Canada got off to a winning start at the 2021 International Ice Hockey Federation World Junior Hockey Championship in Edmonton, Alberta on Saturday with a 16-2 win over Germany. Due to nine cases of coronavirus, Germany was down to 14 players on Boxing Day, and their lack of depth was a major reason why they lost by 14 goals.
Dylan Cozens of Whitehorse, Yukon, led Canada with six points (three goals and three assists). Other players on Team Canada with a multi-point game were Dawson Mercer of Bay Roberts, Newfoundland (two goals and two assists for four points), Peyton Krebs of Okotoks, Alberta, Alex Newhook of St. John’s Newfoundland, and Philip Tomasino of Mississauga, Ontario (two goals and one assist each for three points), Connor McMichael of Ajax, Ontario (one goal and two assists for three points), Cole Perfetti of Whitby, Ontario (three assists), and Justin Barron of Halifax, Nova Scotia (two assists). The other Canadian goal scorers were Thomas Harley of Vaughan, Ontario, Jakob Pelletier of Quebec City, Quebec, Kaiden Guhle of Grande Prairie, Alberta, and Ryan Suzuki of London, Ontario.
In other Team Canada news, the team has had to make a change when it comes to their captaincy. That is because Kirby Dach is out for the tournament due to a wrist injury against Russia in an exhibition game leading up to the start of the event. Bowen Byram of Cranbrook, British Columbia, and Cozens will share the captaincy role throughout the rest of the tournament.
