By Matt Tidcombe/CHL
It’s quarterfinals day at the 2023 World Juniors!
Four semi-final spots are up for grabs as Halifax and Moncton each host two games while the relegation round also gets underway this morning.
2023 World Juniors quarterfinals
Finland vs. Sweden — 11 a.m. ET / 8 a.m. PT
Czechia vs. Switzerland — 1:30 p.m. ET / 10:30 a.m. PT
USA vs. Germany — 4 pm ET / 1 p.m. PT
Canada vs. Slovakia — 6:30pm ET / 3:30pm PT
The day ahead
An all-Scandinavian clash kicks off the quarterfinals as Finland face Sweden in Moncton. Finland, who silver in 2022, finished second in Group B with a 2-1-1 record while Sweden, who won bronze last year but haven’t claimed a gold medal since 2012, were third in Group A.
The winners of Group A, Czechia, will face Switzerland in Halifax. The Czechs finished fourth last year and haven’t medalled since a bronze medal in 2005 but have impressed this year. Led by star defencemen David Spacek (Sherbrooke Phoenix) and Stanislav Svozil (Regina Pats), as well as CHL forwards Jakub Brabenec (Charlottetown Islanders), Matyas Sapovaliv (Saginaw Spirit) and Gabriel Szturc (Kelowna Rockets), Czechia beat Canada in their tournament opener while their only blemish thus far was an overtime loss to Sweden.
“We have very good chemistry on the line … it’s fun to play together. When we’re in the offensive zone I feel we see each other.”@IslandersHKY‘s Jakub Brabenec & the @Kelowna_Rockets‘ Gabriel Szturc have formed an immediate, and productive, connection at the #WorldJuniors 🇨🇿
— Canadian Hockey League (@CHLHockey) January 1, 2023
Switzerland, who won three of its round-robin games, albeit in either overtime or a shootout, features 10 CHL players and are led by Halifax’s Attilio Biasca.
The USA, who lost in the quarterfinals in 2022, will face Germany in Moncton. Tyler Boucher (Ottawa 67’s) had three goals during pool play as they claimed top spot in Group B.
Canada and Slovakia will round out the day in Halifax as the hosts look to make the semi-finals for the fourth straight year. Connor Bedard (Regina Pats) has starred thus far with 18 points in just four games while his linemates Joshua Roy (Sherbrooke Phoenix) and Logan Stankoven (Kamloops Blazers) have combined for 14 points.
Thomas Milic (Seattle Thunderbirds) will start in goal for Canada after he impressed in the win over Sweden on New Year’s Eve. Mississauga Steelheads forward Owen Beck, who was added to the team’s roster Sunday in place of an injured Colton Dach (Kelowna Rockets), will make his tournament debut.
Slovakia finished third in Group B but are without CHL rookie sensation Samuel Honzek (Vancouver Giants) who has been ruled out of the competition due to injury. With that in mind, the Slovaks will continue to rely on the offence of Filip Mesar (Kitchener Rangers) and Servac Petrovsky (Owen Sound Attack) against a Canada side that conceded just eight goals in the round-robin.
The relegation round begins too as Latvia and Austria will compete in a best-of-three series. The winner will secure its spot at the 2024 World Juniors.
Who to watch
It’s getting repetitive, sure, but it can only continue to be Connor Bedard.
With 18 points, Bedard has tied the Canadian record most points in a single tournament. His 31 career points are tied for the most ever by a Canadian in the tournament’s history, as are his 14 goals.
Against Sweden, Bedard had four assists to accompany his seven-point output against Germany and his six-point effort against Austria.
“He’s an outstanding hockey player that’s making the game look super easy.”
“It’s unbelievable … I don’t have any words to describe it.”
Connor Bedard was sensational again Saturday as he tied the Canadian record for most career points at the #WorldJuniors with 31 🤯
— Canadian Hockey League (@CHLHockey) January 1, 2023
CHL leaders:
| Name | Points | Country | CHL club |
| Connor Bedard | 18 | Canada | Regina |
| Logan Stankoven | 8 | Canada | Kamloops |
| Dylan Guenther | 6 | Canada | Edmonton |
| Joshua Roy | 6 | Canada | Sherbrooke |
| David Spacek | 6 | Czechia | Sherbrooke |
| Shane Wright | 6 | Canada | Kingston |
| Stanislav Svozil | 6 | Czechia | Regina |
| Jakub Brabenec | 5 | Czechia | Charlottetown |
| Filip Mesar | 5 | Slovakia | Kitchener |
| Gabriel Szturc | 5 | Czechia | Kelowna |
Where to watch:
The first two quarterfinals can be seen on TSN 1/3/5 while USA versus Germany is available on TSN 1/3.
Canada’s tilt with Slovakia will be shown live on TSN 1/4/5.
