Sunday, June 20 | 5 a.m. ET | Ostrava, Czech Republic | Preliminary Round
Stream:
Canadian Paralympic Committee
Canada’s National Para Hockey Team is right back to action Sunday at the 2021 IPC World Para Hockey
Championship, looking to build on its big win over the United States and
take a stranglehold on Group A when it faces off against South Korea in a
match-up of opening-day winners.
LAST GAME
Canada got its para worlds started exactly the way it needed to. James Dunn
and Tyler McGregor provided power-play goals in the second period, Dominic
Larocque was terrific in making 15 saves and the Canadians downed the U.S. 2-1 in their Group A opener. Larocque was at his best in the third period;
after the Americans cut their deficit to one in the opening minute, the
Quebec City product turned aside the final seven shots he faced to earn his
team an important three points.
South Korea got a huge goaltending performance of its own, getting 18 saves
from Jae Woong Lee in a 2-0 win over the Czech Republic. Jee Hyun Ryu and
Seung Hwan Jung provided the offence for the Koreans, who were outshot
18-10 by the tournament hosts.
LAST MEETING
The Canadians and Koreans clashed in the semifinals at the 2019 para worlds
(also in Ostrava), and it wasn’t close. Liam Hickey steered the ship with
four goals and an assist, McGregor added two goals and two helpers and
Larocque needed to just make three saves in
a 10-0 win that sent Canada into the gold medal game.
WHAT TO WATCH
What will the goaltenders do for an encore? The puck-stoppers were the
story in both Group A games Saturday, with Larocque and Lee combining to
allow just a single goal on 34 shots. The Canadian will need to be ready
for the opportunistic Koreans, while the Korean will need another star
performance to slow down the high-powered Canadians.
A LOOK BACK
All Canada, all the time. The Canadians have never lost to South Korea,
allowing just 14 goals across 29 wins.
The teams first met in a three-game series in Surrey, B.C., in January 2010
in the lead-up to the Paralympic Winter Games in Vancouver, and have been
frequent foes ever since, facing off at the Paralympics, world championship
and Canadian Tire Para Hockey Cup.
Canada has hit double digits three times against the Koreans – in addition
to the 2019 worlds match-up mentioned above, it scored
a 10-0 win at the January 2016 World Sledge Hockey Challenge (2-3—5 for Billy Bridges) and
a 10-1 victory at the December 2016 World Sledge Hockey Challenge (2-4—6 for Brad Bowden).
All-time record: Canada leads 29-0
Canada goals: 169
South Korea goals: 14
