US advances to world junior semifinals. Canada gets knocked out by Czech Republic
7 min read
USA’s Rutger McGroarty celebrates scoring during the IIHF World Junior Championship ice hockey quarterfinal match between USA and Latvia at Frolundaborg in Gothenburg, Sweden, Tuesday Jan. 2, 2024. (Bjorn Larsson Rosvall/TT via AP)Bjorn Larsson Rosvall/AP
USA’s Gabe Perreault celebrates scoring during the IIHF World Junior Championship ice hockey quarterfinal match between USA and Latvia at Frolundaborg in Gothenburg, Sweden, Tuesday Jan. 2, 2024. (Bjorn Larsson Rosvall/TT via AP)Bjorn Larsson Rosvall/AP
USA’s Oliver Moore, center, celebrates scoring during the IIHF World Junior Championship ice hockey quarterfinal match between USA and Latvia at Frolundaborg in Gothenburg, Sweden, Tuesday Jan. 2, 2024. (Bjorn Larsson Rosvall/TT via AP)Bjorn Larsson Rosvall/AP
Canada players, from left, Conor Geekie, Fraser Minten and Matthew Poitras react following their loss to Czechia in a quarterfinal match at the IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship in Gothenburg, Sweden, Tuesday, Jan. 2, 2024. Christinne Muschi/The Canadian Press via AP)Christinne Muschi/AP
Canada’s goaltender Mathis Rousseau (30) looks back as Czechia’s Jakub Stancl (not shown) scores in the final seconds of play during the third period in a quarterfinal match at the IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship in Gothenburg, Sweden, Tuesday, Jan. 2, 2024. Christinne Muschi/The Canadian Press via AP)Christinne Muschi/AP
Czechia goaltender Michael Hrabal (30) celebrates with teammates Marek Alscher (27), Sebastian Redlich (17) and Adam Bares (10) following their win over Canada in a quarterfinal match at the IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship in Gothenburg, Sweden, Tuesday, Jan. 2, 2024. (Christinne Muschi/The Canadian Press via AP)Christinne Muschi/AP
Canada goaltender Mathis Rousseau, left, and Czechia goaltender Michael Hrabal shake hands following their quarterfinal match at the IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship in Gothenburg, Sweden, Tuesday, Jan. 2, 2024. Christinne Muschi/The Canadian Press via AP)Christinne Muschi/AP
Canada players, from left, Oliver Bonk (5), Denton Mateychuk (24) and Maveric Lamoureux (13) react following their loss to Czechia in a quarterfinal match at the IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship in Gothenburg, Sweden, Tuesday, Jan. 2, 2024. (Christinne Muschi/The Canadian Press via AP)Christinne Muschi/AP
Czechia players celebrate their win over Canada in a quarterfinal match at the IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship in Gothenburg, Sweden, Tuesday, Jan. 2, 2024. Christinne Muschi/The Canadian Press via AP)Christinne Muschi/AP
Czechia goaltender Michael Hrabal, right, and Tomas Hamara react following their win over Canada in a quarterfinal match at the IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship in Gothenburg, Sweden, Tuesday, Jan. 2, 2024. Christinne Muschi/The Canadian Press via AP)Christinne Muschi/AP
Czechia’s Jakub Stancl (21) celebrates his game-winning goal with teammates during the third period of a quarterfinal match at the IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship in Gothenburg, Sweden, Tuesday, Jan. 2, 2024. Christinne Muschi/The Canadian Press via AP)Christinne Muschi/AP
Czechia’s Dominik Rymon (12), Ondrej Becher (19) and Tomas Cibulka (7) celebrate the game-winning goal against Canada by teammate Czechia’s Jakub Stancl (not shown) during the third period of a quarterfinal match at the IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship in Gothenburg, Sweden, Tuesday, Jan. 2, 2024. Christinne Muschi/The Canadian Press via AP)Christinne Muschi/AP
Czech Republic’s celebrate winning the IIHF World Junior Championship ice hockey quarterfinal match between Canada and Czech Republic at Scandinavium in Gothenburg, Sweden, Tuesday, Jan. 2, 2024. (Adam Ihse/TT News Agency via AP)Adam Ihse/AP
Czech Republic’s Jakub Stancl celebrates scoring during the IIHF World Junior Championship ice hockey quarterfinal match between Canada and Czech Republic at Scandinavium in Gothenburg, Sweden, Tuesday, Jan. 2, 2024. (Adam Ihse/TT News Agency via AP)Adam Ihse/AP
Canada players after being defeated in the IIHF World Junior Championship ice hockey quarterfinal match between Canada and Czech Republic at Scandinavium in Gothenburg, Sweden, Tuesday, Jan. 2, 2024. (Adam Ihse/TT News Agency via AP)Adam Ihse/AP
