Team Canada enters the quarterfinals of the 2020 World Junior Hockey Championship in Ostrava, Czech Republic as the number one seed from Group B. On Tuesday, Canada trounce the Czech Republic 7-2 to improve to a record of three wins and one loss.
Six Canadian players registered a multi-point game. Arizona Coyotes centre Barrett Hayton of Peterborough, Ontario and Lethbridge Hurricanes centre Dylan Cozens of Whitehorse, Yukon each notched one goal and three assists for four points. Cozens, who is the first player ever from the Yukon to play for Team Canada at the World Junior Hockey Championship, was the first round pick, seventh overall, by the Buffalo Sabres in the 2019 National Hockey League Entry Draft.
The four other players with multi-point games were Grand Rapids Griffins centre Joe Veleno of Kirkland, Quebec (property of Detroit Red Wings) who had one goal and two assists, Halifax Mooseheads defenseman Jared McIsaac of Truro, Nova Scotia (second round draft pick of the Red Wings in 2018) who had one goal and one assist, Spokane Chiefs defenseman Ty Smith of Lloydminster, Alberta (first round draft pick of the New Jersey Devils in 2018) who had two assists and Lethbridge Hurricanes defenseman Calen Addison of Brandon, Manitoba (second round draft pick of the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2018) who had two assists. The other two Canadian players with one goal were Kelowna Rockets left winger and Tampa Bay Lightning prospect Nolan Foote of Kelowna, British Columbia along with London Knights centre and Columbus Blue Jackets prospect Liam Foudy of Toronto, Ontario.
Team Canada will play the second quarterfinal on Thursday against Slovakia with a game time of 7 a.m. MT. The other quarterfinals have Russia versus Switzerland, Finland versus the United States and Sweden versus the Czech Republic.
