Team Canada had two pre-tournament World Junior Championship games against Sweden in Ontario, which concluded last Saturday. They didn’t count for anything, but it gave the players a chance to get some chemistry with each other and provided a sense of where the team is at. Sweden is walking out of this two-game set as thrilled as can be — they played great. However, on Canada’s side, the feeling should be the opposite. But is this all an overreaction?
Poor Performances
Canada looked lackadaisical in Saturday’s 4-2 loss. The Swedes entered the contest and dominated the entire thing, always staying a step ahead. Key players, such as Gavin McKenna, Zayne Parekh, and Michael Misa, not showing up, combined with the power play looking lackluster, contributed significantly to Canada’s loss.
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McKenna, projected to go first overall in the 2026 Entry Draft, who had two assists last Wednesday, was under pressure in his own zone when Sweden had a delayed penalty. Jack Ivankovic went to the bench for the extra attacker. McKenna, while being forechecked, lost handle of the puck, and it trickled into the back of the net, giving a free goal to Sweden. He found his stride on Brady Martin’s wing in the first pre-tournament game, but Martin was cut from the roster, which led to line changes. McKenna has yet to score a goal with the Canadian crest.
Parekh, loaned from the Calgary Flames, looks rough. Granted, he’s just coming back from injury, so he’s lost a little bit of a step, but he cost them a goal with him getting straight up beat while they were on the power play. He’s trying to do too much, and it blows up in his face; he has to slow the game down and put some trust in his teammates around him. Meanwhile, Michael Hage is the exact opposite. Hage holds onto the puck for too long and is a bit of a slow decision-maker.
At last year’s World Juniors, Canada led in penalty minutes. It looks like they might be heading towards that trend once again for the second straight year. Misa, who is on the top line with McKenna and Porter Martone, took two penalties last Saturday. They were the only two penalties against Canada that night, but with the bigger role he was given, he has to be smarter.
Finally, the power play. The power play went a zero-for-five on Saturday, and Sweden’s Captain Jack Berglund scored a shorthanded goal (he also had the empty net goal to seal it). The puck danced by Parekh’s stick, and Berglund was the first one to it. Berglund picked it up, skated down the ice, and scored. Canada made constant turnovers during 5-on-5 play, but with the man advantage, they seemed to have multiplied.
Should Canada Start Worrying?
After the last couple of years of failure for Team Canada, the quick-to-judge aspect of the last performance is justified. Even the 2-1 win last Wednesday wasn’t all too convincing. However, you cannot bring that mindset into an entirely new group.
The bottom line is these kids are talented, and everything needed to win gold is right in front of them; the right lines just need to be found. McKenna already found success with Martin, and a little shift in the defensive core wouldn’t hurt. Parekh and Misa have NHL experience. In terms of Hage, he’s one of the best players in the NCAA — he just needs to find his confidence. Sam O’Reilly looks really good right now, too.
Yes, it’s not ideal for Canada that Sam Dickinson and Berkley Catton are not being loaned. But, this is one of the best rosters on paper and could be argued as the best roster — there is no reason any type of game can’t be found. If you’re going to panic, wait until after the game on the 26th, the first preliminary game against Czechia. Pretournament games don’t count for a reason.