USA’s Rutger McGroarty celebrates scoring during the IIHF World Junior Championship ice hockey quarterfinal match between USA and Latvia at Frolundaborg in Gothenburg, Sweden, Tuesday Jan. 2, 2024. (Bjorn Larsson Rosvall/TT via AP)Bjorn Larsson Rosvall/AP
Canada players line up following their quarterfinal hockey loss against Czechia at the IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship in Gothenburg, Sweden, Tuesday, Jan. 2, 2024. (Christinne Muschi/The Canadian Press via AP)Christinne Muschi/AP
USA’s Will Smith celebrates scoring during the IIHF World Junior Championship ice hockey quarterfinal match between USA and Latvia at Frolundaborg in Gothenburg, Sweden, Tuesday Jan. 2, 2024. (Bjorn Larsson Rosvall/TT via AP)Bjorn Larsson Rosvall/AP
Sweden’s Otto Stenberg, center, celebrates scoring the opening goal during the IIHF World Junior Championship ice hockey quarter final match between Sweden and Switzerland at Scandinavium in Gothenburg, Sweden, Tuesday, Jan. 2, 2024. (Adam Ihse/TT via AP)Adam Ihse/TT/AP
Finland’s Jere Lassila celebrates after scoring his side’s fourth goal during the in IIHF World Junior Championship ice hockey quarter final match between Slovakia and Finland at Froelundaborg in Gothenburg, Sweden, Tuesday, Jan. 2, 2024. (Bjoern Larsson Rosvall/TT News Agency via AP)Björn Larsson Rosvall/TT/AP
Finland’s players celebrate their side’s third goal during the in IIHF World Junior Championship ice hockey quarter final match between Slovakia and Finland at Froelundaborg in Gothenburg, Sweden, Tuesday, Jan. 2, 2024. (Bjoern Larsson Rosvall/TT News Agency via AP)Björn Larsson Rosvall/TT/AP
Sweden players celebrate winning during the IIHF World Junior Championship ice hockey quarterfinal match between Sweden and Switzerland at Scandinavium in Gothenburg, Sweden, Tuesday, Jan. 2, 2024. (Adam Ihse/TT News Agency via AP)Adam Ihse/AP
GOTHENBURG, Sweden (AP) — Gabe Perreault scored twice and five other players had a goal as the U.S. routed Latvia 7-2 Tuesday to advance to the semifinals of the IIHF world junior championship.
Perreault, the New York Rangers’ 2023 first-round pick, also had an assist as part of a dominant game by his line. Fellow 18-year-olds Will Smith, the No. 4 pick by San Jose, and Ryan Leonard, No. 8 to Washington, combined for three points.
The U.S. will next face Finland on Thursday with a spot in the gold medal game at stake.
The Americans’ victory came after tournament favorite Canada was knocked out in stunning fashion with a 3-2 quarterfinal loss to the Czech Republic. St. Louis Blues prospect Jakub Stancl scored the go-ahead goal with 11.7 seconds left.
“It feels like the world’s ending a bit,” Canada captain Fraser Minten said. “Such an unbelievable opportunity for all of us in our careers. You never really know if you’re going to get another look representing your country or playing on such a global stage.”
The Canadians carried the play for most of the final 40 minutes before Stancl fired a shot on goal in the dying seconds of regulation that deflected off the leg of Canada defenseman Oliver Bonk — the son of Czech-born former NHL forward Radek Bonk — and beat goaltender Mathis Rousseau.
“Felt like I gripped my stick a bit too tight,” said Matthew Poitras, whom the Boston Bruins loaned to Canada for the tournament. “I feel like I kind of let some of these guys down, let the country down.”
Advertisement
Article continues below this ad
Canada had won each of the previous two world junior tournaments and three of the past four. The only player back from the 2023 championship team, Owen Beck, said he and his teammates weren’t sure how they lost after erasing a two-goal deficit.
“Our heads are kind of just spinning right now,” Beck said. “It’s a horrible way to end things off here.”
Host Sweden beat Switzerland 3-2 in overtime and will face the Czech Republic in the semifinals. Finland beat Slovakia 4-3 in OT to set up the matchup with the U.S.
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept All”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
Cookie
Duration
Description
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional
11 months
The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy
11 months
The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.