Team Canada won their first game in men’s hockey on Thursday at 2023 Winter Universiade in Lake Placid, New York. In Group A action, Canada beat Ukraine 6-1.
Canada was led in scoring by St. Francis Xavier University centerman Liam Hawel of Arnprior, Ontario. Hawel, who was drafted in the fourth round, 101st overall by the Dallas Stars in the 2017 National Hockey League Entry Draft, had three assists.
Hawel was one of five Canadian players with a multi-point game. The others were St. Francis Xavier University center Matthew Struthers of Milton, Ontario (two goals), Concordia University defenseman Tyler Hylland of Chateauguay, Quebec (two goals), Queens University right winger Jonathan Yantsis of Markham, Ontario (two assists), and St. Mary’s University defenseman Justin MacPherson of Newmarket, Ontario (two assists). The other two Canadian goal scorers were University of New Brunswick left winger Austen Keating of Guelph, Ontario, and University of Quebec Trois Rivieres center Zachary Lavigne of Drummondville, Quebec.
In other men’s Group A hockey action from Wednesday, Japan beat Latvia 8-3 and Czechia beat Sweden 7-2. In Group B, the United States clobbered Great Britain 18-0, Slovakia beat Hungary 4-0 on Wednesday. Then on Thursday, Kazakhstan beat South Korea 5-1. The top two teams in each group reach the semifinals on January 21.
