Canada begins its quest for a 21st title when it takes on Finland tonight to headline the opening day of the 2025 World Junior Hockey Championship.
Canada will field a team of top young prospects in the Ottawa-based tournament, including 17-year-old Gavin McKenna of the Western Hockey League's Medicine Hat Tigers.
Winnipeg Jets prospect Brayden Yager is Canada's captain at this edition of the World Juniors. He was part of the Canadian team that finished a disappointing fifth at the 2024 tournament in Sweden after back-to-back titles and will be looking to help Canada return to the top of the podium.
Finland is looking for a sixth title and first since 2019.
Sweden beat Slovakia 5-2 on Thursday after defenseman Axel Sandin Pellicka scored a natural hat-trick in the first match of the tournament.
Detroit Red Wings prospect Sandin Pellicka, who played in his third World Junior, added an assist for Sweden, which is looking for its first title since 2012.
Rasmus Bergqvist and Linus Eriksson scored one goal for Sweden.
Dalibor Dvorsky scored less than 12 minutes into the game to give Slovakia the lead, which was held scoreless until Daniel Jenko scored on the power play with 85 seconds remaining.
Sweden will play Kazakhstan and Slovakia will play Switzerland on Friday.
The US, who won the title in 2024, will face Germany in the afternoon. In the next match of the first day, Switzerland will face the Czech Republic.
