Canadian hockey players they won in the opening meeting on World Junior Championships 2026 in group B in Minneapolis nad Český 7:5. However, the favorite after 37 minutes he was losing 2:3, and in the third period the score was even 4:4.
The overseas team does not have good experience with the Czechs, having lost to them in the quarterfinals at the previous two WCs and tied for fifth place.
Canada wanted to give it back to the opponent right away in the opening match at this year’s championship. Already during the ice skating, some players provoked by crossing the red line.
At the same time, their were unnerving also by touching hockey sticks.
VIDEO: Canada’s players provoked the Czechs even before the match
But that was not all. The Canadians scored four goals in the third period and were able to claim their first triumph in the tournament.
Their captain Porter Martone recorded an accurate shot at 7:4 into an empty goal, but then he behaved unsportsmanlike towards the Czech team and its player Adam Novotn.
VIDEO: Martone and his reaction after the goal
However, he responded after the match: “I have to apologize for my actions at the end of the match. It’s unacceptable and it can’t happen. As the captain of this team, I’m setting a bad example for the other guys… I take full responsibility for that.”
The Canadians confirmed their disrespect towards their opponent even after the meeting, when they did not shake hands with the Czechs. Coach Dale Hunter and the players defended themselves by claiming that they did not know about the established custom and that it was definitely not disrespectful to the opponent on their part.
However, the union reacted and commented on it on the X social network. “After the game, the Canadian Junior National Team left the ice before shaking hands with the Czech Republic. Hockey Canada takes full responsibility for this misconduct and we have apologized to the team, the Czech Ice Hockey Federation and the IIHF for our mistake.”
VIDEO: Editing of the Czech Republic – Canada match
Canadian forward Tij Iginla, however, denied that the traditional handshake was omitted on purpose. “We didn’t really know we were supposed to shake hands, but now we do and we’ll do it after every game, regardless of the result,” he said.
Coach Hunter also spoke. “I didn’t know that. But now I know, so (after the match with Latvia) there will be a handshake and I will apologize to the Czech Republic,” he added.
The second match awaits coach Patrik Augusta on the night from Saturday to Sunday, starting at 2:30 CET against Denmark. The newcomer to the elite group lost to Finland 2:6 in its first appearance.
