opening game, beating Germany 5-1.
Canada's lines at Tuesday's practice
F
Roy - McTavish - Bedard
Johnson - Stankoven - Foerster
Ostapchuk - Greig - Dufour
Cuylle - Desnoyers - Gaucher
Othmann - Kidney
D
Sebrango - Zellweger
O'Rourke - Cormier
Seeley - Thompson
Del Mastro - Lambos