OAKVILLE, Ontario -- When Canada embarks on its quest for a gold medal at the 2024 IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship, it will be looking to win for a third consecutive year.
It is a feat no team has accomplished since Canada's run of five straight gold medals from 2005-09.
The players are aware of what is at stake when they begin play in Gothenburg, Sweden, against Finland on Tuesday (8:30 a.m. ET, NHLN, TSN). The tournament runs through Jan. 5.
"The [management] told us about it," defenseman Maveric Lamoureux (Arizona Coyotes) said. "The expectations are really, really high. The main goal is to go for gold and nothing less and they told us about it multiple times, so I feel like expectations are really high and the objective is to win and that's it."
While the pressure that comes along with those expectations is admittedly high, Lamoureux said he wouldn't want it any other way.
"I feel it's always better to have high expectations than lower," said Lamoureux, who has 27 points (seven goals, 20 assists) in 25 games with Drummondville of the Quebec Maritime Junior Hockey League this season. "It just brings up the level of everyone. It was such a competitive [selection] camp; everyone wants to help the team to go win it, so I feel like everyone is just playing even better because the expectations are higher."
It is understandable that for a group of players 17-19 years old, preparing to skate in the biggest games they have played to this point in their careers, that the pressure could seem immense. Though the management and coaching staff has made clear to the group that a gold medal is the expectation, coach Alan Letang is doing his best to put it into perspective.
"We talked about kind of staying in the moment and so we don't want to get too, too far ahead of ourselves," he said. "But you know what? I think you know we put a good group together. We wanted this camp to be super competitive to push the guys because we know what we're going to come up against. We know the teams we're going to face over in Europe.
"We know the intensity, we know how important those little moments are. And I think if we just stay focused and stay true to that identity, I think we'll be fine."
Forward Owen Beck (Montreal Canadiens) is the only returning player from Canada's gold-medal winning team at the 2023 WJC, playing three games in the medal round as an injury replacement for forward Colton Dach (Chicago Blackhawks). Forwards Connor Bedard (Chicago Blackhawks), Adam Fantilli (Columbus Blue Jackets) and Shane Wright (Seattle Kraken) and defenseman Kevin Korchinski (Blackhawks), each part of that group, are eligible for the 2024 WJC but were not released by their NHL teams.
While Canada is light on World Junior experience, Beck, a second-round pick (No. 33) in the 2022 NHL Draft, is doing his best to fill the void.
"My first year I was a little nervous, definitely walking on eggshells, and it's definitely a little bit easier and more comfortable this year knowing what's going on and knowing where to be," Beck said. "If I can help guys out, that's what I want to do."
Canada lost to Czechia 5-2 in its tournament-opening game last year but recovered to win its final three round-robin games, against Germany, Austria and Sweden, by a combined score of 27-3. They won 4-3 in overtime against Slovakia in the quarterfinals, beat the United States 6-2 in the semifinals and then won 3-2 in overtime against Czechia in the gold-medal game.
"We learned last year you've just got to win the games that are important," Letang said. "Losing in the [preliminary] round, it's not ideal, but sometimes if you have some character, you overcome it."
Fraser Minten, a second-round pick (No. 38) by the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2022 who played four games with them this season, said none of the players are shying away from the ultimate goal of winning a gold medal.
"Camp was really competitive, always is, such good players here," said Minten, who has 15 points (five goals, 10 assists) in 13 games with Kamloops and Saskatoon of the Western Hockey League this season. "That's the standard. That's what everybody believes is possible and what everybody wants to achieve.
"I think it's more just opportunity. I think everybody here has grown up just dying to get an opportunity like this, so I think it's something guys are more grateful than the pressure that they feel. I've always wanted to wear the maple leaf for Team Canada. I haven't had the chance so far, [but] it's been a goal of mine for sure. It feels good to be here."
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2023-12-24 22:34:59Z
CBMiSGh0dHBzOi8vd3d3Lm5obC5jb20vbmV3cy9jYW5hZGEtbm90LXNoeWluZy1mcm9tLWV4cGVjdGF0aW9ucy1hdC0yMDI0LXdqY9IBAA
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